美語情景對話 第950期:Shipwrecks 沉船

Jana: So, Peter, I've been asking you about hunting for treasure. Can I ask you a few more questions?

嘉娜：彼得，我之前問過你尋找寶藏的事情。我能再問幾個問題嗎？

Peter: Sure.

彼得：可以。

Jana: So why are there so many sunken ships in South Africa?

嘉娜：爲什麼南非有那麼多沉船呢？

Peter: Well I guess around the southern tip of Africa because of the really bad weather. It really changes really quickly in those parts and with the ancient ships I guess they weren't really prepared for that kind of weather, it's unexpected, so I think that's probably one reason. And I think one of the other reasons is probably piracy, people that were after them, the loot I guess if you want to put it that way, yeah.

彼得：我想是因爲非洲南端那邊天氣非常惡劣。那個地區的天氣變化非常快，而且古代船隻並沒有爲應對這種天氣做準備，這是當時始料未及的，我認爲這可能是其中一個原因。另外一個原因可能是海盜猖獗，海盜會搶劫那些船隻，我想可以這樣說。

Jana: Right, and if it's so dangerous, how do people find these sunken ships nowadays?

嘉娜：好，那既然這麼危險，現在人們爲什麼還要尋找這些沉船呢？

Peter: I think, obviously with technological advances it's easier to track where the, possibly where these sunken ships might be. I think they can use satellite navigation and things like that but obviously also finding out more about history and, you know, going through historical records and finding out the old shipping routes and possibly where ships got lost and finding it that way, I think, is now, is more easier than it used to be.

彼得：顯然由於技術進步，現在更容易追蹤這些沉船的位置。我認爲可以使用衛星導航之類的設備，而且還可以找到更多的歷史，通過歷史記錄找到古老的航線，查到船隻的失蹤位置，繼而找到那些船隻，我想現在比以前更容易做到。

Jana: So it sounds like an interesting combination of technology, science, history...

嘉娜：聽起來很有意思，是技術、科學和歷史的結合……

Peter: I would guess so.

彼得：我想也是。

Jana: Adventure.

嘉娜：還有冒險。

Peter: Adventure, yeah.

彼得：對，冒險。

Jana: So your friend does this as a hobby. Do you know if it's very expensive? Is it a big investment to...?

嘉娜：你朋友是因爲愛好而去尋寶。你知道那花費高嗎？需要大投入嗎？

Peter: As far as I remember what he told me and I think it's really expensive and they formed a little company to start off with but because it involves so much searching and basically doing historical research, also doing a lot of preparation and technological preparation and finding, first tracking, sorry first finding places where possible finds may be and then actually preparing equipment and some of it's really deep sea diving so it involves, I think, a lot of initial capital investment to get it going. Obviously there might be a lot of return when they actually find something but I think in many cases they don't find as much as they expected so there's a potential for losing a lot of money so you'd have to have quite a bit of capital investment behind you if you start out.

彼得：我記得他告訴過我花費非常高，他們成立了一家小公司，因爲尋寶需要做很多搜尋工作，要進行歷史研究，還要做很多準備工作，進行技術準備，首先要追蹤……抱歉，首先要找到船隻可能沉沒的地方，然後準備設備，有時需要進行深海潛水，所以需要投入很多初始資本。當然在他們發現寶藏以後，他們會很多豐厚的回報，不過我認爲在很多情況下，他們找到的不如他們預期的那樣多，所以可能他們還會損失很多錢，如果你要開始這種工作，那需要很多資金投入。

Jana: Right. So you need a lot of courage and a lot of money?

嘉娜：好。就是說需要很多勇氣和資金？

Peter: Yes. But I think he's an adventurer so he, I think he goes where adventure leads him so it would be a nice job to do I think.

彼得：對。不過我認爲他是一名冒險家，是冒險引領他去各個地方，所以我認爲這是份不錯的工作。

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重點講解：
1. be prepared for 準備好的；有準備的；
例句：We must be prepared for failure again.
我們必須做好再次失敗的心理準備。
2. find out (尤指特意通過努力)發現，找出，查明；
例句：Try to find out their background and contact them.
試着找到他們的相關材料並和他們取得聯繫。
3. go through 通讀；徹查；
例句：Going through his list of customers is a massive job.
查閱他的客戶名單是個相當費勁的活兒。
4. start off 開始；
例句：He started off with one small factory, and now he's the head of an oil empire.
他開始只經營一家小工廠，如今已成爲一個石油大企業的頭兒。
5. start out 開始；着手；
例句：She started out on her legal career in 1963.
她於1963年幹起了法律這一行。