Samuel: And the German military is ready to use chaos in Croatia as justifications for actions that could plunge the entire civilized world into...
Colonel Ludlow: Samuel! The word "civilized" has no place in any discussions of the affairs of this world. Alfred: Miss Finncannon, Mother has told us of your sympathy for the social reformers. Susannah: You make it sound like a disease. Alfred: No, no, no, on the contrary, I'm in agreement. Susannah: Your mother told me all about One Stab. She says that he was a great warrior. Alfred: Oh yes. He has a bag of scalps sitting away somewhere to prove it too, but don't worry, he's...haha... he's devoted to father now. Samuel: Or rather, they're devoted to each other. Susannah: Can he speak English? Alfred: Stab? Speak English? He wouldn't lower himself to speak English. Would you, Stab? But watch out. Because he understands it perfectly well. Samuel: Hey, there's Tristan. Samuel: Don't they feed you up there? Tristan: Not much. Samuel: You smell. Tristan: Miss me, did you? Samuel: Still hung over? Tristan: Still drunk. Samuel: Isn't she amazing? Susannah: So this is Tristan. And does he speak English? Alfred: Tristan, for God's sake. Tristan: Miss Finncannon. It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope you and Ugly here find every happiness together. Alfred: Don't mind my brother. Your dog has more breeding than he has.
1. plunge into “卷入,陷入”的意思。Samuel的意思是说“整个文明世界都被卷入到战争中”。 Plunge 还可以指“全神贯注地投入到某件事情中”,例如:The kids plunged into the story. 孩子们整个被这个故事迷住了。
2. Has no place in “‘文明'这个词根本不能用来形容这个世界。”在Colonel Ludlow看来,这个世界虚伪又残忍,根本谈不上“文明”。Has no place in 通常的意思是 inappropriate (不适合/不应该……),但语气要比它强许多。例如:Fast food has no place in hospitals. 快餐不应该卖到医院里。 3. One Stab 叙述整个故事的印第安老人,是美国屠杀印第安人后的幸存者,Colonel Lodlow 的朋友, Tristan 的师父。 4. Rather “更确切地说”的意思。例如:He is my friend, or rather he was my friend. 他是我的朋友,更确切的说,他曾经是我的朋友。 5. Lower oneself “降低自己的身份,做出有损道德、有损尊严的事”,例如:I won't lower myself to do such kind of things. 我才不会降低身份做这种事呢!
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