BraveHeart.doc

Brave Heart I. Synopsis of the MovieIn the 13th century, after several years of political unrest, Scotland is invaded and conquered by King Edward I of England (known as Longshanks) (Patrick McGoohan). Young William Wallace witnesses the treachery of Longshanks, survives the death of his father and brother, and is taken abroad by his uncle where he is educated. Many years later, Longshanks grants his noblemen land and privileges in Scotland, including Primae Noctis, the right of the lord to take a newly married Scottish woman into his bed on the wedding night. When he returns home, Wallace (Mel Gibson), intending to live peacefully, falls in love with his childhood sweetheart Murron MacClannough (Catherine McCormack), and they marry in secret so that she does not have to spend a night in the bed of the English lord. When an English soldier tries to rape Murron, Wallace fights off several soldiers and the two attempt to flee. But Murron is captured and publicly executed by the village sheriff, who proclaims an assault on the Kings soldiers is the same as an assault on the King himself. In retribution (惩罚), Wallace and several villagers slaughter the English garrison (驻军) and execute the sheriff (郡治安官). Wallace is now compelled to rebel against the English, and as his legend spreads, hundreds of Scots from the surrounding clans (部落, 氏族) join him. Wallace leads his army to victory at the Battle of Stirling, then sacks (洗劫) the city of York. All the while, Wallace seeks the assistance of Robert the Bruce (Angus Macfadyen), son of nobleman Robert the Elder, and chief contender for the Scottish crown. Despite his growing admiration for Wallace and his cause, Robert is dominated by his father, who wishes to secure the throne for his son by submitting to the English. Longshanks, worried by the threat of the rebellion, sends the wife of his son Edward, the French princess Isabelle, to try to negotiate with Wallace, hoping that Wallace kills her and the French king declares war on Wallace in revenge. Wallace refuses the bribe sent with Isabelle by Longshanks, but after meeting him in person, Isabelle becomes enamored (使爱上) with him. Meanwhile, Longshanks prepares an army to invade Scotland. Warned of the coming invasion by Isabelle, Wallace implores (哀求) the Scottish nobility, who are more concerned with their own welfare, that immediate action is needed to counter the threat, and to take back the country. Leading the English army himself, Longshanks confronts the Scots at the Battle of Falkirk where noblemen Lochlan and Mornay betray Wallace. The Scots lose the battle, and Wallace is wounded. As he charges toward the departing Longshanks on horseback, Wallace is intercepted by one of the kings lancers, who turns out to be Robert the Bruce. Remorseful (懊悔的), Bruce gets Wallace to safety before the English can capture him. Wallace kills Mornay and Lochlan for their betrayal, avoids assassination attempts, and wages a protracted (拖延的) guerrilla war against the English. Robert the Bruce, intending to join Wallace and commit troops to the war, sets up a meeting with him in Edinburgh where Roberts father has conspired (共谋) with other nobles to capture and hand over Wallace to the English. Learning of his treachery, the Bruce disowns (否认) his father. Following a tryst (约会) with Wallace, Isabelle exacts revenge on the now terminally ill Longshanks by telling him she is pregnant with another mans child, intent on ending Longshanks line and ruling in his sons place. In London, Wallace is brought before an English magistrate (地方行政官), tried for high treason, and condemned to public torture and beheading. Even after being hung and mutilated, Wallace refuses to submit to the king by begging for mercy. As cries for mercy come from the watching crowd, the magistrate offers him one final chance. Wallace instead shouts the word Freedom! Just before the axe falls, Wallace sees a vision of Murron in the crowd smiling at him. Years after Wallaces death, Robert the Bruce, now Scotlands king, leads a Scottish army before a ceremonial line of English troops on the fields of Bannockburn where he is to formally accept English rule. As he begins to ride toward the English, the Bruce stops and turns back to his troops. Invoking Wallaces memory, he implores them to fight with him as they did with Wallace. He then leads his army into battle against the stunned English, winning the Scots their freedom.II. Cultural notesLongshanksIII. Language study Every man dies Not every man really lives.每个人都会死,但不是每个人都真正活过.Your heart is free. Have the courage to follow it. William Wallaces Father你的心灵是自由的，用尽勇气去追随吧I know you can fight. But its our wits that make us men. William Wallaces FatherFirst, learn to use this (Argyle taps Williams head), then Ill teach you to use this (the sword). Argyle 先学会用脑，后学会用剑。Fight and you may die, run, and youll live at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but theyll never take OUR FREEDOM!是呀，如果战斗，你们可能会死。如果逃跑，至少还能多活一会儿。年复一年，直到寿终正寝，你们愿不愿意？用这么多苟活的日子，去换一个机会，就一个机会。回到这里，告诉我们的敌人，他们也许能夺走我们的生命，但他们永远夺不走我们的自由。Robert the Bruce: I have nothing. Men fight for me because if they do not, I throw them off my land and I starve their wives and children. Those men who bled the ground red at Falkirk fought for William Wallace.He fights for something that I never had. And I took it from him, when I betrayed him. I saw it in his face on the battlefield and its tearing me apart .我什么都没有，人民跟我作战，只是如果不这样，我会没收土地，饿死他们的妻儿为William Wallace浴血奋战的人，他们为了我没有的东西殊死斗争，我出卖他时，我在他脸上看到了让我汗颜的东西We all end up dead; its just a question of how and why. Your title gives you claim to the throne of our country, but men dont follow titles, they follow courage.Lands, titles, men, power nothing. Robert the BruceWilliam Wallace: A lordship and ti