Part 3 Going the Extra Mile

Stephanie和Damon希望有一個不一樣的暑期社會實踐，于是他們來到了偏遠貧困的地區做調查，想盡辦法改變當地居民的生活狀況，然而卻處處碰壁……

（Two friends sit at a table going through paperwork.）

Stephanie： Hey Damon， can I get your input on something？

Damon： Sure Steph， go ahead， shoot.

Stephanie： Ive been going over all the data weve collected so far， and while we knew there were gonna be some 1）discrepancies， these figures seem a bit off.

Damon： Thats what happens when you interview people who have no interest in being interviewed. Your data is bound to get a bit 2）skewed in the process.

Stephanie： Do you mean skewed， or 3）screwed？①Cause thats what we are if we cant get to the bottom of this cover-up.

Damon： This isnt like CSI or Law & Order. We have to be patient and keep knocking on doors until something 4）materializes. We already know the lengths that these businesses will go to， to hide their shady practices. So all we need is proof. The polling weve been doing in local communities has helped， ②but its not the kind of game-changer were looking for here.

Stephanie： ③I just wish these locals werent so tight-lipped about the whole thing.

Damon： Weve only been here a short time. Why should these people believe that a couple of visiting foreign students are spending their summer trying to save the lives of some lowly rural townsfolk.

Stephanie： But thats exactly what we are trying to do； save the lives of people who are too 5）downtrodden， or simply too 6）complacent to save their own.

Damon： The circumstances in which many poverty-stricken rural residents find themselves in are completely and utterly unavoidable. Many of their families have lived here all their lives， for generations even， so their roots have grown too deep to move.

Stephanie： Even when the soil underfoot contains dangerously poisonous chemicals， which have been making people sick for decades.

Damon： Again， thats why we are here. To raise awareness about the issue. They simply lack the means to improve their quality of life. This isnt just about 7）contaminated soil samples. Its about gathering all the information we can， and presenting it in a proper way， to someone， or a group of someones， who can actually do something about it. ④Rome wasnt built in a day！

Stephanie： I know youre right. Its hard. Seeing people suffer undeservingly. It hurts to watch. But being face-to-face with injustice has really lit a fire under me. ⑤Im ready to go the extra mile―to take on the powers that be， and hopefully make a difference in this world. I wont rest until 8）bogus companies like this， who dump industrial waste on innocent people， and 9）intimidate them to keep their mouths shut， are all closed down for good.

Damon： I love how passionate you are about all this. Thats probably why we make such a good team. Im the calculated one， who follows patterns and trends， and you lead with your heart. I think thats how we gotta get people to open up to us.⑥If you plead our case to the local authorities with the same 10）vigor and determination you just showed me， theyll have no choice but to at least hear us out.

Stephanie： Lets do it！ Who knew a little social practice， on our summer vacation， would lead us into an 11）all-out 12）crackdown on illegal practices. Once we get the police on our side， ⑦I can wait to give those 13）sneaky 14）weasels at that murderous comapny a piece of my mind， and a five-by-five room with metal bars to boot. CS

Smart Sentences

① Cause thats what we are if we cant get to the bottom of this cover-up. 因為這就是我們不能查清這背后真相的結果。

get to the bottom of： solve a problem by finding its real cause（探明真相，弄清起因）。例如：

It will take months to get to the bottom of this mess.要花上幾個月的時間才能找出問題的根源。

cover-up： an effort or strategy of concealment， especially a planned effort to prevent sth. potentially scandalous from becoming public（掩飾，掩蓋手段）。例如：

The pharmaceutical manufacturing company is a cover-up for drug production.

制藥公司是制毒的偽裝。

② But its not the kind of game-changer were looking for here. 但這不是我們在這里尋找的有利證據。

game-changer： sb. or sth. that is critical and has the potential to alter the overall outcome（舉足輕重的人或事）。例如：

It turned out that the Macintosh computer was the game-changer for Apple.

結果，Macintosh電腦改變了蘋果公司的形勢。

③ I just wish these locals werent so tight-lipped about the whole thing. 我只是希望這些當地人不要對整件事守口如瓶。

tight-lipped： unwilling to give information about sth.（守口如瓶）。例如：

I expect everyone will be tight-lipped about what happened to John.

我希望所有人都對約翰的事守口如瓶。

④ Rome wasnt built in a day！ 冰凍三尺非一日之寒！

Rome wasnt built in a day.： it takes a long time to do an important job（羅馬城非朝夕建成；偉業非一日之功）。例如：

―Sometimes it feels like itll take forever to save up for a house.

有時候覺得為買房子存錢要耗上一輩子。

―Well， Rome wasnt built in a day.

這個嘛，事情總是非一日之功。

⑤ Im ready to go the extra mile―to take on the powers that be. 我已經準備好付出更多的努力，與那些惡勢力抗衡。

go the extra mile： willing to make a special effort to do or achieve sth. （以額外的付出或努力來完成某事）。例如：

Some students will always go the extra mile for good grades.

有些學生總是愿意為取得好成績付出額外的努力。

the powers that be： the people who are in authority（當局，掌權者）。例如：

The powers that be have decided to move all the manufacturing plants to the outskirts of the city.

當局決定把所有生產廠遷往市郊。

⑥ If you plead our case to the local authorities with the same vigor and determination you just showed me， theyll have no choice but to at least hear us out. 如果你用剛才在我面前顯示的精神與決心向當地政府提出申訴，他們將別無選擇，至少能夠聽我們把話說完。

plead sb.s case： offer reasons for or against sth.（為支持或反對某事提出理由，據理力爭）。例如：

I pleaded my case to the dean about my unjust chemistry grades.我向系主任就我化學成績提出申訴。

hear sb. out： listen to sb. without interrupting them until they have finished saying everything that they want to say（聽完某人要說的話）。例如：

If you hear us out， you may reconsider your decision.

如果你聽我們把話說完，你可能會改變你的決定。

⑦ I can wait to give those sneaky weasels at that murderous company a piece of my mind， and a fiveby-five room with metal bars to boot. 我一定會等不及痛罵那些卑鄙無恥的商人，并把他們送進大牢。

give sb. a piece of ones mind： give sb. frank and severe criticism（嚴厲責備，教訓某人）。例如：

How rude. I cant wait to give him a piece of my mind.

太無禮了，我得去好好說說他。

to boot： in addition（除此以外）。例如：

She overcooked the turkey and broke two plates to boot.

她把火雞煮過火了，還打碎了兩只盤子。