美国国家公共电台 NPR Feminist Films Push Boundaries In India

 

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

We're going to spend the next few minutes talking movies. If the new "Wonder Woman" film was part of your plan for the weekend and you are wondering just where she came from, we will tell you in a few minutes. But first to India, where one of the great classics of the film industry there, "Mother India," turns 60 this year.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "MOTHER INDIA")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS #1: (As character, singing in foreign language).

MARTIN: The heroine is a paragon¹ of traditional virtues² and maternal³ strength. Now, critics say Bollywood hasn't changed very much when it comes to depicting⁴ older women, and younger women are still too often props⁵ in the shadow of a male lead. But NPR's Julie McCarthy tells us about a recent crop of film that focuses exclusively on women and their desires.

JULIE MCCARTHY, BYLINE⁶: The light-hearted "Lipstick⁷ Under My Burkha" follows the secret lives of four women.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURKHA")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS #2: (As character, singing in foreign language).

MCCARTHY: Aahana Kumra portrays⁸ a feisty beautician with irrepressible lust⁹. Her character, a Hindu, has a sizzling affair with a young Muslim photographer whom she cannot marry. And her overt¹⁰ sexual desires are splashed up on the screen with unusual raw humor.

AAHANA KUMRA: Everybody's squirming in their places and going like, oh, my God, like, what are we watching, you know? And I think that’s interesting to watch because art should make you uncomfortable. Or it should make you think.

MCCARTHY: The 60-something character Auntie devours¹¹ pulp¹² fiction loaded with soft porn. She's disgraced when her family discovers that she's been reading steamy passages over the phone to seduce¹³ a swimming instructor¹⁴ half her age. Actress Ratna Pathak plays Auntie and says a widow with a libido¹⁵ is a radical¹⁶ idea in Indian cinema.

RATNA PATHAK: People get a bit shocked by the idea of post-60 generation having a sexual drive at all, which is ridiculous.

MCCARTHY: Debate has swirled¹⁷ around "Lipstick" for this very reason. It reveals unexplored aspects of women's lives. The film premiered in Tokyo and not India. Director Alankrita Shrivastava says India's censorship board refused to certify¹⁸ the film on the grounds it was, quote, "lady-oriented."

ALANKRITA SHRIVASTAVA: That means that you have no idea about the fact that women and men have equal rights in this country. It makes me feel like they don't want women to tell their stories. They want women to keep quiet and shut up. I think patriarchy's alive and kicking, and its roots are really deep.

MCCARTHY: Shrivastava successfully contested the ban, but the board has yet to certify the movie. She says multidimensional roles that project women as complex characters are virtually absent from mainstream¹⁹ Bollywood, which she says persists in portraying²⁰ women as objects.

SHRIVASTAVA: These item songs with these double meaning lyrics²¹ and the camera is randomly²² going up and down a woman's body. It's producers. It's actors. It's directors. Everybody's complicit, actually, in the creation of this kind of culture. And the excuse is always it sells.

MCCARTHY: Director Aparna Sen predicts that her film "Sonata²³" won't make money but break even.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "SONATA")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS #3: (As character) What kind of people are we?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS #4: (As character) Totally decadent²⁴, but happy.

MCCARTHY: Her small-budget English-language production challenges conventional norms of family and friendship. The ensemble²⁵ of three single childless women in middle age appeals to a small urban elite²⁶, but perhaps not mainstream audiences. Director Sen says India has a bias²⁷ against being single.

APARNA SEN: If you're single by choice, they think that something's wrong with you. You're flawed in some way. Just the depiction²⁸ of single women having a blast, having wine, you know, expressing their anxieties and their loneliness - female bonding on cinema is very rare. Very, very rare.

MCCARTHY: Four men were the producers of "Sonata."

SEN: Is that wonderful? Four men who supported women, supported middle-aged²⁹ women (laughter) - four young men, by the way.

MCCARTHY: Sheela Sehgal, a Delhi University literature professor, was among a handful in the theater one recent Friday morning who came to watch "Sonata."

Did it appeal to you?

SHEELA SEHGAL: Absolutely. It's the stark³⁰ reality of Indian women. They're not the younger generation, nor do they feel completely grown old. It's that dilemma³¹. We all will go through that phase. I don't know why they don't make such movies more.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "ANAARKALI OF AARAH")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Hello, check. Hello, hello, hello. One, two, four. One, two, four.

MCCARTHY: Perhaps the film that pushes the theme of sexual choice farthest is "Anaarkali Of Aarah." It's a portrait of a singer who earns a living performing suggestive songs before an all-male audience in small town India. She's molested³² by a prominent figure in town but exacts revenge, shaming him in public during a performance. Swara Bhaskar stars as Anaarkali and says mainstream Bollywood wouldn't risk offending middle-class morality with such a character.

SWARA BHASKAR: Anaarkali is promiscuous³³. She's unapologetic about it. She's a threatening person. She's a little - you know, she's a bit mad. And she wins in the end. And she wins by her own means. No man comes and helps her.

MCCARTHY: Sexual violence against women burst out into the open in India after horrific high-profile incidents like the fatal gang rape³⁴ of a young woman in New Delhi in 2012. But the film "Anaarkali" is meant to send a powerful message that no matter how seductive a woman may be or what profession she's in, she still has the right to say no to sexual advances. Bhaskar says without her consent...

BHASKAR: It doesn't matter if she was dancing naked on the stage. You still cannot touch her without her consent.

MCCARTHY: Small films are carving³⁵ out new rules for women in the cinema. It may be a while, though, before India's mass culture, addicted³⁶ to happy ending love stories and fantasy adventures, is ready to accept this path-breaking entertainment. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, New Delhi.

1 paragon   

n.模范，典型

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• Man is the paragon of animals.人是万物之灵。

2 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

3 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

4 depicting   

描绘，描画( depict的现在分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• a painting depicting the Virgin and Child 一幅描绘童贞马利亚和圣子耶稣的画
• The movie depicting the battles and bloodshed is bound to strike home. 这部描写战斗和流血牺牲的影片一定会取得预期效果。

5 props   

小道具； 支柱( prop的名词复数 )； 支持者； 道具； （橄榄球中的）支柱前锋

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The government props up the prices of farm products to support farmers' incomes. 政府保持农产品价格不变以保障农民们的收入。

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 lipstick   

n.口红，唇膏

参考例句：

• Taking out her lipstick,she began to paint her lips.她拿出口红，开始往嘴唇上抹。
• Lipstick and hair conditioner are cosmetics.口红和护发素都是化妆品。

8 portrays   

v.画像( portray的第三人称单数 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• The museum collection vividly portrays the heritage of 200 years of canals. 博物馆的藏品让运河200 年的历史再现眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The film portrays Gandhi as a kind of superman. 这部电影把甘地描绘成一个超人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 lust   

n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望

参考例句：

• He was filled with lust for power.他内心充满了对权力的渴望。
• Sensing the explorer's lust for gold, the chief wisely presented gold ornaments as gifts.酋长觉察出探险者们垂涎黄金的欲念，就聪明地把金饰品作为礼物赠送给他们。

10 overt   

adj.公开的，明显的，公然的

参考例句：

• His opponent's intention is quite overt.他的对手的意图很明显。
• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。

11 devours   

吞没( devour的第三人称单数 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光

参考例句：

• If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. 若有人想要害他们，就有火从他们口中出来，烧灭仇敌。
• It eats away parts of his skin; death's firstborn devours his limbs. 他本身的肢体要被吞吃，死亡的长子要吞吃他的肢体。

12 pulp   

n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆

参考例句：

• The pulp of this watermelon is too spongy.这西瓜瓤儿太肉了。
• The company manufactures pulp and paper products.这个公司制造纸浆和纸产品。

13 seduce   

vt.勾引，诱奸，诱惑，引诱

参考例句：

• She has set out to seduce Stephen.她已经开始勾引斯蒂芬了。
• Clever advertising would seduce more people into smoking.巧妙策划的广告会引诱更多的人吸烟。

14 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

15 libido   

n.本能的冲动

参考例句：

• Lack of sleep is a major factor in loss of libido.睡眠不足是导致性欲丧失的一个主要因素。
• Ginseng can increase energy and libido,which can help solve intimacy problems.人参可以增加活力和性欲，从而帮助解决亲密关系的问题。

16 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

17 swirled   

v.旋转，打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The waves swirled and eddied around the rocks. 波浪翻滚着在岩石周围打旋。
• The water swirled down the drain. 水打着旋流进了下水道。

18 certify   

vt.证明，证实；发证书(或执照)给

参考例句：

• I can certify to his good character.我可以证明他品德好。
• This swimming certificate is to certify that I can swim one hundred meters.这张游泳证是用以证明我可以游100米远。

19 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

20 portraying   

v.画像( portray的现在分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• The artist has succeeded in portraying my father to the life. 那位画家把我的父亲画得惟妙惟肖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ding Ling was good at portraying figures through careful and refined description of human psychology. 《莎菲女士的日记》是丁玲的成名作，曾引起强烈的社会反响。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

21 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

22 randomly   

adv.随便地，未加计划地

参考例句：

• Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
• Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句

23 sonata   

n.奏鸣曲

参考例句：

• He played a piano sonata of his own composition.他弹奏了一首自作的钢琴奏鸣曲。
• The young boy played the violin sonata masterfully.那个小男孩的小提琴奏鸣曲拉得很熟练。

24 decadent   

adj.颓废的，衰落的，堕落的

参考例句：

• Don't let decadent ideas eat into yourselves.别让颓废的思想侵蚀你们。
• This song was once banned, because it was regarded as decadent.这首歌曾经被认定为是靡靡之音而被禁止播放。

25 ensemble   

n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果

参考例句：

• We should consider the buildings as an ensemble.我们应把那些建筑物视作一个整体。
• It is ensemble music for up to about ten players,with one player to a part.它是最多十人演奏的合奏音乐，每人担任一部分。

26 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

27 bias   

n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见

参考例句：

• They are accusing the teacher of political bias in his marking.他们在指控那名教师打分数有政治偏见。
• He had a bias toward the plan.他对这项计划有偏见。

28 depiction   

n.描述

参考例句：

• Double rhythms, resounding through the lyric depiction and connecting with each other, indicate the thespian place of mankind and the cognition of the writer to this thespian place. 这双重旋律互为表里，表明了人类的某种悲剧性处境以及作家对这种悲剧性处境的感受和认识。
• A realistic depiction of scenes from everyday domestic life. 日常家居生活的写实画。

29 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

30 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

31 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

32 molested   

v.骚扰( molest的过去式和过去分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵

参考例句：

• The bigger children in the neighborhood molested the younger ones. 邻居家的大孩子欺负小孩子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He molested children and was sent to jail. 他猥亵儿童，进了监狱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

33 promiscuous   

adj.杂乱的，随便的

参考例句：

• They were taking a promiscuous stroll when it began to rain.他们正在那漫无目的地散步，突然下起雨来。
• Alec know that she was promiscuous and superficial.亚历克知道她是乱七八糟和浅薄的。

34 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

35 carving   

n.雕刻品，雕花

参考例句：

• All the furniture in the room had much carving.房间里所有的家具上都有许多雕刻。
• He acquired the craft of wood carving in his native town.他在老家学会了木雕手艺。

36 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。