評論
打印
Until the late 1850s, oil had been,really an annoyance to most people.
一直到19世紀50年代末，石油并不受大多數人歡迎
And people would dig water wells,and if they happened to strike oil by accident,they'd curse their bad luck.
當人們想鉆水井時，如果不小心鉆到了石油會埋怨自己倒霉
But with the development of railroads and with the Industrial Revolution, for the first time,people began seeking oil.
但隨著鐵路的發展以及工業革命的展開，人們首次開始尋找石油
Until recently, whale oil cornered the market.
不久之前，鯨油還在市場上獨占鰲頭
It was used in lamps to light homes and streets.
它被運用到油燈中來點亮千家萬戶 尋常巷陌
But the whales have been hunted to near-extinction.
但鯨魚已經瀕臨滅絕
One discovery has saved them.Oil.
一個發現挽救了它們，那就是石油
Made from the remains of tiny organisms in the world's oceans,
形成于海洋中殘留的微小有機體
it's been down there for as long as 160 million years.
石油在地下已沉睡了一億六千萬年
Native Americans have used it as medicine.
美洲印第安人曾經把它用作藥物
Then, in 1854, scientists in Pennsylvania discover it can be used for lighting.
隨后，1854年賓夕法尼亞的科學家發現它可以用來照明
There's no turning back.
從此一發不可收拾
Coal still dominates industry,powering trains and factories.
當時煤炭仍舊統治著整個工業，為火車和工廠提供動力
But it's dirty and less efficient.
但它污染環境，效率不高
A ton of coal has half the energy of a ton of oil.
一噸煤提供的能量僅僅是等量石油的一半
For the right rig in the right place,there are fortunes to be made.
在合適的地方架起鉆井臺，財富就能源源不斷而來
Well, that is the American dream,is that this is a land of opportunity where anything is possible,if you roll up your sleeves and get to it.
那就是美國夢，這是一片充滿機遇的土地，如果你卷起袖子大干一場，一切皆有可能
Prospectors have tried drilling at Spindletop before,but all previous wells here came up empty.
之前采油者們嘗試在紡錘頂鉆井，但都空手而歸
The land, great for farming, is lousy for drilling.
這片適合農耕的土地難于鉆探
Earlier attempts hit hundreds of feet of sand and collapsed.
早期的嘗試因遭遇幾百英尺的沙子而坍塌
The Hamills get $2 for every foot they drill,top dollar in those days.
哈米爾兄弟每鉆一英尺掙2美元，在當時已算報酬豐厚
And when investors pay top dollar,they expect results.
既然投資者給他們豐厚的報酬，就期待有所收獲
Their contract pays them to 1,200 feet.
合約要求他們鉆1200英尺
If they don't hit oil by then,the well's a dud and they're through.
如果他們到時沒能開采到石油，這口井就一文不值，他們也就前功盡棄
That's good, that's good.Right now, they are at 400 feet.
很好，很好，現在他們已經鉆了400英尺
Drilling for oil is dangerous work.
開采石油的工作危險重重
6,000 die in oil explosions every year.
每年有6000人死于石油爆炸
Most rigs are primitive tools,smashing through rock by pounding it with a heavy object on a cable.
大多數鉆井架都很原始粗糙，由系在纜繩上的重物來敲打擊穿巖石
But this is sand.You can't smash your way through sand.
但這里有沙地，不可能敲碎沙子來開路
The Hamills are gambling on revolutionary technology,a steam engine that drills a pipe through the ground.
哈米爾兄弟賭上了革命性的技術，他們用蒸汽引擎帶動鉆頭開路
So far, it's been able to bore through 500 feet of sand and bedrock with no collapses.
目前，他們已在沙子和巖床中鉆了500英尺，未發生坍塌
But at 600 feet...disaster strikes.
但到了600英尺，災難襲來
