《乔布斯传》翻译笔记：神奇的蓝盒子

1. pave the way: 为……铺平道路，为……做准备

Scientists hope that data from this expedition will pave the way for a more detailed exploration of Mars.
科学家们希望这次探险获得的数据能为将来的火星探测铺平道路。

Worse still, as policymakers rush to implement reforms in response to one financial calamity, they are apt to create disorders that pave the way for the next disaster.
更糟糕的是，当决策者匆忙实施改革以应对金融灾难时，往往容易造成新的混乱，为下一场灾难埋下隐患。

2. come to the/a conclusion (that): 得出结论，做出总结。短语后常接修饰conclusion的同位语从句。

From the foregoing discussion, we can come to the conclusion that the purpose of college education should always target at cultivating the overall abilities of the students.
基于以上论证，我们可以清楚地认识到：大学教育应该永远是以培养学生较强的综合能力为目标的。

come to a conclusion除了有“得出结论”这意，还可以表示某事或过程“告一段落、圆满结束”。

At last, the yearlong ordeal of buying a house came to a conclusion.
这场长达一年的买房折磨终于结束了。

3. make big bucks/make a few bucks: 赚大钱；小赚一笔

I made some big bucks last week. I didn't expect that I could make so much money.
上周我赚了一大笔钱，真没想到我能赚这么多。

buck是口语用法，指一美元，一般泛指“钱”。

4. 蓝盒子：蓝盒子是用来破解电话系统的工具，内建电子零件，可模仿电信营运商的播话控制讯号。蓝盒子常被用来拨打免费电话。乔布斯和沃兹打造的蓝盒子现收藏在位于硅谷的电脑历史博物馆中。