A Century of Memories (1910-1919)

A Century of Memories (1910-1919)

Roosevelt's design included linking the Pacific and Atlantic oceans by building a canal through the 1)Isthmus 1 of Panama in northern Columbia, construction of the era's 2)engineering wonder began in 1904. Alfred Bingham visited the canal site as a child.

"I can remember riding along in this car on the bottom of the canal, a lot of big machinery 2 and a lot of trains going up and down taking the 3)diggings out. And there were marvelous big structures that were to be the locks."

"The building of the canal itself was the greatest engineering feat 4 that had ever been done up to that time. It's all of the great power and technology and energy of this age 4)harnessed there."

Across the Atlantic in a Belfast 5)shipyard, another technological 5 6)marvel 3 of the age was being completed -- the largest moving object ever made by man. The Titanic 6 was said to be the fastest, most 7)luxurious 7 and safest ocean liner the world had ever seen. On April 10, 1912, with more than 2,200 people on board, the ship left Southampton in England on its maiden 8 voyage.

"My mother wanted to see the 8)purser before we went to our 9)cabin. Mother said to the purser, 'I am not one bit happy about going on the Titanic to New York City.' And the purser said, 'Why?' She said, 'Because the Titanic is new, it's never crossed an ocean,' and she said, 'I'm afraid something might happen.' And he said, 'Madam, nothing was going to happen, but if it does,' he said, 'the Titanic has 10)watertight 11)compartments that'll keep it up.'"

On its fifth day at sea, the Titanic received a series of radio warnings about icebergs 10 ahead. The captain, Edward Smith, under pressure to make record time from his employer, the White Star Lines, ignored the messages and 12)proceeded at full speed. Shortly before midnight, Ruth Vecker and her mother were awakened 11 by a cabin 13)steward 12.

"He said, 'The Titanic has struck an iceberg,' and he said, 'I want you to go back in your room, get your family ready and go on up to the boat deck and get in the lifeboats.' And mother says, 'Do we have time to dress?' And he says, 'No, madam, you have time for nothing.'"

The ship sank within 3 hours. In an era that had put such faith in technology, the Titanic would become a 14)stark 13 15)reminder 14 of man's limitations.

In mid-August of 1914, Americans celebrated 15 the opening of the Panama Canal, a triumph of both technology and man's will over nature. An engineering feat as impressive as the pyramids, the canal would also become the symbol of America's entrance into the international 16)arena 16 at a time when the world was becoming more dangerous. The tensions fed by an arms race and 17)rivalry 17 among the major European powers finally came to a head in June of 1914 when 18)Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was 19)assassinated by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo.

"There was no reason why the assassination 19 of Francis Ferdinand would signal the 20)collision of fundamental interests. It was a matter of choice, and that choice was made in Vienna and in Berlin to make it more than an assassination."

In late July with Germany's support, the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia. And within days, all the great powers of Europe bound by their various 21)alliances were at war with each other.

"I was at a camp, a boys camp, in New Hampshire in 1914 when war was declared, and it was a shock to a very peaceful world, but nobody took it too seriously. It was bad, of course, but it was also something that would be temporary and would not have a far-reaching effect."

But this war would be more catastrophic than any which had gone before, one in which technology, the engine of progress, would be used in the 22)slaughter 20 of millions. A war that would sow greater hatred 21 and result in far greater consequences than anyone could imagine in that summer of 1914.

光阴的故事（1910-1919年）

在罗斯福的设计下，经过哥伦比亚北部的巴拿马地峡修建起一条连接太平洋与大西洋的运河--建造始于1904年，是那个时代的工程奇观。阿尔弗雷德·宾汉姆在童年时期参观了巴拿马运河。

“我还记得当年开着这辆车沿着运河底走。有许多大机器还有很多火车在上上下下地搬运挖出来的泥。还有一些大得惊人的建筑做封锁用。”

“运河本身是到当时为止最了不起的一个工程壮举。一切最好的人力、科技和当时代的能量都被集中调用在这上面。”

在大西洋另一边的贝尔法斯特造船所，完成了另一个当时代的科技奇迹--一艘最大的人造移动船只。据说，铁达尼号是全球最快、最豪华、最安全的远洋客轮。1912年4月10日，铁达尼号搭载2,200多人驶离英国南安普顿，开始了首航。

“我们进船舱之前，妈妈去找事务长。妈妈对事务长说：‘乘铁达尼号去纽约，我一点也高兴不起来。’事务长问：‘为什么？’她说：‘因为铁达尼号是新船，它从没有越洋航行过，’她还说，‘我担心有什么意外。”他就说：“夫人，不会有事的，就算有事，’他说，‘铁达尼号上有严密的隔水设施，船不会沉。”

航行到第五天，铁达尼号接连收到无线电警告，说前方有冰山。船长爱德华·史密斯在他的雇主--白星航线公司--迫切希望打破行船记录的压力下，不顾警告而仍然全速行驶。午夜过后不久，露丝·威克和她母亲被一名船上服务生摇醒。

“他说：‘铁达尼号撞到冰山，’他说，‘我希望你们回房间去，让家人做好准备，然后到甲板上救生船。’妈妈问：‘我们还有时间穿衣服吗？’他说：‘不，夫人，你们什么时间也没有。’”

三小时后船沉没了。在对科技抱有极度信心的那个年代，铁达尼号为人类的局限性敲响了一道警钟。

1914年8月中，美国人为巴拿马运河开通而庆贺，该运河既是一个科技成功，也证明了人能胜天。巴拿马运河的工程壮举可与金字塔媲美，它也成为美国登上国际舞台的象征，当时全球局势危机四伏，愈演愈烈。1914年6月，奥匈帝国王储弗朗茨·斐迪南德大公在萨拉热窝被一名塞尔维亚民族主义者暗杀，终于使各欧洲大国之间因军事竞赛导致的紧张关系及敌对状态到达了极限。

“弗朗茨·斐迪南德被暗杀，毫无理由地成为根本利益冲突的导火线。那只是被选中的借口，地点被选在维也纳和柏林进行，事态被扩大得超出了暗杀范畴。”

七月底，在德国的支持下，奥匈帝国对塞尔维亚宣战。不出几日，所有的欧洲列强各自结盟开战。

“当时我在营地上--新汉普郡的童子营，那是1914年，战争开始了，扰乱了原本平静的世界，可并没人把此事看得很严重。人们觉得战争当然是坏事，可那不过是暂时性的，不会有什么长远影响。”

可这场战事远比过去的所有战争更惨烈，科技--人类进步的推动器--被利用来屠杀数以百万的人民。1914年夏季的这一场战争播下更多的仇恨，产生出人们想象不到的更严重的后果。

注释:

1) isthmus [5ismEs] n. 地峡

2) engineering [7endVi5niEriN] n. 工程

3) digging [5di^iN] n. 挖掘物

4) harness [5hB:nis] v. 利用

5) shipyard [5FipjB:d] n. 造船所

6) marvel [5mB:vEl] n. 奇迹

7) luxurious [lQ^5zjuEriEs] a. 奢华的

8) purser [5pE:sE] n. 事务长

9) cabin [5kAbin] n. 船舱

10) watertight [5wC:tEtait] a. 不透水的，防水的

11) compartment 9 [kEm5pB:tmEnt] n. 间隔间，车厢

12) proceed [prE5si:d] v. 进行

13) steward [5stjuEd] n. 乘务员

14) stark [stB:k] a. 十足的

15) reminder [ri5maindE] n. 提醒，暗示

16) arena [E5ri:nE] n. 舞台

17) rivalry [5raivElri] n. 竞争，敌对状态

18) archduke [5B:tF5dju:k] n. 大公

19) assassinate 18 [E5sAsineit] v. 暗杀

20) collision [kE5liVEn] n. 碰撞，冲突

21) alliance [E5laiEns] n. 联盟，联合

22) slaughter [5slC:tE] n. 屠杀