Time capsule 時間膠囊

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本片段劇情：柯斯勒想和菲爾討論預言數字，但菲爾卻覺得他在異想天開。于是柯斯勒決定去找寫下數字的學生露辛達的老師泰勒了解情況。泰勒老師告訴他，露辛達寫下數字時驚恐萬分，這使柯斯勒更加確信其中藏有玄機。但露辛達已經離世了，誰能幫柯斯勒破解數字的秘密呢？

精彩對白

Koestler: Look at this. Look at the numbers beside the date.

Phil: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Koestler: 2996.

Phil: Right.

Koestler: That's how many people died in the attacks that day.

Phil: Yeah. 

Koestler: All right, stay with me. I know how this sounds, but I've matched these numbers to the dates of every major global disaster for the last 50 years in perfect sequence, except for three. And these events haven't occurred yet, starting with this one. So tomorrow, somewhere on the planet, this number string predicts that 81 people are gonna die in some kind of tragedy.

Phil: Whoa. I mean, have a listen to yourself.

Koestler: I know.

Phil: It sounds pretty crazy.

Koestler: I know.

Phil: I mean, even for you. What's this?

Koestler: Open it.

Phil: Oh! Why are you showing me this?

Koestler: The day Allison died in the fire, it's on the list, too, from a piece of paper that's been buried in the ground for five decades. Can you explain that, Phil? I was up all night going over this. I went through that list again and again, and I tried to fault it and I couldn't.

Phil: Maybe someone's playing a really shitty joke...

Koestler: Right! Right! Except I saw them dig it up! I watched them pull the capsule out of the ground and hand that sealed envelope to my kid.

Phil: Okay, let me ask you this, then. All these uncircled numbers, what do they mean?

Koestler: I don't know yet. Maybe nothing. But the circled...

Phil: Maybe they all mean nothing.

Koestler: Okay, Phil, hey, can we just start over here? I'm not saying that 81 people are going to die tomorrow, okay? I'm just trying to understand why this is saying they will.

Phil: Okay, it's spooky, all right? I'll grant you. It's more than spooky. But just step back, all right? You have all these uncircled numbers with no sequence to them. I mean, numerology, kabala, Pythagorean cults, there are systems that find meaning in numbers, and they are a dime a dozen. Why? Because people see what they want to see in them.

Koestler: I mean, that's really what you think I'm doing?

Phil: Yeah, I think that losing Allison has spun you off your axis a little, and I think it's clouded your judgment. I'm just saying it's clouded your judgment. Don't you think? Where are you going? 

Koestler: Off campus.

Taylor: Yes?

Koestler: But you do remember her?

Taylor: Oh, yes. I remember Lucinda. She was such a sad little girl. Would you like some iced tea?

Koestler: Oh, no. Thank you. Thank you. Do you remember the day your students buried the time capsule?

Taylor: Oh, yes. The children were so excited.

Koestler: And what about Lucinda?

Taylor: That was the day we couldn't find her. She was hiding in a closet, under the gym, scratching at the door with her fingernails like some kind of animal.

Koestler: Scratching at the door?  Why was she hiding?

Taylor: I'm not sure. She was holding up the class writing all those silly numbers. I had to hurry her along. Then we found her, and I knew something had frightened the poor dear, but we never could get her to tell us what it was.

Koestler: Miss Taylor, my son got Lucinda's time capsule message. Do you remember this? Is this what she wrote?

Koestler: Oh, Professor, you are testing an old woman's memory. Can you believe it's been 50 years?

Koestler: It's a long time.

Taylor: I believe that's it. How rude of me. I never offered you a drink. Would you like some iced tea?

Koestler: No, thank you. I'm fine. I thought maybe I could meet her.

Taylor: Oh! I'm sorry. Lucinda passed away several years ago.

妙語佳句 活學活用

1. have a listen to yourself: 聽聽你自己在說些什么。

Phil不相信 的話，所以對他說：“你知道自己在說些什么嗎？”

2. fault: 挑錯，挑毛病。

我們還常用find fault或者pick holes來表示“挑錯”，“挑毛病”。

3. shitty: 劣等的，很差的。

例如：What a shitty way to treat a friend!（這樣對待一個朋友, 真不像話!）

4. spooky: 怪異的，可怕的。

Last night I had a dream that she had come back from the US. This morning I received a call from her!That's spooky!

5. step back: 退一步想。

例如：She can keep calmed and step back（她能夠保持冷靜后退一步來思考問題。）

6. numerology: 數字命理學。根據出生日期等數字來解釋人的性格或占卜禍福。

7. kabala：猶太神秘哲學。

8. a dime a dozen: 多得很，數不清。例如：Highly acclaimed directors and producers are a dime a dozen in this town.（這個城鎮上聲名顯赫的導演和制片人多得都不值錢了。）

9. time capsule：時間膠囊，常用來存放具有時代特征的物品。在這里指50年前存放學生們對未來暢想的容器。

10. hurry along: 催促。例如：Hurry along there, please, there are people waiting behind you.（前面的請快點朝前走, 你們后面還有人等著呢。）

11.pass away: 去世。委婉語。 “Pass away” is a euphemism for “die”.“去世”是“死”的委婉說法。例如：That famous mathematician passed away yesterday.（昨天, 那位著名的數學家去世了。）

Time capsule 時間膠囊

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