Prison Break 1《越狱》1（视频精讲之十）

影片对白

Abruzzi: Philly.

Philly: Sit down, kid. So... Fibonacci. How'd you find him?

Michael: Did my homework.

Philly: You get elliptical with me for one more second, and I will cancel you. You understand me?

Abruzzi: Give it up, Fish.

Michael: Before someone's transferred to the U.S. Marshals Service to be placed in Witness Protection, they're guarded by a local sheriff from the county where the trial will take place.

Michael: Sheriff Solomon, please.

Woman: Please hold.

Andrew Solomon: Andrew Solomon here.

Michael: If the sheriff was available, then he wasn't the one guarding Fibonacci.

Woman: Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

Michael: Yeah, is, uh, Sheriff Pronzo there?

Woman: I'm sorry, Sheriff Pronzo is on vacation.

Michael: Really?

Woman: Yes, sir.

Michael: There were only four sheriffs in the county. And since Pronzo was the only one who wasn't in his office, and his wife and kids were waiting for him at home, I knew the only vacation he was taking was with Fibonacci.

Philly: Watching him until they could put him in Protection.

Michael: Thing is, sometimes it takes weeks for the Marshall Service to set up a new identity. So some local sheriff is stuck in the middle of nowhere with Fibonacci. He gets lonely and calls home... a lot. I called the phone company, said I was Pronzo and I'd lost my bill. I asked for another copy. Seems Mrs. Pronzo was receiving dozens of calls from an area code a long way from Chicago. I went online, reverse-traced the number, and vow²? There was Fibonacci's exact location.

Philly: How do you know he's still there?

Michael: I have someone looking after him... watching from afar, in case he moves.

Philly: Mm-hmm. This is about money, isn't it?

Michael: You're an astute³ man, Mr. Falzone.

Abruzzi: What?

Philly: Your friend here, John, is trying to extort⁴ me.

Michael: Not extortion, insurance. I plan on being out of here one day. And I don't think my new resume's gonna cut it in most places.

Philly: How much?

Michael: 200,000.

Abruzzi: I'm gonna kill you.

Michael: Quid pro¹ quo. You scratch my back, I scratch yours.

Abruzzi: Hi. It's John. You wanted to talk to me?

Man: Yeah. You hear the news? Falzone got popped last night up in Canada. International gun charges. Parole violation⁵. He's in deep.

妙语佳句，活学活用

1. in the middle of nowhere

"偏僻的地方"，例如：I was lost in the middle of nowhere. 我在一个偏僻的地方迷了路。

2. And I don't think my new resume's gonna cut it in most places.

意思是"My resume will not be good enough for most places."cut it 和否定连用（例如doesn't cut it ）表示not good enough，例如：This certificate doesn't cut it for the occasion.

3. Quid pro quo

拉丁文，意思是"An equal exchange or substitution, one thing for another; something for something公平交易"，例如：I think it should be quid pro quo--you mow⁶ the lawn and I'll take you to the movies.

 

4. Scratch someone's back

意思是"Do someone a favor in hopes that a favor will be returned"，例如：I don't mind driving this time--she's scratched my back plenty of times.

口语中常用到的表达是You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. 例如：If you do the laundry I'll do the cooking--you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

5. In deep

"卷入很深无法摆脱"，通常指商业上的投资，例如：He was in deep with the other merchants and couldn't strike out on his own.

此处的意思类似于 in deep water（卷入麻烦很深），例如：The business was in deep water after the president resigned.

文化面面观

United States Federal Witness Protection Program 美国司法中的证人保护

In the United States, the Witness Protection Program (also known as the Witness Security Program, or WITSEC) is established by the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970, which in turn sets out the manner in which the U.S. Attorney General may provide for the relocation and protection of a witness or potential witness of the federal government, or for a state government in an official proceeding⁷ concerning organized crime or other serious offenses⁸.

Witness protection is the process in which witnesses, such as those who testify in criminal trials, are protected against intimidation⁹ before their testimony¹⁰ or criminal retaliation¹¹ after. The U.S. Federal Government both relocates and gives new identities to witnesses who risk their lives by giving testimony as well as providing financial and employment aid. To help avoid discovery, witnesses are expected to sever¹² all ties with former acquaintances. According to the agency, "No program participant following security guidelines has ever been harmed while under the active protection of the Marshals Service"; conversely, nearly all of the witnesses who were harmed had either failed to fully¹³ comply, often at times contacting old acquaintances, or had already left the program.

The Federal Government also gives grants to the states to enable them to provide the same program. The federal program is called WITSEC (the Federal Witness Protection Program) and was founded in the late 1960s by Gerald Shur when he was in the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section of the United States Department of Justice. Most witnesses are protected by the U.S. Marshals Service, while protection of incarcerated¹⁴ witnesses is the duty of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Normally, the witness is provided with a new name and location. Witnesses are encouraged to keep their first names and choose last names with the same initial. The U.S. Marshals Service provides new documentation, assists in finding housing and employment and provides a stipend¹⁵ until the witness gets on their feet, but the stipend can be discontinued if the U.S. Marshals Service feels that the witness is not making an aggressive effort to find a job. Witnesses are not to travel back to their hometowns or contact unprotected family members or former associates. Around 17% of protected witnesses will commit another crime, compared to the less than the 40% of parolees who return to crime.

Many U.S. states, including California and New York, have their own witness protection programs for crimes not covered by the federal program. The state-run programs provide less extensive protections than the federal program.

我观之我见

在这个片断里，Michael假意对Falzone供出对他不利的证人Fibonacci的地址，使得Falzone出钱恢复了Abruzzi监狱老大的位置，越狱计划的继续实施得以保障。当Falzone出动去杀死证人时，才发现上了Michael的当，被警察一举抓获。在Michael而言，他并不想为了越狱而去牺牲一个好人的性命。狱警Bob和狱友Cherry的死对他的触动非常大，他已经意识到这次计划可能会牺牲很多生命。尽管如此他并不想放弃拯救哥哥的计划。他能做的只是尽力防止其他人的死亡。

考考你

用今日所学将下面的句子译成英语。

1．她住在一个偏僻的小农场上。
2．我想我们应该公平交易--你帮我洗衣服，我请你看电影。
3．她丢了护照身陷困境。

Prison Break 1《越狱》1（精讲之九）考考你 参考答案

1. 他直接拒绝了他们，再也没有重新考虑一下。
He simply turned his back on them and never gave it a second thought.

2. 防止卷入办公室纠纷的最佳办法是不要挑起事端。
The best way to stay out of trouble at the office is not to make waves. 

1 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

2 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

3 astute   

adj.机敏的，精明的

参考例句：

• A good leader must be an astute judge of ability.一个优秀的领导人必须善于识别人的能力。
• The criminal was very astute and well matched the detective in intelligence.这个罪犯非常狡猾，足以对付侦探的机智。

4 extort   

v.勒索，敲诈，强要

参考例句：

• The blackmailer tried to extort a large sum of money from him.勒索者企图向他勒索一大笔钱。
• They absolutely must not harm the people or extort money from them.严格禁止坑害勒索群众。

5 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

6 mow   

v.割（草、麦等），扫射，皱眉；n.草堆，谷物堆

参考例句：

• He hired a man to mow the lawn.他雇人割草。
• We shall have to mow down the tall grass in the big field.我们得把大田里的高草割掉。

7 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

8 offenses   

n.进攻( offense的名词复数 )；（球队的）前锋；进攻方法；攻势

参考例句：

• It's wrong of you to take the child to task for such trifling offenses. 因这类小毛病责备那孩子是你的不对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Thus, Congress cannot remove an executive official except for impeachable offenses. 因此，除非有可弹劾的行为，否则国会不能罢免行政官员。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

9 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

10 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

11 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 sever   

v.切开，割开；断绝，中断

参考例句：

• She wanted to sever all her connections with the firm.她想断绝和那家公司的所有联系。
• We must never sever the cultural vein of our nation.我们不能割断民族的文化血脉。

13 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

14 incarcerated   

钳闭的

参考例句：

• They were incarcerated for the duration of the war. 战争期间，他们被关在狱中。 来自辞典例句
• I don't want to worry them by being incarcerated. 我不想让他们知道我被拘禁的事情。 来自电影对白

15 stipend   

n.薪贴；奖学金；养老金

参考例句：

• The company is going to ajust my stipend from this month onwards.从这一个月开始公司将对我的薪金作调整。
• This sum was nearly a third of his total stipend.这笔钱几乎是他全部津贴的三分之一。