THE PICKAXE IN THE GOLD FIELD
采金场上的铁镐
“The axe is small, but more hacks will enable it to hew down solid trees,” the Alaska king of gold mine told the reporter.
“May I ask what your secret of becoming rich is?” the reporter asked.
“I think it's a kind of luck!” answered Johnson.
“Luck?” the reporter doubted.
Johnson said with a smile, “I remember, at that time, I unconsciously found a rusty pickaxe in the earth of the ruined diggings. I just shook the pickaxe for some times and then plucked it out. I did not expect that there were a lot of gold mine below the pickaxe and therefore discovered the ore deposit. If the owner of that pickaxe could hold on a bit longer and shake the pickaxe, this man may be the king of gold mine today.”
先逐字读一遍短文，不认识的不着急查词典，读完一遍，不熟悉的生词大约心中有数了，再回头仔细读一遍，有生词的部分，细读，根据上下文猜测一下意思。如果手头有纸笔不妨写下来。最好通读三遍，文章的大约意思估计也就明白八九不离十了。再逐字查阅生词，最后再对照译文，通读一两遍。还有疑难不解的地方做好笔记请教他人。
pickaxe
英[ˈpɪkæks]美[ˈpɪkæks]
n. 镐；鹤嘴锄
vt. 用鹤嘴锄掘
来自中古英语picas,镐，锄，来自古法语picois,镐，锄，来自拉丁语picosa,镐，锄，词源同picus,啄木鸟，词源同pie,pike.拼写受pick和axe影响俗化。
词源
pickaxe (n.)also pick-axe, early 15c., folk etymology alteration (by influence of axe) of Middle English picas (mid-13c.), via Anglo-French piceis, Old French pocois (11c.) and directly from Medieval Latin picosa "pick," related to Latin picus "woodpecker" (see pie (n.2)).
Bob pecked at the hard ground with a pickaxe.
鲍勃用鹤嘴锄在坚硬的地面上挖掘.
hacks
英[hæks]美[hæks]
v.砍; 劈; 猛踢; 非法侵入(他人计算机系统);
n.雇佣文人(尤指廉价受雇撰写报纸庸俗文章者); (受雇于组织，尤其是政客)从事艰苦乏味工作的人; 杂务人员; 供人骑的马; 可出租的马;
hack的第三人称单数和复数;
Jack is making a hack at the tree.
杰克正在砍树。
hew down
英[hjuː daʊn]美[hjuː daʊn]
伐倒;
He was told not to hew down that ancient tree.
他被告知不要砍倒那棵古树。
unconsciously
英[ʌnˈkɒnʃəsli]美[ʌnˈkɑːnʃəsli]
adv.无意地; 不知不觉地;
Thus consciously or unconsciously create a popular myth.
从而有意或无意地创建一个流行神话。
rusty
英[ˈrʌsti]美[ˈrʌsti]
adj.生锈的; 荒疏; 荒废; 退步;
The box was fastened with a rusty wire.
那个箱子是用生锈的铁丝捆紧的。
ruined
英[ˈruːɪnd]美[ˈruːɪnd]
adj.毁坏的; 严重受损的;
v.毁坏; 破坏; 糟蹋; 使破产(或失去地位等); 毁灭;
ruin的过去分词和过去式;
One of the most important buildings in this ruined city is a public bath
在这座被毁坏的城市里，最重要的建筑物之一就是公共澡堂。
diggings，
主要用作名词，作名词时译为“矿区；发掘物；寓所（原指金矿矿工宿营地）”。
plucked it out
拔出来
pluck
英[plʌk]美[plʌk]
v.摘; 拔; 拔掉，退去(死禽的毛); 弹，弹拨(乐器的弦);
n.胆识; 胆量; 意志;
I plucked an orange from the tree.
我从树上摘了一个橙子。
ore deposit
英[ɔː(r) dɪˈpɒzɪt]美[ɔːr dɪˈpɑːzɪt]
矿床; 涂光炽;
This is where we need Ore Deposit Models!
这就是我们为什么需要矿床模型!
ore
英 [ɔː]美 [ɔr]
n. 矿；矿石
来自古英语ora,矿石，矿土，未冶炼金属，词源同earth.同时受另一个古英语词ar影响，黄铜，铜矿，来自PIE*aus,金黄色的，词源同aurora,ormolu.
We dowse oil and ore in South America for big companies.
我们在南美洲为一些大公司探测石油和矿石。
“这把斧子是小了点儿，可是多砍几次也能砍倒结实的大树。”阿拉斯加金矿大王告诉记者。
“您能透露一下致富的秘诀吗？”记者问。
“我觉得就是运气好！”约翰逊回答。
“运气？”记者表示怀疑。
约翰逊笑着说：“记得当时，我在废弃的金矿区的土里无意中发现一把生锈的铁镐。我就摇了几下，然后把它拽了出来。没想到铁镐下面有大量的金矿，接着就发现了矿床。如果铁镐的主人能够再坚持久一点，再晃一晃铁镐，也许这个人就是今天的金矿大王了。”