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Insurance companies are normally willing to insure anything. Insuring public or private property is a standard practice in most countries in the world. If, however, you were holding an open air garden party or a fete it would be equally possible to insure yourself in the event of bad weather. Needless to say, the bigger the risk an insurance company takes, the higher the premium you will have to pay. It is not uncommon to hear that a shipping company has made a claim for the cost of salvaging a sunken ship. But the claim made by a local authority to recover the cost of salvaging a sunken pie dish must surely be unique.
Admittedly it was an unusual pie dish, for it was eighteen feet long and six feet wide. It had been purchased by a local authority so that an enormous pie could be baked for an annual fair. The pie committee decided that the best way to transport the dish would be by canal, so they insured it for the trip. Shortly after it was launched, the pie committee went to a local inn to celebrate. At the same time, a number of teenagers climbed on to the dish and held a little party of their own. Dancing proved to be more than the dish could bear, for during the party it capsized and sank in seven feet of water.
The pie committee telephoned a local garage owner who arrived in a recovery truck to salvage the pie dish. Shivering in their wet clothes, the teenagers looked on while three men dived repeatedly into the water to locate the dish. They had little difficulty in finding it, but hauling it out of the water proved to be a serious problem. The sides of the dish were so smooth that it was almost impossible to attach hawsers and chains to the rim without damaging it. Eventually chains were fixed to one end of the dish and a powerful winch was put into operation. The dish rose to the surface and was gently drawn towards the canal bank. For one agonizing moment, the dish was perched precariously on the bank of the canal, but it suddenly overbalanced and slid back into the water. The men were now obliged to try once more. This time they fixed heavy metal clamps to both sides of the dish so that they could fasten the chains. The dish now had to be lifted vertically because one edge was resting against the side of the canal. The winch was again put into operation and one of the men started up the truck. Several minutes later, the dish was successfully hauled above the surface of the water. Water streamed in torrents over its sides with such force that it set up a huge wave in the canal. There was a danger that the wave would rebound off the other side of the bank and send the dish plunging into the water again. By working at tremendous speed, the men managed to get the dish on to dry land before the wave returned.
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Insurance companies are normally willing to insure anything. Insuring public or private property is a standard practice in most countries in the world. If, however, you were holding an open air garden party or a fete it would be equally possible to insure yourself in the event of bad weather. Needless to say, the bigger the risk an insurance company takes, the higher the premium you will have to pay. It is not uncommon to hear that a shipping company has made a claim for the cost of salvaging a sunken ship. But the claim made by a local authority to recover the cost of salvaging a sunken pie dish must surely be unique.
Admittedly it was an unusual pie dish, for it was eighteen feet long and six feet wide. It had been purchased by a local authority so that an enormous pie could be baked for an annual fair. The pie committee decided that the best way to transport the dish would be by canal, so they insured it for the trip. Shortly after it was launched, the pie committee went to a local inn to celebrate. At the same time, a number of teenagers climbed on to the dish and held a little party of their own. Dancing proved to be more than the dish could bear, for during the party it capsized and sank in seven feet of water.
The pie committee telephoned a local garage owner who arrived in a recovery truck to salvage the pie dish. Shivering in their wet clothes, the teenagers looked on while three men dived repeatedly into the water to locate the dish. They had little difficulty in finding it, but hauling it out of the water proved to be a serious problem. The sides of the dish were so smooth that it was almost impossible to attach hawsers and chains to the rim without damaging it. Eventually chains were fixed to one end of the dish and a powerful winch was put into operation. The dish rose to the surface and was gently drawn towards the canal bank. For one agonizing moment, the dish was perched precariously on the bank of the canal, but it suddenly overbalanced and slid back into the water. The men were now obliged to try once more. This time they fixed heavy metal clamps to both sides of the dish so that they could fasten the chains. The dish now had to be lifted vertically because one edge was resting against the side of the canal. The winch was again put into operation and one of the men started up the truck. Several minutes later, the dish was successfully hauled above the surface of the water. Water streamed in torrents over its sides with such force that it set up a huge wave in the canal. There was a danger that the wave would rebound off the other side of the bank and send the dish plunging into the water again. By working at tremendous speed, the men managed to get the dish on to dry land before the wave returned.
保险公司通常愿意为各种东西承保。在世界多数国家，为公私财产投保都是常见做法。不过，如果你打算举行露天游园会或庆祝活动，也同样可以购买保险，以防天气不好造成损失。不用说，保险公司承担的风险越大，你要付的保费就越高。轮船公司为打捞沉船的费用向保险公司索赔，并不罕见；可地方当局为打捞一只沉入水中的馅饼盘索赔，恐怕就绝无仅有了。
当然，这可不是一只普通的馅饼盘，而是一只长十八英尺、宽六英尺的大家伙。地方当局买下它，是想为一年一度的集市烤一个巨型馅饼。馅饼筹备委员会认为，走运河运输最合适，便为这趟运输买了保险。盘子刚一下水，委员会的人就去当地一家小酒馆庆祝。与此同时，一群少年爬上大盘子，自顾自地开起了小聚会。可盘子承受不住他们的舞步，聚会中途就翻了个底朝天，沉进七英尺深的水里。
委员会打电话找来当地一家修车行的老板，他开着救援拖车赶来打捞。少年们穿着湿衣服，在一旁冷得发抖，看着三个人一次次潜入水中寻找盘子。找到它并不难，难的是怎样把它拖上来。盘壁太光滑，要在边缘系上粗缆和铁链，又不损坏它，几乎不可能。最后，他们把铁链固定在盘子一端，开动强力绞车。盘子浮出水面，被缓缓拉向河岸，随后摇摇欲坠地架在岸边。众人正屏息担忧，它却突然失去平衡，又滑回了水里。大家只得再试一次。这回，他们在盘子两侧装上沉重的金属夹，便于固定铁链。由于盘子一边抵着运河岸壁，这次必须把它竖着吊起。绞车再次开动，一人也发动了拖车。几分钟后，盘子终于被拉出了水面。积水从盘边汹涌倾泻，在运河里激起一道巨浪。浪一旦撞到对岸再反弹回来，就可能把盘子重新打入水中。几人急忙加快动作，终于赶在浪头返回前，把盘子拖上了干地。
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译文依据整理稿，由本站按中文表达重新校订；解析据吴应时、何景霖整理资料及首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第147—150页，2022年2月第3版。