Michael: Haywire. You ever thought of breaking out?
Haywire: What the hell would I do out there?
Michael: Not be here.
Haywire: Halfway1 houses, psych visits, meds, checking in with a P.O., urine tests, keeping a job... No. Why you ask?
Michael: This guy was talking about it in the yard yesterday. I didn t know what to say.
Haywire: Tell officer Bellick. He ll make life easy for you, if, uh...
Michael: If what?
Haywire: Your tattoos2.
Michael: What about them?
Haywire: What are they of? No no no... What are they? Like, some kind of a...
Michael: They re just tattoos.
C.O.: It s candy time, Haywire.
Haywire: They think I have schizo-affective disorder3 with bipolar tendencies.
C.O.: Think you got it?
Haywire: Whatever. Ah! I take the pills, keep the quacks4 off my back. Bye, now. Get out of the way.
Michael: You know, maybe they give you those things for a reason.
Haywire: Yeah. To keep me dull. To keep me in their invisible freakin handcuffs. Seriously, though, those tattoos, they re beautiful. You mind if I, you know, look at the whole thing?
Michael: I do, actually.
Haywire: Why?
C.O.: Yo! Stand clear!
Michael: Does there need to be a reason?
Michael: Sucre!
Sucre: I ain t even talking to you, man.
Abruzzi: What s the problem?
Michael: Nothing I can t handle.
Abruzzi: Well, I knew there was a problem. I could tell by looking at you from across the yard. Hey, guys, didn t I say there was a problem? So what s the problem?
Michael: You re looking at it.
Abruzzi: What? Haywire?
Michael: Yep. That s my new cellmate. That s a problem. He doesn t sleep.
Abruzzi: So, when do you dig?
Michael: I don t.
Abruzzi: Hey, you and I are in bed now. You made me promise. You said that we were going to get out of here. You renege now, and I m going to gut5 you. So, you better take care of your business, or I will take care of you. Have a nice day.
妙语佳句,活学活用
1. P.O.
这里的P.O. 是parole officer 的缩写,指的是专门管理假释犯的警察。
2. off one s back
这是一个片语,意思是No longer harassing6 or bothering someone,也写作off someone s case,常与get 连用,例如:I told her to get off my back--I ll mow7 the lawn tomorrow. 我告诉他别再烦我了,我明天会修草坪的。
Off one s back / case的反义形式是on one s back / case,例如:He s been on my back about that report all morning. 整个早晨他都为了那份报告在烦我。
在这个片断中,I take the pills, keep the quacks off my back. 的意思是:我吃药是为了让他们别再冲我乱叫。
3. Stand clear
“站开,站一边去”的意思。
4. be in bed
这里的be in bed 意思是have a deal,Abruzzi 和 Michael 有个交易:Michael 为了能见到哥哥,到Abruzzi掌管的监狱工厂干活,Abruzzi准许Michael 来干活,条件是要Michael 说出使他入狱的人的下落和把他带出监狱。