The Prestige (2006)

Cutter: Every great magic trick consists of three acts. The first act is called "The Pledge"; the magician shows you something ordinary, but of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn"; the magician makes his ordinary something do something extraordinary. Now if you're looking for the secret... you won't find it, that's why there's a third act called, "The Prestige"; this is the part with the twists and turns, where lives hang in the balance, and you see something shocking you've never seen before.
[Last lines]
Cutter: Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it because you're not really looking. You don't really want to know the secret... You want to be fooled. 

Robert Angier: I never thought I'd find an answer at the bottom of a pint glass.
Cutter: Hasn't stopped you looking, has it?

Alfred Borden: [to dying Angier] You went half way around the world... you spent a fortune... you did terrible things... really terrible things Robert, and all for nothing.
Robert Angier: For nothing?
Alfred Borden: Yeah
Robert Angier: You never understood, why we did this. The audience knows the truth: the world is simple. It's miserable, solid all the way through. But if you could fool them, even for a second, then you can make them wonder, and then you... then you got to see something really special... you really don't know?... it was... it was the look on their faces...

Alfred Borden: So... we go alone now. Both of us. Only I don't have as far to go as you. Go. You were right, I should have left him to his damn trick. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for a lot of things. I'm sorry about Sarah. I didn't mean to hurt her... I didn't. You go and live your life in full now, all right? You live for both of us.
Fallon: Goodbye.

Sarah: I know what you really are. And Alfred, I can't live like this.
Alfred Borden: Oh, you think I can live like this? You think I bloody enjoy, living like this? We have a beautiful house, lovely little girl; we're married, what is so wrong with your life?

Sarah: Alfred I can't live like this!
Alfred Borden: Well, what do you want from me?
Sarah: I want... I want you to be honest with me. No tricks, no lies, no secrets.
[Pause]
Sarah: Do you... do you love me?
Alfred Borden: Not today. No.

[After showing a little boy how to do a coin trick]
Alfred Borden: Never show anyone. They'll beg you and they'll flatter you for the secret, but as soon as you give it up... you'll be nothing to them.

Alfred Borden: The secret impresses no one. The trick you use it for is everything. 

Robert Angier: [to Borden] You always were the better magician. We both know that. Whatever your secret was, you have to agree, mine is better.

Alfred Borden: Are you watching closely?

Julia McCullough: I thought up a name for you: The Great Danton. Do you like it? It's sophisticated.
Robert Angier:[scoffs] It's French.

Nikola Tesla: Nothing is impossible, Mr. Angier. What you want is simply expensive.

Gerald Root: You would drink, too, if you knew the world half as well as I do.

Alfred Borden: He came in to demand an answer and I told him the truth. That I have fought with myself over that night, one half of me swearing blind that I tied a simple slipknot, the other half convinced that I tied the Langford double. I can never know for sure.

Robert Angier: Many of you may be familiar with this technique, but for those of you who aren't, do not be alarmed. What you're about to see is considered safe.

Olivia Wenscombe: The Great Danton is a blind fool!

Alfred Borden: [realises Fallon's buried after trading him back] Alive?

[After finding Gerald Root, Angier's new double]
Cutter: He's perfect. He needs some work, but when I get through with him, he could be your brother.
Robert Angier: I don't need him to be my brother; I need him to be me! 

Judge: How large do you think this tank was?
Cutter: Eh... 400, 500 gallons, maybe.
Judge: And how do you think he was able to move a tank of this size?
Cutter: He's the magician. Why don't you ask him?

[Root is performing as Angier's double]
Cutter : You can go back to being yourself now, Root. For nothing.
Gerald Root: I'd rather be him for now. I find it... amusing.

[Borden is explaining how he used a double in his act]
Alfred Borden: What I didn't count on was that, when I incorporated this bloke into my act, he had complete power over me.
Gerald Root: Complete power, you say?

Olivia Wenscombe: He says that it's even between you.
Robert Angier: Even? My wife for a few of his fingers?

Nikola Tesla: You're familiar with the phrase "man's reach exceeds his grasp"? It's a lie: man's grasp exceeds his nerve.

Nikola Tesla: Society tolerates only one change at a time.

Nikola Tesla: Mr. Angier, have you considered the cost of such a machine?
Robert Angier: Price is not an object.
Nikola Tesla: Perhaps not, but have you considered the cost?
Robert Angier: I'm not sure I follow.
Nikola Tesla: Go home. Forget this thing. I can recognize an obsession, no good will come of it.
Robert Angier: Why, haven't good come of your obsessions?
Nikola Tesla: Well at first. But I followed them too long. I'm their slave... and one day they'll choose to destroy me.
Robert Angier: If you understand an obsession then you know you won't change my mind.

Robert Angier: He lives his act.

Sarah: No more lies. No more secrets.
Alfred Borden: Secrets are my life.

Robert Angier: What knot did you tie?
Alfred Borden: I don't know.
Robert Angier: You don't know?
[Alfred walks off]
Robert Angier: You don't know?

Robert Angier: [Has Alfred at gunpoint] What knot did you tie?
Alfred Borden: I don't know.
Robert Angier:[Shoots him]

Robert Angier: The man stole my life. I steal his trick.

Robert Angier: He's a dreadful magician.
Cutter:No, he's a wonderful magician. He's a dreadful showman.

Cutter: Obsession is a young man's game

Robert Angier: No one cares about the man in the box, the man who disappears.

[In reference to a bird from a trick]
Alfred Borden: See? He's fine!
Boy: But where's his brother?

Robert Angier: Where are the wires?
Alley: Exactly.

Alfred Borden: The key! Where's the bloody key?

Nikola Tesla: Things don't always go as planned, Mr. Angier. That's the beauty of science.

Robert Angier: Secrets are my life.

Robert Angier: Which hat is mine?
Nikola Tesla: They are all your hat, Mr. Angier.

[Repeated line]
Alfred Borden: Are you watching closely?

Robert Angier: I thought you said I'd have to get my hands dirty.
Cutter: Maybe someday you will; I just needed to know that you could.

Robert Angier: It was the greatest magic trick I've ever seen.

Officer: Any last words?
Alfred Borden: Abracadabra.

Robert Angier: Would I be the man in the box or the prestige?

Cutter: Remember when I told you about the drowning sailor?
Robert Angier: Yes, he said it was like going home.
Cutter: I lied. He said it was agony.

Alfred Borden: A real magician tries to invent something new, that other magicians are gonna scratch their heads over.

Alfred Borden: Does he enjoy taking his bows under the stage?

Robert Angier: My passion is equal to the task. 

Alfred Borden: Simple maybe, but not easy.

What is happiness? Can happiness be managed? Is happiness the most important purpose in our lives?

Since there's not much work to see to these days, I spent a bit more time surfing on the internet, and found something rather interesting...

Getting Serious About Happiness [Time.com]

*Three key to true happiness*

1. Be attuned to what gives you genuine satisfaction.

2. Study yourself.

3. Take control.

*Comments from readers*

***I think happiness is best achieved not in 'what we have' but 'how we appreciate what we have'. I think also it is meant to point us to something greater, infinity, perfection,... God. And I don't think we will fully understand it until after this life.

***...There are two things you definitely need to be happy:
* Something to do
* Something to look forward to

***This is a sort of Uncertainty principle of Happiness: you cannot both live and understand your happiness....Maybe the three "keys" to the happiness are CTRL-ALT-DEL?

***...current research shows that happiness causes success more than success causes happiness. That makes sense to me.

***"It's never too late" is a simple formula which took me a long time to understand but once I did, everything began falling in to place....Also, "Knowing when it's over" was essential.

***IMHO, happiness is a way/journey, not a destination.
   (IMHO:in my humble opinion/in my honest opinion)

***I suspect that most of us live somewhere between frustration, depression, and small successes. Happiness might come only in moments. Hopefully, we have Joy abiding with us throughout though.

The following is an ad on last Tuesday's Washington Post. Someone called Mr. Yen Pei Ai of Fuvillage Industry Co., Ltd., the ad's sponsor, seems to have attrated a lot of focus from our overseas friends, or maybe we should call them "controversies" rather than "focus", though.

I encountered the longest and most profound blog I've ever seen when tracking this fascinating capition -- [Vitally worst: "Chinese" sounds like "to tear you to die"]

The Matrix Group, a Web design company in northern Virginia, prides itself on its fun and relaxed atmosphere. Throughout the year, employees are encouraged to let their pets spend the day in the office, and the annual company scavenger hunt has employees scouring for odd and obscure things like the UPC code from The Matrix DVD and pictures of clients' office buildings. But there's a line, and it was crossed during the firm's holiday gift exchange. One employee's idea of a gag gift: a pair of plastic fake breasts. "We tossed them in the garbage," says Joanna Pineda, founder of the Matrix Group. "I sat down with the person and said, 'Not a good idea.'"

There's no way of telling how many office-present faux pas （失礼）are committed each holiday season. To avoid becoming part of your firm's hall of shame, remember that when shopping, be nice, not naughty. Whether your office is doing a company-wide gift exchange or you're buying something for a colleague, let the fake breasts be a lesson: Gifts shouldn't be offensive.

Unfortunately, even innocent intentions can be misinterpreted. That was the case with one of Marjorie Brody's male colleagues. He knew his administrative assistant liked a certain brand of body lotion, so he figured it was a thoughtful gift. "Her reaction was, 'Eeew,'" says Brody, president of a professional development firm.

There are so many questions surrounding office holiday gifts. Whom should you buy for, and how much should you spend? Brody's first rule: Don't feel obligated to buy for anyone at the office. If someone gives you a gift and you didn't buy one for them, make sure you write a thank-you note. Don't go out and buy something at lunch.

If you want to buy your boss or a special colleague a gift, make sure it's modest. Bosses know how much you make and tend to feel uncomfortable with lavish presents. Plus, you don't want to look like you're kissing up. Avoid that by purchasing a group gift with other office mates. Try to be thoughtful about the gift--don't buy a bottle of wine if you know your boss is trying to cut down his or her alcohol intake. Does your boss love coffee? How about a bag of high-quality coffee beans with a mug? Maybe he or she enjoys reading a certain author or magazine? How about the author's latest book or a magazine subscription? Another way to show appreciation is by bringing in homemade baked goods. What office doesn't want a fresh batch of cookies? Handwritten cards are also an effective way to impart holiday cheer.

Many bosses wonder how they should show their staff they're appreciated. Sherri Athay, author of Present Perfect: Unforgettable Gifts for Every Occasion, says a little time off is always appreciated. Close the office early and have a pizza party, or just give the staff an afternoon off. "Companies can really create a lot of good will and loyalty, and it doesn't take that much to do it," says Athay.

Pineda, of Matrix Group, has a thoughtful system for thanking her employees. Each year, she gets the entire staff--now close to 40 people--the same item. One year, it was a denim button-down shirt with the company's logo; another year, it was a fleece blanket. This year, she's thinking stadium seats. Over the years, they've become a badge of honor in determining who has seniority. "What's interesting about these gifts is they really covet them," says Pineda. "They say, 'I've been here a really long time--I have the polo shirt.' Or, 'You haven't been here that long--you didn't get the fleece.'"

Don't forget to include the interns. They do a lot of work, often at no pay. A handwritten note is a great place to start. If you've got a particularly diligent intern, there's always a gift card to a bookstore or a nice restaurant.

As Mom used to say: It's the thought that counts.
**看来无论中外，送礼都不外乎人情，“心意”永远最重要^_^

In Pictures: Good Gifting

Video: What To Give At The Office

------From: http://www.forbes.com/

The Fine Lines of Regifting

A recent study determined that giving an unwanted gift you received to someone else (regifting) is not considered as unacceptable as in the past.  

The market research company, Harris Interactive, surveyed 1,505 American adults and found over half the participants admitted to regifting and 78 percent felt regifting was okay most of the time. 

Nancy Wong, a spokeswoman for Harris Interactive, told Reuters, she was surprised that so many surveyed would admit to regifting. 

"It's not something I've thought about and when I saw that nearly half had done it -- 52 percent have regifted and or would regift -- it's quite a significant number," Wong said.
Why Do People Regift?
According to the study, 77 percent of those surveyed admitted to re-gifting because the item was better suited for the person who received it. 

Nine percent admitted to doing it out of laziness and four percent said they regifted because they did not like the person who was getting the gift. 

Regifting is not without its guidelines. Much has been written on the proper way to regift and what should and should not be wrapped back up and given away a second time. Here are the Do's and Do Not's for regifting that are most often listed.
What To Avoid When Regifting 

Don't Regift the Gift Card

A gift card hidden in tissue in a gift box can easily get passed along in error. Take the item out of the old wrappings and start new.
Don't Regift the Gift Wrappings

Everyone can tell when something has hung around in a gift box for a year. Cardboard gets soft and seems to absorb the odors of wherever it was stored and old gift wrap can be spotted just by the feel of it. When regifting, do not use recycled gift bags, paper or tissue. Throw it all out and buy new and take a little extra time to make the wrapping look fresh and attractive.
Don't Tell
People like to believe gifts they receive were chosen with thought and consideration. If you tell someone you are giving then the silk scarf your Aunt Jane gave you last year, what you are really saying is that you are giving them something you think it ugly or unuseful. The only time you would want to mention giving your gift to someone else is if it isn't presented as a 'gift' but rather as a give-away.

Don't Regift the Used or Slightly Used

There is a big difference between regifting an unused night light or one that you plugged in for two months and decided you no longer want. Remember - a regift is a new item you give to someone else. A hand-me-down is an item you've used and offer to someone else when you decide you no longer have use for it.

Don't Forget Where the Gift Came From
Avoid giving a re-gift to family or friends of the person who originally gave the gift to you. If the regift is displayed, you risk getting caught for giving it away by the person who gave it to you. Keeping a list going of regifts with the name of who gave you the gift can help avoid people pointing fingers at your later.

Do Regift Nice Things

Often the items getting regifted are undesirable, such as the bird statue you saw at the drugstore for 75 percent off. Why pass it along? However, if you received a nice gift, such as a wonderful cookbook you already own, do regift it to someone who you know will enjoy it. The nicer the item, the more it makes sense to regift it rather than to let it crumble up in a cabinet along side the Men in Briefs calendar someone thought you'd get a chuckle over.

Do Regift Heirlooms

Perhaps 10 years ago Aunt Jane sent you 12 of her prized crystal water glasses but you already have plenty and the design conflicts with what you are already using. In fact, you have never used the glasses. Regifting the crystal to someone in the family who is just starting off makes sense. Yes, they are used and yes they could be considered hand-me-downs, but none the less the gift has both monetary and sentimental value.
The Number One Rule to Regifting 

Regifting is a wonderful way to save money and when done tactfully and with thought, we can accomplish the goal of why we are giving a gift to someone in the first place - because we want them to have something they will enjoy.
***From: http://about.com/

• Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.
• Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.
• My first day in Chicago, September 4, 1983. I set foot in this city, and just walking down the street, it was like roots, like the motherland. I knew I belonged here.
• My idea of heaven is a great big baked potato and someone to share it with.
• My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you I the best place for the next moment.
• The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.
• Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.
• Turn your wounds into wisdom.
• Unless you choose to do great things with it, it makes no difference how much you are rewarded, or how much power you have.
• We can't become what we need to be by remaining what we are.
• We create stress for ourselves because you feel like you have to do it. You have to. I don't feel that anymore.
• What I know is, is that if you do work that you love, and the work fulfills you, the rest will come.
• What material success does is provide you with the ability to concentrate on other things that really matter. And that is being able to make a difference, not only in your own life, but in other people's lives.
• When I look into the future, it's so bright it burns my eyes.
• Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.
• You are what you are by what you believe!
• You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job, and not be paid for it.

• Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.
  
• Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother.
• Books were my pass to personal freedom. I learned to read at age three, and soon discovered there was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi.
• Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.
• Excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism.
• For everyone of us that succeeds, it's because there's somebody there to show you the way out. The light doesn't always necessarily have to be in your family; for me it was teachers and school.
• I always knew I was destined for greatness.
• I am a woman in process. I'm just trying like everybody else. I try to take every conflict, every experience, and learn from it. Life is never dull.
• I believe that every single event in life happens in an opportunity to choose love over fear.
• I don't believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process.
• I don't think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good.
• I don't think you ever stop giving. I really don't. I think it's an on-going process. And it's not just about being able to write a check. It's being able to touch somebody's life.
• I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity.
• I knew there was a way out. I knew there was another kind of life because I had read about it. I knew there were other places, and there was another way of being.
• I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes.
• I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. And that's how I operate my life.
• I'm black, I don't feel burdened by it and I don't think it's a huge responsibility. It's part of who I am. It does not define me.
• If you come to fame not understanding who you are, it will define who you are.
• It isn't until you come to a spiritual understanding of who you are - not necessarily a religious feeling, but deep down, the spirit within - that you can begin to take control.
• It's much easier for me to make major life, multi-million dollar decisions, than it is to decide on a carpet for my front porch. That's the truth.

世界が终わるまでは（直到世界的尽头）

Sekai ga owaru made wa

作词：上杉升   作曲：织田哲郎   编曲：叶山たけし   歌手：WANDS/主唱：上杉升

大都会に 仆はもう一人で

daitokai ni boku wa mowuhitori de

投げ舍てられた 空カンのようだ

nagesuterareta akikan no you da

互いのすべてを

otagai no subete wo

知りつくすまでが 爱ならば

shiritsukusu made ga ai naraba

いっそ 永久に眠ろうか…

isso towa ni nemurouka ...

世界が终わるまでは

sekai ga owaru made wa

离れる事もない

hanareru koto mo nai 

そう愿っていた 几千の夜と

sou negatteita ikusen no yoru to

戾らない时だけが

modoranai toki dake ga

何故辉いては

naze kagayaite wa

やつれ切った

yatsure kitta

心までも 坏す…

kokoro made kowasu...

はかなき想い…

hakanaki omoi...

このTragedy Night

kono tragedy night

そして人は

soshite hito wa

形(こたえ)を求めて

kotae wo motomete

かけがえのない 何かを失う