美国名人 灭火专家 亚戴尔.docx

美国名人灭火专家亚戴尔RedAdairplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-14:46repeatByJillMoss2004-10-30(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisisSteveEmber.VOICETWO:AndthisisFaithLapiduswithPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.TodaywetellaboutRedAdair.Hewasfamousforputtingoutdangerousoilwellfiresaroundtheworld.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:PaulNealAdairwasborninHouston,Texasinnineteenfifteen.Hewasoneoffivesonsofametalworker.Healsohadthreesisters.Whilegrowingup,hebecameknownasRedAdairbecausehishairwasbrightred.ThecolorbecameatrademarkforAdair.Heworeredclothesandredboots.Hedrovearedcar,andhiscrewmembersusedredtrucksandredequipment.AsayoungmanzRedAdairdroppedoutofhighschooltohelpsupporthisfamily.Heworkedasalaborerforseveraldifferentcompanies.Innineteenthirty-eight,Adairgothisfirstoil-relatedjobwiththeOtisPressureControlCompany.VOICETWO:DuringWorldWarTwo,Adairservedonatrainedarmyteamthatremovedanddestroyedbombs.Afterthewar,hereturnedtoHoustonandtookajobwithMyronKinley.Atthetime,Kinleywastheleaderinputtingoutfiresinoilwells.RedAdairworkedwithMyronKinleyforfourteenyears.Butinnineteenfifty-nine,Adairstartedhisowncompany.Duringhisthirty-sixyearsinbusiness,RedAdairandhiscrewsbattledmorethantwothousandfiresallovertheworld.Somewereonland.Otherswereonoceanoil-drillingstructures.Somefireswereinburningoilwells.Otherswereinnaturalgaswells.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:RedAdairwasaleaderinaspecializedandextremelydangerousprofession.Puttingoutoilwellfirescanbedifficult.Thisisbecauseoilwellfiresareextinguished,orputoutzatthewellheadjustaboveground.Normally,explosivesareusedtostopthefirefromburning.Theexplosionrobsthefireofoxygen.But,oncethefireisout,thewellstillneedstobecovered,orcapped,tostoptheflowofoil.Thisisthemostdangerouspartoftheprocess.Anynewheatorfirecouldcausetheleakingwellandthesurroundingareatoexplode.VOICETWO:RedAdairdevelopedmodernmethodstoextinguishandcoverburningoilwells.TheybecameknownintheindustryasWildWellControltechniques.Inadditiontoexplosives,thetechniquesinvolvedlargeamountsofwateranddirt.Adairalsodevelopedspecialequipmentmadeofbronzemetaltohelpextinguishoilwellfires.ThemoderntoolsandhisWildWellControltechniquesearnedRedAdairandhiscrewsthehonorofbeingcalledthe"bestinthebusiness."RedAdairwasknownfornotbeingafraid.Hewasalsoknownforhissenseofcalmandsafety.Noneofhisworkerswereeverkilledwhileputtingoutoilwellorgasfires.Hedescribedhisworkthisway:"Itscaresyou-allthenoise,therattling,theshaking.Butthelookoneveryone'sface,whenyouarefinishedandpacking,itisthebestsmileintheworld;andthereisnobodyhurtzandthewellisundercontrol."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:OneofRedAdair'smostimportantprojectswasinnineteensixty-two.HeandhiscrewputoutanaturalgasfireintheSaharaDesertinAlgeria.Thefirehadbeenburningforsixmonths.Thisfamousfirewascalledthe"Devil'sCigaretteLighter."Firefromthenaturalgaswellshotaboutonehundredfortymetersintotheair.ThefirewassobigthatAmericanastronautJohnGlenncouldseeitfromspaceasheorbitedEarth.Thedesertsandaroundthewellhadmeltedintoglassfromtheextremeheat.NewsreportssaidAdairusedaboutthreehundredfortykilogramsofnitroglycerineexplosivematerialtopulltheoxygenoutofthefire.VOICETWO:Adair'ssuccesswiththe"Devil'sCigaretteLighter"andearlierwellfirescapturedtheimaginationoftheAmericanfilmindustry.Innineteensixty-eight,Hollywoodmadeanactionfilmcalled"Hellfighters."ItwaslooselybasedoneventsinRedAdair'slife.ActorJohnWayneplayedanoilwellfirefighterfromHouston,TexaswhoselifewassimilartoAdair's.AdairservedasanadvisortoWaynewhilethefilmwasbeingmade.Thetwomenbecameclosefriends.AdairsaidoneofthebesthonorsintheworldwastohaveJohnWayneplayhiminamovie.HereisJohnWayneinthefilm"Hellfighters."HehasjustflownintoVenezuelatohelphiscrewfightadangerousfire.Hehasbroughtneededsupplieswithhim.(SOUND)"Wooo.It'sabouttimeyougotbacktoearninganhonestliving.Ifyouthinkmgoingtosayit'sapleasuretobehere,forgetit.Hiboss.George,nicetoseeyou.Ispentalotofyourmoney.Well,whatdidyoudozbuyupallthecontrolheadsinHouston?Thisfarawayfromsupplies,yougetallthesparesyoucan.ThisisColonelValdezChance.He'sinchargeofkeepingusfromgettingshot.WellzIhopeyoudoagoodjobzColonel.IfIdonot,youwillhavemyprofoundapologies.(Laughter)Thelongeryouguysstandthere,thelongerit'sgoingtotaketounloadthisthing.RightJoe."VOICEONE:Innineteeneighty-eightzAdairfoughtwhatwaspossiblytheworld'sworstoff-shoreaccident.ItwasatthePiperAlphadrillingstructureintheNorthSea.OccidentalPetroleumoperatedthestructureoffthecoastofScotland.Thestructureproducedoilandgasfromtwenty-fourwells.Onehundredsixty-sevenmenwerekilledwhenthestructureexplodedafteragasleak.RedAdairhadtostopthefiresandcapthewells.Hefacedwindsblowingmorethanonehundredtwentykilometersanhour,andoceanwavesatleasttwentymetershigh.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:InMarchofnineteenninety-one,RedAdairwenttoKuwaitfollowingthePersianGulfWar.HeandhiscrewswerecalledintohelpputoutfiressetbytheIraqiarmyasitfledfromcoalitionforces.ButAdairfacedseriousproblemsinputtingoutthefires.InJune,heflewtoWashington,D.C.totalktogovernmentofficialsaboutthoseproblems.Hetoldcongressionallawmakersthatheneededmorewaterandmoreequipment.HealsodescribedhisconcernsaboutmedicalservicesforhismenzandtheburiedlandminesthroughoutKuwait.VOICEONE:Adairalsometwiththen-PresidentGeorgeH.W.Bush.PresidentBushlistenedtohisconcernsandofferedhissupport.Withinweeks,Adairhadtheequipmentheneededtocompletethejob.TheRedAdairCompanycappedmorethanonehundredwells.Hiscrewswereamongtwenty-seventeamsfromsixteencountriescalledintofightthefires.Thecrews'effortsputoutaboutsevenhundredKuwaitifires.Theireffortssavedmillionsofbarrelsofoil.Someexpertssaytheoperationalsohelpedpreventanenvironmentaltragedy.Thejobhadbeenexpectedtotakethreetofiveyears.Howeverzitwascompletedinjusteightmonths.Inaceremony,theEmirofKuwaitextinguishedthelastburningwellonNovembersixth,nineteenninety-one.InadditiontoKuwait,AdairandhismencarriedoutsixteenOtherjobsthatyear.TheyworkedinIndia,Venezuela,Nigeria,theGulfofMexicoandtheUnitedStates.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:RedAdairhadspenthisseventy-sixthbirthdayinKuwaitworkingsidebysidewithhiscrew.Whenaskedwhenhemightretire,hetoldreporters:"Retire?Idonotknowwhatthatwordmeans.Aslongasamanisabletowork,andheisproductiveoutthereandhefeelsgood-keepatit."Still,RedAdairfinallydidretireinnineteenninety-four.Atthattime,hejokedaboutwherehewouldendupwhenhedied.HesaidhehopedtobeinHeaven.ButhesaidthisaboutHell:"Ihavemadeadealwiththedevil.Hesaidheisgoingtogivemeanair-conditionedplacewhenIgodownthere-ifIgothere-soIwon'tputallthefiresout."VOICEONE:RedAdairdiedintwothousandfour.Hewaseighty-nineyearsold.Athisfuneral,manyfamilymembersandfriendshonoredhimbywearingredclothes.ManyAmericansrememberRedAdairforhisbravery.Helivedhislifeontheedgeofdanger.Hewasknownforhiswillingnesstoriskhisownlifetosaveothers.Duringhislife,AdairreceivedSpecialLettersofRecognitionfromPresidentsLyndonJohnson,JimmyCarterandGeorgeH.W.Bush.Oneoftheletterssaidthis:"Youhaveservedyourcountrywellbyyourwillingnesstodoadangerousandimportantjobwitharareability.Inanagesaidtobewithoutheroes,youareanauthentichero."(THEME)VOICETWO:ThisprogramwaswrittenbyJillMoss.ItwasproducedbyLawanDavis.ThisisFaithLapidus.VOICEONE:AndthisisSteveEmber.JoinusagainnextweekforPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.