Lesson 13 The search for oil
第十三课探寻石油
by T. F. GASKELL
from The Search for the Earth's Minerals from Discovery
13-1. The deepest holes of all are made for oil, and they go down to as much as 25,000 feet.
【译文】在所有洞穴中，为寻找石油而钻的洞最深。这些洞可深达25,000英尺。
【讲解】go down to as much as…等于get as far as…。much相当于deep。they指holes。
13-2. But we do not need to send men down to get the oil out, as we must with other mineral deposits.
【译文】但我们不必像开采其他矿藏那样必须派人到地下取石油。
【讲解】as we must with other mineral deposits是方式状语从句，must后省略了send men down。with意为“对于”。
13-3. The holes are only borings, less than a foot in diameter.
【译文】这些洞不过是些直径不足1英尺的钻孔。
【讲解】a foot in diameter意为“直径1英尺”。
【单词和短语】
由diameter（直径）联想到radius（半径）和perimeter（周长）。
13-4. My particular experience is largely in oil, and the search for oil has done more to improve deep drilling than any other mining activity.
【译文】我主要从事与石油有关的工作。寻找石油比其他任何采矿活动对改进钻探技术做出的贡献都大。
【讲解】the search for oil作主语。activity后省略了has done。to improve deep drilling作方面状语，修饰has done。
13-5. When it has been decided where we are going to drill, we put up at the surface an oil derrick.
【译文】当确定钻孔地点后，我们就在地上竖起井架。
【讲解】where we are going to drill乃真正的主语，it是形式主语。an oil derrick作put up的宾语。
13-6. 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.
【译文】井架必须很高，因为它像一个巨型滑轮组。我们必须把很长的钻杆一节节地钻入地下，然后再从地下拉出来。钻杆顶部安装的发动机带动钻杆旋转，它的底部装有钻头。
【讲解】句首的it指an old derrick。great lengths of drill pipe… bottom作lower和haul的宾语。
【单词和短语】
length是量词，又如：a length of stove pipe（一节烟囱），a length of rope（一节绳子）。