Time capsule 时间胶囊

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本片段剧情：柯斯勒想和菲尔讨论预言数字，但菲尔却觉得他在异想天开。于是柯斯勒决定去找写下数字的学生露辛达的老师泰勒了解情况。泰勒老师告诉他，露辛达写下数字时惊恐万分，这使柯斯勒更加确信其中藏有玄机。但露辛达已经离世了，谁能帮柯斯勒破解数字的秘密呢？

精彩对白

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.

妙语佳句 活学活用

1. have a listen to yourself: 听听你自己在说些什么。

Phil不相信 的话，所以对他说：“你知道自己在说些什么吗？”

2. fault: 挑错，挑毛病。

我们还常用find fault或者pick holes来表示“挑错”，“挑毛病”。

3. shitty: 劣等的，很差的。

例如：What a shitty way to treat a friend!（这样对待一个朋友, 真不像话!）

4. spooky: 怪异的，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（她能够保持冷静后退一步来思考问题。）

6. numerology: 数字命理学。根据出生日期等数字来解释人的性格或占卜祸福。

7. kabala：犹太神秘哲学。

8. a dime a dozen: 多得很，数不清。例如：Highly acclaimed directors and producers are a dime a dozen in this town.（这个城镇上声名显赫的导演和制片人多得都不值钱了。）

9. time capsule：时间胶囊，常用来存放具有时代特征的物品。在这里指50年前存放学生们对未来畅想的容器。

10. hurry along: 催促。例如：Hurry along there, please, there are people waiting behind you.（前面的请快点朝前走, 你们后面还有人等着呢。）

11.pass away: 去世。委婉语。 “Pass away” is a euphemism for “die”.“去世”是“死”的委婉说法。例如：That famous mathematician passed away yesterday.（昨天, 那位著名的数学家去世了。）

Time capsule 时间胶囊

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