Scene 1 初选在即 民主党内初选如火如荼地进行着，俄亥俄州向来是候选人争夺的焦点，两位民主党候选人Morris（George Clooney饰）和Pullman（Michael Mantell饰）将在此展开一场激战。
Reporter: Well, it all comes down to this. We are one week away from the Ohio Primary. Two Democrats are left standing, Senator Pullman of Arkansas, 1)trailing Governor Morris of Pennsylvania. One week from Tuesday, the all-important 161 Ohio delegates could be the deciding factor. Once again, it is true, “As goes Ohio, so goes the nation.”
(At the TV debate.)
Senator Pullman: But you call yourself a Christian.
Governor Mike Morris: How would that matter?
Pullman: Let me quote, “I have no idea what happens when we die. Maybe nothing. Maybe it’s like before we were born”. 2)Unquote. You did write this, Governor.
Morris: Let me be specific.
Pullman: Please do.
Morris: I was raised Catholic, and I am not a practising Catholic. And I have no idea what happens after we die. If Senator does, then maybe you should be President.
记者：重要的时刻即将到来，距离俄亥俄州初选还有一周时间。两位民主党候选人狭路相逢，阿肯色州的普尔曼参议员，落后于宾夕法尼亚州的莫里斯州长。从周二开始的一周，俄亥俄州重要的161名代表将成为决定性因素。再说一次，没有言过其实，“俄亥俄州的形势将代表全国的形势”。
（电视辩论上。）
普尔曼参议员：但是你说自己是基督徒。迈克?莫里斯州长：那又如何？
普尔曼：听我引用一段话，“我对死后的世界一无所知。也许什么都不会发生，也许就像我们出生前一样” 。这话是出自你笔下，州长先生。
莫里斯：让我来具体说说吧。
普尔曼：请说。
莫里斯：我在一个天主教家庭长大，但我并不是一个虔诚的天主教徒。我不知道我们死后将会发生什么。如果参议员先生知道的话，也许应该由你来做总统。
Pullman: Is that your idea of being specific?
Morris: Let me be more specific.
Pullman: Thank you.
Morris: I am not a Christian or an 3)atheist. I’m not Jewish or Muslim. What I believe―my religion is written on a piece of paper called The Constitution, meaning that I will defend until my dying breath your right to 4)worship in whatever God you believe in, as long as it doesn’t hurt others. I believe we should be judged as a country by how we take care of the people who cannot take care of themselves. That’s my religion! If you think I’m not religious enough, don’t vote for me. If you think I’m not experienced enough or tall enough, then don’t vote for me’cause I can’t change that to get elected.
普尔曼：这就是你讲的“具体说说”？莫里斯：让我再说详细点吧。
普尔曼：谢谢。
莫里斯：我不是一个基督徒，也不是无神论者。我不信犹太教，也不信伊斯兰教。我信仰的是，我的宗教信仰写在一张称作《美国宪法》的纸上，就是说我会誓死捍卫你们的宗教信仰的权利，不管你信仰哪一位上帝，只要他不伤害任何人。我坚信，应该将一个国家如何帮助那些不能自理的人作为判断标准。那才是我的信仰！如果你觉得我的信仰与你相左，那就别选我。如果你觉得我缺乏经验或者个子不够高，那就别选我，因为我无法为了让你们选我而改变这些。
Ida Horowicz: So, Paul, tell me something I don’t know. Tell me what’s going to happen on the 15th.
Paul Zara: Hahaha, what do you think, Stevie?
Stephen Myers: ①I think it’s ours for the taking. What do you think?
Paul: What do you think, Ida?
Ida: I…I’m asking you.
Paul: Well, you tell me, I’ll tell you.
Ida: If I have to say, I’d say, ②it will be close but you’ll eek it out.
Paul: Eek? You see, ③she’s trying to get under my skin. Ida: So what’s gonna happen?
Paul: Us, by nine.
Ida: So you’re certain you’re gonna win here?
Paul: Certain? No. Confident? Yeah.
Ida: You just said you’ll win by nine.
Paul: And I think that we will! But I’m not gonna tell you it’s a sure thing. I mean, [注]St. Gabriel could blow his horn on election day and get his four horseman to 5)rig the 6)ballot boxes for Pullman and it wouldn’t surprise me. Six Presidentials I’ve done and I’ve never felt this good. But I’m not gonna sit here and say, “Yeah, hey, we’ll win Ohio”.
艾达?何洛维克兹：那么，保罗，说一些我不知道的吧。告诉我15号那天会发生什么。
保罗?扎拉：哈哈哈，你怎么看，斯蒂维？斯蒂芬?迈尔斯：我觉得我们赢定了。你觉得呢？
保罗：你呢，艾达？
艾达：我……我在问你呢。
保罗：嗯，你告诉我（你的想法），我就告诉你。
艾达：如果一定要我说，我觉得，选票会很接近，但是你们会勉强胜出。
保罗：勉强？你看，她想故意惹我生气。艾达：结果会怎么样？
保罗：我们会以九票取胜。
艾达：所以你很肯定在这里（译者注：指俄亥俄州）你们会赢。
保罗：肯定？不。（要说是）自信？是的。艾达：你刚说你们会以九票胜出。
保罗：我觉得我们会的！但我不会跟你说这是板上钉钉的事。我的意思是，就算是圣加百列在选举日吹响喇叭把他的四个骑士呼来，为普尔曼（暗地）操纵选票箱，我也不会感到奇怪。我经历了六次总统选举，从来没有（像现在）感觉这么好。但我不会坐在这儿说：“嘿，俄亥俄州，我们赢定了！”我永
④Not a chance. I mean, in the last 30 years, 73 Democrats have run for President. How many have won? Three. All right. That means 70 guys ran who thought they had a chance and they all lost.
Ida: So you’re saying there’s a good chance that you won’t win?
Paul: No, don’t twist my words, Ida. What I’m saying is I’m not gonna promise you we’ll win.
远不会这么做。我是说，过去三十年有73位民主党人竞选总统，有几个赢了？三位。是的，就是说有70个人参加竞选，他们觉得会赢但是都输了。艾达：那么你是说你们也有很大可能会落选？
保罗：不，别曲解我的意思，艾达，我说的是，我不能向你打包票我们会赢。
Scene 2
政治阴谋
Tom（Paul Giamatti饰）在Pullman的竞选阵营工作，他给Stephen打电话，想让Stephen转而为Pullman效力。Stephen并没有答应Tom的请求，但是也没有及时将此事告诉Paul，直到后来竞选走势发生变化时，意识到事情严重性的Stephen才将此事告知Paul。有人就Stephen与Tom一事向Ida告密，Ida正在给Stephen打电话询问详情。
Stephen: Yes, Ida.
Ida: ⑤Stevie, off the record.
Stephen: No, I cannot tell you what happened in North Carolina.
Ida: That’s not what I wanted to ask you about.
Stephen: Okay, what?
Ida: You met with Duffy.
Stephen: Who told you that?
Ida: ⑥A little bird.
Stephen: Who?
Ida: Did you meet with him?
Stephen: Where are you?
斯蒂芬：你好，艾达。
艾达：斯蒂维，（透露点消息吧，）我不会说出去的。
斯蒂芬：不行，我不能告诉你北卡罗来纳州的事。
艾达：我不是要问你这个。
斯蒂芬：好吧，你要问什么？
艾达：你和达菲见面了？
斯蒂芬：谁告诉你的？
艾达：有人私下告诉我的。
斯蒂芬：谁？
艾达：你真和他见面了吗？
斯蒂芬：你在哪儿？
Stephen: Paul, I gotta tell you something I don’t know how to tell you.
Paul: Huh…what’s up?
Stephen: Ida knows that I met with Duffy. I don’t know how she knows, but she knows. She tried to 7)blackmail me. She said she’s gonna release the story, unless I tell her all the details about your meeting with Thompson.
Paul: So it’s gonna hit the papers?
Stephen: Probably. And whoever she takes it to is gonna call me and ask for a statement. If I deny the whole thing altogether, but Duffy admits it, it’s gonna look even worse. And if I just say “No comment”, they’re not gonna let up. Paul: I leaked it to Ida…at the event.
Stephen: I don’t understand.
Paul: We made a deal.
Stephen: Paul, they’re gonna…they’re gonna print that story in the paper tomorrow morning.
Paul: I know.
Stephen: So why’d you do it? Why…why would you do that? Why would you do that to the campaign?
Paul: The campaign will survive.
Stephen: Why would you do that to me?
Paul: Makes it easier to let you go.
斯蒂芬：保罗，我要告诉你一些我不知道怎么开口的事。
保罗：哈……发生什么事了？
斯蒂芬：艾达知道我和达菲见过面。我不知道她从哪得到的消息，但是她确实知道了。她想要要挟我，说要将此事公诸于众，除非我把你和汤普逊见面的全部细节告诉她。
保罗：所以这事会上报？
斯蒂芬：很可能。无论她（把披露的文章）交给谁，那人都会给我打电话问清详情。如果我矢口否认整件事，但是达菲承认的话，这看起来会更糟糕。而如果我只回答“无可奉告”，他们就会追着不放。保罗：是我透露给艾达的……这件事。
斯蒂芬：我不明白。
保罗：我们做了个交易。
斯蒂芬：保罗，他们会……他们明天一早就会把这件事登上报纸的。
保罗：我知道。
斯蒂芬：那你为什么要那么做？为什么……为什么要那么做？为什么对竞选做那样的事？
保罗：竞选会没事的。
斯蒂芬：为什么要那么对我？
保罗：好让你尽早离开。
Scene 3
隐形的陷阱
Stephen离开Morris的竞选办公室，找到Tom想要转向Pullman的竞选团队，但遭到Tom的无情拒绝，此时的他才意识到这是Tom设下的陷阱。
Tom Duffy: So he fired you?
Stephen: I quit.
Tom: No, you’re lying to me. Come on, man.
Stephen: I quit. I’m gonna give you everything. I’m gonna give you Morris. I’m gonna give you his whole strategy. I’m gonna give you all…
Tom: I don’t need his strategy. I’ve already have it. Paul gave it all to Thompson.
Stephen: What if I had something else?
Tom: You would do that to Morris, to Paul?
Stephen: Yeah.
Tom: Oh, no. Revenge makes people 8)unpredictable. Steve, I can’t have someone who’s unpredictable, who’s 9)unstable.
Stephen: I’m not unstable.
Tom: You know, if this had been a clean break, if you had left Morris before the story broke, that’d be one thing, that we could control. But, uh, like this, Paul fired you and then you wanna come work for me. It makes me look like I’m picking up the 10)scraps. ⑦It puts Morris in the driver’s seat. I can’t have that.
Stephen: What if I had something big?
Tom: Like what?
Stephen: Something big. Something that’ll put Morris down.
Tom: What is it?
Stephen: Give me the job.
Tom: Hahaha. No, that’s not gonna happen. I’m sorry. Go take a nice long vacation. You’re a smart guy. Everything that I said, the other day is absolutely true. But you know, maybe politics isn’t for you.
汤姆?达菲：所以他把你炒了？
斯蒂芬：我不干了。
汤姆：不，你在说谎。说实话吧，伙计。斯蒂芬：是我不干了。我会告诉你所有的事情，关于莫里斯的一切。我会告诉你他的整个竞选策略。我会告诉你……
汤姆：我不需要他的竞选策略。我都已经知道了。保罗都告诉汤普逊了。（译者注：保罗为了争取汤普逊的支持，将竞选策略告诉汤普逊，但此时他并不知道普尔曼的竞选阵营已经允诺汤普逊出任国务卿一职以获取其支持。）
斯蒂芬：要是我还有别的信息呢？
汤姆：你会这么对付莫里斯、对付保罗吗？
斯蒂芬：会。
汤姆：噢，不。报复让人变得难以捉摸。斯蒂夫，我不会雇佣一个难以捉摸、情绪不稳定的人。
斯蒂芬：我没有情绪不稳定。
汤姆：你明白的，如果你和他们毫不相干，在这事被捅破之前离开莫里斯的阵营，那就是另外一回事了，情况我们还可以控制。但是，呃，像现在这样，保罗炒了你，而你又想过来为我工作，这让我看起来像是在捡垃圾，这会让莫里斯抓到把柄。我不能这么做。
斯蒂芬：要是我知道一些很重要的事呢？汤姆：比如说？
斯蒂芬：很重要的事，足以击败莫里斯。汤姆：是什么呢？
斯蒂芬：让我过来工作。
汤姆：哈哈哈。不，这不可能。对不起。去度个长假吧，你是个聪明人，我说过的所有事，有天总会成为现实的。但是你知道吗，或许政治不太适合你。
Stephen: Politics is my life.
Tom: Oh you know what? Do yourself a favour. Get out now while you still can.
Stephen: You knew I was gonna tell Paul, didn’t you?
Tom: No, I didn’t know. I thought you might, but I didn’t know. Stephen: You knew I was gonna tell him, you knew. And you knew he was gonna fire me.
Tom: Well, ⑧that’s the thing about Paul. He’s big on loyalty. Stephen: Yeah, I know. I just got a big speech on it. You were never gonna hire me.
Tom: ⑨Put yourself in my shoes, Steve.
斯蒂芬：政治是我的生命。
汤姆：噢，你知道些什么？别跟自己过不去，趁你现在还能自己走出去，赶快滚。斯蒂芬：你明知道我会告诉保罗（我们见面的事），对吗？
汤姆：不，我不知道。我想过你可能会，但是我不知道（你真的会）。
斯蒂芬：你知道我会告诉他，你知道。你还知道他会炒了我。
汤姆：这是保罗的作风，他很看重忠诚。斯蒂芬：是啊，我知道。我才听了他的一番大论。你就没打算过雇佣我。
汤姆：设身处地为我考虑下吧，斯蒂夫。
Scene 4
打破僵局
Morris竞选办公室的实习生Molly（Evan Rachel Wood饰）由于与Morris的桃色丑闻突然自杀身亡，消息一旦泄露将直接影响到他的竞选前景。知道详情的Stephen以自己手上握有Molly生前留下的证据来威胁Morris，要求将Paul赶走并成功成为团队的第一把手。
Stephen: You’re right, Mike. There’s nothing. There’s no voice messages, no text, no emails, no pictures, no tape, and yet I’m standing right here.
Morris: Well, go home.
Stephen: She left a note.
Morris: How would you know that?
Stephen: I was cleaning up your mess. I took her phone
斯蒂芬：你说得对，迈克。我什么证据都没有。没有口讯、短信、电邮、照片、录音，但我还站在这儿呢。
莫里斯：那就回家去吧。
斯蒂芬：她还有一条留言。
莫里斯：你怎么知道的？
斯蒂芬：我在为你收拾烂摊子的时候，拿
and I found a note.
Morris: I thought it was an accident.
Stephen: I don’t know, Mike. You’re gonna have to tell me. You’re the last person she called. Note says she’s pregnant, got an abortion, and doesn’t wanna hurt you.
Morris: Then why would she leave a note that could only do that?
Stephen: She’s twenty.
Morris: What do you want?
Stephen: Paul’s gone…today. I set a meeting with you and Thompson, and you promise him the ticket. You get 356 pledged delegates. You get North Carolina. You take office and you make right with so many people that you’ve made wrong. All the things that we both believe in.
Morris: Well, I don’t believe in 11)extortion. I don’t believe in tying myself to you for the next eight years.
Stephen: Four years. ⑩Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.(Morris snorts.)
走了她的电话，发现了那条留言。
莫里斯：我以为是个意外。
斯蒂芬：我不知道，迈克。你最好能亲口告诉我。她生前的最后一通电话是打给你的，留言里说她怀孕了，她去做了流产手术，不想因此而伤害你。
莫里斯：那么她为什么还留下这么条留言，别的什么都没做？
斯蒂芬：她只有20岁。
莫里斯：你想怎么样？
斯蒂芬：保罗要离开……就今天。我会安排你和汤普逊见面，你许诺给他（政府官员的）坐席，你就能得到356张承诺的代表选票，赢得北卡罗来纳州，你就能成功就职，成就别人都做不到的事，那些你我都信仰的事。
莫里斯：我不会向勒索妥协，不会试图将我未来八年跟你绑在一起。
斯蒂芬：四年，别太乐观了。（莫里斯不屑地发出哼哼声。）
Morris辞退了Paul，Stephen回到竞选办公室。虽然输掉了俄亥俄州，但是在Stephen的帮助下，Morris得到Thompson的支持，成功地拿下了北卡罗来纳州，并且获得民主党总统候选人的提名。
Morris: Senator Thompson, thank you! Well, the 12)polls aren’t quite closed. But I do wanna congratulate Senator Pullman and his republican constituents on their win in Ohio. (Cheers.) Senator Thompson, I am honoured to stand up here with you here today and I am 13)humbled by your kind words. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, today marks the beginning of a fight between two sets of ideals. Either we’re gonna move forward or we’re going to live in the past. (Forward!) Either we’re going to lead the world again in technolgy or we are going to bury our heads in the sand. (Cheers.) The sands of Saudi Arabia. The sands of Iraq. Either we are going to let greed and 14)corruption ruin our industries and our shorelines or we are going to take back our country! (Cheers.)
莫里斯：汤普逊参议员，谢谢你！选票不是很接近，但是我想祝贺普尔曼参议员和他的共和党支持者赢得了俄亥俄州。（欢呼声）汤普逊参议员，今天与你一起站在这里我荣幸万分，刚才你的一番说辞让我受益匪浅。谢谢。女士们、先生们，今天意味着一场两强之战的开始。我们是将追寻辉煌还是追忆往昔。（追寻辉煌！）我们是将再次引领全球科技还是在沙土中埋葬自己的脑袋。（欢呼声）沙特阿拉伯的沙土，伊拉克的沙土。我们是要任由贪婪和腐败侵蚀我们的工业和海岸线，还是要夺回我们的国家！（欢呼声）
[注] 在天主教传统中，St. Gabriel是四大天使长之一，主要是为神传达信息的使者。Gabriel是守护伊甸园的智天使们的领导者，而“four horsemen”指的是《启示录》写到的“天启四骑士”（Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse）。在最后审判（Last Judgement）中，天启四骑士将瘟疫、战争、饥荒和死亡带给接受审判的人类，Gabriel最后鸣喇叭以示旧世界的灭亡、新世界的开始。影片中这是Paul在讽刺，如果发生这样的事情，那一定是更信仰天主教的Pullman赢得选举。
Smart Sentences
① I think it’s ours for the taking. 我觉得我们赢定了。
for the taking: easily available（垂手可得）。例如：If you are interested in the job, it’s there for the taking.如果你对这份工作有兴趣的话，它就是你的啦。
② It will be close but you’ll eek it out. 选票会很接近，但是你们会勉强胜出。
eek sth. out: obtain sth. despite difficulties（克服困难完成某事）。例如：
In down time, many families eek out a living with minimum wages or welfare benefits.
在经济不景气时期，许多家庭靠最低工资或福利勉强度日。
③ She’s trying to get under my skin. 她想故意惹我生气。
under sb.’s skin: annoying someone（惹恼某人）。例如：Jack really gets under my skin―he never knocks when he comes in.
杰克让我很恼火，他进来时从不敲门。
④ Not a chance. 我永远不会这么做。
not a chance: sth. will not happen（某事永远不会发生）。例如：
―Can you lend me your guitar over the weekend?
周末你可以把吉他借给我吗？
―Not a chance. We’ll have our last rehearsal before the show.
不行，周末我们要在演出前进行最后一次排练。
⑤ Stevie, off the record. 斯蒂维，（透露点消息吧，）我不会说出去的。
off the record: not intended for publication or disclosure; confidential（不公开的）。例如：
The general told the reporters that his remarks were strictly off the record.
将军对记者说，他的话是不能公开的。
⑥ A little bird. 有人私下告诉我的。
a little bird (told me): used to indicate you are not willing to reveal the source of the information（有人私下说的）。例如：
A little bird told me that we’ll have a mid-year raise.
有人私下告诉我，我们年中会加一次工资。
⑦ It puts Morris in the driver’s seat. 这会让莫里斯抓到把柄。
in the driver’s seat: a position of control or authority（具有控制、指挥权力的位置）。例如：
I don’t want to be in the driver’s seat―it’s too much responsibility.
我才不想要那个有话事权的位置，责任太大了。
⑧ That’s the thing about Paul. He’s big on loyalty. 这是保罗的作风，他很看重忠诚。
the thing about sb.: sth. is characteristic of sb.（某人的典型特征）。例如：
The thing about my father is that he’s stubborn.
我父亲的特点就是固执。
big on sth./doing sth.: attach great importance to sth./doing sth.（对某事或做某事非常重视）。例如：
Our CEO is big on punctuality.
我们的总裁很重视守时。
⑨ Put yourself in my shoes, Steve. 设身处地为我考虑下吧，斯蒂夫。
in sb.’s shoes: in sb’s situation（处于某人的位置）。例如：I wouldn’t do the same if I were in her shoes.
如果我处于她的位置，我不会那么做的。
⑩ Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. 别太乐观了。
get ahead of oneself: say, do or consider sth. before one should do so（超前，走得太快）。例如：
Mom, we just dated twice. Let’s don’t get ahead of ourselves and talk about kids.
妈，我们才见过两次面，别想那么远，现在就谈孩子还早呢。