Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” ― Isaac Asimov
暴力是无能者的最后手段。-阿西莫夫
1980年，新加坡航空公司机师协会罢工，要求增加30%的薪资。
时任新加坡总理李光耀和罢工机师面对面谈话，给他们两种选择，要么重回岗位，要么用尽所有力量给他们一个终生难忘的教训。
谈话后，机师终止罢工，李光耀也霸气地在雨中向民众声明，“As long as I’m in charge, nobody’s gonna knock it down.”
播放
这几天在微博上关注HK的时候，总是会刷到这个视频，但是没有英文字幕，小编把英文敲下来，修改了视频中的几处中文翻译。
看一遍视频，听一遍演讲，也就过了，nothing left。如果把文本仔细研读，或精读好几遍，重点关注其中的语言表达，你的收获会是截然不同的～
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.
我告诉你当我和新航机师会面，不是在荧幕上和他们对谈，而是面对面的谈话。
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.
隔着一张5英尺的桌子，所以他们可以看见我，看我是否仍精力旺盛，仍有能力和他们作战、周旋，看是否值得和我对峙。
vigorous: [‘vɪg(ə)rəs] 有活力的，精力旺盛的（名词：vigor）可以形容人的精神状态，也可以形容运动、行动、文字等We urge vigorous actions to be taken immediately.我们要求立即采取有力措施。
take somebody on: 愿意或准备好迎接强敌或对手的挑战
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.
然后我给他们两个选择。要么，你以理争辩，停止这些威胁。你们已经严重打击新航，毁坏新航名声，上百万元的广告、营收在两星期内灰飞烟灭。
intimidation：[ɪn,tɪmɪ deɪʃn] 名词，来自动词intimidate，恐吓、威胁disrupt：[dɪs’rʌpt] 动词，破坏，分裂，瓦解reputation：[repjʊ teɪʃ(ə)n] 名声，声誉
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.
我让他们选择。再继续怠工，我会用尽所有力量来给他们一个教训，让全新加坡人民帮我给他们一个永生难忘的教训。我准备好了重新来过。
means：[miːnz] 方法、手段disposal：[dɪ spəʊz(ə)l] 处理、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.
要么，停止怠工，重回岗位，恢复纪律，然后再来辩论。
Took them 65 minutes, and they decided “OK, it isn’t worth the fight.”
他们考虑了65分钟，然后他们决定：“好吧，不值得继续抗争。”
be worth something: 值得某件事物（但此处将名词fight翻译成中文时为动词）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.
为什么额？因为他们知道必将失败，他们知道我已经准备好要停飞，他们知道没有他们，我也可以让新航重新营运。
ground: 此处为动词，昨天的文章里也介绍过啦，意为“把…限制在地面”，即禁飞
And let there be no mistakes about this. Whoever governs Singapore must have that iron in him, or give it up.
在这把话说清楚，不管是谁来管理新加坡，一定要拥有钢铁般的意志，否则想都别想。
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.
这不是一场纸牌游戏，这关乎你我的性命。我废了一生心血建立新航，只要我在位，没有人可以毁掉它
be in charge: 主管、负责（in charge of something）knock…down: knock为动词，意为“撞击”，knock down表示“击倒、撞到”
图片来自使徒子微博