Getting to work can be a chore, especially if your workplace is seventeen hundred feet straight up. That's the commute for people that work on transmission lines and antennas in the world of broadcasting. This video shows what it's like to climb to the top of a 1,768-foot tower just to begin your work day.
去工作可以是件累人的事，尤其如果你工作的地方聳立一千七百英呎(約五百公尺)高。那是廣播世界中，在發射電纜及天線上工作的人們的通勤路程。這支影片呈現爬到一座1,768英呎的塔頂來開始你的工作日，是什麼樣子的。
It all starts with an elevator ride to about sixteen hundred feet. After that, it's all about climbing. Of course you have to bring all your tools with you. That's the red bag hanging below. It weighs about thirty pounds, and you pull it up behind you all the way to the top. It's a lot like a spacewalk, where you have to remember to bring everything you're going to need, because it's a long way down.
這全都從一趟到大約一千六百英呎處的電梯旅程開始的。之後，全都是爬。當然你必須隨身帶著你所有的工具。那是掛在下面的紅色袋子。它約重三十磅(約十四公斤)，你從下往上拉著它一路到頂端。這很像太空漫步，在那兒你必須記得帶上所有你將需要用到的東西，因為下去的路程是很遙遠的。
Once you reach the top of the tower itself, it's time to go outside. This is the pole that the antenna is mounted on top of. It's just there for extra height. This is called free climbing, meaning that no safety lines are used. It's easier, faster, and most tower workers climb this way.
一當你到達塔本身的頂端，就是走出去的時候了。這是有天線裝置在頂端的竿子。它就在那裡當做額外的高度。這叫做徒手攀登，意思是沒有使用安全繩索。這比較容易、較快，而且大部分的電塔工人都這樣爬。
It's good to take a break, and look around while you rest. Free climbing is more dangerous, of course, but OSHA rules do allow for it. Attaching, climbing, attaching and removing safety lines every few feet slows progress and is tiring.
休息一下是很好的，並在你休息時看看四周。徒手攀登當然更為危險，但職業安全衛生署(註一)的規定確實允許這個。爬沒幾英呎就要繫上、爬、繫上並拿掉安全繩索會使進度變慢，而且很累人。
Here you can see an electrical junction box for the tower lights. Inside the cage, you can now see the transmission line that feeds the transmitter power to the antenna. This section is the antenna tuner. It's shaped like this to allow for the expansion and contraction of the transmission line on its 1700-foot run to the top. These spiky flowers on their long stems are used to attract electrical charges in the air. This helps to dissipate the charges before they build up to create a lightning strike.
這裡你可以看到一個塔燈的電氣接線盒。在籠子裡，你現在可以看到供應發射機能量給天線的傳輸電纜。這部分是天線調節器。它做成這樣的形狀是考慮到電纜在它到頂端的一千七百英呎路程中的膨脹和收縮。這些在它們長莖上尖尖的花是用來吸引空氣中的電荷。這能在它們累積起來形成雷擊前幫助消除電荷。
Now we've reached the base of the antenna. From here, it's just another sixty feet to the top. His climbing partner is now holding the tool bag to keep it from swinging, and knocking him off balance. Time for another break. Seeing storm clouds, he checks on the lightning conditions. If a storm's blowing through, there's no quick way down.
現在我們已到達天線的基底。從這裡，就只是到頂端另外的六十英呎(約十八公尺)。他的攀爬夥伴現在正抓著工具袋以防它搖晃、使他失去平衡。是時候再休息了。看到雷雨雲，他檢查了閃電的情況。如果一陣暴風雨吹過，沒有能快速下去的路。
The top is in sight, and time for another break before a transitioning to the top. At this height, you can see fifty-five miles to the horizon.
看得到頂端了，且是時候在到頂端的過渡區前再休息一下。在這個高度，你可以看到五十五英哩(約九十公里)遠的地平線。
This is the tricky part: getting on top. That object with the black top is the lighting beacon. And that's how you climb to the top of a transmission tower.
這是最難處理的部份：爬到頂端。那有黑色蓋子的物品是燈標。而這就是你如何爬到發射電塔頂端的。
註一：OSHA為Occupational Safety and Health Administration的縮寫。為美國職業安全衛生署。
- 「累積、增強」- Build Up
This helps to dissipate the charges before they "build up" to create a lightning strike.
這能在它們累積起來形成雷擊前幫助消除電荷。 - 「破壞、擊倒」- Knock Off
His climbing partner is now holding the tool bag to keep it from swinging, and "knocking him off" balance.
他的攀爬夥伴現在正抓著工具袋以防它搖晃、使他失去平衡。
