美国国家公共电台 NPR--'Wakanda Forever' hopes to replicate the success of 'Black Panther'

'Wakanda Forever' hopes to replicate¹ the success of 'Black Panther'

Transcript²

The sequel to the Marvel³ film Black Panther is in wide release this weekend. Wakanda Forever directly addresses the death of the character played by the late Chadwick Boseman.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Marvel's Black Panther has returned to the screen, minus the star who originally brought him to life. Actor Chadwick Boseman died of colon⁴ cancer in 2020. But the film "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" will attempt to replicate the record-breaking success by telling a new story and honoring Boseman's legacy⁵ at the same time. Glen Weldon from NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast is here to tell us all about it. Glen, welcome.

GLEN WELDON, BYLINE⁶: Morning, A.

MART?NEZ: You know, Glen, when I saw the original "Black Panther" movie, I was a little concerned when I walked away from it. I was already thinking about the sequel and how often sequels disappoint from the original.

WELDON: (Laughter).

MART?NEZ: So it has big shoes to fill.

WELDON: Oh, it really does. Look; this film just hit people in a different way. And in this movie, the sequel, the absence of Chadwick Boseman is palpable. You know, his death is dealt with head on. It drives the plot, actually, because the world now sees Wakanda as defenseless and starts making moves to exploit its resources. But it does shift the focus away from T'Challa, played by Boseman, to his sister Shuri, played by Letitia Wright. And actually, the film does that a lot. The - divides the action between a lot of the women in Black Panther's life, like his mother, Queen Ramonda, played by Angela Bassett, who gets a lot more to do in this movie, which is great, and she does it fiercely. She is serving.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER")

ANGELA BASSETT: (As Queen Ramonda) We know what you whisper. They have lost their protector.

WELDON: Oh, she's so good.

MART?NEZ: Yeah. And you know what? I think there was a lot of emotion when Chadwick Boseman died about recasting the character T'Challa. I always knew that that was not going to happen because there's...

WELDON: Right.

MART?NEZ: ...Always going to be a Black Panther hero. I mean, T'Challa took the mantle⁷ from T'Chaka, his father. So they traded one hero for several. But heroes are really only as good as their villains⁸, so who's the bad guy in this one?

WELDON: All right, that's Prince Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta. He is the ruler of this undersea realm that goes to war with Wakanda for reasons it's best not to think too hard about. They don't quite hang together.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER")

TENOCH HUERTA: (As Prince Namor) This place is amazing. The air is pristine⁹. My mother told stories about a place like this, a protected land with people that never have to leave, that never have to change who they were.

WELDON: Now, A, you know the comics, right?

MART?NEZ: Yeah.

WELDON: So you know Namor has a very distinctive¹⁰ look. He's got these green Speedos and these little wing ankles to let him fly. They look great on the page, but in live action, you have to work a little harder to bring real gravitas when you're standing¹¹ there hovering¹², trying to be imposing¹³.

MART?NEZ: (Laughter).

WELDON: Meanwhile, your little feety wings are going - (imitates fluttering). It's tough to pull off, but he does.

MART?NEZ: I've seen the trailers of him flying around. I kind of dig it. So that's just me.

WELDON: Yeah.

MART?NEZ: So, Glen, do you think this new film captures that same magic without Chadwick Boseman?

WELDON: I mean, that's the real question, right? "Wakanda Forever" is bookended by scenes in which the characters get to grieve and celebrate both T'Challa and Boseman. Those scenes are there for a reason. They're to let the characters do that. But they're also to let the audience do it as well. And, A, I do think there is something special about the whole idea of Wakanda as a place. Here's this advanced Afrofuturist utopia that's been hidden from the world, so it offers a vision of Black experience, of Black excellence¹⁴ that is untouched by colonialism, untouched by slavery. There is a very simple power in that idea.

And if you think about it, all superhero stuff asks, what if? That's its appeal. That's what it does - wish fulfillment. What if I could fly like Superman? Here, though, the what-if just comes from a deeper place. It comes from pain. And I think the vision of Wakanda works on people a lot more profoundly than a lot of other superhero stuff does. "Wakanda Forever" knows that and really taps into it.

MART?NEZ: That's Glen Weldon of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. Glen, thanks.

WELDON: My pleasure.

1 replicate   

v.折叠，复制，模写；n.同样的样品；adj.转折的

参考例句：

• The DNA of chromatin must replicate before cell division.染色质DNA在细胞分裂之前必须复制。
• It is also easy to replicate,as the next subsection explains.就像下一个小节详细说明的那样，它还可以被轻易的复制。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

4 colon   

n.冒号，结肠，直肠

参考例句：

• Here,too,the colon must be followed by a dash.这里也是一样，应当在冒号后加破折号。
• The colon is the locus of a large concentration of bacteria.结肠是大浓度的细菌所在地。

5 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 mantle   

n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红

参考例句：

• The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
• The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。

8 villains   

n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼

参考例句：

• The impression of villains was inescapable. 留下恶棍的印象是不可避免的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some villains robbed the widow of the savings. 有几个歹徒将寡妇的积蓄劫走了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 pristine   

adj.原来的，古时的，原始的，纯净的，无垢的

参考例句：

• He wiped his fingers on his pristine handkerchief.他用他那块洁净的手帕擦手指。
• He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的过去。

10 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

11 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

12 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

13 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

14 excellence   

n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德

参考例句：

• His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
• My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。