Marco Tempest: The electric rise and fall of Nikola Tesla

Translator: Thu-Huong Ha Reviewer: Jenny Zurawell

翻译人员: Tyler Yan 校对人员: Jenny Yang

As a magician, I'm always interested in performances that incorporate elements of illusion.

身为魔术师，错觉艺术一直是我的最爱。

And one of the most remarkable was the tanagra theater, which was popular in the

在二十世纪初期极受欢迎的Tanagra大剧院

early part of the 20th century.

就是错觉艺术的典范。

It used mirrors

剧院使用了一组镜子

to create the illusion of tiny people

来制造小矮人在微缩舞台上表演的假象。

performing on a miniature stage. Now, I won't use mirrors,

不过今天我不会使用镜子，

but this is my digital tribute to the tanagra theater.

而是用数码设备向Tangara剧院致敬。

So let the story begin.

故事开始了：

On a dark and stormy night -- really! --

那是1856年七月十日，

it was the 10th of July, 1856.

一个风雨交加...真是狂风暴雨啊...的夜晚。

Lightning lit the sky,

一道闪电击穿了乌云，

and a baby was born.

一个小男孩出生了。

His name was Nikola,

小男孩叫做特斯拉（Nikola Tesla，著名电磁学家）

Nikola Tesla.

小男孩叫做特斯拉（Nikola Tesla，著名电磁学家）

Now the baby grew into a very smart guy.

小男孩长大后成为了一个聪明的人。

Let me show you.

我让你们见识一下。

Tesla, what is 236 multiplied by 501?

“特斯拉，236乘501等于几？”

Nikola Tesla: The result is 118,236.

特斯拉：“等于118236”

Marco Tempest: Now Tesla's brain worked in the most extraordinary way.

特斯拉的思维非常神奇。

When a word was mentioned,

每当人们说到一个词，

an image of it

特斯拉的脑子里

instantly appeared in his mind.

立刻就会出现一个画面。

Tree. Chair. Girl.

“树”，“椅子”，“女孩”。

They were hallucinations, which vanished

这些画面只是幻觉。这要他用手一碰，

the moment he touched them.

它们就会消失。

Probably a form of synesthesia.

这也许是一种特殊的感知力，

But it was something

不过长大后的特斯拉

he later turned to his advantage.

已经能够很好的运用它了。

Where other scientists would play in their laboratory,

当其他科学家还在实验室里埋头用工时，

Tesla created his inventions in his mind.

特斯拉在自己的脑海里进行创造。

NT: To my delight, I discovered I could visualize my inventions with the greatest facility.

特斯拉：“太好了，我发现我可以用最棒的方式“看见”我的发明！”

MT: And when they worked in the vivid playground of his imagination,

当这些创意在特斯拉脑海里遨游之后，

he would build them in his workshop.

他便在工作室里把这些发明制造出来。

NT: I needed no models, drawings or experiments.

特斯拉：“我不需要模型，不需要草图，不需要实验。”

I could picture them as real in my mind,

特斯拉：“我在脑子里就能构想它们的模样，”

and there I run it, test it and improve it.

特斯拉：“启动，调试，改进它们。”

Only then do I construct it.

特斯拉：“然后我才会动作制作。”

MT: His great idea

他的伟大发明

was alternating current.

是交流电。

But how could he convince the public that

可他如何说服大家，

the millions of volts required to make it work were safe?

这项发明能够安全地在百万伏特的电压下运行？

To sell his idea,

为了推销他的发明，

he became a showman.

他成为了表演家。

NT: We are at the dawn of a new age,

特斯拉：“我们正在一个新时代的黎明，”

the age of electricity.

特斯拉：“一个电的时代。”

I have been able, through careful invention, to

特斯拉：“通过精密的设计，”

transmit, with the mere flick of a switch,

特斯拉：“我只需要轻轻触动开关”

electricity across the ether.

特斯拉：“就能将电力传遍世界。”

It is the magic of science.

特斯拉：“这是科学的魔力！”

(Applause)

（掌声）

Tesla has over 700 patents to his name:

特斯拉拥有700多项专利发明：

radio, wireless telegraphy,

广播，无线电报，

remote control, robotics.

远程遥控，机器，

He even photographed the bones of the human body.

他甚至拍摄过人体骨骼。

But the high point was the realization of a childhood dream:

但是对他最重要的还是实现儿时的梦想：

harnessing the raging powers of Niagara Falls,

利用尼加拉瀑布的巨大能量

and bringing light to the city.

来照亮城市。

But Tesla's success didn't last.

但他的成功没能持续下去。

NT: I had bigger ideas.

特斯拉：“我有更大的梦想。”

Illuminating the city was only the beginning.

特斯拉：“照亮城市只是第一步。”

A world telegraphy center -- imagine news,

特斯拉：“我要造一个世界电报中心。想象一下：”

messages, sounds, images delivered to

特斯拉：“新闻，讯息，声音，图像，”

any point in the world

特斯拉：“能无线地瞬间传遍”

instantly and wirelessly.

特斯拉：“世界每一个角落。”

MT: It's a great idea; it was a huge project. Expensive, too.

这是个伟大的计划。庞大而昂贵的工程。

NT: They wouldn't give me the money.

特斯拉：“他们不会资助我的。”

MT: Well, maybe you shouldn't have told them it could be used to contact other planets.

好吧，也许你不该告诉他们这东西能用来联络外星人。

NT: Yes, that was a big mistake.

特斯拉：“哎，失误。”

MT: Tesla's career as an inventor never recovered.

特斯拉的发明家生涯再也没有好转过。

He became a recluse.

他成为了隐士。

Dodged by death,

躲避死亡

he spent much of his time

大部分时间他都住在

in his suite at the Waldorf-Astoria.

位于Waldorg-Astoria的小房子里。

NT: Everything I did, I did for mankind,

特斯拉：“我做的每件事都是为了全人类。”

for a world where there would be no humiliation of the poor by the violence of the rich,

特斯拉：“都是为了穷人们不再被富人欺负，”

where products of intellect, science and art

特斯拉：“为了智慧，科学与艺术的产物”

will serve society for the betterment and beautification of life.

特斯拉：“能过造福社会，美化我们的生活。”

MT: Nikola Tesla died on the 7th of January, 1943.

尼古拉·特斯拉逝世于1943年一月七日。

His final resting place

他最终长眠于

is a golden globe that contains his ashes

位于贝尔格莱德(塞尔维亚首都)的特斯拉博物馆

at the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade.

里的一座金色球形棺材里。

His legacy is with us still.

但他带给人们的财富流传至今，

Tesla became the man who lit the world,

特斯拉照亮了世界，

but this was only the beginning.

而这只是一个开始。

Tesla's insight was profound.

特斯拉的思想意义深远。

NT: Tell me, what will man do when the forests disappear,

特斯拉：“告诉我，当森林被伐尽，煤矿被采光时，”

and the coal deposits are exhausted?

特斯拉：“我们该怎么办？”

MT: Tesla thought he had the answer.

特斯拉曾经觉得他有办法。

We are still asking the question.

直到今天我们依然在问相同的问题。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）