I have managed to watch the first four episodes of the 3rd season for you, to give you a preview. This preview gives you just enough to know what's going on, but not enough to ruin anything. And there are no spoilers here.

我看了第三季的前4集，给大家一个预告。这个预告只会告诉你大致发生了什么，但不会剧透任何细节。

1. Faster, Leaner Quicker

1.节奏更快

The biggest problem with "House of Cards" Season 1, is that it was incredibly slow, like first season of "Breaking Bad" slow. Season 2 got a little better on pacing but the plot still meandered¹ near the 3rd act.

该剧第一季最大的问题就是节奏太慢，和《绝命毒师》的第一季一样慢。第二季的时候稍微好点了，但是剧情结构依然松松散散。

Like any good trilogy "House of Cards" seems to have worked out the bugs² in this third season. The stories are much more self-contained and the pacing is better.

和其他经典的三季剧集一样，《纸牌屋》似乎在第三季中将之前出现的所有问题都解决了。剧情更加独立完整，节奏恰到好处。

2. Everybody Hates Frank

2.大家都讨厌弗兰克

Until this season Frank Underwood was like the Batman of Washington D.C. Somehow, someway this congressman³ from South Carolina always managed to outsmart, outplan and outwit superpower foes⁴ and allies alike despite being a mortal man. It was cute in the first season but by season 2 it just got ridiculous.

到这季为止，弗兰克·安德伍德就像是华盛顿的蝙蝠侠。不知怎的，这位来自南卡罗来纳州的国会议员尽管只是一个普通人，可却处总能在各个方面超过他的对手和同盟。第一季的时候感觉很可爱，可第二季时就开始有点可笑。

Fortunately Season 3 begins with a bit of course correction. While Claire and Frank's plans are just as diabolical⁵ as in the past, everyone else in the show seems to have grown up and wised up. So while there are fewer over the top mind games, the show is actually more complex as Frank has to deal with real power dynamics⁶ and not a punch of political straw men.

好在第三季开始的时候有所改善。除了克莱尔和弗兰克的计划依然和以前一样残忍之外，剧中的其他人似乎都成熟了、觉醒了。所以虽然智力上的较量不多，但该季剧情实际上更加复杂了，因为弗兰克开始需要对付真正的强大对手了，而不再只是一群政治假想敌。

3. Bring On The Think Pieces

3.引发更多的思考

"House of Cards" is a political phenomenon that gives journalists, pundits⁷ and commentators⁸ the Rorschach test they always dream of. This season can be seen from several vastly different political angles.

纸牌屋》是一种政治现象，它给了记者、评论员们一个类似做罗夏墨迹测验的机会。这一季也不例外，可以从多个不同的政治角度来看。

It was clear that the original British program from 1990 was a critique of the final years of Margaret Thatcher⁹ but Season 3 seems much less about skewering¹⁰ a particular administration than it is about telling Frank's unique journey.

很明显，1990年该剧的英国原版是对撒切尔夫人作为英国首相的最后几年的一种批判，但是美版第三季中似乎没有针对任何一个具体的政府，而只是简单讲述弗兰克这个人物的故事。

4. Breakout Performances

4.两个亮点

Just four episodes in, there are two definitive¹¹ stand outs in season 3. The first is Lars Mikkelsen who plays fictional¹² Russian President Victor Petrov. He is outstanding in his portrayal¹³ of what is likely the most realistic and fascinating depiction¹⁴ of Vladimir Putin, interacting with a U.S. president.

虽然只看了前4集，但已经能看出第三季中的两个亮点。第一个是扮演剧中俄罗斯总统的拉斯·米科尔森。他的外形与现任俄罗斯总统普京确实非常像，而且他在角色的刻画以及与剧中美国总统的互动方面都表演的非常到位。

The second breakout is Elizabeth Marvel¹⁵ as Heather Dunbar, the solicitor¹⁶ general who brought down president Walker and is now taking on a major role in the third season. Her depiction of power and savvy¹⁷, and the lectures she gives to Frank Underwood in the Oval office will resonate throughout this entire series.

第二个亮点是扮演希瑟·邓巴的伊丽莎白·马弗尔，这位将前总统沃克拉下台的司法部副部长在第三季中成为了主要角色。她对权力和机智的刻画，以及她在椭圆形办公室向弗兰克·安德伍德做的演讲贯穿整个剧集。

5. Predictions

5. 预测

I must admit, that to fulfill¹⁸ my "House of Cards" longing¹⁹ during the summer of 2014, I cheated a bit and watched the final season of the original British version of the show, "House of Cards: the Final Cut." The seasons are playing out a bit differently in part because the UK seasons were only about 4 episodes a piece and the American version is 13 episodes long.

我必须承认，去年夏天为了满足我自己对《纸牌屋》的期望，我去看了这部剧英国版本的最后一季。两个版本有不同之处，英版一季只有4集，而美版一季有13集。

Further, the cast of characters in the American version are much more varied²⁰ and the show is much less satirical and more of a straight drama than the original version. That said, all signs point to a less than stellar end for Frank and Clare Underwood.

另外美版的角色也更多，相比英国原版，讽刺性没那么强。所有迹象都表明弗兰克和克莱尔·安德伍德的结局不会特别好。