in the United States before 1850 exploded and destroyed became a wreck.

就有一艘爆炸或毁坏彻底地报销
And there's no mistaking in Mark Twain's imagination,

也许你还记得马克吐温在
if you remember the scene in Huck Finn

《哈克贝利芬历险记》里对此的描述
I mean, among the hundred

我是指在《哈克贝利芬》里
eternal take-home images in Huck Finn is

上百幅经典场景中
that moment when Huck and Jim are on their raft,

有这样一个场景哈克和吉姆坐在木筏上
it's a little foggy, they can't quite see

周围雾气重重他们看不清周围的事物
they can hear--and pretty soon that steamboat

但是他们听见了蒸汽船的汽笛声
just smashes into that raft and over they go.

很快这艘船就撞碎了木筏飞驰而去
Steamboats were wonderful and exciting and romantic.

蒸汽船是如此美妙令人激动及浪漫
You could go gamble on them, you could go get sexed on them.

你可以在船上赌博你可以在上面做爱
They also might just blow you up.

它们也可能把你炸了