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美國政治入門課

Reviewed by Nick Edwards 

This show is a political drama that takes the genre to a new level with a story that borders reality and fiction making other popular shows in the genre like The West Wing, The Good Wife, and Madam Secretary seem a little dull and boring. The mix of realism in White House operations and political process with the excitement of crimes committed by people in the highest position of government and their questionable motives makes for a surreal experience. 
《紙牌屋》把政治劇帶到新的境界,故事連接現實與虛構,它也讓同類型作品像是《白宮風雲》、 《法庭女王》、《國務卿女士》相形見絀。透過此劇,一窺白宮內部操作、處在高位的官員犯罪以及他們令人匪夷所思的動機,如同真實一般呈現觀眾眼前。 

政治界超能情侶 
The main character is Frank Underwood, a congressman with his sights set at the ultimate position in U.S. government: the Presidency. The show follows Frank and business partner/wife/accomplice Clare Underwood, in their journey to this ultimate position giving us an inside look at the manipulation, murder, back-stabbing, and lying that we all suspect happens behind the closed doors of important government offices. These two characters form something called a power couple: two significant others that possess their own powerful careers but team up to become one giant powerful couple, like Beyoncé and Jay-Z or Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. While there are many American specific references and storylines relating to technical aspects of the U.S. government, the real entertainment lies in the psychological and dramatic relationships between characters. This is where you see the limits of what humans can do and are forced to ask yourself ,“Would I be willing to do that for success?” 
主角Frank Underwood,身為一個國會議員,眼光放遠到美國政府至高無上的位置:總統。Claire則是他的 商業夥伴、妻子、犯罪同夥,兩人追求總統之位的過程揭露政治底下的明爭暗鬥,有操弄、謀殺、背後捅刀,還有說不完的謊。你也可以將這兩人的組合稱為 「超能伴侶」,雙方各自掌握著權力,一旦聯手又更強大,就像娛樂圈情侶檔BeyoncéJay-Z或是Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie。儘管故事以美國為主,技術層面也參照美國政府,本劇真正精彩的重點聚焦在角色之間的愛恨情仇,從中看到人不擇手段的極限,迫使你反 問自己「我也會為了成功這麼做嗎?」 

引經據典的高級英文 
The philosophy and one-liners given to Frank Underwood’s character by the writers to achieve a love/hate relationship with him and the audience contributes to so many viewers falling in love with a character that they sort of hate. For example, “Money is the Mc-mansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart after 10 years. Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries. I cannot respect someone who doesn’t see the difference.” This quote highlights Frank’s obsession with power and the road to achieving it, a major theme in the show, and this line eloquently illustrates that theme. Another line, “For those of us climbing to the top of the food chain, there can be no mercy. There is but one rule: hunt or be hunted,” which can be taken more personally and motivationally as a viewer. 
Frank個角色的人生哲學和一針見血的笑話成功地 讓觀眾對他又愛又恨。「金錢像是十年就得翻修一次的偽豪宅,權力則如同屹立世紀之久的巨石建築,我真不能理解怎麼會有人分不清其中的區別。」點出Frank渴望權力,並竭力爭取,也闡明整部劇的主軸。另一句台詞:「對於爬向食物鏈頂端的我們而言,無需仁慈。只有一個規則:不為獵人,便為獵物。」對普通人來說就好理解了。 

The show uses some very poetic speech, often taking lines from famous writers and philosophers throughout history like Machiavelli, Shakespeare, and even Greek-inspired themes from stories by Plato. The writing mixes this classical western philosophy with political references and dialog, so students of English have a deep source of more advanced and meaningful English words, phrases, and ideas to learn from when watching this show. 
劇中的台詞充滿詩意,大多出自歷史知名作家、哲學家像是馬基維利、莎士比亞、柏拉圖。劇本寫作手法融合了西方經典哲學以及政治的引用和對話,透過本劇,學生能學到高級又意義深遠的單字、片語及見解。 

川普毀了紙牌屋? 
In a Season 1 episode, Frank says,“ We are nothing more or less than what we choose to reveal.” This is a great line that points to another major but less obvious theme of the show, something that has been referred to as “the politics of appearance.” This refers to just how much politics is about perception and how people, from public voters to other politicians and the world, view an individual in power. There have been many comparisons to the current political environment in America with some saying that the Trump presidency might even be more dramatic than the show, stealing some viewership. While the Trump presidency certainly is an abnormal situation, it is nowhere near as dramatic as House of Cards, but there are some parallels that have been made. Specifically, the geopolitical situations in House of Cards sometimes seem to mirror what we see in the real world, as with the presidential relationship with Russia that can be seen in Season 3. 
Frank在第一季的經典名言:「我們只不過是那個我們所選擇表露的自己。」點出劇中較沒那麼顯而易見的主題:政治表象,意指政治極需洞察力,以及從選民到政客還有世界是怎麼看待個體權力。劇中很多橋段被拿來和當下政治生態比較,甚至有人認為川普的當選比影集故事更戲劇化,指出影集因而失去部分觀眾。川普當選總統一事確實不太正常, 不過真要比戲劇化程度,現實絕對不及紙牌屋,但劇和現實還是有一些相似處。特別是影集中一些地緣政治恰好反映真實世界的現況,像第三季裡美蘇元首關係。 

House of Cards is a dark show that makes you think about politics, philosophy, growth, and power. It’s beautifully written and filmed, having been nominated for a slew of awards and winning many for best acting and directing. It’s a more intellectually demanding show but is very rewarding if you get sucked in. 
暗黑影集紙牌屋呈現各式面向:政治、哲學、發展和權力。劇本和拍攝手法都相當出色,獲得許多獎項提名,也拿下了最佳演技、最佳導演等大獎。這部影集相當燒腦,但絕對值得花心思追。 

《紙牌屋》必學單字
1. house of cards 劇名,用紙牌搭成的房子,指計劃隨時會失敗
2. 
brief 簡述
3. 
president-elect 尚未就任的總統當選人 
4. 
inauguration 就職典禮 
5. 
from cover to cover 從頭到尾(從封面到封底) 
6. 
liberals 自由派=左派 
7. 
conservatives 保守派=右派 
8. 
tax-and-spend 形容左派的負面詞,意思是「向人民徵稅 以貼補政府費用」
9. 
You’re a bigger man than I. 你比我成熟多了
10. 
livid 非常生氣的 



本文摘錄自一張圖搞懂 美劇無字幕料理 2019年02月號
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