Barb: Hi Dave, thanks for meeting me here.
Dave: No problem. It’s been a while. What’s been going on with you? How are the kids?
Barb: They’re good. Everyone’s fine. ①But enough chit chat. I’ve got a case for you.
Dave: Oh yeah? ②Lay it on me.
Barb: ③I’ve been keeping tabs on a “crash-for-cash” ring in the tri-state area. They’ve got at least a dozen guys on 1)payroll, including a medical examiner, a 2)flatbed driver and a handful of other criminals involved. These guys have 3)fleeced to New York insurance companies for over 400 million dollars these past few years.
Dave: Woah now! We’re talking about a 4)big-time crime 5)syndicate here. And sounds like you’ve done your 6)due diligence. So what can I do to help?
Barb: I need your help tracking down the ring leader.
Dave: Alright. What do you got as far as leads? Are there any witnesses, potential hangouts, that sort of thing?
Barb: The evidence is mounting, but it’s mostly 7)circumstantial.
Dave: Now Barb, you know I’m gonna need something concrete if you want the charges to stick.
Barb: Well, what I do have for you is a guy in 8)custody. One of the ring’s 9)henchmen, a wheel guy, is being held for questioning down at the station. If you could 10)drum up a little dirt on the guy…
Dave: …Then I could use it as 11)leverage to broker a deal with the 12)lowlife to flip on his boss.
Barb: ④Now we’re on the same page.
Dave: ⑤Well I’ve got a guy, Tex, heck of an investigator, specializes in finding all those skeletons in the closet.
Barb: That’s great!
Dave: Right then. I’ll ring him up later tonight.
Barb: Actually, if you can get in touch with him sooner…Dave: Let me guess, you can only keep your hired thug detained for a few more hours without charging him with something. Am I right?
Barb: Sort of. We’ve got him for running a red, but nothing serious enough that we can actually scare him with.
Dave: Alright, I’m on it. Hold on a sec. (on the phone) Hey there Tex. Yeah. Been good…Actually, I’ve got an assignment for you. I need you to look into a…(to Barb) What’s this guy’s name?
Barb: Jimmy Salazar. He did two years up in Reno for grand theft auto and assault.
Dave: Sounds like a real winner…(to phone) Hey Tex, sorry ’bout that. The name’s Jimmy Salazar, served time in Reno. Thx. (to Barb) Don’t you worry your pretty little head darling. We’re gonna nail these punks.
Barb: Thanks Dave, but remember, it’s the ring leader who we’re really after.
Dave: You’ve sure got a thirst to find this 13)son of a gun. Any back story there I should know about.
Barb: It’s nothing to concern yourself with…
芭布:嗨,戴夫,謝謝你來這里見我。
戴夫:沒關(guān)系,有段時(shí)間沒見面了,你怎么樣?孩子們好嗎?
芭布:他們很好,每個(gè)人都好。但是閑話少說,我有個(gè)案件要你跟。戴夫:哦是嗎?跟我說說。
芭布:我正密切關(guān)注著三角洲地區(qū)的一個(gè)碰瓷團(tuán)伙,他們雇傭了至少12人,包括一名醫(yī)務(wù)人員,一名拖車司機(jī),還有一眾其他犯罪分子。這些人在最近幾年騙取了紐約保險(xiǎn)公司超過4億美元的保險(xiǎn)金。
戴夫:哇現(xiàn)在,我們在這里談?wù)摰氖且涣鞯姆缸锛瘓F(tuán)。看來你已經(jīng)做到恪盡職守了。那我能幫上什么忙?
芭布:我需要你幫忙查出犯罪集團(tuán)的頭目。
戴夫:好的。你現(xiàn)在掌握了多少線索?比如目擊證人、經(jīng)常出沒的地方等等諸如此類的東西。
芭布:證據(jù)在不斷搜集,但大部分都是間接證據(jù)。
戴夫:現(xiàn)在,芭布,你知道的,如果你想進(jìn)行有效指控,我需要證據(jù)確鑿。
芭布:嗯,我能提供給你的就是一個(gè)在押疑犯,團(tuán)伙里的一個(gè)黨羽、司機(jī),正在警察局接受審訊。如果你能從那家伙身上挖點(diǎn)丑聞……
戴夫:……這樣我就能利用他的丑聞跟他達(dá)成交易,使他供出他的大老板。
芭布:現(xiàn)在我們達(dá)成共識了。
戴夫:嗯,我認(rèn)識一個(gè)人,他叫特克斯,是個(gè)鬼才偵探,專門挖掘那些不可告人的丑聞。
芭布:那太好了!
戴夫:那么,我今晚遲些時(shí)候打電話給他。
芭布:事實(shí)上,如果你能早點(diǎn)聯(lián)系他……
戴夫:讓我猜猜,沒有任何實(shí)質(zhì)指控的話,你只能對疑犯再多關(guān)押幾個(gè)小時(shí)。我說得對嗎?
芭布:差不多吧。我們抓他是因?yàn)樗J紅燈,我們確實(shí)沒有什么嚴(yán)重指控足以讓他害怕。
戴夫:好的,我這就處理。稍等一下(打電話)你好,特克斯。是的,很好……事實(shí)上,我有個(gè)任務(wù)要給你。我需要你去調(diào)查……(對芭布說)那個(gè)人叫什么名字?
芭布:吉米·薩拉查。他在里諾(美國著名的“離婚城市”)因?yàn)榇笮捅I竊機(jī)動車罪和襲擊罪入獄兩年。
戴夫:聽起來像個(gè)“真正的贏家”……(對著電話說)嘿,特克斯,對不起。那人名叫吉米·薩拉查,在里諾坐過牢。謝謝。(對芭布)親愛的,不用擔(dān)心,我們就要把那些壞蛋捉拿歸案了。
芭布:謝謝你,戴夫,但是切記,犯罪集團(tuán)的頭目才是我們真正要追捕的對象。
戴夫:你肯定很渴望找到這個(gè)壞蛋。有我應(yīng)該知道的內(nèi)幕故事嗎?
芭布:那跟你沒什么關(guān)系……
Smart Sentences
① But enough chit chat. I’ve got a case for you. 但是閑話少說,我有個(gè)案件要你跟。
chit chat: light and informal conversation(輕松的聊天)。例如:
It is believed that women like chit chat in the office more than men do.人們普遍認(rèn)為女人在辦公室里比男人更喜歡聊天。
② Lay it on me. 跟我說說。
lay it on sb.: explain or present sth. to sb.(向某人解釋或說明某事)。例如:
I have an amazing story about last night’s party. I’ll lay it on you next week.
關(guān)于昨晚的聚會,我知道一個(gè)很神奇的故事,我下周再告訴你。
③ I’ve been keeping tabs on a “crash-for-cash” ring in the tri-state area. 我正密切關(guān)注著三角洲地區(qū)的一個(gè)碰瓷團(tuán)伙。
keep tabs on sb. or sth.: watch sb. or a situation carefully in order to know what is happening(密切關(guān)注某人或某事)。例如:
The international community continues to keep tabs on conflicts in the Middle East.
國際社會繼續(xù)密切關(guān)注中東沖突的狀況。
④ Now we’re on the same page.現(xiàn)在我們達(dá)成共識了。
on the same page: thinking in a similar way(有相似的思維,相同想法)。例如:
I’m glad you and I are on the same page as to how we can improve Wendy’s school work.
我倆在如何提高溫迪成績的問題上看法一致,我太高興了。
⑤ Well I’ve got a guy, Tex, heck of an investigator, specializes in finding all those skeletons in the closet. 嗯,我認(rèn)識一個(gè)人,他叫特克斯,是個(gè)鬼才偵探,專門挖掘那些不可告人的丑聞。
skeleton in the closet: a bad secret or embarrassing fact about oneself, emphasizing sth. hidden from one’s past(有不可告人的秘密或丑事,多強(qiáng)調(diào)舊事)。例如:
Leo is good at digging up politicians’ skeletons in the closet.
利奧擅長深挖政客的丑事。