美国国家公共电台 NPR--Hollywood writers strike enters its 2nd day after talks with studios broke off

Hollywood writers strike enters its 2nd day after talks with studios broke off

Transcript¹

Members of the Writer's Guild² of America are on strike against Hollywood studios. Picketing⁴ started Tuesday in Los Angeles and New York.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

A strike by Hollywood writers enters its second day after contract negotiations⁵ with the Hollywood studios broke off Monday, shutting down productions across the film, TV and streaming industry.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Chanting) Fists up, pens down. LA is a union town. Fists up, pens down...

FADEL: Those are the voices of Writers Guild of America members out on the picket³ line, and NPR's Mandalit del Barco was out there with them. She reports now.

MANDALIT DEL BARCO, BYLINE⁶: The writers were here protesting outside Netflix and Hollywood, chanting about corporate⁷ greed and holding picket signs that said things like, do the right thing, it all starts with a script, and "Succession" without writers is just "The Apprentice," and look how that worked out.

MADDY WHITBY: My sign says, I would write something clever, but I'm on strike.

DEL BARCO: Screenwriter Maddy Whitby started writing sketch⁸ scripts for the internet eight years ago. She says she didn't get any residuals⁹ or pay when a streaming show she wrote ended up broadcast on Nickelodeon. Another writer, Zackary Arthur, said he's only been in Los Angeles for about three years, but he recently closed a deal with Warner Brothers for his own TV show. Now that's on hold.

ZACKARY ARTHUR: You have these top CEOs, these places making hundreds of millions of dollars. I think what we're looking for is something fair, you know? And I don't think what we're asking for is unfair.

DEL BARCO: There were protests outside other Hollywood studios and even in New York. Here outside Netflix, one writer wore a bear suit to walk the picket line. Another had a sign that warned Hollywood executives, you're going to be the villains¹⁰ in a limited series about this. Joy Gregory's sign was also pointed¹¹ at negotiators for the studios.

JOY GREGORY: I like your offer as much as you like an angry female lead.

DEL BARCO: The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television producers say the studios did make a generous offer, and they say they're prepared to improve it. But Gregory isn't buying it. She remembers the last time the writers went on strike for 100 days back in 2007, 2008.

GREGORY: And here we are again. Someone explained to me early on in my time in the Guild, you know what? Every 20 years or so, we have to strike. So bleed out, Netflix.

DEL BARCO: Gregory, who writes for a Hallmark show, says she's out here fighting for the future of her profession.

GREGORY: And so we're standing¹² out here and taking the hits that we're going to take to protect the rights for the next generation of writers.

(SOUNDBITE OF CAR HORNS HONKING)

DEL BARCO: As some of the cars left through the gates, presumably with some executives who work inside, the protesters had a few words for them.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER #1: Join us.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER #2: Join us. Feel bad.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER #3: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER #1: Join us.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Chanting) Feel bad, feel bad, feel bad.

DEL BARCO: The writers say they'll be back on the picket lines as long as it takes.

Mandalit del Barco, NPR News, Hollywood.

(SOUNDBITE OF TOM DOOLIE'S "ON DEMAND")

1 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。

2 guild   

n.行会，同业公会，协会

参考例句：

• He used to be a member of the Writers' Guild of America.他曾是美国作家协会的一员。
• You had better incorporate the firm into your guild.你最好把这个公司并入你的行业协会。

3 picket   

n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫

参考例句：

• They marched to the factory and formed a picket.他们向工厂前进,并组成了纠察队。
• Some of the union members did not want to picket.工会的一些会员不想担任罢工纠察员。

4 picketing   

[经] 罢工工人劝阻工人上班，工人纠察线

参考例句：

• mass picketing of the factory 罢工工人集体对工厂的封锁
• "And my chaps were also there to prevent picketing! “我的人也是防着女工们要拦厂！ 来自子夜部分

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

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 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

8 sketch   

n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述

参考例句：

• My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
• I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。

9 residuals   

剩余误差

参考例句：

• In some cases residuals from these arrivals will stack up to give nearly horizontal alignments. 在某些情况下，这些波至的残余会叠加在一起给出近于水平的同相轴。
• Strong oscillations can occur in the residuals as the number of terms is increased. 随着次数的增加，剩余时差会发生强烈的摆动。

10 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》

11 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

12 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。