I intend one day to correct.
我想我要问 摩西先生
Well, I suppose I have to ask, Mr Moses,
你的野心没有止境吗？
is there no end to your ambition?
为什么？ 应该有吗？ 我等了很久
Why? Should there be? I have waited so long.
而此刻 我们有了一位卓越的州长
And as of this moment, we have an exceptional governor.
–艾尔·史密斯 –一个有远见的人
– Al Smith. – A man of vision.
在我住的地方 我们称他为自己人
Where I live, we call him one of us.
没错 一个像你一样 出身贫寒的人
Exactly. A man, like yourself, born into disadvantage,
在公♥寓♥里长大 像许多这样的人一样 有动力 有目标
brought up in the tenements and therefore, like many such men, driven, purposeful.
所以你认为剥削对于塑造性格有好处？
Oh, so you imagine deprivation is good for the character?
我可以向你保证 不是这样的
Huh, I can assure you it isn’t.
康奈尔小姐 你就是活生生的证明
Miss Connell, you’re living proof that it is.
–这我就不知道了 –我很抱歉…
– Well, I wouldn’t know about that. – I’m sorry…
–不啦… –请原谅我…
– No… – Forgive me…
没什么好原谅的 我知道你纯粹是在恭维我
Nothing to forgive. I know you meant it as a pure compliment.
–我的所作… –我是这么认为的…
– I did… – And I take it as such…
这就是为什么我这么有兴趣听你们…
And that’s why I’m so interested to hear your reports of the governor’s visits…
–是啊 –…汇报州长的访问情况
– Yes. – ..when he drops by.
–你想听听他说什么吗？ –是的
– You want to hear what he says? – I do.
那是因为你需要州长吗？
And is that because you need the governor?
–你需要他站在你这边？ –也许是
– You need him on your side? – Perhaps.
我想知道 你是认为自己的命运与他息息相关吗？
Am I right in thinking your fortunes are tied to his?
如果艾尔·史密斯不是你的上司
And that if Al Smith wasn’t your boss,
很可能你什么也做不了吧？
the likelihood is, you wouldn’t be able to do anything at all?
好吧 我的晋升都要归功于州长
All right, I owe all advancement I have enjoyed to the governor.
我原本境况不佳 而他选中了我
I was languishing and he picked me out.
–如何？ –我们一拍即合
– How? – We got along at once.
–他看中了我 –哦 是吗？
– He saw the point of me. – Oh, did he?
–是的 –他是你的赞助人？
– Yeah. – He’s your patron?
–算是吧 –你欠了他的债？
– Sort of. – You’re in his debt?
只要他还在任 你就会有事可做
As long as he’s in office, you’re in business.
好吧 说得挺难听的 但这是事实
All right, that’s a harsh way of putting it, but it’s true.
–哼！ –是什么让你心情这么好？
– Hm! – What’s put you in such a good mood?
哦 我想去当地商店买♥♥一面小旗子
Oh, I’m thinking of going to the local store and buying a little flag.
–什么样的旗？ –一面纪念旗
– What sort of flag? – A flag of commemoration.
–去纪念什么？ –我想你知道
– A commemoration of what? – I think you know.
–不 我不知道 –为什么 因为这是我第一次听到
– No, I don’t. – Why, because it’s the first time
罗伯特–摩西承认他需要别人
I’ve heard Robert Moses admit he needed someone else.
–波特 好的… –我们回来了
– Porter, good… – We’re back.
–你照我说的做了？ –我们恢复了原来的路线
– You’ve done as I asked? – We’ve restored the original route.
去达成自己的目标 确实需要费尽心机 尤其是对自己的员工
Such an effort to get one’s way, especially with one’s own employees.
–不是吗 康奈尔小姐？ –我不知道
– Is that not right, Miss Connell? – Oh, I wouldn’t know.
现在让我看看 如果一切就绪
Now let me see, it looks to me, if everything is back in place,
我们没有理由不继续进行
there is no reason we should not proceed.
–继续吗？ –是的
– Proceed? – Yeah.
对不起 先生 我不明白你说的 “继续 “是什么意思
I’m sorry, sir, but I’m not sure what you mean by proceed.
我是说挖掘机可以介入了
I mean that the diggers can go in.
没有什么能阻挠我们开工吧
There’s nothing holding us back. Let the work begin.
–你为什么一脸疑惑？ –我的理解是
– Why are you looking so doubtful? – Just, it’s my understanding,
也许我的理解有误 有一起针对我们的诉讼尚未结案
perhaps I’m misinformed, that there’s a lawsuit that’s outstanding against us.
–是的 你说得对 –泰勒地♥产♥的
– Yes, you’re right. – From the Taylor Estate.
它声称你越权了
It claimed you’d exceeded your authority.
–确实 –我们本不该
– Correct. – We were not meant to use
将第一笔拨款用于征用土地
our first allocation of money to appropriate property.
–然后呢? –你用它来征用土地来
– And? – You used it to appropriate property.
–你消息真灵通 –还有…也许我在这又犯了一个错
– You’re well informed. – Also… Again, maybe I’m in error here.
我确定你并没有 波特 你也就只是个提供无用信息的人
I’m sure you’re not, Porter. You seem to be a mine of unhelpful information.
首先 征用土地是否合法是个问题
There’s a question as to whether it’s legal in the first place
我们有这个权利吗？
to appropriate land – do we have that right?
如果你有的话 利用业余时间
Use your spare time, if you have any, that is,
阅读美国国会于 1884 年通过的
reading Section 59 of the Conservation Law,
《水土保护♥法♥》第 59 条
passed by US Congress in 1884.
应该能让你安心 它涉及拨款问题
That should put your mind at rest. It deals with the question of appropriation.
是的 但即使该特定法适用于本案
Yes, but even if that particular legislation applies in this case
–而这正是问题所在… –那么 你已经读过了？
– and that is at issue… – Oh, so you have read it?
即便如此 显而易见的是
Even so, what is clear
没有州长的签字
is that no project can be advanced
–任何项目都无法继续推进 –没错
– without the governor’s signature. – That’s right.
而现在看来 你是在没有签名的情况下继续推进着
And it appears right now that you proceeded without it.
–因此呢？ –因此…我只是说说而已
– And therefore? – And therefore… I’m just saying.
你在说什么？
You’re just saying what?
我以为我们会推迟施工 直到案子结了为止
I’d imagined we’d be delaying construction until the case was settled.
你比我清楚得多 但法律不就是这样规定的吗？
Look, you know much better than me, but isn’t that the law?
我们不是必须推迟吗 直到诉毕？
We have to delay until the appeal?
波特 我来告诉你一些关于建筑的事情
Porter, let me tell you something about building.
请说
Please.
一旦你打下第一根桩子 他们就再也不会让你拔起来了
Once you sink that first stake, they’ll never make you pull it up.
公共工程就依赖于一点
Public work relies on one thing.
–那是什么？ –推动力
What’s that? – Impetus.
但我们肯定会惹上麻烦 不是吗？ 我们会犯法的
But surely, we’ll get into trouble, won’t we? We’ll be breaking the law.
你是在担心吗？
And that worries you?
欧仁·奥斯曼（法国城市规划师）根本不在乎合法性
Baron Haussmann didn’t give a straw for legality.
他直接推倒了巴黎的大部分建筑
He knocked down the greater part of Paris.
–那是很久以前的事了 –是的 而且规模更大
– That was a long time ago. – Yeah, and on a much larger scale.
我担心 如果我们继续铺设柏油路面
I’m concerned that if we proceed with laying tarmac,
就会被命令重新铺设 我并不是悲观 但先生…
we shall be ordered to rip it back up. Look, I’m not being pessimistic, sir…
很好 我很高兴你并不悲观
Good, I’m glad you’re not pessimistic.
–但我们第一轮就输了 –那是在下级法♥院♥
– We lost in the first round. – That was in a lower court.
–是的 –在第一次传告
– Yes. – On a first hearing.
据我所知 我一点也不确定上诉是否会对我们有利
And from what I’m told, I’m not at all sure the appeal will go our way.
–真的吗？ –对 我有个表弟
– Really? – No. I’ve got a cousin.
他是个职业律师
He’s a professional lawyer.
–哦 好嘛 –他在市政厅工作过
– – Oh, well – He’s worked in City Hall.
当然 他肯定有很好的人脉关系
Surely, he must be well connected.
他告诉我 从实际情况来看 上诉可能需要很长时间
He’s been telling me that, realistically, the appeal could take a very long time.
–我正在尽我所能拖延时间 –为什么？
– I’m doing everything I can to delay it. – Why?
因为处理任何诉讼的最佳方式都是去法庭纠缠
Because the best way to deal with any lawsuit is to snarl it up in the courts.
这样做明智吗？把事情解决了不是更好吗？
Is that wise? Isn’t it better to get the thing settled?
–为什么？ –了结了不是更好吗？
– Why? – Isn’t it better to know?
–这样才有把握 –有把握会让你安心 是吗？
– That way you have certainty. – And certainty soothes you, does it?
我只是说出来而已
I’m just pointing out.
我表弟的意思是 最后绝非稳操胜券
My cousin implies that, at the end, victory is by no means assured.
–他是这么说的吗？ –他读了你起草的
– Does he say that? – He’s read the bill you drafted
成立长岛州立公园委员会的法案
establishing the Long Island State Park Commission,
–并发现了一个因素… –什么因素 波特？
– and he detects an element… – An element of what, Porter?
一个可用于诡辩的因素
An element of legerdemain.
–诡辩？ –是的 就在法案里
– Legerdemain? – Yes. In the drafting.
他不确定州议员是否完全理解他们正在同意的内容
He’s not sure the state legislators quite understood what they were agreeing to.
如果这是真的 那么错在他们 而不是我
Well, if that’s the case, the fault lies with them, not with me.
我为自己能起草法案而感到自豪 这是我一项技能
I pride myself on the drafting of legislation. It’s one of my skills.
–当然 –我确实在条款和措辞上
– Surely. – I certainly aim to be adroit.
–力求变通 –变通 是嘛
– In the clauses, in the wording. – Adroit, yes.
在起草法案时 如果把事情说得太清楚 太明白
If you make things too explicit, too clear, when you draft a bill,
那么就可能会激起不必要的抵触情绪
you may provoke unnecessary resistance.
这就是为什么需要一定程度的模糊性
That’s why a level of ambiguity is called for.
–我也肯定 –我希望你表哥不是在暗示我在耍花招
– I’m sure. – Your cousin is not implying trickery
–哦 不是 –感谢上帝啊 那我的美德就还在
– Oh, no. – Thank the Lord. My virtue’s intact.
但即便如此 他仍然认为
But even so, he still thinks that at the end,
在最终上诉时 这个案子的胜负是不确定的
on the final appeal, the case will be in the balance.
–波特 你还有很多东西要学 –这我知道 先生
– Porter, you have a lot to learn! – I know that, sir.
如果我们都等着诉讼解决
If we all waited for litigation to be settled,
–我们就什么都做不了 –这我看得出来 先生
– we’d never do anything at all. – I can see that, sir.
任何人都可以争高速公路应该在哪里
Anyone can argue about where a freeway ought to be,
但要争出它实际在哪 就非常难啦
but it’s pretty damn hard to argue about where it is.
–那么 你的意思是… –我的意思是
– Right. So, what you’re saying… – What I’m saying is,
你应当担心铺路的事 我以后会专注于法律的
you worry about the tarmac, and I’ll concern myself with the law.
如果他们把你关进监狱 我保证每周会带着苹果酒
If they put you in prison, I promise to visit weekly
–香肠三明治去探监的 –好的 先生
– with apple cider and a baloney sandwich. – Yes, sir.
就只是…
It’s just that I…
接着说 波特
Go on, Porter.
只是我们中的一些人 会在上班路上看报纸 不是吗？