本电影剧情很感人，但中校精彩的辩护更能发人深省：一所学校应该有什么样的教育？应该教育出什么样的学生？现节录部分辩护词以期引起大家思考。

Mr. Trask: Mr. Sims, you are a cover-up artist and you are a liar.

校长：西门先生，你是个伪装大师，你是个骗人高手！
Col. Frank Slade: But not a snitch!

中校：但他不是个告密者！
Trask: Excuse me?

校长：请原谅我没听清。
Slade: No, I don't think I will. This is such a crock of shit.

中校：不，我不会原谅。这纯粹是放狗臭屁。
Trask: Mr. Slade, you will watch your language. You are at the
Baird School now not a barracks. Now Mr. Sims I will give you one
final opportunity to speak up.

校长：斯雷德先生，注意你的措辞。你现在是在贝尔德学校，不是在兵营。西门先生，我最后再给你一次机会，要说实话。
Slade: Mr. Sims doesn't want it. He doesn't need to labeled, "...still worthy of being a 'Baird Man.'" What the hell is that? What is your motto here? Boys, inform on your classmates, save your hide. Anything short of that we're gonna burn you at the stake? Well, gentlemen. When the going gets tough, some guys run and some guys stay. Here's Charlie--facing the fire, and there's George--hiding in big Daddy's pocket. And what are you gonna do? You're gonna reward George, and destroy Charlie.

中校：西门先生不要这个机会。他不需要被人贴上“依然值得作为贝尔德人’的标签。”那是个什么玩意？你们这里的校训是什么？孩子们，告发你们的同学以求自保。否则，烧得你不见灰。好的，先生们…出纰漏时，有人逃离，有人留了下来。查理坐在这里，面对烈火，那边的乔治躲进老爹的大口袋里。你会怎么处理呢？你奖励乔治，毁掉查理。

Trask: Are you finished, Mr. Slade?

校长：说完了吗，斯雷德先生？
Slade: No. I'm just gettin' warmed up. Now I don't know who went to this place--William Howard Taft, William Jennings Bryant, William Tell. Whoever. There spirit is dead--if they ever had gone--it's gone. You're building a rat ship here. A vessel for sea going snitches. And if you think your preparing these minnows for manhood you better think again. Because I say you are killing the very spirit this institution proclaims it instills. What a sham! What kind of show are you guys puttin' on here today？I mean, the only class in this act is sittin' next to me. And I say, this boy's soul is in tact. It is non-negotiable. You know how I know. Because someone here--I'm not gonna say who--offered to buy it. Only Charlie here wasn't selling.

中校：还没呢，我刚暖好身而已。我不知道谁在这里念过书。威廉·霍华德·塔夫，威廉·简名斯·伯恩，威廉·退尔，等等。他们精神已死，如果曾经有的话。它已经逝去。你在这培育的是老鼠大队，一堆卖友求荣客者。如果你以为在锻炼虾兵成龙头，你最好三思。因为你正扼杀了这所学府所坚持的精神。真是耻辱！你们今天给我看的是什么东西？唯一在这次事件中有格调的人坐在我旁边。我可以告诉你这孩子的灵魂是完整无缺的。这是不容置疑的，为什么我知道？这里的某个人，我不会说出是谁，要收买他。但只有查理不为所动。

Mr.Trask: Sir, you are out of order!

校长：先生，你太过份了！

Slade: Out of order, I'll show you out of order! You don't know what out of order is Mr.Trask! I'd show you but I'm too old, I'm too tired, and I'm too fuckin' blind. If I were the man I was five years ago I'd take a flame-thrower to this place. Out of order, who the hell do you think you're talking to? I've been
around you know? There was a time I could see. And I have seen, boys like these, younger than these, their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. But there isn't nothin' like the sight of an amputated spirit, there is no prosthetic for that. You think you're merely sending this splendid foot-soldier back home to
Oregon with his tail between his legs but I say that you are executing his soul. And why? Because he's not a Baird man. Baird men, you hurt this boy, you're going to be Baird Bums, the lot of ya. And Harry, Jimmy, Trent, wherever you are out there, fuck you too.

中校： 我告诉你什么叫过份，你不知道什么才是过分的，特拉斯科先生。我想示范，但我太老了，太累了，又他妈的瞎了。如果我是五年前的那个人，我会带喷火枪来这儿！过分？你以为你在跟谁说话？我是见过世面的，明白吗？曾经我还看得见。我见过很多像在场的男孩之一样的人，比这里的人还要年轻，他们的臂膀被扭，腿被炸断。那些都不及灵魂被切除更可怕。灵魂没有义肢！你以为你把这好青年像落荒狗似的送回家，我说你是处死了他的灵魂。为什么？因为他不是一个贝尔德人。贝尔德人，你伤害了这个男孩，你就是贝尔德孬种，你们全是。而哈瑞，吉米，特伦特，不管你们坐在哪里…也去你妈的！
Mr. Trask: Stand down Mr. Slade!

校长：坐下，史雷得先生！
Slade: I'm not finished! Now as I came in here, I heard those words...cradle of leadership. Well, when the bow breaks, the cradle will fall. And it has fallen here, it has fallen! Makers of men, creators of leaders, be careful what kind of leaders you're producing here. Now, I don't know if Charlie's silence here today is right or wrong; I'm no judge or jury. But I can tell you this: he won't sell anybody out to buy his future! And that my friends is called integrity, that's called courage. Now that's the stuff leaders should be made of. (pause) Now I have come to the crossroads in my days, and I have always known the right path, always, without exception, I knew. But I never took it, you know why? Because it's too damn hard. Now here's Charlie; he's come to the crossroads. And he's chosen a path, it's the right path. It's a path made of principle, that leads to character. Let him continue on his journey. You hold this boy's future in your hands committee! It's a valuable future. Believe me! Don't destroy...protect it...embrace it. It's gonna make you proud some day...I promise.

中校：我还没说完呢，我刚一进到这里，就听到那些话："未来领袖的摇篮"。如果架子断了，摇篮也就掉了，它已经随落了。造就青年、培养未来的领袖的人们，看吧！要小心了，你们在培养什么样的领袖，我不知道！今天查理保持沉默是对还是错，我虽然不是法官，但我可以告诉你，他不会为了自己的前途而出卖任何人。朋友们！这就是人们常说的正直，这就是勇气，这才是未来领袖所具有的品质。现在我到了一个人生的十字路口，我一向知道哪条路是正确的，毋庸置疑，我知道，可我从没走它，为什么？因为它太艰难了。轮到查理了，他也在一个人生的十字路口，他选择了一条路，一条有原则、成全他人格的路。让他沿着这条路继续前行吧，这孩子的前途掌握在你们的手里，委员们，他会前途无量的，相信我，别毁了他！保护他！支持他！我保证会有一天你们会为此而感到骄傲！我保证。