本片段劇情:老師讓萊斯莉在課堂上朗讀自己的作文,臺下的吉斯被作文中描繪的美妙世界深深地吸引住了。坐公車時萊斯莉無意中坐到了最后一排,這是校園女霸王珍妮絲的專座,眼看珍妮絲大搖大擺地上了公車,吉斯趕緊跑過去把萊斯莉“救”走……
影片對白:
Leslie: Wow. You're really good at drawing. Like, better than any kid I've ever seen.
Jess: Uh... Thanks.
Mrs. Myers: I wanna share this composition for two reasons. One, it uses adjectives well. And two, it's clear the author paid attention to what she saw and what she felt, which is important for any writing. Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus by Leslie Burke. Leslie, why don't you read it for us.
Student: Oh, man. Can you believe this?
Leslie: "I'm moving gently forward, over the wild and beautiful, unexplored world below me. I'm floating in silence, and breaking it up with the sound of my breath. Above me, there's nothing but shimmery light, the place where I've come from, and will go back to when I am done here. I'm diving. I'm a scuba diver. I'm going deeper past the wrinkled rocks and dark seaweed toward a deep blueness where a school of silver fish wait. As I swim through the water, bubbles burst from me, wobbling like little jellyfish as they rise. I check my air. I don't have as much time as I need to see everything, but that is what makes it so special."
Mrs. Myers: Thank you, Leslie. Now tonight at 7:00 on channel four there is a special about an undersea explorer, Dr. Bob Ballard. I want everyone to watch and write one page about what you've learned. Leslie?
Leslie: What if you can't watch this program?
Mrs. Myers: Inform your parents it's an assignment, I'm sure they won't object.
Leslie: But... what if you don't have a TV?
[All laugh]
Leslie: My dad says the TV kills your brain cells.
Scott: Your dad doesn't know anything. We watch TV, like, every day.
Leslie: I rest my case.
Mrs. Myers: Well, then, Leslie, you don't have to write this essay. You can pick something else to write about.
Scott: Yeah, like, how to live in a cave.
[Class laughs]
Mrs. Myers: That's enough, Mr. Hoager.
Girls: Hey, Leslie, come here. What are you gonna write your essay on? Bats in caves?
(In the bus)
Students: Here comes Janice! New kid's in Janice's seat. What does she think she's doing?
May Belle: Jess! The big kids will kill her!
Jess: You have a death wish? The back row is for eighth-graders.
Janice: That's right, beanpole. Move it. Out of my way, farm boy.
Jess: You're really asking for it.
Leslie: Seems to me she gives it out whether you ask for it or not. So might as well have some fun.
Jess: Getting Janice all wound up is a weird way of having fun.
Leslie: Well, what's your idea of having fun?
Jess: I don't know.
Leslie: Well, you wanna do something?
Jess: I don't know.
May Belle: Let's do something. Definitely. What should we do?
Jess: You can't do it.
May Belle: Do what?
Jess: What we're doing.
Leslie: Hey, May Belle! I don't use my Barbies so much anymore. If you want, you can have them.
May Belle: To keep for permanent?
Leslie: Sure.
May Belle: Thanks.
Leslie: You're lucky to have a sister.
Jess: I've got four, and I'd trade them all for a good dog.
Leslie: I'd love to have a dog.
Jess: Now let's go before she changes her mind.
Leslie: Race you to the end of the road. On your mark, get set, go!
[Panting]
[Both laugh]
Leslie: Come on, Jess! Come on!
[Both panting, laughing]
Jess: What about sharks? You ever see any sharks while you're scuba-ing or whatever?
Leslie: I've never gone scuba diving in my whole life.
Jess: You lied in your essay?
Leslie: No. I made it up. It's different from lying. Those drawings you make, you ever seen those things yourself?
Jess: No, but...
Leslie: Hey! Look at that! Cool!
Jess: That's been there forever. I wouldn't trust it.
Leslie: Come on. Just try it. OK.
妙語佳句 活學活用
1. self-contained: 整裝的,裝在一個容器(或殼體)內的,自足式的。self-contained還可以表示“沉默寡言的,有自制力的,持重的”或“自給的,獨立自足的,不受外界影響的”。請看例子:
He is a rather silent, self-contained man when with strangers.
他在生人面前是個沉默寡言又頗為持重的人。
The university campus is like a self-contained city with shops and all amenities.
大學校園就像一座獨立自足的城市,有商店和一切生活設施。
2. scuba diver: 水下自持呼吸器的潛水員。
3. assignment: (分派的)任務,(指定的)作業(yè)。例如:The English assignment is a book report.(英語課外作業(yè)是寫一份讀書報告。)
4. I rest my case: 一切的一切都說明我是對的,我無需多言。影片中Leslie指就因為Scott天天看電視,所以他才沒腦子,這個現(xiàn)成的例子證明她父親說的“看電視會殺死腦細胞”是正確的,所以她無需再說什么了。
5. death wish: 求死愿望,死亡意愿。
6. You're really asking for it: 你這是自找的。
7. wind up: (常用被動語態(tài))使緊張,使激動,使憤怒??匆幌吕樱篢he boxer was all wound up before the big fight.(這位拳擊運動員在那場大賽前夕興奮異常。)影片中Jess指把女霸王Janice惹怒可不是什么好玩的事。
8. make up: 編造。例如:The whole story is made up.(整個故事完全是虛構出來的。)影片中Leslie告訴Jess編造故事和說謊是不一樣的。
make up還有“解決(爭端等)、和解”的意思。例如:They are quarrelling and making up by turns.(他們老是一會兒吵架,一會兒和好。)