旁白：在美国短暂的历史中， 这是首次
the man most capable of leading America is not a politician.
一个最有能力引领美国的人不再是政治家
He's a self-made man, who, through sheer force of will,
他凭借着纯粹的意志力，白手起家
turned a poor upbringing on the docks of New York Harbor, into an empire.
从纽约港码头的一介穷人变成创造出一个商业帝国的人。
At sixteen, Cornelius Vanderbilt
十六岁时科尼利厄斯·范德比尔特
buys a small ferry boat with a one hundred dollar loan.
用一百美元贷款买了一条小渡船。
He quickly earns a reputation as a cut throat businessman,
很快他便因心狠手辣而出名，
willing to use any means necessary to get ahead.
为了成功不择手段。
MARK CUBAN: Back then, it was just pure competition.
马克·库班：那时只有纯粹的竞争。
My brain against your brain.
脑力对抗脑力。
My effort against your effort.
努力对抗努力
You just competed.
你只需要竞争。
That's the way they looked at business. It was the Wild, Wild West,
这就是他们看待商业的方式。在美国西部荒原，
and by hook or crook, it was just win or lose,
所有人不择手段，只管输赢，
and the best win.
最优秀的人取得胜出。
He was a tough guy.
他是一个很顽强的人。
Getting into scraps with other men,
同其他人进行激烈的争斗，
beating the hell out of them and knocking them unconscious.
痛打对手，打得他们不省人事。
That competitive streak, and that toughness,
这种竞争方式，这种顽强品质，
very much defined his character.
很大程度上定义了他这个人的品格。
NARRATOR: His single ferry soon becomes a fleet of ships,
旁白：他很快从一条渡船发展成了一个船队，
transporting goods and passengers to every corner of the growing country.
将货物和乘客运往这个发展中的国家的每一个角落。
Vanderbilt will become so synonymous with shipping
范德比尔特很快就变成了海运的代名词，
that his nickname becomes "the Commodore".
人们昵称他 为"船队队长"。
I think Vanderbilt recognized
我想范德比尔特意识到
that what was going to be important
将货物
is transporting goods from one place to another.
从一个地方运往另一个地方将会变得十分重要。
And he had this idea that required infrastructure,
他知道那需要基础设施，
and not infrastructure the government was going to provide,
还不能只是政府将会提供的基础设施，
but that he was going to provide.
而是他自己提供的。
NARRATOR: Over the next forty years,
旁白：在之后的四十年中，
Vanderbilt builds the largest shipping empire in the world.
范德比尔特建起了全世界最大的航运帝国。
Then, at the peak of his power,
之后，在他权力的顶峰时，
just before the Civil War, he does the unthinkable.
就在南北战争之前，他做了一件不可思议的事。
