29. Henry Ford and V-8 Motor
29. 亨利·福特和他的V-8氣缸引擎汽車
When Henry Ford decided to produce his famous v-8 motor, he chose to build an engine with the entire eight cylinders cast in one block, and instructed his engineers to produce a design in one for the engine. The design was placed on paper, but the engineers agreed, to a man, that it was simply impossible to cast an eight-cylinder engine-block in one piece.
亨利·福特在要制造有名的v-8汽缸引擎汽車時(shí),曾指示他手下的工程師著手設(shè)計(jì)一種引擎,要把八個(gè)汽缸全放在一起。設(shè)計(jì)的紙上作業(yè)完成了,但是工程師們都異口同聲地跟福特說,“要把八個(gè)汽缸全放在一起,壓根不可能。”
Ford said, "produce it anyway."
福特說,“無論如何都要做出來。”
"But," they replied, "It's impossible!"
他們又回答,“但是,那不可能啊!”
"Go ahead." Ford commanded, "And stay on the job until you succeed, no matter how much time is required."
“動(dòng)手做。”福特一聲令下,“不論花多少時(shí)間,做到交差為止!”
The engineers went ahead. There was nothing else for them to do, if they were to remain on the Ford staff. Six months passed and nothing happened. Another six months passed, and still nothing happened. The engineers tried; every conceivable plan to carry out the orders, but the thing seemed out of the question: "impossible!"
工程師只得著手去做。如果他們還想待在福特的公司里討生活,就別無他途可行,只得去做。過了半年,沒有動(dòng)靜。又過了半年,一樣沒有半點(diǎn)進(jìn)展。工程師們?cè)囘^了所有想得出來的計(jì)劃去執(zhí)行命令,結(jié)采仍然是:“不可能!”
At the end of the year Ford checked with his engineers, and again they informed him they had found no way to carry out his orders.
過了一年,福特的工程師們都沒有進(jìn)展,他們?cè)俅胃嬖V他,他們想不出有什么辦法可以做到的指示。
"go right head," said ford, "I want it, and I'll have it."
“繼續(xù)做,”福特說。“我要八個(gè)汽缸引擎,就一定要做到!”
They went ahead, and then, as if by a stroke of magic, the secret was discovered.
他們繼續(xù)努力,然后仿佛如有神助似的,做法出籠了。
The Ford's determination had won once more!
福特的決心又打贏了一仗。