The Beast on Two Wheels 雙輪猛獸 —— 哈雷重機
精英翻譯社轉自http://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0062/287416/web/
At the turn of the 20th century, the Davidson brothers, Arthur and Walter, were designing a motorized2 bicycle with their friend, William Harley. While the first experimental3 machine could not make it up hills without someone pedaling, it was a life-changing experience. The first race that a Harley-Davidson motorcycle competed in was in 1904. The next year, Harley-Davidson sold three motorcycles they put together in their backyard shed4. In 1906, Harley-Davidson built their first factory in a building that still stands today.
二十世紀初時，亞瑟和華特這兩個戴維森家族的兄弟和他們的朋友威廉‧哈雷一起設計了一輛裝上馬達的腳踏車。儘管這第一輛實驗用機器因為沒有人踩踏板而無法爬上山丘，但這卻是一次改變人生的經驗。第一場有哈雷摩托車競賽的比賽是在 1904 年。隔年，哈雷摩托車公司（又譯為『哈雷‧大衛森機車公司』）賣出了三輛他們在自家後院小屋裡組裝的摩托車。1906 年時，哈雷摩托車公司在一棟現今依然存在的建築物裡蓋了他們的第一間工廠。
As one of the only two US motorcycle companies to survive the Great Depression5 in the 1930s, Harley-Davidson built motorcycles for the US army during World War II. After it was over, many of the soldiers wanted their own motorcycles. However, by the 1960s, Harley-Davidson was nearly bankrupt6 because their motorcycles were not as well-made as the Japanese ones. In the 1980s, Harley-Davidson was sold to a group of investors7 for US$80 million and things turned around. Over the years, Harley-Davidson has become a symbol of the open road for outlaws8 and people who like to think they are outlaws. For these people, the roar of a Harley-Davidson between their legs is the best part of owning a Harley-Davidson.
身為在三○年代經濟大蕭條中僅存的兩家美國摩托車公司之一，哈雷摩托車公司在第二次世界大戰期間替美國軍方打造摩托車。二次大戰結束後，許多參戰的軍人想要擁有屬於他們自己的摩托車。然而到了六○年代，哈雷摩托車公司差點要破產倒閉了，因為他們的摩托車沒有日本摩托車製作的那麼精良。八○年代時，哈雷摩托車公司以八千萬美元的價錢被賣給了一群投資人，而公司狀況也因此而好轉了。多年來，哈雷摩托車已變成在公路上奔馳的亡命之徒或喜歡自認為是亡命之徒的人的象徵了。對這些人來說，他們胯下的哈雷摩托車所發出的轟隆聲就是擁有它最美好的地方了。
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