看电影学英语:后裔 The Descendants 精讲之一

第一页：片段欣赏
第二页：巧学口语
第三页：小小翻译家
第四页：文化一瞥

Matt voiceover: As if Liz's coma weren't enough already, the whole goddamn state is following my decision on who's gonna buy 25,000 pristine acres on Kauai that my family has owned since the 1860s. A lot of my cousins are broke, and the sale will make us all very, very rich. My family meets in six days to approve a buyer. But ever since my father died, I'm the sole trustee which means I alone hold all the cards. My great-great-grandmother was Princess Margaret Ke'alohilani one of the last direct descendants of King Kamehameha. She was originally supposed to marry her cousin but she fell in love with Edward King, her haole banker whose parents had been missionaries. Between his land deals and her huge inheritance generations of their descendants, all of us have watched the past unfurl millions into our laps through leases and sales. Now something called the rule against perpetuities is forcing us to dissolve the trust and we're selling our last huge parcel of virgin Hawaiian land. Unlike a lot of my cousins, I haven't blown my share of the trust money. Just like my father before me, I live only on the income from my law practice. I don't want my daughters growing up spoiled and entitled. Liz always accuses me of stinginess, but I agree with my father. You give your children enough money to do something, but not enough to do nothing.

Secretary: Matt. Your cousins are here.

Matt voiceover: Not only am I the sole trustee, but I specialize in real-estate transaction law so a few of the more involved cousins have been meeting with me regularly to analyze bids.

Cousins: Hey. How's it, Matt?

Matt voiceover: Cousin Hal, Cousin Milo, Cousin Stan, Cousin Six, Cousin Wink, Cousin Connie.

Cousin Connie: How you doing? Okay?

Matt voiceover: And Cousin Dave, both of whom oppose the sale entirely.

Cousin Dave: Good to see you.

Matt voiceover: Don't be fooled by appearances. In Hawaii, some of the most powerful people look like bums and stuntmen.

Matt: All right, so where are we?

Matt voiceover: The proposals are virtually the same. Hotels, shopping centers, condos and golf courses.

Cousin Connie: I have some major concerns...

Matt voiceover: A Chicago group is offering half a billion dollars. But we're leaning towards a lower bid from a guy named Don Holitzer. He's actually from Kauai. Made a fortune in Silicon Valley. Old Cousin Hugh is pushing us in that direction, and I say, why not? The money would come from Hawaii and stay in Hawaii.

Cousin: There's nothing about saving the Heiau. You know, it's ridiculous. And there's no beach access like they say, and that's really, really...

Matt thinking: Elizabeth's gonna make it out okay. I know it. It's not her time yet. She'll wake up. Scottie and Alexandra will have their mother back. And we'll talk about our marriage. I know I can make things right. I'll sell the land, quit my practice, and buy her whatever she wants. A big boat. A house in France. We'll take a trip around the world, just the two of us. We'll get close again, like the early days.

Doctor: I wish I had better news, Matthew. But Dr Chun and Dr Mueller and I agree that her condition it's deteriorating. She has no eye movement. She has no pupillary responses. She has no brain-stem reflexes whatsoever. I mean, the machines can keep her alive but, the quality of her life would be so poor, basically the way it is now. She'll never be the way she was, Matt. Never. We know that now. Look, uh I can't tell you how sorry I am to tell you this. And you do have your daughters. There's just nothing more that we can do.

Matt: So if we do go ahead and take her off the machines...

Doctor: There's no "if". It's "when". I have a legal obligation. You know that.

Matt: How long will she last?

Doctor: Well, it's hard to say. It could be a few days, it could be a couple of weeks. For planning purposes, I think you should work off the shortest possible scenario. I know I've gotta get the ball rolling on the organ donations right away. Matt. Elizabeth has many friends. She has a big life. If you're gonna let everybody know to say goodbye which is the typical protocol for these situations, you start now. Then when the last day comes they'll feel more ready. Or as ready as they can feel for something like this. I'm so sorry, Matt.