精彩对白

LeBoeuf: I am not accustomed to so large a fire. In Texas, we'll make do with a fire of little more than twigs² or buffalo³ chips, heat the night’s ration⁴ of beans. And, it is Ranger⁵ policy never to make your camp in the same place as your cook fire. Very imprudent to make your presence known in unsettled country. How do you know that Bagby will have intelligence?

Rooster Cogburn: He has a store.

LeBoeuf: That makes him an authority on movements in the Territory?

Rooster Cogburn: We have entered a wild place and anyone coming in, wantin' any kind of supply, cannot pick and choose his portal.

LeBoeuf: That is a piece of foolishness. All the snakes are asleep this time of year.

Rooster Cogburn: They have been known to wake up.

Mattie Ross: Well, let me have a rope too.

Rooster Cogburn: A snake would not bother you. You are too little and bony. You should fetch water for the mornin', put it by the fire. The creek's gonna ice over tonight.

Mattie Ross: I am not going down there again. If you want any more water you can fetch it yourself.

LeBoeuf: You're lucky to be traveling in a place where a spring is so handy. In my country you can ride for days and see no ground water. I have lapped filthy⁶ water from a hoof⁷ print and was glad to have it.

Rooster Cogburn: If I ever meet one of you Texas waddies who says he had never drank water out of a horse track I think I'll shake his hand, give him a Daniel Webster cigar.

LeBoeuf: You don't believe it?

Rooster Cogburn: Oh, I believed it the first twenty-five times I heard it. Maybe...maybe it is true. Maybe lappin' water off the ground is Ranger policy.

LeBoeuf: You are getting ready to show your ignorance now, Cogburn. I don't mind a little personal chaffin' but I won't hear anything against the Ranger troop from a man like you.

Rooster Cogburn: How long you boys been mounted on sheep down there?

LeBoeuf: My white Appaloosa still be galloping⁹ when that big American stud of yours is winded and collapsed¹⁰. Now make another joke about it. You are only trying to put on a show for this girl Mattie, who what you must think is a keen tongue.

Rooster Cogburn: This is like women talking.

LeBoeuf: Yes, that is the way! Make me out foolish in this girl's eyes.

Rooster Cogburn: I think she has got you pretty well figured.

Mattie Ross: Would you two like to hear the story of "The Midnight Caller"? One of you is gonna have to be "The Caller" and I will tell you what to say, and I will do all the other parts myself.

妙语佳句 活学活用

1. twig¹: 嫩枝，小枝。用作动词也可以表示“突然懂得，意识到”。

比如： I kept dropping hints but he still didn't twig. （我一直不停地暗示他，但他还是不懂。）

2. cook fire: 炊火。

3. intelligence: 情报，信息。

比如：electronic intelligence（电子情报，电子侦察）、counter-intelligence（反情报秘密行动、反情报政府部门）。

4. spring: 泉水。这里拉伯夫的意思是“你们在随时可以有水的地方已经很幸运了”。后面的so handy表示“非常容易得到，唾手可得”。

5. ground water: 地下水。

6. hoof print: 蹄印。

7. waddy: 在美国方言中指牧童，类似于cowboy。也可以用来表示“棍棒”，strike with a waddy就是指“用棍棒打”。

8. Appaloosa: 北美产的雄健马种，阿帕卢萨马。

9. gallop⁸: 疾驰，飞奔。也可以指“急急忙忙地说”。

After a hard gallop, the horse was played out.（那马跑得精疲力竭。）

10. put on a show: 做戏，假装给人看。Put on a rival show则是指“唱对台戏”。

11. This is like women talking: 你说话怎么跟女人似的。