最近看到一部电影《The good shepherd》情节曲折复杂,历史内容丰富,真是很精彩。这部电影是以美国政府策划古巴的持不同政见者袭击古巴妄图推翻卡斯特罗政府的猪湾事件开始,采用倒叙插叙方式讲述一个优秀青年成为一个成功的中情局精英的故事。里面的情节一环套一环,我看了四五遍才基本上全部看明白里面的全部细节,收益颇丰。
首先是对英语水平的提升。我们这些母语不是英语的中国人,组词造句时总免不了凭本能招呼上中式英语,和美国人交流时要聚精会神不能放松,因为他们的说话方式和我们不一样,我们脑子要拐个弯才能理解。在这部电影中,我们日常能经常会遇到的对话,给了我一个很好的学习正宗英语的机会。举几个例子,我先用中文说要表达的意思,大家可以闭眼想想你将用英语怎么说,我想大家想的都差不多,都是中国人嘛。然后再对比后面括号中电影里怎么说,看看差距。
- 你和人告别因为要去开会。你怎么说? I am going to have a meeting?(I am due at a meeting)
- 我担心我们组建的这个部门这么大的权利,最后被少数人控制。你怎么说?I am worried that such strong power will be controlled by few people ? (I am concerned that too much power will end up in the hands of too few.)
- 行动没开始前只有数得着我们这几个人 知道在古巴什么地方登陆. 你怎么说?(There were only a handful of us until moment Zero who knew where we were going to land in Cuba.)
- 形容 俄国比较落后, 你怎么说? (The Russians still live in the 19th century. Beets and potatoes )
- 心里埋藏最深的秘密, 怎么说? Deep secret? (The most guarded secret)
- 我体面地辞职。 用什么词? Gracefully? (I am leaving with my name intact.)
- 我们很快就进入战争状态, 用什么? Soon, immediately? (Before long, we will be at war.)
- 你如果说这个人有执着的理念,你怎么说?(He is a man of great conviction.)
- 如果你把一个人介绍给另一个人,你想离开你怎么说?(I will excuse myself.)
- 当这个世界回归正常,我想出去旅游。 用什么词? Back to normal? (As soon as the world comes to its senses, I am going to travel.)
- 如果你发现有人和你特对路子,你怎么表达?in common? (We are of a like mind on many things)
- 英国人是文明人,他们不杀自己人。 (The British are a civilized people. They don't eat their own.)
- 如果你夸这个人在伦敦很出名, 怎么说? Famous? (You made quite a name for yourself in London)
- 如果你想表达敌人离我们太近威胁太大。 (They are breathing down our necks)
- 如果你想问有多大的成功机会,你怎么说?(What do you make of our chances for success?)
- 剧中的主角爱德华是一个各方面都很优秀耶鲁大学生。耶鲁大学有个秘密组织叫骷髅会,专门物色召集优秀人才入会,会员宣誓效忠肝胆相照,如同黑社会组织,有什么好机会互相惦记着。美国情报部门成立之初爱德华被帮主介绍入门,从此走上特工生涯。看看当年美国情报部门选拔标:patriotic, honorable, bright young men from the right backgrounds, in other words, no jews, no niggers, and very few Catholics。说白了就是根红苗正优秀白人小伙子,不要犹太人·不要黑人,至于黄种人提都不用提。这和黑社会,共产党招聘标准大同小异,放之四海而皆准。而且那个年代种族歧视是毫不掩饰的。后来这个特工爱德华以驱逐出境而威胁美籍意大利人为他服务时,这个的意大利人愤怒地说:We Italian, we got families, we got church. The Irish, they have their homeland. The Jews, have their tradition. Even Niggers, they have their music. What you people have? 爱德华义正词严地对他说我们有美利坚合众国,你们这些人只是访客。他这说法和现在的川普有一拼。
推荐大家看一看这部电影,有不理解的大家可以交流一下。