in the south-west of Scotland,

在蘇格蘭的西南部。

set up a rockfall detection system

建立落石檢測系統

along four miles of remote hillside railway track.

沿著四英里的偏遠山坡鐵路軌道。

The astonishing thing is:

令人吃驚的是。

that system is still in operation today, 140 years later.

該系統在140年後的今天仍然在運行。

And so far no one's been able to come up with anything better.

而到目前為止，還沒有人能夠想出更好的辦法。

- The West Highland lines travel hundreds of miles

- 西高地線行駛數百英里

along natural mountainsides.

沿著自然山坡。

There are different hazards depending on where you are

根據你所在的地方，有不同的危險性

on the Scottish rail network.

在蘇格蘭的鐵路網絡上。

Through the Falls of Cruachan, the hazards there

通過克魯阿坎瀑布，那裡的危險性

are definitely rockfall and boulder fall.

肯定是落石和巨石墜落。

We're now at Bridge of Orchy on the West Highland line

我們現在在西高地線上的奧奇橋（Bridge of Orchy）。

and the hazards here are much more natural landslides

而這裡的危險更多的是自然山體滑坡

and debris flows down the steep-sided mountains.

和泥石流從陡峭的山坡上流下。

Rocks that are very small can pose a risk to the train operations.

非常小的岩石會對列車運行造成危險。

So something as small as a microwave can cause a train a problem.

是以，像微波爐這樣的小東西可以給火車帶來麻煩。

Something as big as a washing machine could lead to derailment

像洗衣機一樣大的東西可能導致脫軌

so it is a really serious issue.

所以這是一個非常嚴重的問題。

Definitely stopping the hazard at source is the best option for us.

對我們來說，從源頭上制止危害肯定是最好的選擇。

In a typical year we will spend somewhere in the region

在一個典型的年份裡，我們將花費在某一地區

of £40 million, and that's on things

4,000萬英鎊，而這是在事情上。

that prevent landslides or improve the resilience

防止山體滑坡或提高抗災能力的措施。

of our infrastructure to extreme weather.

我們的基礎設施對極端天氣的影響。

- Thank you very much!

- 非常感謝您!

- So Scotland's railway is about 3,500 track-miles.

- 是以，蘇格蘭的鐵路大約有3500英里的軌道。

So we can't protect that whole length,

所以我們不能保護整個長度。

so we need to look at other ways of keeping the trains safe,

是以，我們需要研究其他方法來保證火車的安全。

which is where the rockfall detection comes in.

這就是落石檢測的作用。

- By modern standards, it's a really basic system.

- 按照現代標準，這是一個非常基本的系統。

There's no electricity.

沒有電。

Just these wires along the track, held under tension,

只有這些沿著軌道的電線，在張力下保持。

mechanically linked to the signals.

機械地與信號相連。

If a big boulder falls down, it hits a wire, the wire snaps,

如果一塊大石頭掉下來，砸到電線上，電線就會斷裂。

the tension's released,

緊張的氣氛得到了釋放。

and the signal at each end of that bit of wire changes to show danger.

而該位線兩端的信號會發生變化，顯示出危險。

Repeat for 17 signals over the four miles of railway.

在四英里的鐵路上重複17個信號。

The system was nicknamed Anderson's Piano after its inventor

該系統以其發明者的名字命名為 "安德森鋼琴"。

and after the humming noises

而在嗡嗡聲中

that the wires sometimes make in high winds.

在大風中，電線有時會發出響聲。

- Anderson's Piano is a very old system, 140 years.

- 安德森的鋼琴是一個非常古老的系統，有140年曆史。

Keeping something like that going in a modern environment,

在現代環境中保持這樣的東西。

it is quite challenging.

它是相當具有挑戰性的。

Firstly, I guess there's the knowledge.

首先，我想是知識的問題。

There's not a user manual or a downloadable book

沒有用戶手冊或可下載的書籍

on how to maintain Anderson's Piano.

關於如何維護安德森的鋼琴。

We need to pass that down through generations

我們需要將其代代相傳

of technicians and engineers.

的技術人員和工程師。

And then there's just getting hold of the kit.

然後就是拿到工具包的問題。

A lot of it was bespoke, made in foundries in the Victorian era.

很多東西都是定製的，在維多利亞時代的鑄造廠裡製造。

Some of it we've had to improvise.

有些是我們不得不隨機應變的。

Some of it is just availability of material.

有些只是材料的可用性。

So getting hold of some of the wire can be quite challenging.

是以，掌握一些電線可能是相當具有挑戰性的。

And we think we've managed to find a reasonable source

而且我們認為我們已經成功地找到了一個合理的來源

that is a good enough match.

這是一個足夠好的匹配。

The kind of rural fence that will use that kind of wire,

農村的那種圍欄，會使用那種鐵絲。

the manufacturers are striving to make it stronger and stronger

製造商正在努力使它變得越來越強大

and we don't need it stronger for Anderson's piano.

而對於安德森的鋼琴，我們不需要它更強大。

We need it to break when there's a rock comes through it.

我們需要它在有石頭穿過時破裂。

It's not perfect detection in terms of screening out.

在篩選出的方面，它不是完美的檢測。

So vegetation can trip it off,

所以植被可以絆倒它。

animal movements if they do get inside the boundary.

如果動物真的進入邊界，它們的行動就會受到影響。

Very manual to reset.

非常手動地重置。

It's a physical task that involves lifting weights

這是一項涉及舉重的體力工作

and repositioning counterbalances

和重新定位的平衡點

and manually moving signals back into place.

並手動將信號移回原位。

So we can't do that when the trains are running,

是以，當火車運行時，我們不能這樣做。

so that's disruptive to our network.

是以，這對我們的網絡是一種破壞。

It's a physical job that involves human beings.

這是一項涉及人類的體力工作。

There's not a big reset button that we can push.

沒有一個大的重置按鈕，我們可以按下。

The first we know there's a problem is when the signal goes up

我們首先知道有一個問題是當信號上升的時候

and normally the first person to see that is the train driver.

而通常第一個看到的人是火車司機。

We are not able to respond someone to the problem when it occurs.

當問題發生時，我們無法對某人作出迴應。

We need to wait until after it's occurred,

我們需要等到事情發生之後。

because the first time we know about it is when a driver tells us.

因為我們第一次知道的時候是司機告訴我們的。

- Modern rail safety rules mean that ideally,

- 現代鐵路安全規則意味著，理想情況下。

no one should ever drive a train past a signal that's set to danger.

任何人都不應該駕駛火車經過設置為危險的信號。

If that is ever needed because of a fault somewhere,

如果有一天因為某個地方出現故障而需要這樣做的話。

it requires checking and double checking with central control.

它需要與中央控制部門進行檢查和重複檢查。

If a train goes past a danger signal without permission,

如果一列火車未經允許就越過危險信號。

there's always an investigation.

總會有調查的。

If it was because the driver was negligent,

如果是由於司機的疏忽。

it can end their career.

它可以結束他們的職業生涯。

But the rules for these signals have to be different,

但這些信號的規則必須是不同的。

and they go against everything that a modern train driver learns.

他們違背了現代火車司機所學的一切。

If these signals are at danger,

如果這些信號處於危險狀態。

you slow the train down to walking pace,

你把火車的速度放慢到步行速度。

to a speed where you will be able to stop before you hit any obstruction,

到一個你能在撞到任何障礙物之前停下來的速度。

and you radio it into central control...

你把它輸入中央控制...

but you do continue.

但你確實在繼續。

And that would never be allowed on a new system.

而這在一個新的系統中是絕對不允許的。

- It's offering us a level of protection,

- 它為我們提供了一定程度的保護。

so there's a line of defence there that works quite a lot of the time.

所以有一條防線，在很多時候是有效的。

It would be less safe without it.

沒有它就不那麼安全了。

Prevention is better than detection,

預防勝於檢測。

so stopping the rocks falling is definitely better

是以，阻止石頭落下無疑是更好的選擇。

than detecting them when they have occurred.

而不是在它們發生時發現它們。

So we put a great deal of effort into containing

是以，我們投入了大量的精力來遏制

some of the rocks on our cuttings

我們扦插的一些岩石

and into catching boulders through high-strength,

並通過高強的力量進入捕捉巨石。

high-capacity catch fences that are anchored into the rock.

錨定在岩石中的高容量捕集柵欄。

We employ all sorts of techniques like netting,

我們採用了各種技術，如網狀物。

and meshing, and doweling to hold all the rock in place.

和齧合，以及用鏍絲固定所有的岩石。

We're constantly looking for technology to improve safety on the railway.

我們一直在尋找技術來提高鐵路的安全性。

Satellite technology that looks for ground movement from space,

衛星技術，從空間尋找地面運動。

and does change detection on that.

並在此基礎上進行改變檢測。

We've tried "listening fibres" through fibre-optic cables

我們已經嘗試過通過光纖電纜進行 "監聽光纖"。

that listen for an acoustic signature of a rock falling

聆聽岩石墜落的聲學特徵。

or a tree falling on the railway.

或者一棵樹倒在鐵路上。

The cost of that equipment is starting to come down.

該設備的成本正在開始下降。

We're starting to see advances in technology

我們開始看到技術的進步

which is making it more affordable to deploy.

這使得它的部署更加經濟實惠。

But one of the big issues is actually power.

但其中一個大問題實際上是權力。

These things will either need a power supply,

這些東西要麼需要一個電源。

which in remote places can be hard to come by,

在偏遠地區，這可能是很難得到的。

or they'll run off batteries and solar panels

或者他們將依靠電池和太陽能電池板運行

which need to have sufficient capacity to keep them up all year round.

這需要有足夠的能力來保持它們全年的運行。

Scottish winters can be quite dark.

蘇格蘭的冬天可能是相當黑暗的。

Some of our trials have been hampered by false alerts and false alarms

我們的一些試驗受到了錯誤警報和假警報的阻礙

and too many false alerts to run a railway.

和太多的錯誤警報來運行一條鐵路。

At Bridge of Orchy we've got some detectors in place

在Orchy橋，我們已經安裝了一些檢測器

to capture any movement.

以捕獲任何運動。

Now, they're the wireless tilt meters that tell us if the ground's moving.

現在，它們是無線傾斜儀，告訴我們地面是否在移動。

Like your spirit level on your iPhone that moves about,

就像你的iPhone上的水平儀一樣，可以隨意移動。

they will detect a bit of movement

他們會檢測到一點動靜

and we will get an alert or an alarm remotely from that.

而我們將從中獲得警報或遠程警報。

We've then got a camera on site that we can see the site

然後我們在現場有一個攝像頭，我們可以看到現場的情況

to see whether it's a false alarm or not, so we're not needlessly stopping trains.

看看這是否是一個錯誤的警報，所以我們不會無謂地讓火車停下來。

We've got some infrared kit on there so that we can see at nighttime.

我們在上面安裝了一些紅外線裝備，這樣我們就可以在夜間看到。

Then infrared reflectors to see if there's been a problem

然後用紅外線反射器查看是否出現過問題

during the hours of darkness as well.

在黑暗的時間裡也是如此。

It's all remote back to base

都是遠程回基地的

and it only requires a technician in our control centre

而且只需要我們控制中心的一名技術員就可以了

to watch that and monitor that.

觀察和監測這一點。

It's also less prone to false alarms

它也不容易出現錯誤警報

and we can reset it at the touch of a button.

而且我們可以通過一個按鈕來重置它。

So we know about it before the train comes,

所以我們在火車來之前就知道了。

we can capture the problem

我們可以抓住這個問題

before it manifests itself on the railway,

在它表現在鐵路上之前。

and we can remotely reset it and remotely monitor it.

我們可以遠程重置它並遠程監控它。

We do an awful lot, but it's not enough to go everywhere.

我們做了非常多的工作，但這不足以讓我們走遍天下。

And, you know, we can't physically protect every mile of railway.

而且，你知道，我們不可能從物理上保護每一英里的鐵路。

It's just impracticable.

這只是不切實際的。

- From talking to the folks here,

- 從與這裡的人交談來看。

I'd say that the best description of these signals

我想說的是，對這些信號的最好描述是

is that they are a frustrating, imperfect system

是，他們是一個令人沮喪的、不完美的系統

that's still better than nothing.

這還是聊勝於無。

Back when I was researching this video, I figured

早在我研究這個視頻的時候，我就想到了

that there must be a better solution, and with all the confidence of

一定有一個更好的解決方案，並以所有的信心

someone in the YouTube comments who's only watched half the video,

在YouTube的評論中，有人只看了一半的視頻。

I thought, "Hey, couldn't they just?..."

我想，"嘿，他們就不能......"

And no. They can't, at least not yet.

而不是。他們不能，至少現在還不能。

[train rumbling]

[火車隆隆聲]

How's that for timing?!

這樣的時機如何？