雙語暢銷書《艾倫圖靈傳》第5章:解謎接力賽(159)

Although the first American troops had arrived in Britain early in 1942, it was the stream of war materials, tanks and aircraft in particular, that alone could make the reconquest of western Europe conceivable.

雖然第一批美國部隊在1942年初就已經到達英國，包括物資，坦克，特別是飛機，但這些僅夠維持西歐戰場。

That stream had to face the Atlantic U-boat fleet, which by October amounted to 196 in number.

他們現在要面對的是大西洋的U型潛艇，其數量已經在10月時增長到196艘了，

Since 1940 the numbers had trebled, and the sinkings had trebled too.

這是1940年的3倍，相應地，造成的損失也變成了3倍。

the U-boats were now accounting for over half the merchant fleet required to supply Britain within a year.

U型潛艇使英國在一年內損失了超過一半的商船。

The revived American shipyards were turning out new vessels at top speed, only to have each sunk after three or so ocean voyages.

儘管美國正在以全速製造新的艦船，但是基本上每艘出航三次左右就會被擊沉，

But now the United States had its own pressing demands in the Pacific.

而且美國現在還要顧及自己在太平洋的需求。

The total Allied stock of shipping was actually declining, while the number of U-boats was increasing: there would be 212 at the end of 1942, with another 181 on trial.

同盟國的船隻儲量實際上在減少，而德國的潛艇卻在增加，到1942年底增加到212艘，另外還有181艘在試航。

Fast approaching was the crisis of the western war.

西部戰線的危機迅速蔓延，

Though more diffuse a crisis than that of the air war of September 1940, it likewise stood to see a make-or-break resolution.

雖然這比1940年9月的空戰更難熬，但同樣存在着孤注一擲的解決方案。

Ten years earlier, Alan had conceived a model of action: 'We have a will which is able to determine the actions of the atoms probably in a small portion of the brain... The rest of the body acts so as to amplify this.'

十年前，艾倫曾經設想："我們有意識，意識能夠決定大腦中一部分原子的行動……身體的其它部分，則是增強這種行動。"

Now he was one of the clustered nerve-cells, and around him a colossal system which had translated his ideas into concrete form:

現在，他就是英國大腦的一個細胞，他有一個巨大的身驅，可以把他的想法，落實到實際的行動中。

a British brain, an electric brain of relays clicking through the contradictions, perhaps the most complex logical system ever devised.

英國的大腦，就是這些由繼電器組成的電子大腦，這也許是人類歷史上最複雜的邏輯系統。

Meanwhile the two years of the reprieve had rendered the rest of the body more prepared and coordinated to use its intelligence.

與此同時，兩年的短暫休息，已經使身體的其它部分做好了更充分的準備來運用智力。

In the Middle East it was amplifying the dim Morse signals into the sinking of Rommel's army.

在中東，它通過微弱的摩爾斯信號，使隆美爾的軍隊慢慢軟弱。

But the Atlantic was different; here Eisenhower and Marshall might be cut off on a far greater scale than Rommel unless the brain could awaken into life again.

但是大西洋戰場不一樣，艾森豪威爾和馬歇爾在這裏遇到的挫折，比隆美爾還要嚴重，除非英國的大腦能夠再次甦醒。