MAJOR HALBERT: My lord, there is a rider at the gates. A civilian carrying a
white flag.
CORNWALLIS: I'm occupied .
MAJOR HALBERT: He has a pair of dogs with him. Great Danes.
CORNWALLIS: Now we come to the matter of the specific targeting of officers
during engagements. Of course you must know that in civilized warfare, officers
in the field must not be accorded inappropriate levels of hostile attention.
MARTIN: To your
mind , what are appropriate levels of hostile attention?
CORNWALLIS: Colonel, imagine the utter chaos that would follow from
leaderless armies having at each other. There must be gentlemen in command to
lead and, and, and when appropriate, restrain their men.
MARTIN: Restrain them from, say, targeting civilians. Women, children and
such?
CORNWALLIS: That's a separate issue.
MARTIN: No, no, no, I consider them linked. As long as your soldiers attack
civilians, I will order the shooting of your officers at every engagement. And
my men are excellent marksmen.
CORNWALLIS: Very well, now let us move on to...
MARTIN: Prisoner exchange.
CORNWALLIS: Sir?
MARTIN: You have eighteen of my men. I want them back.
CORNWALLIS: I, I do have eighteen criminals under sentence of death, but I, I
hold no prisoners of war.
MARTIN: If that's your position, then eighteen of your officers will have to
die. Nineteen, if you hang me with my men.
CORNWALLIS: My officers?
MARTIN: Sir, top of the ridge, to your left. Just Below the tree line.
CORNWALLIS: Their names and ranks?
MARTIN: They refused to give me their names. But their ranks are nine
lieutenants, five captains, three majors and one very fat colonel who called me
a cheeky fellow.
CORNWALLIS: You know this is not the conduct of a gentleman.
MARTIN: If the conduct of your officers is the measure of a gentleman, I take
that as a compliment. Get my men.
CORNWALLIS: Arrange the exchange.
MAJOR HALBERT: My lord.
MARTIN: Thank you sir.
MAJOR HALBERT: One of our captured officers, my lord.
CORNWALLIS: My reputation suffers because of your incompetence! That man
insults me!
TAVINGTON: Quite impressive for a farmer with a pitchfork, wouldn't you say?
CORNWALLIS: I want you to find that man. I want you to capture him.
TAVINGTON: The man has the loyalty of the people. They protect him. Protect
his family. Protect the families of his men. I can capture him for you. But to
do so requires the use of tactics that are somewhat… what was the word your
lordship used? "Brutal", I think.
CORNWALLIS: Go on.
TAVINGTON: I am preparing to do what is necessary. I
alone will assume the full mantle of responsibility for my actions free of the
chain of command rendering you blameless. However, if I do this, you and I both
know that I can never return to England with honor. What, I wonder, is to
become of
me?
CORNWALLIS: When this war is over here in the colonies, the new aristocracy
will be landowners.
TAVINGTON: Tell me about Ohio.
PRIVATE: Make
way .
TAVINGTON: As you were. Wilkins. A plantation seven miles from Wakefield, on
the Santee, east of Black Swamp. Who lived there?
WILKINS: Benjamin Martin.
BORDON: He is the ghost.
TAVINGTON: What do you know about him?
WILKINS: Hell , everything. I could tell you the size of his boot.
妙语佳句，活学活用
1. Occupied
Occupied 这个词有很多有趣的用法，我们来一一看一下。作为形容词，occupied可以表示： 1）被使用的，例如：She keeps her
time well occupied. The WC is occupied. 2）被占领的，例如：the occupied countries of
Europe 3）有人居住的，例如：Not all the occupied (or tenanted) apartments were well
kept up. 4）投入精力/集中注意力做……事，例如：She keeps herself fully occupied with volunteer
activities.
MAJOR HALBERT: My lord, there is a rider at the gates. A civilian carrying a
white flag.
