常春藤生活英語：極限維修大挑戰(zhàn)

It takes a lot of people to get huge buildings and machines finished on time and under budget. In the beginning, a team of engineers1 has to map out exactly what needs to be done. Then, groups of workers need to figure out how to cooperate and work in the best and fastest way possible. In the end, all of the team members who did their part should have a great sense of pride.

However, the celebrations usually don't last very long. When things are finally finished, they still need to be cared for and repaired. This is no big deal if it is just a flat tire2 on a car or a broken television in a house. But it is a huge problem if a nuclear power plant3 needs a new cooler4. There is even more trouble if the largest ship in the Gulf5 of Mexico needs a new propeller6. The repairs will be extremely difficult since they have to be done in the middle of the ocean.

NGC's new 10-part series, World's Toughest Fixes7, shows how Sean Riley, one of the world's best engineers, always beats the odds and makes difficult repairs.

要在期限及預(yù)算內(nèi)完成浩大的建筑和機械工程，得仰賴大量的人力。首先，一組工程師必須精確規(guī)劃出該做的事。接著，一批批工人必須設(shè)想該如何用最好最快的方式來齊力工作。到最后，所有盡其本份的組員都應(yīng)該會感到無比自豪。

然而，完工的慶祝通常不會持續(xù)太久。當工程終于完成后，它們?nèi)孕枋苋苏樟吓c修繕。如果狀況僅是車胎泄了氣、或是家中電視故障，那還沒什么大不了。但如果是核電廠需要新的冷卻器，問題可就大了。又或是位于墨西哥灣上的大型輪船需要新的螺旋槳，那更是麻煩重重。由于維修工程必須在大海中央完成，因此工作將會極其困難。

國家地理頻道的新系列《極限維修大挑戰(zhàn)》共有十集，該節(jié)目將呈現(xiàn)出世界頂尖工程師之一，尚恩?瑞利如何總能克服萬難、進行艱困的維修。

Building Your Vocabulary

1. cooperate　vi. 合作

The family is cooperating with the police to find their missing daughter.

那家人正和警方合作來尋找他們失蹤的女兒。

2. repair　vt. & n. 修理，修補

I need to get my old shoes repaired.

我需要把我的舊鞋拿去修補。

3. tough　a. 難辦的;棘手的

Getting married is a tough decision.

結(jié)婚是個艱難的抉擇。

Phrases for Learning

1. under/over budget　　低于∕超出預(yù)算

Alex's spending on food this month went over budget.

艾力克斯這個月的伙食費超出了預(yù)算。

2. map out.../map...out　　籌劃……

I've mapped out a study plan for the test.

我已經(jīng)為考試安排了一份讀書計劃。

3. care for...　　照顧∕照料……

Beth was hired to care for the baby.

貝絲受雇照料嬰兒。

Extra Words

1. engineer　n. 工程師

2. flat tire　n. 泄氣的輪胎

3. power plant　n. 發(fā)電廠

4. cooler　n. 冷卻器

5. gulf　n. 海灣

6. propeller　n. 螺旋槳

7. fix　n. & vt. 修理

Tips In Use

...always beats the odds and makes difficult repairs.

(……總能克服萬難、進行艱困的維修。)

這里的 odds 為名詞，恒為復(fù)數(shù)。以下為您介紹 odds 的不同用法。

1. 表『困難;不利條件』，本句即為此例。故"beat/overcome the odds"可譯為『克服困難』。此定義下常見詞組尚有"against all (the) odds"(盡管困難重重)。

Against all odds, the woman beat cancer.

(盡管困難重重，那名女子仍戰(zhàn)勝了癌癥。)

2. 表『(事情發(fā)生的)可能性，機會』。

The odds of Tim winning the game are not high.

(提姆贏得比賽的機率不高。)

More to Know

『天將降大任于斯人也』這句話或許對于節(jié)目《極限維修大挑戰(zhàn)》里的尚恩?瑞利特別受用。除了前后兩天文章所介紹的節(jié)目內(nèi)容，尚恩還參與了其它令人為他捏把冷汗的驚險工程。在《Airline ER》中，尚恩來到了巴黎戴高樂機場，加入一群專業(yè)波音機師的行列，他們得在三個禮拜內(nèi)將一臺波音767客機解體再組裝回去以維修其尾翼，一點點失誤，都有可能造成悲劇。身為新加入的成員，尚恩卻在一開始被派遣切斷飛機上洗手間的水管。但最后，他逐漸融入小組，并且提供了關(guān)鍵性的裝備，這場浩大工程才得以功成圓滿。解決了天上的問題，海上的輪船也需要修補。在《Operation Cruise Ship》中，一艘名為Radiance of the Seas的輪船就像是個命在旦夕的病患等后開刀。尚恩必須和時間賽跑，為輪船置入另一個重達300噸的引擎。尚恩時常就得在這巨型引擎下監(jiān)工，且看工程師們?nèi)绾螌⒕掭喴粕习?、切割厚達7.5公分的船身，化腐朽為神奇