Director 导演：
Denzel Washington 丹泽尔?华盛顿
Leading Cast 主演：
Denzel Washington 丹泽尔?华盛顿
Nate Parker 奈特?帕克
Jurnee Smollett 杰妮?斯默里特
Denzel Whitaker丹泽尔?怀塔克
Forest Whitaker福里斯特?惠特克　　　
Genre 类型：Drama 剧情
Runtime 片长：123分钟
Distribution出品：Harpo Films 哈珀电影

Plot Outline故事梗概
在20世纪30年代的德州，政府依旧沿用着19世纪70年代的法律对黑人实行种族隔离和种族歧视。作为一名有知识有头脑的黑人，Melvin B. Tolson非常希望通过自己的力量为同胞们做些事情，于是在空余时间他开始在学校中成立黑人高校的第一支辩论队。在辩论队成长的道路上，Melvin不断挑战着社会当时的传统观念、反抗着当时的游戏规则。他反叛的精神和激进的教学方式不断遭到当局的审查，但他始终坚持着自己的信念，最终，辩论队员们进入了哈佛大学的辩论殿堂，成为了第一支打败哈佛高才生的辩论队。

Dialogues 精彩对白
一 辩论预选赛
思想激进、积极为黑人争取权利的Tolson教授准备在Wiley学校成立一支辩论队，通过辩论的方式来扩大影响。以下就是辩论预选赛的情况。

00:10:09 – 00:15:42

Tolson: Of the 360 students here at Wiley College, only 45 of you were brave enough to try out for the debate team. Of the 45 only 4 be who'll remain standing when the tryouts are over. Why? Because debate is blood sport. It's combat, but your weapons are words. (James knocks the door) Come on in. Now that Mr. Farmer has joined us, we can begin. Sit down, Mr. Farmer. Not right there, over there.

Mrs. Tolson: James, come this way.

James: Good evening, Mrs.Tolson.

Mrs. Tolson: Evening.

Tolson: We're waiting for you, Mr. Farmer.

James: I'm going, Sir.

Tolson: Thank you, Mr. Farmer. You smell very good Mr. Farmer.

James: Thank you, Sir.

Tolson: You're very welcome. Gentlemen and lady, this is the hot… spot. You will enter it at your own risk.

Reed: Mr. Tolson, what about the debaters from last year?

Tolson: Don't ask question you already know the answer to. Get up here, you will be first. You, right here, in the hotspot. Debate starts with a proposition, with an idea, resolved. "Child labour should be regulated by the Federal Government." The first debater argues the affirmative. Affirmative means that you afford something. Mr. Reed will argue affirmative, the second debater argues the negative. Negative means that you are what?

Burgess: Against.

Tolson: Brilliant, Mr. Burgess. You shall argue the affirmative, Mr. Reed, go.

Reed: Well, Sir, I begin with a quote from the poet Cleghorn, "The golf links lie so near the mill that almost every day the labouring children can look out and… and…"

Tolson: "…and watch the man at play." Is that what you learned from last year, Mr. Reed? To start something and not finish it, is it?

Reed: No, Sir.

Tolson: Sit down. Who's next? You, stand up, stand up…

(The trials continue. Tolson picks out Samantha from the crowd.)

Tolson: It's getting late, how much longer can you hide?

Samantha: I'm not hiding, Sir. I transferred from my college just to come and try out of your team.

Tolson: I'm deeply moved. What's your name?

Samantha: Samantha Booke.

Tolson: Booke?

Samantha: With an "e".

Tolson: Arise, Miss Booke, with an "e". Into the hotspot, Miss Booke, with an "e". You know there's never been a female on the debating team ever.

Samantha: Yes, Sir, I know that.

Tolson: What makes you think you should be the first?

Samantha: Because, Sir, I am just as qualified as…

Tolson: With standing, Miss Booke.

Samantha: …anybody else. My gender has nothing…

Tolson: Resolved: Welfare discourages hard work. You're logging the negative.

Samantha: All right.

Tolson: Welfare takes away a man strongest reason for working which is survival. And that weakens the will of poor. How do you rebut that, Miss Booke with an "e".

Samantha: I would say it does not. Most of the new deal goes to children anyway and to the handicapped and to old people.

Tolson: Is it a fact or conjecture?

Samantha: It is a fact.

Tolson: Speak up.

Samantha: It is a fact.

Tolson: What's your source?

Samantha: The president.

Tolson: Of United States?

Samantha: Yes, Sir.

Tolson: That's your primary source? You spoke to President Roosevelt personally?

Samantha: Of course not. I did not speak to him personally. But I listened to his Fire Side Chat.

Tolson: A radio broadcast?

Samantha: Yes.

Tolson: Any other sources? Any other sources?

Samantha: Yes, there are other sources. Like that looking at a mother's eyes when she can't feed her kids. Without welfare, Mr. Tolson, people would be starving.

Tolson: Who's starving, Miss Booke?

Samantha: The unemployed are starving.

Tolson: Mr. Burgess here, is unemployed. Obviously he's not starving. I drew you in, Miss Booke. You gave a faulty premise so your syllogism fell apart.

Samantha: Syllogism?

Tolson: Your logic fell apart. Major premise, the unemployed are starving. Minor premise, Mr. Burgess is unemployed. Conclusion, Mr. Burgess is starving. Your major premise was based on a faulty assumption. Classic fallacy. Who's next?

(Samantha returns to her seat. Henry takes the hot spot.)

James: You were right.

Tolson: Tell us your name.

Henry: I'm Henry Lowe, with an "e".

Tolson: All right, Mr. Lowe. I will name a subject, you speak a few words. An opportune quote from literature.

Henry: Go ahead.

Tolson: Beauty.

Henry: "I heard the old, old men say all that's beautiful drifts away like the waters."

Tolson: Very good. History. And name the author this time.

Henry: "History is a nightmare from which I'm trying to awake." James Joyce.

Tolson: Self-pity.

Henry: "I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself." D.H Lawrence.

James: I love D.H Lawrence, have you ever read?

Tolson: Mr. Farmer.

James: Yes, Sir.

Tolson: I have eyes on the back of my head and ears on both sides. Stand up. Tell me the irony in the name Bethlehem Steel Corporation.

James: Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus, Prince of peace, and Bethlehem Steel makes weapons of war.

Tolson: Very good, sit down.

Samantha: Good.

Tolson: Who's next?

Language Focus 语言点
1. try out
固定词组，“参加选拔”的意思。
2. resolved
本来是形容词，“下定决心的”意思，但在电影中的意思是“论点”。
3. logging
“log”的本意“木头”，但在对话中，它变成动词，意思是“进行”。
4. rebut
“反驳”的意思。
5. conjecture
意思是“推断、猜想”。
6. Fire Side Chat
这就是美国历史上著名的罗斯福总统情暖美国人的壁炉旁的谈话。在美国经济大萧条时期，罗斯福通过这个人性化的举动鼓舞了美国人民。后来，这个短语引申用以指代总统对民众亲密的、话家常的谈话。
7. I drew you in…
“draw in”是个固定短语，意思是“引诱，使……入圈套”。
8. syllogism
这是逻辑学中的“三段论”，即包括大前提、小前提和结论的演绎推理形式。