经过数轮激烈角逐，新一届美国总统加勒特·沃克（迈克·吉尔 Michael Gill 饰）诞生，自称水管工的众议院多数党党鞭弗兰西斯·安德伍德（凯文·史派西 Kevin Spacey 饰）在其背后功不可没。然而高傲自大的政客弗兰西斯并未如愿当上国务卿，他为此恼怒不已，发誓要将背叛了自己的沃克拉下宝座。纸牌屋利用新总统拟推的综合教育改革法，弗兰西斯操纵《华盛顿先驱报》女记者佐伊·巴恩斯（凯特·玛拉 Kate Mara 饰）大做文章。初战告捷，他旋即指派手下对新政府展开新的围剿，同时巧妙化解躲避来自政敌的明枪暗箭。他犹如来自伊甸园的毒蛇，巧舌如簧，翻云覆雨，紧紧咬住所有人的弱点，以实现自己的目的。“没有永远的敌人，只有永远的利益”，这句话在弗兰西斯身上得到最佳体现毫无疑问它最大的特色在里面包含了一些具有意义非凡的纸牌屋经典美文，时常在脑海出现。张承辉博客收集了一些美文在这里奉献给爱好这部美国电视剧的人们。
1、There are twokinds of pain.The sort of pain that makes you strong…or useless pain…The sort of pain that’s onlysuffering.I have no patience for useless things.I have no patience for useless things.Moments like this require someone who will act…or do the unpleasant thing,or the necessary thing.There…No more pain.
痛苦分两种，一种让你变得更强，另一种毫无价值，只徒添折磨。我对没有价值的东西没有耐心，这种时刻，需要有人采取行动…或做一些不好的事…也是必要的事。好了，痛苦结束了。（主人公Frank看到一只被车撞过后躺在地上奄奄一息的狗，他走上前结束了它的痛苦）
2、Give and take.Welcome to Washington.
付出与索取，这就是华盛顿。（社会很现实，官场更现实）
3、I love that woman.I love hermore than sharks love blood.
我爱那个女人，胜过鲨鱼爱鲜血。
4、A person’s character isn’t determined by how he or she enjoys vitory but rather howhe or she endures defeat.Nothing can help us endure dark times better than our faith.
一个人的个性不取决于他如何享受胜利，而在于这个人如何忍受失败。没有什么比信念更能支撑我们度过艰难时光了。
5、Forward! That is the battle cry.Leave ideologies for the Armchair General,does me no good.
勇往直前这是我的作战口号，纸上谈兵那一套于我无益。
6、Power’s a lot like real estate.It’s all about location,location, location.The closer you are to the source,the higher your property value.
权力正如地产，位置是重中之重，你离中心越近，你的财产就越值钱。
7、Such a waste of talent.He chose money over power.In this town, a mistake nearly everyone makes.Money is the McMansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart afterten years.Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries.
真是浪费啊，为了钱而放弃权利，这个城市里几乎人人都犯了这个错。金钱是萨拉索塔的巨无霸豪宅，保质期就只有十年，权力是古老的石砌建筑，能屹立数百年。
8、What a martyr craves more than anything a sword to fall on,so you sharpen the blade,hold it at just the right angle,and then 3, 2, 1–
烈士最渴求的就是壮烈牺牲，所以你磨好兵刃，调整好角度，默数三 二 一…….
9、Oh, and if you do decide to take the coward’s way out,cut along the tracks, not across them.That’s a rookie mistake.
如果你真决定以懦弱的方式解脱，沿血管割，不要横着割，这是低级错误。
10、The most important count I do has nothing to do withwork.It’s the number of days since April 4, 1999.As of this morning,that’s 5,185.The bigger that number gets, the more it frightens me,because I know all it takes is one drink to go back to zero.Most people see fear as a weakness. It can be.Sometimes for my job, I have to put fear in other people.I know that’s not right.But if I’m honest, like the fourth step asks us to be,I have to be ruthless, because failure is not an option. The same goes for my sobriety.I have to be ruthless with myself.I have to use my fear.It makes me stronger .Like everyone in this room, I can’t control who I am.But I can control the zero.Fuck the zero.
对我最重要的数字跟工作无关，而是从1999年4月4日至今的天数，截止今早 一共有5185天。数字越大我越感到害怕，因为我知道一杯酒就能让数字清零。很多人认为恐惧是弱点，有时是的，有时由于工作的关系我要让他人生惧，我知道那样不对，但如果按第四步说的那样实话实说，我必须残忍 因为我不能失败，戒酒也是如此。要对自己残忍，我得利用恐惧，它让我变得坚强，就像在座各位我无法改变本性，但我能掌控那个零，让那个零去死吧。
11、I must not lose my resolve.I will march forward,even if I have to do so…alone.
我不能失去决心，我会继续向前，即便我必须独自前行。
12、Speculation is a poor form of investment and an equally poor form of politics.
推测可不是一种好的投资方式，同样也不是一种好的政治手段。
13、There is no solace above or below.Only us… Small, solitary,battling one another.I pray to myself, for myself.
天堂地狱都没法给你慰藉，只有我们自己， 渺小 孤独，奋斗 与彼此抗争，我向自己祈祷为自己祈祷
14、Not an easy thing to say no to the most powerful man in the free world.Sometimes the only way to gain your superior’s respect is to defy him.