Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” ― Isaac Asimov
暴力是無能者的最後手段。-阿西莫夫
1980年,新加坡航空公司機師協會罷工,要求增加30%的薪資。
時任新加坡總理李光耀和罷工機師面對面談話,給他們兩種選擇,要麽重回崗位,要麽用盡所有力量給他們一個終生難忘的教訓。
談話後,機師終止罷工,李光耀也霸氣地在雨中向民衆聲明,“As long as I’m in charge, nobody’s gonna knock it down.”
播放
這幾天在微博上關注HK的時候,總是會刷到這個視頻,但是沒有英文字幕,小編把英文敲下來,修改了視頻中的幾處中文翻譯。
看一遍視頻,聽一遍演講,也就過了,nothing left。如果把文本仔細研讀,或精讀好幾遍,重點關注其中的語言表達,你的收獲會是截然不同的~
I can tell you that when I met with the SIA pilots, I didn’t meet them on TV, I met them face to face.
我告訴你當我和新航機師會面,不是在熒幕上和他們對談,而是面對面的談話。
5 feet across the table so they can see me and see whether I’m still vigorous, able to campaign and take them on, whether it’s taking me on.
隔著一張5英尺的桌子,所以他們可以看見我,看我是否仍精力旺盛,仍有能力和他們作戰、周旋,看是否值得和我對峙。
vigorous: [‘vɪg(ə)rəs] 有活力的,精力旺盛的(名詞:vigor)可以形容人的精神狀態,也可以形容運動、行動、文字等We urge vigorous actions to be taken immediately.我們要求立即采取有力措施。
take somebody on: 願意或准備好迎接強敵或對手的挑戰
And I offer them two choices. Either you argue, you stop this intimidation, which is what it was, bringing SIA right down, disrupting services, ruining its reputation. Millions of dollars’ worth of advertisements and sales ruined within two weeks.
然後我給他們兩個選擇。要麽,你以理爭辯,停止這些威脅。你們已經嚴重打擊新航,毀壞新航名聲,上百萬元的廣告、營收在兩星期內灰飛煙滅。
intimidation:[ɪn,tɪmɪ deɪʃn] 名詞,來自動詞intimidate,恐嚇、威脅disrupt:[dɪs’rʌpt] 動詞,破壞,分裂,瓦解reputation:[repjʊ teɪʃ(ə)n] 名聲,聲譽
I gave them a choice. Continue this, and I will, by every means at my disposal, teach you and get the people of Singapore help me teach you a lesson you won’t forget. I’m prepared to start all over again.
我讓他們選擇。再繼續怠工,我會用盡所有力量來給他們一個教訓,讓全新加坡人民幫我給他們一個永生難忘的教訓。我准備好了重新來過。
means:[miːnz] 方法、手段disposal:[dɪ spəʊz(ə)l] 處理、支配、安排at one’s disposal:在某人支配中的
Or stop it, get back to work, restore discipline, then argue your case.
要麽,停止怠工,重回崗位,恢複紀律,然後再來辯論。
Took them 65 minutes, and they decided “OK, it isn’t worth the fight.”
他們考慮了65分鍾,然後他們決定:“好吧,不值得繼續抗爭。”
be worth something: 值得某件事物(但此處將名詞fight翻譯成中文時爲動詞)It totally worths the effort. 付出值得了。be worth doing something: 值得做某事
Why? Because they know they’ll lose. They know I’m prepared to ground the airline. Because they know I’ll get the airline going again without them.
爲什麽額?因爲他們知道必將失敗,他們知道我已經准備好要停飛,他們知道沒有他們,我也可以讓新航重新營運。
ground: 此處爲動詞,昨天的文章裏也介紹過啦,意爲“把…限制在地面”,即禁飛
And let there be no mistakes about this. Whoever governs Singapore must have that iron in him, or give it up.
在這把話說清楚,不管是誰來管理新加坡,一定要擁有鋼鐵般的意志,否則想都別想。
This is not a game of cards. This is your life and mine. I spent a whole lifetime building this. As long as I’m in charge, nobody’s gonna knock it down.
這不是一場紙牌遊戲,這關乎你我的性命。我廢了一生心血建立新航,只要我在位,沒有人可以毀掉它
be in charge: 主管、負責(in charge of something)knock…down: knock爲動詞,意爲“撞擊”,knock down表示“擊倒、撞到”
圖片來自使徒子微博