How did trains standardize time in the United States? - William Heuisler

火車怎樣將美國時間標準化 - 威廉休斯勒 (William Heuisler)

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

譯者: Jephian Lin 審譯者: Allen Li

The development and spread of railroads

鐵路的發展與擴張

across the United States

跨越了美國東西岸

brought a wave of changes to American life.

為美國人生活帶來一波改變

During the railroad boom,

鐵路興盛時期

thousands of jobs were created,

創造了數以千計的工作機會

new towns were born,

新的城鎮誕生

trade increased,

貿易量增加

transportation was faster,

交通運輸也變快了

and the overall landscape of the nation transformed.

讓美國的面貌煥然一新

But, perhaps the most interesting change of all

但所有改變中最有趣的一點

is the least known:

反而最鮮為人知

the establishment of standard time.

就是標準時間的建立

Today, we know if it is 6:28 a.m. in Los Angeles,

現在我們知道洛杉磯的上午 6:28

it is 9:28 a.m. in New York,

紐約是上午 9:28

2:28 p.m. in London,

倫敦是下午 2:28

5:28 p.m. in Moscow,

莫斯科是下午 5:28

and 10:28 p.m in Tokyo.

而東京是下午 10:28

No matter where you are,

不論你身在何處

the minute and second are the exact same.

分和秒總是相同 (譯註：少數時區差 30 或 45分)

But, before the railroads,

但在有鐵路之前

there was no need for a national or global clock,

並不需要全國性、或全球性的時間

and each town kept its own local time.

每個城鎮都有自己的當地時間

So when it was 12 noon in Chicago,

所以當芝加哥中午 12 點的時候

it was 12:07 p.m. in Indianapolis,

印第安納波利斯是 12:07

11:50 a.m. in St. Louis,

聖路易斯是 11:50

and 11:27 a.m. in Omaha.

而奧馬哈則是 11:27

This worked just fine when the only modes of travel

運作很順暢，因為當時旅行

were horses or steamboats,

只靠馬匹或蒸汽船

but it became incredibly problematic

但後來變得問題重重

when railroads came along.

因為鐵路出現了

How can you keep a train schedule

火車時刻表很難定

when each town has its own time?

每個城鎮都有當地時間

And how do you prevent collisions or accidents on the tracks

要怎樣避免火車相撞或出軌

if train conductors are using different clocks?

如果每位列車長的時間都不同？

It doesn't really make sense to leave a station at 12:14 p.m.,

假設離站時間是 12:14

travel for 22 minutes,

開了 22 分鐘

and arrive at 12:31 p.m.

卻在 12:31 抵達，太奇怪了

In order to eliminate that confusion,

為了消除這種混亂

the railroads of the United States and Canada

美國和加拿大的鐵路公司

instituted standard time zones

訂定了標準時區

on November 18, 1883 at noon.

始於 1883 年 11 月 18 日中午

It allowed the railroad companies

鐵路公司可以

to operate more effectively

更有效率的運作

and reduce deadly accidents.

並減少致死的意外

The American public, however,

然而美國的民眾

was not so quick to embrace this new change,

並未立刻擁抱新改變

as many cities continued to use their own local time.

多數城市依舊使用自己的時間

Resistance was so strong that, in some towns,

反對的程度強到，在某些城鎮

clocks would show both the local time and the railway time.

有「本地」和「鐵路」兩個時鐘

Imagine this conversation:

想像一下當時的對話：

"Pardon me, sir. Do you have the time?"

「請問現在幾點？」

"Why yes, which do you need?

「你問的是哪個時間？

It's 12:13 local time and 12:16 railway time."

本地時間 12:13、鐵路時間 12:16」

Ultimately, the logic of keeping a standard time prevailed,

最後，使用標準時間的觀念普及了

and the United States government made time zones a matter of law

美國政府將時區寫進法律

with the Standard Time Act of March 19, 1918.

就是 1918 年 3 月 19 日的 《標準時間法案》

Since then, there have been numerous changes

從那時起，時區歷經了

to the time zones,

多次改變

but the concept of standard time has remained.

但標準時間的觀念還是沒變

But, the United States was actually not the first

美國不是第一個

to develop standard time.

發展標準時間的國家

The first company to implement the use of standard time

第一家付諸實行的公司

was the Great Western Railway in 1840 in Britain,

是英國 1840 年的大西部鐵路

and by 1847, most British railways were using

到 1847 年，大部份英國的鐵路

Greenwich Mean Time, or G.M.T.

都已使用格林威治時間 G.M.T.

The British government made it official

英國政府採用此標準

on August 2, 1880 with the Statutes, or Definition of Time, Act.

納入 1880 年 8 月 2 日的 時間定義法案

But, while Britain may have been the first

英國是史上最先建立

to establish standard time,

標準時間的國家

it is Asia and the islands of the South Pacific

亞洲和一些南太平洋島嶼

that enjoyed the first hour of each new day.

則是每天最先享受日出的地方

The International Date Line

國際換日線

passes through the Pacific Ocean

跨越了太平洋

on the opposite side of the Earth

在地球上的另一側

from the Prime Meridian in Greenwich where,

與格林威治的本初子午線 遙遙相對

thanks to trains,

因為有了鐵路

standard time was first used.

我們才開始使用標準時間

Trains have evolved over the years

鐵路經過多年演變

and remain a prominent form

依舊是全球重要的

of transportation and trade throughout the world.

交通運輸和貿易工具

And, from the New York City subways

從紐約的地鐵

to the freight trains traveling across the Great Plains,

到跨越北美大平原的貨運列車

to the trolleys in San Francisco,

再到舊金山的有軌電車

they all know exactly what time it is.

都仰賴標準時間

And, thanks to them, we do too!

感謝火車，我們才有了標準時間！