The Mafia 黑手黨傳奇
In the quintessential gangster movie The Godfather, "Don" Vito Corleone operates a tight crime organization. He is an "honorable" criminal who works outside the system in pursuit of the American dream. This epic, and often brutally violent film, traces the Corleone family over a ten-year period.
In The Godfather, the word mafia is not mentioned once, but all viewers know they are watching the most ruthless secret organization that ever existed. On National Geographic Channel's Mafia, learn about cutthroat deals, gangland assassinations, and secret rituals of these global gangsters.
During the late 1970s, millions of dollars worth of heroin was smuggled into the US via Sicilian-owned pizzerias. The astronomical profits from the Pizza Connection led to brutal violence on the streets of the US. A turning point for the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) in the war against the mafia came in 1983 when godfather Tommaso Buscetta was arrested in Brazil. Desperate to protect his wife and children, Buscetta broke omerta—the mafia's sacred code of silence.
In the late 1980s, while the mafia was falling on hard times, one mobster, John Gotti, rose to the top. Every time he was arrested, he would beat the rap, earning the nickname "The Teflon Don." Scores of FBI agents spent years tracking Gotti and eventually put him away for good. Watch as National Geographic Channel infiltrates and exposes the stark realities of the mafia.
──by Marcus Maurice
1.What kind of criminal is Vito Corleone in the
movie The Godfather?
(A) A fast-rising gangster that cannot be arrested.
(B)A small-time hustler who runs a gambling den.
(C)A fair and decent head of a mafia family trying to make money.
(D)An owner of a half-dozen pizzerias.
2.What was the turning point in the war against the mafia?
(A)The time John Gotti was arrested.
(B)The end of The Godfather trilogy.
(C)When millions of dollars filtered in from the heroin trade.
(D)When Tommaso Buscetta ratted on his friends.
3.Why was John Gotti nicknamed "The Teflon Don"?
(A)Every time he got into trouble, he would get out of it.
(B)He liked hip-hop music.
(C)He loved cooking with frying pans.
(D)He wanted to make sure his family was unharmed.
在經典幫派電影《教父》中，『唐』‧維托‧柯里昂掌控著一個嚴密的犯罪組織。他是一名『德高望重』的罪犯，以體制外的行事作風追求美國夢。這部充斥血腥暴力鏡頭的史詩鉅作追溯柯里昂家族10年來的軌跡。
在電影《教父》中從沒有提到黑手黨這個字眼，然而所有觀眾都知道，他們看的是史上最心狠手辣的秘密組織。在國家地理頻道的《黑手黨傳奇》特輯中，你將看到這個國際犯罪集團進行的割喉交易、黑幫暗殺以及秘密程序。
1970年代晚期，價值上百萬的海洛因透過一個西西里家族經營的披薩店走私進美國。由於這個披薩連鎖企業所獲得的暴利導致美國街頭的喋血戰。美國聯邦調查局及緝毒局與黑手黨相持對峙，直到1983年於巴西逮捕到黑手黨教父湯瑪索‧布斯西塔，才有了重大轉變。由於他不顧一切只想要保護妻小，因此違背了『omerta』──也就是黑手黨對外保持緘默的神聖戒律。
當黑手黨在1980年代末期的處境日益艱困時，惡漢約翰‧高帝趁勢崛起。他每次被逮捕總是能逃過法律制裁，因此贏得了『不沾鍋』的稱號。數十名FBI探員耗費數年追查高帝的行蹤，最後終於將其永遠繩之以法。敬請收看國家地理頻道為您滲透與揭開黑手黨最真實的面貌。
標準答案: 1. (C) 2. (D) 3. (A)
單字:
1.mafia n. 黑手黨
2.don n. 黑手黨老大（非正式）
3.honorablea. 高尚的，正直的
4.brutally adv. 殘忍地；野蠻地
brutal a. 殘忍的；野蠻的
5.ruthless a. 無情的，心狠手辣的
6.cutthroat a. 凶狠的；激烈的
7.gangland a. 黑社會的
8.ritual n. 慣例；儀式
9.heroin n. 海洛因
10.pizzeria n. 披薩店
11.enforcement n. 執行
12.mobster n. 暴徒
13.Teflon n. 鐵氟龍（製作不沾鍋的化學物質）
14.stark a. 寫實的，赤裸裸的
15.small-time a. 三流的
16.hustler n. 騙子
17.den n.（進行非法活動的）巢穴
gambling den 賭窟
片語:
1.lead to + N/V-ing 導致……
2.rise to the top 崛起
3.scores of... 數十個……；很多……
4.for good 永遠
=forever
1.quintessential a. 典型的
例:The quintessential French restaurant moved into Taipei 101.
（那家典型的法國餐廳進駐台北101大樓。）
2.in pursuit of... 追求……
例:In pursuit of fame and fortune, Barry lost sight of what is important in life.
（為了追求名聲和財富，貝瑞忽視了生命中重要的事情。）
3.assassination a. 暗殺，行刺
assassinate vt. 暗殺，行刺
例:The shooter assassinated the senator during a speech last week.
（槍手在那位參議員上週演講時進行暗殺。）
4.smuggle vt. & vi. 走私
例:Drug dealers smuggle in thousands of pounds of marijuana every year.
（毒販每年走私進上千磅的大麻。）
5.astronomical a. 數量龐大的
例:We pay an astronomical amount of money for the parking spot.
（我們為那個停車位花了一大筆錢。）
6.a turning point 轉捩點
例:A major turning point in John's career was when he was promoted to manager.
（約翰事業上的轉捩點是在他升上經理的時候。）
7.desperate a. 極度渴望的；絕望的
be desperate to V 極度想要……
例:Everyone was desperate to catch a glimpse of the newborn baby.
（每個人都搶著看那新生兒一眼。）
8.fall on hard times 陷入困境
例:Edward fell on hard times after the divorce left him penniless.
（愛德華在離婚後身無分文，生活陷入困境。）
9.beat the rap 逃過法律制裁
例:Although he committed the crime, he beat the rap because his mother lied for him.
（雖然他犯了罪，卻因母親為他說謊而讓他逃過法律制裁。）
10.put...away 將……送進監獄
例:The judge promised to put the murderer away for the rest of his life.
（法官誓言要讓那名殺人犯終身監禁。）
11.infiltrate vt. 滲透
例:The reporter infiltrated the motorcycle gang in order to finish his book.
（那名記者為了完成他的書而滲透進那個飛車黨。）
12.filter vi. 滲入；過濾
filter out... 濾除∕篩選……
例:Don't filter out what I'm saying to you.
（我對你說的話你可別只挑想聽的部分聽。）
13.rat on... 出賣……
例:Vinnie ratted on his brother so the cops would leave him alone.
（維尼出賣他的兄弟好讓警察不再來煩他。）
14.get into trouble 惹麻煩
例:Wallace got into trouble for stealing money from his mother's purse.
（華勒斯偷他媽錢包裡的錢，給自己惹了大麻煩。）
1.科學家極欲找出此一致命疾病的療法。
Scientists _____ _____ to find a cure for the deadly disease.
2.犯人逃不過法律制裁而即將被移送法辦。
The criminal was unable to _____ the _____ and is being sent to prison.
答案: 1. are, desperate 2. beat, rap
from 常春藤解析英語雜誌
留言列表
