Gustav Briegleb: Have you read the Times this morning?
Mrs. Collins: No.
Gustav Briegleb: Well, maybe you should give it a gander and then come over here to the parish for breakfast, in, say, an hour. I think we should meet.
Mrs. Collins: Hello? Mysterious case of...Acting on the request of the Los Angeles Police Department, Dr. Earl W. Tarr, child specialist, examined Walter Collins to determine the cause of his loss of weight, paleness, confusion, and rundown condition noticed since the return of the boy to his mother last Monday."
Gustav Briegleb: Lovely bit of phrasing, isn't it? Noticed since the return of the boy to his mother. Now, not only does that clearly state you're the boy's mother, but one could infer from it that you're somehow responsible for these changes. And that the police department is concerned for the boy's welfare while he's in your charge. You should try the eggs. They're very nice.
Mrs. Collins: "'I examined the boy quite thoroughly,' Dr. Tarr said,'And it's clear that he has something to tell. 'I'm sure that in time..."'
Dr. Tarr: ...time he will give his boyish story of the entire affair, but not until he has faith in his listener. And that is what is lacking here, faith in the poor lad's story. Course of my examination, I found nothing to dispute the findings of the LAPD.
Mrs. Collins: Why would they do this?
Gustav Briegleb: To avoid admitting they made a mistake when they brought back the wrong boy. Of course, anyone reading the newspaper with half a brain would see through it instantly. Sadly, that would exclude about half the readership of the Times. Mrs. Collins, I have made it my mission in life to bring to light all the things the LAPD wish none of us ever knew about. A department ruled by violence, abuse, murder, corruption and intimidation. When Chief Davis took over the force two years ago, he said...
Chief Davis: We will hold court against gunmen in the streets of Los Angeles.I want them brought in dead, not alive, and I will reprimand any officer who shows the least mercy to a criminal.
Gustav Briegleb: He picked 50 of the most violent cops on the force, gave them machine guns and permission to shoot anyone who got in their way. He called them the Gun Squad. No lawyers, no trials, no questions, no suspensions, no investigations. Just piles of bodies. Bodies in the morgues, bodies in the hospitals, bodies by the side of the road. And not because the LAPD wanted to wipe out crime. No. The LAPD wanted to wipe out the competition. Mayor Cryer and half the force are on the take. Gambling, prostitution, bootlegging, you name it. Because once you give people the freedom to do whatever they want, as the Lord found in the Garden of Eden, they will do exactly that. This police department does not tolerate dissent, or contradiction, or even embarrassment. And you are in a position to embarrass them and they do not like it. They will do anything in their power to discredit you. I've seen that happen too many times to start going blind now. That's why I wanted to meet you, to let you know what you're getting yourself into and to help you fight it, if you choose to.
Mrs. Collins: Reverend, I appreciate everything that you're doing and everything that you said, but I'm not on a mission. I just want my son home.
Gustav Briegleb: Mrs. Collins, a lot of mothers' sons have been sacrificed to expediency around here. Your son, unfortunately, would not be the first. But if you do it right, he may very well be the last.
妙语佳句，活学活用
1. give it a gander/take a gander: 看一看，看一眼。Gander在美国俚语中表示“一看，一瞥”，see how the gander hops则是指“观望，看风使舵”。
3. phrasing：措辞。报纸上的一番phrasing为警方开脱了责任，但也有可能Most newsmen missed the significance of the phrasing.（对这一措词的意义，大多数新闻记者都没有听出来）。
4. boyish：孩子气的，幼稚的。Jenny不仅有a boyish grin（孩子气的咧嘴笑）还会boyish pranks（孩子气的胡闹），她真是个a girl who behaves in a boyish manner.（行为有些孩子气的女孩）。
5. have faith in: 相信，信任。Have you any faith in his words?（你相信他说的话吗？）我可不相信，因为I have lost faith in him.（我对他已失去信心）。
6. with half a brain：Gustav Briegleb的意思是，只要“稍微用点脑筋”读报纸，就能see through it（看穿其中的实质）。
7. bring to light：发现，揭发。He threatened to bring the matter to light.（他威胁要把真相公布于众），但即使他不揭发，Time bring everything(all thing) to light.（只要日子长，秘密会曝光。）
8. machine gun：机关枪。在a burst/hail of machine-gun fire（一阵猛烈的机关枪扫射）之后，先遣部队又引爆了gunpower（火药），并持automatic rifle（自动步枪）冲锋上阵。
9. get in one's way: 挡路，妨碍。例如：Nobody can get in my way here.（没有人能在这里妨碍我），而get out of one's way则是指“不要挡路”。
10.on the take：接受贿赂，或敲诈，伺机损人利己。此外，load the dice against也可以表示“使用不正当手段，占人便宜，例如：Mr Smith used his great wealth to load the dice in his favour.（史密斯先生利用他的庞大财富使事情对自己有利）。
11.be in a position to：能够，有做……的机会。Will I be in a position to express my opinion on this?（我能对此发表意见吗？）
