VOA朗讀:Words and Their Stories: Nuts and Bolts 螺栓和螺帽

 

Every machine is held together by its nuts and bolts. Without them, the machine would fall apart. That is also true of an organization. Its nuts and bolts are its basic, necessary elements. They are the parts that make the organization work.

每台機器都是由螺帽和螺栓所連接在一起的。如果少了他們，機器就會分散開來。這也適用於一個組織。螺帽和螺栓就是最基本，必須的元素。是他們使組織可以運作下去。

In government, industry, diplomacy -- in most anything -- those who understand the nuts and bolts are the most important. Success depends more on them than on almost anyone else.

在政府，製造業，外交部和幾乎所有的地方，都了解這些螺帽和螺栓才是最重要的。比起其他任何事物，成功更多的是依賴這些具體的細節。

In government, the president or prime minister may plan and shape programs and policies. But, it takes much more work to get them approved and to make them successful.

在政府的總統或者是首相製定和決定方案和政策。但是這要做大量的工作使這些決策通過並得以成功。

There is a mass of detailed work to be done. The nuts and bolts. This is often put into the hands of specialists. The top leaders are always well-known, but not those who work with the nuts and bolts.

這需要做出大量的細節工作。這些工作通常交予一些專家手裏處理。高級領導人都是有名的，但不是他們來完成這些細節工作。

This is equally true in the day-to-day operation of Congress. The majority leader of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, together with the chairmen of committees, keep the business of Congress moving.

在國會日常運轉中也是如此。參議會的多數派領導人，眾議院的發言人連同國會委員會主席一起保持國會事務運行。

Behind every Senator and Congressman, however, are assistants. These people do all the detailed work to prepare congressmen to vote wisely on each issue.

每一位參議員和國會議員背後都有助手們。這些助手們要為議員們對每個議題的明智投票做好細節準備工作。

In diplomacy, the chief ministers are unquestionably important in negotiations. But there are lesser officials who do the basic work and preparations on the different issues to be negotiated.

在外交上，首席部長無疑是談判中的重要人物。但那些手下官員們要對談判的各種議題做好基本準備工作。

A recent book, tells of a British Prime Minister who decided to send an ambassador to Washington to learn if details could be worked out for joint action on an issue. "The talks in Washington," the minister said, "would be of nuts and bolts." he meant of course, the talks would concern all the necessary elements to make joint action successful.

最近一本書中講述了一位英國首相決定派出一位大使到華盛頓，去了解對於某項議題的兩國合作的細節是否可以解決。這位首相說到，“在華盛頓的這次談話，將會是細節的對話。” 他的意思當然是，對話將會關注所有使聯合合作能做成功的所有必要細節。

In a military operation, strategy decisions are important. But much more time is spent on the nuts and bolts -- generally called logistics -- of how to transport and supply an army. It has been said that Napoleon was successful because he knew the field position of every one of his guns. He gave careful attention to the nuts and bolts of his operations.

在軍事活動中，戰略決策是重要的。但是更多的時間是花在螺帽和螺栓上-通常所說的後勤部-怎樣運送和供給一個軍隊。據說，拿破侖成功之處在於他知道他的每個士兵的野外位置。對於他的行動中的細節他給予了仔細關注。

The extreme importance of nuts and bolts was expressed by the Elizabethan poet, George Herbert. He wrote:

伊麗莎白時期的私人，喬治。赫伯特表達了細節中的至關重要性。他寫道：

For want of a nail, the shoe is lost

For want of a shoe, the horse is lost

For want of a horse, the rider is lost.

因缺乏掌釘，蹄鐵就掉了。因缺乏蹄鐵，馬就喪失了作用。因缺乏馬匹，騎兵就失去了作用。

Benjamin franklin carried these lines even further. He wrote:

本傑明。法蘭克林對這麽語句接了下去。他寫道：

For want of a rider, the battle was lost

For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost

因缺乏騎兵，就輸掉了戰役。因輸掉了戰役，國家就毀滅了。

And all for the want of a horseshoe nail. 所有缺乏的隻是一個馬蹄鐵釘子。

(MUSIC)

***譯文來自網絡***