Engineers are rarely featured in films, and when you do see engineers in a movie, they’re almost always playing a bit role. This week, one of the rare films in which engineers are the heroes opened. It’s 「The Current War,」 and it’s about the race between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse to light up the world in the 1890s.
工程師的身影很少出現在電影中，當你在電影中看到工程師時，他們幾乎總是扮演著「跑龍套」的角色。 這周，一部罕見的，以工程師為主角的電影上映了。電影名為 「The Current War」（譯名：《電力之戰》），主題是關於託馬斯·愛迪生（Thomas Edison）和喬治·威斯汀豪斯（George Westinghouse）在19世紀90年代點亮世界的競賽。
TRAILER VOICEOVER: 「Thomas Alva Edison. My boys and I caught in a jar what before now has only flashed across the night sky." "The future is here." "Hello. I'm George Westinghouse." "Nikola Tesla." "I will be the greatest provider of electrical power in the world. Better than Edison." "There's a contest between you." "This is a battle for the brightest minds of America." "Today the impossible becomes possible." "And the man that controls that current controls the future." "I hope you brought your checkbooks."
預告片原聲: 託馬斯·阿爾瓦·愛迪生，「在我們讓光亮划過夜空之前，我和我的夥計們遇到了困難。」「未來已至。」「你好，我是喬治·威斯汀豪斯。」「 我是尼古拉·特斯拉。」「我將成為世界上最偉大的電力供應商，比愛迪生更強。」「這是你們之間的一場競賽。」「這是美國最聰明的大腦之間的一場戰爭。」「今天，我們讓不可能變成可能。」「誰掌控電流，誰就掌控著未來。」「我希望你帶著你的支票簿。」
BRIAN SANTO: That's the promotional trailer from the new film, "The Current War."
BRIAN SANTO: 這是新電影《電力之戰》宣傳預告片的原聲。
Hollywood films traffic in hyperbole, but the future actually was at stake. In 1879, Thomas Edison perfected the incandescent bulb and subsequently devised a means of distributing electricity. His intention was to provide electricity and illumination for the world... and to make a fortune doing it.
好萊塢電影流量火爆，但實際上其未來岌岌可危。1879年，託馬斯·愛迪生完善了白熾燈泡，並隨後設計出一種電力傳輸方式。他意在為全世界提供電力和照明，並藉此大賺一筆。
His electrification system was based on direct current — or DC — and it worked well, which he demonstrated by lighting up lower Manhattan. You couldn’t push DC power very far down a wire, however, so his system required a power plant every few miles.
愛迪生的電氣化系統基於直流電——即DC，且運行良好，他通過點亮曼哈頓下城證明了這一點。但是，直流電無法沿電線遠距離傳輸，因此愛迪生的電力系統需要每隔幾英裡就配備一座發電廠。
That was technologically feasible, but George Westinghouse knew it was economically unrealistic. However, with an electrical distribution system based on alternating current — or AC — you could push power vast distances, and so require fewer generating plants. The problem was that, while it was possible to use AC to illuminate a light bulb, inventors could not figure out how to make a motor that worked with AC. Lighting was a nice business, but industrial usage of electricity had the potential to be very lucrative, and that meant driving motors.
這在技術上可行，但喬治·威斯汀豪斯知道，這在經濟上是不現實的。使用基於交流電——AC的配電系統，你可以將電力輸送到很遠的地方，因此所需的發電廠更少。然而問題是，儘管可以使用交流電來照亮燈泡，但發明人無法弄清楚如何製造由交流電驅動的電動機。照明是一項不錯的業務，但工業用電的潛力更巨大——也就是驅動電機業務。
Edison had a lead in the market, but as the 1880s progressed, Westinghouse became more and more competitive, and the rivalry became not just antagonistic, but deadly. Part of the history of the rivalry includes the invention of the electric chair and the founding of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
愛迪生在市場中處於領先位置，但隨著19世紀80年代的發展，威斯汀豪斯也越來越具競爭力，而這種競爭不僅異常激烈，而且「致命」。在其競爭的歷程中，他們發明了電椅，成立了美國防止虐待動物協會（ASPCA）。
The competition was also central to the history of American finance in the 1880s and 1890s; the financial barons of the day were all involved, including and perhaps especially the richest man in the world at the time, J.P. Morgan.
這場競爭對19世紀80和90年代美國金融的影響也很大。當時的金融大亨都參與其中了，包括可能是當時世界上最富有的約翰·皮爾龐特·摩根（J.P. Morgan: John Pierpont Morgan Sr.）。
Westinghouse secured final advantage when he bought patents from Nikola Tesla, one of the world’s great geniuses. The Westinghouse AC system was already cheaper than Edison’s DC networks, but Tesla’s technology made AC practical for all purposes, and that was decisive.
The film’s climax is at the 1893 World Columbian Fair in Chicago, the so-called White City, where the first Ferris wheel was built, Westinghouse dazzled, and Tesla demonstrated technologies it would take years for the world to understand and appreciate.
威斯汀豪斯在從世界上最偉大的天才之一——尼古拉·特斯拉那裡購買專利後，取得了最終勝利。 威斯汀豪斯AC系統已經比愛迪生的DC電網便宜，但是特斯拉的技術使得AC能應用於所有目的，這是取勝的關鍵。影片的高潮是在1893年於芝加哥舉行的世界哥倫比亞博覽會上，芝加哥也被稱為「白城」，人們在那建造了第一個摩天輪，特斯拉展示了還需要數年才能被世界理解和欣賞的技術，威斯汀豪斯被震撼了。
「The Current War」 covers much of that history, mostly accurately... though a few liberties were taken to advance the story without getting bogged down with sub-plots or getting overburdened with a huge cast of characters that would have included some of the most prominent engineers, industrialists and financiers of the era.
《電力之戰》概括了大部分歷史，也基本準確。儘管採取了一些文藝手法來推動故事的發展，但又不會陷入支線故事的泥潭或是沉重負擔的角色之中，電影中還出現了一些那個時代最傑出的工程師們、實業家和金融家。
I went to see the movie last weekend, and so did EE Times editor George Leopold. The two of us got on the line to discuss the film.
上周末我去看了這部電影，EE Times的編輯George Leopold也去看了。我們倆將聯線討論這部電影。
So George, give us your capsule review of the movie.
George，請給我們概述一下你對這部電影的評論。
GEORGE LEOPOLD: Well, "The Current War" is a stunning picture, beautifully shot, designed, great attention to detail. Just enough technology I think to make it credible without getting too far into the weeds. And very well written. I mean, I would urge anybody who sees it to take a guess at the beginning. There's a shot, a long shot of Thomas Edison in the snow, and I guessed where he was.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: 好的。《電力之戰》是一部令人驚嘆的電影，拍攝精美、場景設計巧妙，非常注重細節。我認為只有技術水平足夠高才能使電影即逼真，又不會顯得太雜亂無章。劇本也寫得很好。我希望所有去看這部電影的觀眾在影片剛開始時都應該猜一猜。影片裡有一個託馬斯·愛迪生在雪地裡的長鏡頭，我有試著猜他是在哪裡。
BRIAN SANTO: Me, too.
BRIAN SANTO: 我也是。
GEORGE LEOPOLD: And in the end, I was correct. But anybody who does go to see the film, see if you can figure out where he is at the beginning.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: 影片最後揭曉我的猜測是正確的。不過任何打算去看電影的人，都可以看看是否能猜出他在開頭所處的地方。
BRIAN SANTO: Yes. That was a really cool shot. You're right: It was a beautiful movie. I was really just knocked out by how visually stunning it is. At the beginning there's... one of the opening scenes after the one you just mentioned. A bunch of businessmen being taken out by train to Menlo Park in New Jersey, which at the time looked to be like nothing more than a couple of houses and a swamp.
BRIAN SANTO: 是的。那個鏡頭真的是太酷了。你說得對，這是一部製作精美的電影。我真的是被它令人嘆服的視覺效果震撼了。在開頭，有一個，剛剛提到的那個場景之後，有一個場景——一群商人正乘火車前往新澤西州的門洛帕克，當時那兒看起來只有幾棟房子和一片沼澤。
GEORGE LEOPOLD: Right. In the Greater Tri-State Area of New York City.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: 對。在紐約市的大三州地區。
BRIAN SANTO: Right, right. Exactly. And the guy with the lantern that's leading them to where he wants them to go. Turns out the lantern, it's like pitch dark, some fog rolling around. And Edison...
BRIAN SANTO: 是的是的，正是。有個提著燈籠的傢伙把這群人帶到他想要他們去的地方。 然後把燈籠滅了，周圍一片漆黑了，迷霧蒙蒙。還有愛迪生...
GEORGE LEOPOLD: ...Mud everywhere.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: ...到處都是泥。
BRIAN SANTO: Yeah. Squishing. Lots of squishing sounds on the soundtrack. And Edison lights up a couple of concentric rings of lightbulbs, illuminating the whole area. And... "Gentlemen, I hope you brought your checkbooks."
BRIAN SANTO: 是的。很壓抑。配樂中有很多擠壓聲。 愛迪生點亮了兩個同心燈泡環，照亮了整個區域。然後說到，「先生們，我希望你們帶著支票簿。」
GEORGE LEOPOLD: Which is the trailer.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: 預告片片段。
BRIAN SANTO: Right. Fun and gorgeous. Just gorgeous scene.
BRIAN SANTO: 對。有趣又炫麗。很炫麗的一幕。
GEORGE LEOPOLD: Yeah. And it gives you some quick insight into Edison's thinking, how he operated, always practical, always chasing money, always hitting JP Morgan up for cash, because he needs money for the next invention and the invention after that and the one six months down the road. So that was portrayed very well.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: 是的，電影讓你可以快速了解愛迪生的思想，他的商業如何運作，永遠具有實踐精神，總是追逐金錢，一直追著摩根要錢，因為他需要錢來完成下一項發明，下下項發明，以及後續六個月不斷的發明。電影可以很好地描繪出來。
This immense amount of innovation at the end of the 19th Century in America. This is sort of a... it sort of encapsulates this period. It's just unbelievable technological innovation.
在美國19世紀末的這些偉大創新，電影有點像是密封住了這一時期。真是令人難以置信的技術創新。
And you got him, you got George Westinghouse in Pittsburgh. And then you've got this guy, Nikola Tesla, who's the third actor in this play.
然後他出現了——匹茲堡的喬治·威斯汀豪斯。然後，你會看到這個傢伙，尼古拉·特斯拉，他是該劇出場第三個主要角色。
BRIAN SANTO: Right. What is fascinating to me is, the movie covers the competition between Edison and Edison Electric and Westinghouse to electrify the nation. And the person who has the key for success is Tesla. Edison kind of alienates Tesla, and he floats around for a while until Westinghouse finally finds him.
BRIAN SANTO: 對。吸引我的地方是，電影涵蓋了愛迪生及愛迪生電氣與威斯汀豪斯之間的競爭，競爭圍繞著為全國供電展開。決定成功的關鍵人物是特斯拉。愛迪生有點疏遠特斯拉，特斯拉沉寂一段時間，直到威斯汀豪斯最終找上了他。
The story today, I think a lot of engineers are familiar with it; there are a lot of not only Tesla enthusiasts, they're like fan boys. There's this crazy, almost cult of Tesla these days. And Edison is well known as one of America's greatest geniuses. You have these two geniuses involved, and often the story involves those two. And the third guy is Westinghouse – and not often given a lot of credit in the story of this period of extraordinary innovation – but the movie actually gives him a lot of screen time.
今天的故事，我想很多工程師都很熟悉。特斯拉不僅有發燒友，而且像是球迷男孩一樣。 如今，這種對特斯拉的狂熱，近乎崇拜。 愛迪生是美國最偉大的天才之一。這兩個天才總被提到，而故事通常涉及這兩個天才。第三個人是威斯汀豪斯——在這個非凡創新時期的故事中，他通常沒有被給予很多讚譽——但是電影實際上給了他很多鏡頭。
GEORGE LEOPOLD: Right, yeah. He's the proponent of alternating current and makes this great pitch to his investors to get the contract for the Chicago World's Fair to where he just says, "Well, you'll get more voltage for less money. Thank you, gentlemen." And that was the end of his pitch. And he won!
GEORGE LEOPOLD: 是的，他是AC的擁護者，並向投資者大力宣傳，以期獲得芝加哥世界博覽會的合同，他只是說：「您將以更少的錢獲得更多的電壓。感謝您，先生們。」那就是他演講的結尾。他贏了！
That was basically the Chicago World's Fair, the Columbian Exposition I guess it was called, 1893. That was sort of the dénouement. This is where Westinghouse and his new partner, Tesla, basically win the current war over Thomas Edison who, as the film shows, quickly moves on to other things.
就是1893年芝加哥世界博覽會，我猜它曾經是叫哥倫比亞博覽會。這有點荒誕。這就是威斯汀豪斯和他的新搭檔特斯拉基本上是獲得了贏取與託馬斯·愛迪生之間戰爭的機會，正如電影所示，託馬斯·愛迪生迅速投入到其他事情上。
But I thought that one really great scene that engineers would appreciate was, during the Exhibition, Westinghouse is shown watching an Asian woman — I think she was Japanese — doing calligraphy. And Edison walks up and asks if he's enjoying the show. So finally, after probably a decade of beating the hell out of each other, they have this talk. And Westinghouse asks – and he's quite sincere about it – he said, "What did it feel like?" And Edison's not sure what he means. He says, "What did it feel like when you figured out the incandescent bulb?" And Edison talks about how they tried different materials and nothing worked. And one night they tried again; they didn't expect much to happen. And they waited an hour and it was still burning, and they waited six hours and they started cheering, and they waited 12 hours and it was still lit. And after 13 hours it popped. That was a nice moment.
但是我認為，工程師會喜歡的一個非常棒的場景是，在展覽期間，威斯汀豪斯正看著一名亞裔女子——我認為她是日本人——在寫書法。 愛迪生走了過去，問威斯汀豪斯是否喜歡這個節目。 終於，在經歷了十年的相互競爭之後，他們有了這次對話。 威斯汀豪斯很誠懇地問愛迪生，「感覺怎麼樣？」 愛迪生不確定他的意思。威斯汀豪斯問：「當你發現白熾燈泡時感覺如何？」 愛迪生談了他們如何嘗試不同的材料，但沒有任何效果。有天晚上，他們再次嘗試，沒預想會發生什麼。他們等了一個小時，燈依然亮著，六個小時之後，他們開始歡呼，十二個小時之後，燈仍然亮著。然後在13個小時後突然熄了。那是一個美好的時刻。
What is invention about? What is innovation about? It's about hard work and trying things and failing until you get it right. Beautiful scene.
什麼是發明？什麼是創新？這是一項艱苦的工作，嘗試各種事情，直到成功之前一直是失敗。真是美麗的畫面。
BRIAN SANTO: Well that's... It is a beautiful scene, but that's the fun thing about the Edison vs. Tesla thing. Because what Westinghouse needed for his AC system was motor. He could get the electricity out there, but he needed to drive industrial machines with them, right? So he needed a motor, and that's what one of Tesla's great innovations was: the polyphase motor. And they keep asking.... There's a couple of great scenes where they keep asking Tesla, "So you built this thing?" He goes, "No. Why would I build this?" It was like, "Well, to find out if it worked." He goes, "No, I built it in my head. It's perfect."
BRIAN SANTO: 好吧，那是一個美麗的場景，這是愛迪生與特斯拉之間的趣事。 因為威斯汀豪斯需要的AC系統是電動機。他能從那取電，用它們來驅動工業機器，對嗎？ 因此，他需要一個電動機，這就是特斯拉最偉大的創新之一：多相電動機。他們一直在問。有幾個很棒的場景，他們一直在問特斯拉：「所以是你建造了這個東西？」 他說：「不。我為什麼要建造這個？」 就像，「好吧，我只是看看它否能運作。」 他說：「不，我把它建在腦子裡。太完美了。」
GEORGE LEOPOLD: Yeah.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: 是的。
BRIAN SANTO: And that was always the dichotomy in invention, is encapsulated in those two great personalities. Edison, who will plod away, innovation is 95% perspiration, 5% inspiration.
BRIAN SANTO: 那始終是發明的二分法，被封裝在這兩個偉大的人物中。 愛迪生認為，創新是95％的汗水加上5％的靈感。
GEORGE LEOPOLD: Right.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: 對。
BRIAN SANTO: And Tesla is like, "go to fundamental principles and it'll work."
BRIAN SANTO: 特斯拉就像是「遵循基本原則，那它終將奏效」。
GEORGE LEOPOLD: Yeah. He kept saying, "You're not thinking long term." Well, unfortunately, the investors don't think long term. They think short term. But yeah, that was the nice contrast between sort of the dreamy Tesla and the very literally nuts-and-bolts Edison. So that was well done as well, I think.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: 是的，他一直說：「你沒有長遠的想法。」 好吧，不幸的是，投資者們並沒有長遠打算。 他們的思維是短淺的。 不過，是的，這是夢幻般的特斯拉與腳踏實地的愛迪生之間很好的對比。 我認為這也做得很好。
BRIAN SANTO: Yeah. And we keep bringing up a couple things here in our discussion so far about the investors, about going to JP Morgan. The opening like from Edison: "Gentlemen, I hope you brought your checkbooks." And the final win by Westinghouse, "I can do this cheaper." It's as much about finance and business as it is about the technology. It's about both. And the two are coupled. And what I loved about the movie was that Westinghouse is featured in part because, although he may not be as well known today for his efforts in that current war, he was the most ethical businessman among them all. He's the most ethical businessman. And the movie I think rewards him for that, as does American commerce at the end when they give him the contract.
BRIAN SANTO: 是的。到目前為止，我們一直在談論關於投資者，關於去向摩根尋求資金。就像愛迪生的開場白：「先生們，我希望你帶著你的支票簿。」 威斯汀豪斯確實最終勝利者「我可以讓電更便宜」。金融、商業及技術，全都牽涉其中。勝利和這兩方面息息相關。並且兩者是相輔相成的。對這部電影，我最喜歡的地方在於，威斯汀豪斯的特色之一是，儘管在這場電力戰爭中他作了很大努力，可能如今他的名字並不為世人所知，但他是這些人中最有道德的商人。他是最有道德的商人。我認為這部電影突出了他的這個特質，美國商業也認同這點，最終威斯汀豪斯取得了合同。
GEORGE LEOPOLD: Yeah. In terms of casting, I think Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse will probably get an Oscar nomination. He should if he doesn't. But yeah, the other line I recall was when Tesla's investors basically come and take his patents and he's penniless again. And first they refer to him as just an immigrant, and then I think the investor says, "It's not about current. It's about currency." So that sort of sums it up right there.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: 是的。在演員方面，我認為麥可·香農（Michael Shannon）飾演的喬治·威斯汀豪斯也許會獲得奧斯卡提名。他的表演具備這樣的實力。是的，我記得的另一臺詞，特斯拉的投資者基本上是來接手了他的專利，而特斯拉又一文不名了。他們一來就稱特斯拉為移民，我記得那些投資者接著說說：「這不是電流戰爭，這是貨幣戰爭。」差不多可以這樣總結一下。
BRIAN SANTO: Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. Before we started recording this, we were talking a little bit in preparation, and you mentioned something about the score. So I'll set this up by... I'll ask you about that in a moment. I'll set this up by mentioning that Morse code is a running theme throughout the film. Edison famously nicknamed his two kids Dot and Dash. And the three communicate in Morse code from time to time throughout the movie. And you mentioned something about the soundtrack, and I want to let you bring it up yourself.
BRIAN SANTO: 是的，確實如此。在剛剛節目開錄之前，我們正在做一些準備工作，你有提到關於樂譜的事。因此，我準備了問題，稍後將問到你。我想問的是莫爾斯電碼是貫穿整部電影主題的。愛迪生以他給兩個孩子取了Dot和Dash的綽號而聞名。在整部電影中，這三人不時用摩爾斯電碼進行交流。 你提到了有關配樂的事，想請你聊聊這個。
GEORGE LEOPOLD: Yeah. Movies and soundtracks are really fundamental to sort of the look and feel of a quality film. And I sensed that there was this sort of repetitive sound within the soundtrack that evoked Morse code. I think that's what whoever did the score, I think that's what they were after. And I think it added a nice layer, a nice texture to the film as well that makes it really worth seeing. I give it a thumbs up. I think it was a really well-done movie.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: 是的，電影和它的原聲確實是高質量電影的外化效果和觀影感受的保障基礎。我注意到原聲中有這種重複的聲音，帶著摩爾斯電碼的感覺。 我認為那是電影製作人特意弄得，是他們想要的效果。 而且我認為這些原聲為影片增添了一層漂亮的質感，真的使它值得一看。我是點讚的。我認為這是一部非常出色的電影。
BRIAN SANTO: Yeah. The soundtrack was a bit of subtle genius. Absolutely fantastic. The flick I thought had... It didn't beat you over the head with history, but they make sure that a lot of really nice touches were in there all the time.
BRIAN SANTO: 是的，配樂挺出彩的。絕對精彩。我以為是輕彈的聲音，它呈現了那種歷史感，他們確保始終有很多非常好的觸動觀眾的點。
The Ferris Wheel at the 1893 Exposition, that was the very first Ferris Wheel. Steel was kind of new. And one of the previous Expositions was in Paris, and they built the Eiffel Tower, a kind of a modern wonder of the world, with the newest construction materials. And the Americans decided to one-up them with a revolving steel structure. And they don't beat you over the head out of it, but there's a beautiful shot of that Ferris Wheel over the White City, the Exposition center in Chicago. Just a lot of neat details.
1893年博覽會上的摩天輪是世界上第一個摩天輪。鋼鐵在那時候是一種新事物。之前有屆博覽會是在巴黎舉行，在那裡他們用這種最新的建築材料建造了艾菲爾鐵塔，成為世界一大現代奇觀。美國人決定用旋轉的鋼結構來支撐它們。他們思路清晰。在「白城」——芝加哥的博覽會中心展出的那個摩天輪拍攝得很漂亮。有很多整潔的細節。
GEORGE LEOPOLD: Right. And I think there was a remark about early marketing. I think I recall Edison's assistant saying, "Why would you go to all these places and try and pitch direct current when they're all going to be together in Chicago in one place and you can sell it there?" And then he goes in and makes his hour-long pitch compared to George Westinghouse's, about two or three minutes.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: 對。我在想有關早期營銷的言論。我想起了愛迪生助手說的話：「當人們都將匯聚於芝加哥，並且在那裡給你提供售賣機會時，你為什麼還要去其他地方推廣DC呢？」 然後愛迪生過來了，與喬治·威斯汀豪斯進行了一小時的產品對比演說，大約需要2到3分鐘。
BRIAN SANTO: By the way, the hour-long pitch only takes a few seconds in the movie. You don't actually have to sit through an hour.
BRIAN SANTO: 順便說一句，長達一小時的演說在電影中僅需幾秒鐘。實際上你不必真的坐著等一小時。
GEORGE LEOPOLD: Yes. Noted, yes.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: 是的，注意到了。
BRIAN SANTO: So overall, pretty accurate. Maybe some of the dialogue was obviously a little modern. But still I think true to the characters. The acting was phenomenal. It's a gorgeous movie. My final word on it is, I would recommend that anybody go see it, not just engineers.
BRIAN SANTO: 總的來說，電影是很寫實的。也許某些對話有點現代感。但是我仍然認為角色很真實。表演很出色。這是一部精彩的電影。總而言之，我建議所有人都去看看這部電影，而不僅僅只是工程師。
GEORGE LEOPOLD: I agree. My wife loved it, too.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: 我贊同。我太太很喜歡這部電影。
BRIAN SANTO: Mine too, yeah. So George, thanks. We'll be looking forward to reading your review in the pages of eetimes.com.
BRIAN SANTO: 是的，我太太也喜歡。感謝George。我們期待在eetimes.com網站上閱讀你對該電影的評論文章。
GEORGE LEOPOLD: Good to be with you, Brian. Thanks.
GEORGE LEOPOLD: Brian，很高興和你聊天，謝謝。