在线英语听力室

The Patriot《爱国者》(视频精讲之三)

时间:2007-04-17 08:14:21

(单词翻译:单击)

影片对白

BURWELL: Benjamin Martin. I'm in no mood for a lecture.

MARTIN: Where is your General Gates now?

BURWELL: The last anyone saw, riding hard in northeast, his staff a hundred yards behind, trying to catch up.

MARTIN: So who's in command?

BURWELL: I am, I think.

MARTIN: What are my orders?

BURWELL: We're a breath away from losing this war, Benjamin. In the North, Washington is reeling from Morristown. He's running and hiding from twelve thousand Redcoats. In the South, Cornwallis has broken our back, captured over five thousand of our troops when he took Charles town.

MARTIN: And he destroyed the only army between him and New York. So now there's nothing will stop him from heading north to finish off Washington.

BURWELL: Unless we can keep Cornwallis in the South until the French arrive. They've promised a fleet and ten thousand troops.

MARTIN: When?

BURWELL: Six months at the earliest.

MARTIN: You actually trust the French to keep their word?

DELANCEY: Absolutement.

BURWELL: Benjamin Martin, Major Jean DeLancey, French Seventh Light Foot. He will help to train the militia1.

DELANCEY: The hero of Fort Wilderness2. Your reputation precedes you.

MARTIN: You really expect to hold Cornwallis here using just militia?

BURWELL: Not me, you.

MARTIN: Harry3, they're not soldiers, they're farmers. They'd be better off letting the British just march through.

BURWELL: They'd be better off, but the cause wouldn't.

MARTIN: How many men does Cornwallis have under his command?

BURWELL: Eight thousand infantry4. Around six hundred cavalry5. I'm giving you a field commission as a colonel.

MARTIN: Might I request, sir, that you transfer my son, here, under my command?

GABRIEL: Sir, no I...

BURWELL: That's done.

MARTIN: Thank you.

妙语佳句,活学活用

1. In no mood

"不想, 没有心情做……",例如:I was in no mood to laugh and talk with strangers. 我才没有心情和陌生人谈笑呢。"I'm in no mood for a lecture."意为:我没心情听你的教训。

它的反义词in the mood 表示"有……的兴致,有意做……",例如:I'm in the mood for a good long walk.

2. In command

In command 表示"领导,挂帅",要表示"领导……",常与of连用,后面加被领导的内容例如:In World War II, General Lee was in command of the air force. 二战期间,李将军统率空军部队。

Under one's command 则表示"被……领导",例如:The admiral visits the ships under his command by helicopter. 舰队司令乘直升机视察他所指挥的军舰。

3. Finish off

意为"(彻底地)完成,吃完,用完,置……于死地",例如:
She finished off the job yesterday. 她昨天把工作全部完成了。

We've finished off the cake. 我们把蛋糕吃的一点不剩。

His last illness nearly finished him off. 上次那场大病几乎要了他的命。

4. Better off

"最好……,比……富裕"的意思,例如:
They were better off flying than driving there. 他们最好坐飞机而不是驾车去那儿。
They were better off than most of their neighbors. 他们比大部分的邻居日子过得富裕。

当表示"比……富裕"时,better off 的意思就相当于 well off。

文化面面观

Red coat英国士兵的红制服

Red coat is a term often used to refer to a soldier of the historical British Army because of the color of the uniforms formerly6 worn by the majority of regiments8. The uniform of most British soldiers during the late 17th century, 18th century and 19th century, (other than artillery9, rifles and some cavalry), included a madder red coat or coatee. From 1872 onwards, the more vivid shade of scarlet10 was adopted for all ranks, having previously11 been worn only by officers, sergeants12 and cavalry troopers.

In the United States, "Redcoat" is particularly associated with those British soldiers who fought against the colonists13 during the American Revolution. It does not appear to have been a contemporary expression - accounts of the time usually refer to "regulars" or "the King's men". Abusive nicknames included "bloody14 backs" (in a reference to both the colour of their coats and the use of flogging as a means of punishment for military offences) and "lobsters15" or "lobsterbacks" (most notably16 in Boston around the time of the Boston Massacre).

It was not until the 1880s that the term "redcoat" as a vernacular17 expression for the British soldier appears in literary sources such as Kipling's poem, "Tommy" - indicating some degree of popular usage in Britain itself. The term is still used in Ireland to refer to the British Army, and sometimes to all British people.

Red coat: History in British Army

On 19 February 1645, the English parliament passed the New Model Army Ordinance18. The new army was formed of 22,000 men, divided into twelve foot regiments of 1,200 men each, eleven horse regiments of 600 men each, one dragoon regiment7 of 1,000 men, and the artillery with 50 guns.

The infantry regiments wore coats of Venetian red with white facings. The original intention was to use blue uniforms, but red was cheaper.

The adoption19 and continuing use of red by most English soldiers after the restoration of the Monarchy20 (1660) appears to have been a historical accident, aided by the relative cheapness of red dyes noted21 above. There is no basis for the historical myth that red coats were favored because they did not show blood stains, as the blood quickly stains the jacket black.

Eventually, facings of the red coat were varied22, depending upon which regiment the uniform belonged to. Examples were scarlet for the 33rd Regiment of Foot, yellow for the 44th regiment of foot and buff for the 3rd Regiment of foot.

British soldiers fought in scarlet tunics23 for the last time at the Battle of Gennis on 30 December 1885.

Even after the adoption of khaki field dress in 1902, most British infantry and some cavalry regiments continued to wear scarlet tunics on parade and for off-duty occasions ("walking out dress"), until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.

Scarlet tunics ceased to be general issue upon British mobilization in August 1914. The Brigade of Guards resumed wearing their scarlet full dress in 1920 but for the remainder of the Army red coats were only authorised for wear by regimental bands and officers in mess dress or on certain limited social or ceremonial occasions (notably attendance at Court functions or weddings). The reason for not generally reintroducing the distinctive24 full dress was primarily financial, as the scarlet cloth requires expensive cochineal dye.

In the modern British army, scarlet is still worn by the Foot Guards regiments for ceremonial, by the Life Guards and by some regimental bands or drummers. Officers and NCOs of those regiments which previously wore red retain scarlet as the color of their "mess" or formal evening jackets. Some regiments turn out small detachments, such as color guards, in scarlet full dress at their own expense e.g. the Yorkshire regiment.

Scarlet is also retained for some full dress, military band or mess uniforms in the modern armies of a number of the countries that made up the former British Empire. These include the Australian, Jamaican, New Zealand, Fijian, Canadian, Kenyan, Ghanaian, Indian, Singaporean and Pakistani armies. (wikipedia)

The Patriot25 爱国者:创作花絮

在电影的创作过程中有很多有趣的花絮,来和大家分享一下。

As originally written, Benjamin Martin had 6 children, but in the movie Martin has 7 children. This was changed based on the number of children Mel Gibson has.

The producers and director chose Heath Ledger26 to play the role of Gabriel Martin because, in their opinion, Ledger was a man who possessed27 "exuberant28 youth."

Mel Gibson's character was originally scripted to be the real historical figure Francis Marion, "The Swamp Fox", but after historians informed the filmmakers of some of the more sordid29 aspects of Marion's life (slaughtering Indians, raping30 his female slaves) they decided31 to create a fictional32 story and a more likeable hero.

Chris Cooper, who played Colonel Harry Burwell, was to be "Lighthorse Harry" Henry Lee, the father of Robert E. Lee; at the end of the film, when Cooper's character tells Benjamin Martin the name of the former's newborn son, Cooper was to say Robert. The chronology of the Lee family was off, however (Lee would have only been 20 in 1776 and just a captain) and the idea was dropped.

When teaching Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger how to shoot a muzzle-loading rifle, technical advisor33 Mark Baker34 gave them the advice to "aim small, miss small", meaning that if you aim at a man and miss, you miss the man, while if you aim at a button (for instance) and miss, you still hit the man. Gibson liked this bit of advice so much he incorporated it into the movie, just prior to the ambush35 scene.

One of the "redcoats" that is floating face down in the river after the trap is a dummy36 of John Travolta.

Harrison Ford37 declined the lead role, feeling the script had boiled the Revolutionary War down to a "one-man's-revenge" melodrama38.

Heath Ledger performed his own stunts39.

Screenwriter Robert Rodat wrote 17 drafts of the script before there was an acceptable one.

In an earlier version of the script, Anne is pregnant with Gabriel's child when she dies in the burning church.

While the villain40 William Tavington is killed in the final battle scene, his real-life inspiration, Banastre Tarleton, survived the war to return to serve in Parliament until his death at the age of 77.

Laurence Olivier Theatre Award winning British actor Ben Daniels received a role alongside Mel Gibson in this film, but refused the offer, citing that the "money was good, but it wasn't for me".

考考你

用今日所学将下面的句子译成英语。

1. 我没有心情和你去看电影。
2. 威廉将军把敌人彻底击溃了。
3. 你们最好把钱交给我们。

The Patriot《爱国者》(精讲之二)考考你 参考答案

1. 我努力工作希望能进入出版界。
I'm trying to work my way into the publishing world.

2. 像许多其他剧目一样,这出戏也只上演了一个星期就停演了。
The play, like so many others, died a natural death after only one week.


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1 militia 375zN     
n.民兵,民兵组织
参考例句:
  • First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面,其次是民兵。
  • There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。
2 wilderness SgrwS     
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠
参考例句:
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
3 harry heBxS     
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
参考例句:
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
4 infantry CbLzf     
n.[总称]步兵(部队)
参考例句:
  • The infantry were equipped with flame throwers.步兵都装备有喷火器。
  • We have less infantry than the enemy.我们的步兵比敌人少。
5 cavalry Yr3zb     
n.骑兵;轻装甲部队
参考例句:
  • We were taken in flank by a troop of cavalry. 我们翼侧受到一队骑兵的袭击。
  • The enemy cavalry rode our men down. 敌人的骑兵撞倒了我们的人。
6 formerly ni3x9     
adv.从前,以前
参考例句:
  • We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
  • This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。
7 regiment JATzZ     
n.团,多数,管理;v.组织,编成团,统制
参考例句:
  • As he hated army life,he decide to desert his regiment.因为他嫌恶军队生活,所以他决心背弃自己所在的那个团。
  • They reformed a division into a regiment.他们将一个师整编成为一个团。
8 regiments 874816ecea99051da3ed7fa13d5fe861     
(军队的)团( regiment的名词复数 ); 大量的人或物
参考例句:
  • The three regiments are all under the command of you. 这三个团全归你节制。
  • The town was garrisoned with two regiments. 该镇有两团士兵驻守。
9 artillery 5vmzA     
n.(军)火炮,大炮;炮兵(部队)
参考例句:
  • This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
  • The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。
10 scarlet zD8zv     
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的
参考例句:
  • The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
  • The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了,深红的颜色变成了绯红,绯红又变为浅红。
11 previously bkzzzC     
adv.以前,先前(地)
参考例句:
  • The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
  • Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿,解释原先发生了什么。
12 sergeants c7d22f6a91d2c5f9f5a4fd4d5721dfa0     
警官( sergeant的名词复数 ); (美国警察)警佐; (英国警察)巡佐; 陆军(或空军)中士
参考例句:
  • Platoon sergeants fell their men in on the barrack square. 排长们在营房广场上整顿队伍。
  • The recruits were soon licked into shape by the drill sergeants. 新兵不久便被教育班长训练得象样了。
13 colonists 4afd0fece453e55f3721623f335e6c6f     
n.殖民地开拓者,移民,殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 bloody kWHza     
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染
参考例句:
  • He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
  • He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。
15 lobsters 67c1952945bc98558012e9740c2ba11b     
龙虾( lobster的名词复数 ); 龙虾肉
参考例句:
  • I have no idea about how to prepare those cuttlefish and lobsters. 我对如何烹调那些乌贼和龙虾毫无概念。
  • She sold me a couple of live lobsters. 她卖了几只活龙虾给我。
16 notably 1HEx9     
adv.值得注意地,显著地,尤其地,特别地
参考例句:
  • Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席,特别是连班长也没来。
  • A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小,一头银发,每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。
17 vernacular ULozm     
adj.地方的,用地方语写成的;n.白话;行话;本国语;动植物的俗名
参考例句:
  • The house is built in a vernacular style.这房子按当地的风格建筑。
  • The traditional Chinese vernacular architecture is an epitome of Chinese traditional culture.中国传统民居建筑可谓中国传统文化的缩影。
18 ordinance Svty0     
n.法令;条令;条例
参考例句:
  • The Ordinance of 1785 provided the first land grants for educational purposes.1785年法案为教育目的提供了第一批土地。
  • The city passed an ordinance compelling all outdoor lighting to be switched off at 9.00 PM.该市通过一条法令强令晚上九点关闭一切室外照明。
19 adoption UK7yu     
n.采用,采纳,通过;收养
参考例句:
  • An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
  • The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。
20 monarchy e6Azi     
n.君主,最高统治者;君主政体,君主国
参考例句:
  • The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
  • The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的,无甚实际意义。
21 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的,知名的
参考例句:
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
22 varied giIw9     
adj.多样的,多变化的
参考例句:
  • The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
  • The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。
23 tunics 3f1492879fadde4166c14b22a487d2c4     
n.(动植物的)膜皮( tunic的名词复数 );束腰宽松外衣;一套制服的短上衣;(天主教主教等穿的)短祭袍
参考例句:
  • After work colourful clothes replace the blue tunics. 下班后,蓝制服都换成了色彩鲜艳的衣服。 来自辞典例句
  • The ancient Greeks fastened their tunics with Buttons and loops. 古希腊人在肩部用钮扣与环圈将束腰外衣扣紧。 来自互联网
24 distinctive Es5xr     
adj.特别的,有特色的,与众不同的
参考例句:
  • She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
  • This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。
25 patriot a3kzu     
n.爱国者,爱国主义者
参考例句:
  • He avowed himself a patriot.他自称自己是爱国者。
  • He is a patriot who has won the admiration of the French already.他是一个已经赢得法国人敬仰的爱国者。
26 ledger 014xk     
n.总帐,分类帐;帐簿
参考例句:
  • The young man bowed his head and bent over his ledger again.那个年轻人点头应诺,然后又埋头写起分类帐。
  • She is a real accountant who even keeps a detailed household ledger.她不愧是搞财务的,家庭分类账记得清楚详细。
27 possessed xuyyQ     
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的
参考例句:
  • He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
  • He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
28 exuberant shkzB     
adj.充满活力的;(植物)繁茂的
参考例句:
  • Hothouse plants do not possess exuberant vitality.在温室里培养出来的东西,不会有强大的生命力。
  • All those mother trees in the garden are exuberant.果园里的那些母树都长得十分茂盛。
29 sordid PrLy9     
adj.肮脏的,不干净的,卑鄙的,暗淡的
参考例句:
  • He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively.他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。
  • They lived in a sordid apartment.他们住在肮脏的公寓房子里。
30 raping 4f9bdcc4468fbfd7a8114c83498f4f61     
v.以暴力夺取,强夺( rape的现在分词 );强奸
参考例句:
  • In response, Charles VI sent a punitive expedition to Brittany, raping and killing the populace. 作为报复,查理六世派军讨伐布列塔尼,奸淫杀戮平民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The conquerors marched on, burning, killing, raping and plundering as they went. 征服者所到之处烧杀奸掠,无所不做。 来自互联网
31 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
32 fictional ckEx0     
adj.小说的,虚构的
参考例句:
  • The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
  • The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。
33 advisor JKByk     
n.顾问,指导老师,劝告者
参考例句:
  • They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
  • The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。
34 baker wyTz62     
n.面包师
参考例句:
  • The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
  • The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。
35 ambush DNPzg     
n.埋伏(地点);伏兵;v.埋伏;伏击
参考例句:
  • Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。
  • Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。
36 dummy Jrgx7     
n.假的东西;(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头
参考例句:
  • The police suspect that the device is not a real bomb but a dummy.警方怀疑那个装置不是真炸弹,只是一个假货。
  • The boys played soldier with dummy swords made of wood.男孩们用木头做的假木剑玩打仗游戏。
37 Ford KiIxx     
n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过
参考例句:
  • They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上,所以我们只能涉水过河。
  • If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪,必须极度小心。
38 melodrama UCaxb     
n.音乐剧;情节剧
参考例句:
  • We really don't need all this ridiculous melodrama!别跟我们来这套荒唐的情节剧表演!
  • White Haired Woman was a melodrama,but in certain spots it was deliberately funny.《白毛女》是一出悲剧性的歌剧,但也有不少插科打诨。
39 stunts d1bd0eff65f6d207751b4213c4fdd8d1     
n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 );(广告中)引人注目的花招;愚蠢行为;危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长],抑制,妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • He did all his own stunts. 所有特技都是他自己演的。
  • The plane did a few stunts before landing. 飞机着陆前做了一些特技。 来自《简明英汉词典》
40 villain ZL1zA     
n.反派演员,反面人物;恶棍;问题的起因
参考例句:
  • He was cast as the villain in the play.他在戏里扮演反面角色。
  • The man who played the villain acted very well.扮演恶棍的那个男演员演得很好。