BURWELL: Benjamin Martin. I'm in no mood for a lecture.

MARTIN: Where is your General Gates now?

BURWELL: The last anyone saw, riding hard in northeast, his staff a hundred yards behind, trying to catch up.

MARTIN: So who's in command?

BURWELL: I am, I think.

MARTIN: What are my orders?

BURWELL: We're a breath away from losing this war, Benjamin. In the North, Washington is reeling from Morristown. He's running and hiding from twelve thousand Redcoats. In the South, Cornwallis has broken our back, captured over five thousand of our troops when he took Charles town.

MARTIN: And he destroyed the only army between him and New York. So now there's nothing will stop him from heading north to finish off Washington.

BURWELL: Unless we can keep Cornwallis in the South until the French arrive. They've promised a fleet and ten thousand troops.

MARTIN: When?

BURWELL: Six months at the earliest.

MARTIN: You actually trust the French to keep their word?

DELANCEY: Absolutement.

BURWELL: Benjamin Martin, Major Jean DeLancey, French Seventh Light Foot. He will help to train the militia¹.

DELANCEY: The hero of Fort Wilderness². Your reputation precedes you.

MARTIN: You really expect to hold Cornwallis here using just militia?

BURWELL: Not me, you.

MARTIN: Harry³, they're not soldiers, they're farmers. They'd be better off letting the British just march through.

BURWELL: They'd be better off, but the cause wouldn't.

MARTIN: How many men does Cornwallis have under his command?

BURWELL: Eight thousand infantry⁴. Around six hundred cavalry⁵. I'm giving you a field commission as a colonel.

MARTIN: Might I request, sir, that you transfer my son, here, under my command?

GABRIEL: Sir, no I...

BURWELL: That's done.

MARTIN: Thank you.

妙语佳句，活学活用

1. In no mood

"不想, 没有心情做……"，例如：I was in no mood to laugh and talk with strangers. 我才没有心情和陌生人谈笑呢。"I'm in no mood for a lecture."意为：我没心情听你的教训。

它的反义词in the mood 表示"有……的兴致，有意做……"，例如：I'm in the mood for a good long walk.

2. In command

In command 表示"领导，挂帅"，要表示"领导……"，常与of连用，后面加被领导的内容例如：In World War II, General Lee was in command of the air force. 二战期间，李将军统率空军部队。

Under one's command 则表示"被……领导"，例如：The admiral visits the ships under his command by helicopter. 舰队司令乘直升机视察他所指挥的军舰。

3. Finish off

意为"（彻底地）完成，吃完，用完，置……于死地"，例如：
She finished off the job yesterday. 她昨天把工作全部完成了。

We've finished off the cake. 我们把蛋糕吃的一点不剩。

His last illness nearly finished him off. 上次那场大病几乎要了他的命。

4. Better off

"最好……，比……富裕"的意思，例如：
They were better off flying than driving there. 他们最好坐飞机而不是驾车去那儿。
They were better off than most of their neighbors. 他们比大部分的邻居日子过得富裕。

当表示"比……富裕"时，better off 的意思就相当于 well off。