這場戲：買獨家新聞收到假鈔
第 11 章 · 共 18 章 · 5'00"
希爾迪花了四百五十塊，從庫利嘴裡硬撬出越獄經過，打電話向沃爾特兜售獨家；沃爾特一口答應送錢，還賭咒 I'll send the money（我這就把錢送去），轉頭卻吩咐路易送去四百五十塊假鈔。想學討價還價、賭咒發誓的英語，tear it out of someone（從嘴裡硬撬出來）和 exclusive（獨家報道）都用得上。
❝ 獨白 · 8 句 賭咒發誓：swear it on（拿某物發誓）
tear it out of Cooley 從庫利嘴裡硬撬出來swear it on 拿某物發誓of your dreams 你夢寐以求的in order to study 為了做某事
記者室裡電話響個不停，人人都在搶威廉姆斯越獄的訊息：他被帶去給埃格爾霍夫做精神鑑定，幾分鐘後就開槍衝了出去。希爾迪搶先一步，花四百五十塊從庫利嘴裡把全過程撬出來，立刻打電話找沃爾特，開口就是 I've got it exclusive（我拿到獨家了）。沃爾特嘴上大方，說錢十五分鐘送到，還發誓 I'll send the money——可轉頭他叫來路易，讓他送四百五十塊假鈔過去。等到布魯斯又因為「調戲婦女」被抓，希爾迪才明白自己這邊也是一團亂。幾個表達值得學：exclusive 是「獨家報道」，manhunt 是「大規模搜捕」，tear it out of someone 是「從某人嘴裡硬撬出來」。搶新聞、打電話談條件都用得上。
A1–C2 是歐標等級。點一個等級後，比它高的卡片會變淡，播放到那裡不會自動暫停。
“It cost me $450 to tear it out of Cooley.”
為了從庫利嘴裡撬出來，我花了四百五十塊。
把一筆錢的重量和一句行話捆在一起，報人心疼錢又得意，味道全出。
it cost me X to do something
講自己為某件事付出代價時用；正式賬目裡別這麼說。
I paid a lot to get that out of him. ／ It took $450 to loosen his tongue.
口語
cost me 連讀，$450 重讀，tear it out 連成一串。
It cost me two lunches to tear the truth out of him. 我花了兩頓午飯才從他嘴裡撬出實情。
“I'll send the money. I swear it on my mother's grave.”
我這就把錢送去。我拿我媽的墳發誓。
最重的誓言拿來賴賬，下一句就被拆穿，喜劇節奏全在這一拍。
I swear it on ...
極重地表態或保證時用；拿親人發誓偏戲劇化，日常會顯誇張。
I give you my word. ／ I swear on my life.
口語
swear it on 連讀，mother's grave 兩詞都重讀。
I'll pay you back Friday, I swear it on my life. 我週五一定還你錢，拿命擔保。
“They took him to the hospital, where they're afraid he'll recover.”
他們把他送進醫院了，還擔心他會好起來。
明明是壞訊息，卻盼著人別康復，一句反諷把記者的冷毒寫到骨子裡。
they're afraid (that) ...
說反話、諷刺荒唐期待時用；正式道歉或安慰場合絕不能用。
They rushed him to hospital, hoping he stays ill. ／ The only fear is that he gets better.
literary
afraid he'll 連讀，recover 拖長，句尾別上揚。
They fixed the leak, and now they're afraid it will hold. 他們把漏洞補上了，現在又擔心它真不漏了。
“Who do you suppose supplied it? Peter B. Hartwell. "B" for brains.”
你猜槍是誰提供的？彼得·B·哈特韋爾。B 代表腦子。
自問自答抖包袱，拿官員名字裡的縮寫開刀，諷刺又好笑。
Who do you suppose ...? .... "X" for ....
拿人名或頭銜開刻薄玩笑時用；正式報道或面對本人時千萬別用。
Guess who did it? The same genius. ／ P for perfect timing, as usual.
口語
suppose 輕讀，Peter B. Hartwell 一字一頓，brains 重讀帶笑。
Our new boss? "S" for swift decisions, clearly. 我們的新老闆？S 代表「決斷神速」唄。
“Maybe the sheriff let him out so he could vote for him.”
也許是警長把他放出來，好讓他給自己投一票。
一句猜測把選舉黑幕和越獄串起來，荒謬裡透著現實的寒意。
Maybe ... let him ... so he could ....
諷刺權力為選票不擇手段時用；當作正式指控說需要有證據。
Maybe they let him out for the votes. ／ Perhaps he's only useful as a voter.
中性
Maybe 輕起，let him out 連讀，vote for him 重讀收尾。
Maybe they cut the taxes so we would forget the scandal. 也許他們減稅，就是想讓我們忘了那樁醜聞。
All right, here's your story. The jailbreak of your dreams. This expert, Dr. Egelhoffer, the thinker from New York... ...was giving Williams a sanity test in the sheriff's office. Sticking a lot of pins in him so he could get his reflexes. He decided to reenact the crime as it had taken place... ...in order to study Williams' coordination. I'm coming to it. He had to have a gun to reenact the crime with. Who do you suppose supplied it? Peter B. Hartwell. "B" for brains.
行，訊息給你。你做夢都想要的越獄新聞。 這位專家，埃格爾霍弗博士，從紐約來的大思想家…… ……正在警長辦公室給威廉姆斯做精神鑑定。 往他身上紮了一堆針，測他的反應。 他決定把當時那樁罪案重演一遍…… ……好研究威廉姆斯的動作協調性。 我就說到這兒了。要重演罪案，他得有把槍。 你猜槍是誰提供的？彼得·B·哈特韋爾。那個「B」代表腦子。
下一章 · 12a tissue of lies徹頭徹尾的謊話這場戲：收買信使扣下緩刑令是「獨家報道」，指只有你一家媒體拿到的訊息。希爾迪說 I've got it exclusive，就是向沃爾特保證這條越獄新聞別人沒有。
可以說 tear it out of someone。希爾迪說花了四百五十塊才 tear it out of Cooley，意思是從庫利嘴裡一點點把訊息硬撬出來。
是「大規模搜捕」，指動用大量人手追捕逃犯。新聞裡說 Highlights on the sheriff's manhunt，就是講警長搜捕厄爾行動的精彩片段。
不是毒品，是老報業行話，指「訊息、內情」。記者問 Any dope on how he escaped?，就是打聽有沒有他逃跑的內幕。
manhunt 日常也能用，泛指大張旗鼓地找人或找東西；dope 這個「內情」的用法比較老舊，多出現在老電影、老小說裡，平時別亂用。
