# 第四册 Lesson 13 The search for oil 寻找石油

## 一、课文原文

The deepest holes of all are made for oil, and they go down to as much as 25,000 feet. But we do not need to send man down to get the oil out, as we must with other mineral deposits. The holes are only borings, less than a foot in diameter. My particular experience is largely in oil, and the search for oil has done more to improve deep drilling than any other mining activity. When it has been decided where we are going to drill, we put up at the surface an oil derrick. It has to be tall because it is like a giant block and tackle and we have to lower into the ground and haul out of the ground great lengths of drill pipe which are rotated by an engine at the top and are fitted with a cutting bit at the bottom.

The geologist needs to know what rocks the drill has reached, so every so often a sample is obtained with a coring bit. It cuts a clean cylinder of rock, from which can be seen the strata the drill has been cutting through. Once we get down to the oil, it usually flows to the surface because great pressure either from gas or water, is pushing it. This pressure must be under control, and we control it by means of the mud which we circulate down the drill pipe. We endeavour to avoid the old, romantic idea of a gusher, which wastes oil and gas. We want it to stay down the hole until we can lead it off in a controlled manner.

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| boring | /ˈbɔːrɪŋ/ | n. | 钻孔，钻探 | borings 钻孔（复数） |
| diameter | /daɪˈæmɪtə/ | n. | 直径 | less than a foot in diameter 直径不到一英尺 |
| drilling | /ˈdrɪlɪŋ/ | n. | 钻井，钻探 | deep drilling 深井钻探 |
| derrick | /ˈderɪk/ | n. | 井架，钻塔 | oil derrick 油井钻塔 |
| block and tackle | /blɒk ənd ˈtækl/ | n. | 滑轮组 | 起重装置 |
| haul | /hɔːl/ | v. | 拖拉，吊起 | haul out of the ground 从地下吊出 |
| rotate | /rəʊˈteɪt/ | v. | 旋转，转动 | rotated by an engine 由引擎驱动旋转 |
| cutting bit | /ˈkʌtɪŋ bɪt/ | n. | 钻头 | 钻探用的切割钻头 |
| geologist | /dʒiˈɒlədʒɪst/ | n. | 地质学家 | geology 地质学 |
| coring bit | /ˈkɔːrɪŋ bɪt/ | n. | 取芯钻头 | 用于取岩芯样本的钻头 |
| cylinder | /ˈsɪlɪndə/ | n. | 圆柱体 | a clean cylinder of rock 圆柱形岩芯 |
| strata | /ˈstrɑːtə/ | n. | 地层（复数） | 单数 stratum |
| gusher | /ˈɡʌʃə/ | n. | 喷油井 | 喷涌而出的油井 |
| endeavour | /ɪnˈdevə/ | v. | 努力，尽力 | endeavour to avoid 努力避免 |
| circulate | /ˈsɜːkjuleɪt/ | v. | 循环，流通 | circulate mud down the drill pipe 将泥浆循环注入钻杆 |

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. as引导方式状语从句

> ...**as** we must with other mineral deposits.

- as = like, in the way that
- 省略形式：as we must (send man down) with other mineral deposits

### 2. 分隔定语

> ...we put up at the surface an **oil derrick**.

- 正常语序：put up an oil derrick at the surface
- 将地点状语提前，避免头重脚轻

### 3. 定语从句的倒装

> ...from **which can be seen** the strata the drill has been cutting through.

- 介词+which引导定语从句，从句内部倒装
- 正常语序：the strata...can be seen from which

### 4. every so often 时不时

> ...**every so often** a sample is obtained with a coring bit.

- = from time to time, occasionally
- 仿写：Every so often she visits her grandmother.

## 四、重点句型分析

### 1. as much as 多达

> ...they go down to **as much as** 25,000 feet.

- = up to, no less than
- 强调深度之大
- 仿写：The project cost as much as 10 million dollars.

### 2. do more to 比...做更多

> ...the search for oil has **done more to** improve deep drilling **than** any other mining activity.

- do more to + 动词原形 + than = 在...方面比...做得更多
- 最高级的替代表达

### 3. by means of 用，依靠

> ...we control it **by means of** the mud which we circulate down the drill pipe.

- = by using, through
- 仿写：He succeeded by means of hard work.

### 4. lead off 引出，导出

> ...until we can **lead it off** in a controlled manner.

- = draw off, channel away
- 指将石油以受控方式导出

## 五、课文翻译

所有洞穴中，为寻找石油所钻出的洞是最深的，这些洞可深达25,000英尺。但我们不必像开采其他矿藏那样把人送下去取油。这些洞只是钻孔，直径不到一英尺。我的特殊经验主要在石油方面，寻找石油对改进深井钻探所做的贡献超过任何其他采矿活动。决定了在哪里钻井之后，我们就在地面竖起一座钻井塔。它必须很高，因为它就像一个巨大的滑轮组，我们必须把很长的钻杆放入地下再从地下吊出来，钻杆由顶部的引擎驱动旋转，底部装有钻头。

地质学家需要知道钻头到达了什么岩层，因此不时用取芯钻头取一个样本。它切出一段干净的圆柱形岩石，从中可以看到钻头穿过的地层。一旦到达油层，石油通常会自动流到地面，因为有来自气体或水的巨大压力在推它。这种压力必须受到控制，我们通过向钻杆内循环注入泥浆来控制它。我们努力避免那种旧的、浪漫的喷油井概念，那样会浪费石油和天然气。我们希望石油留在井下，直到我们能以受控的方式将其导出。

## 六、语言点精讲

### 1. 写作手法：专业技术说明文

- 以第一人称"we"叙述，增加真实感和亲和力
- 从钻孔深度→钻井设备→地质取样→压力控制，逻辑递进
- 结尾用"romantic idea of a gusher"形成反差，突出现代控油技术

### 2. 文化背景

- **钻井技术**：现代石油钻井技术始于19世纪美国宾夕法尼亚州
- **喷油井（gusher）**：早期石油开采中油井失控喷涌的壮观景象，虽浪漫但浪费资源
- **泥浆循环**：现代钻井用泥浆（drilling mud）平衡地下压力，防止井喷

### 3. 修辞分析

- **反差**：romantic idea of a gusher vs controlled manner——浪漫vs理性
- **比喻**：like a giant block and tackle——将钻井塔比作滑轮组
- **专业术语的通俗化**：coring bit, strata, gusher——术语+解释

## 七、课后练习要点

1. **理解题**：What do oilmen want to achieve as soon as they strike oil?（控制压力，以受控方式导出石油）
2. **语法题**：as引导方式状语从句的省略与还原
3. **词汇题**：区分 boring/drilling/boring bit/coring bit 的石油术语
4. **翻译练习**：专业技术说明文的长句翻译

## 八、本课小结

本课介绍**石油钻探技术**，核心内容：石油钻井是最深的钻孔，通过钻塔、钻杆、取芯钻头和泥浆循环实现安全采油。语法重点包括as方式状语从句、分隔定语、介词+which定语从句的倒装、every so often频率表达。写作手法上以第一人称叙述增加真实感，用反差（romantic gusher vs controlled manner）突出技术进步。