and the American system was interchangeable parts.

美国体系即通用部件
It was parts made so precisely identical

就是把零件制造得完全一模一样
that you could take the left front wheel drum off one Model T

那你就可以从一台T型车中拆下左轮鼓
and put it on any other Model T and expect it to fit.

安装任何一台T型车上都合适
And that idea--and that's actually one of the revolutionary ideas

这种思想这实际上是种革命性的思想
that's involved in the vertical spike of world affluence,

这是世界知识大幅增加的其中一个因素
and which has been disbursed everywhere in the globe.

并扩展到了世界各地
You can't manufacture anything in a competitive way

如果你不理解不实施通用部件的思想
if you don't understand and execute on interchangeable parts.

你不可能以有竞争力的方法生产任何东西
The earliest alleged case was actually New Haven.

最早的所谓案例实际上是纽黑文
It was the Eli Whitney gun factory,

以利惠特尼枪工厂
the waterfall on Whitney Avenue,

惠特尼大道的瀑布