美国国家公共电台 NPR Peter Sallis, Voice Behind 'Wallace And Gromit' Films, Dies At 96

 

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Now let's take a few moments to remember actor Peter Sallis who died last week. He was 96.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

If you don't recognize his name, perhaps you'll recognize his voice.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "WALLACE AND GROMIT: A GRAND DAY OUT")

PETER SALLIS: (As Wallace) Tell you what, Gromit, lad. Let's have a nice, hot cup of tea.

SIEGEL: Sallis was the voice of Wallace from the popular stop-motion animated¹ films "Wallace And Gromit."

CORNISH: He played the cheerful, eccentric character who loved cheese, a habit that sparks a journey in the first "Wallace And Gromit" film, "A Grand Day Out."

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "WALLACE AND GROMIT: A GRAND DAY OUT")

SALLIS: (As Wallace) No cheese, Gromit, not a bit in the house.

SIEGEL: Naturally, he decides to go to a place where there is cheese. With his loyal dog, Gromit, he builds a rocket, and they set off for the moon.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "WALLACE AND GROMIT: A GRAND DAY OUT")

CORNISH: Where in the most British of ways, they have a picnic to taste the moon's cheese.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "WALLACE AND GROMIT: A GRAND DAY OUT")

SALLIS: (As Wallace) I don't know, lad. It's like no cheese I've ever tasted.

CORNISH: Peter Sallis didn't set out to be an actor. During World War II, he joined the Royal Air Force where he served as a wireless² mechanic and later as a radio instructor³ in the Royal Air Force College. That's where one of his students asked him to join a local play. He later wrote in his autobiography⁴, (reading) I determined⁵ that after the war, if I survived it, I would become an actor.

SIEGEL: He went on to work with such greats as Laurence Olivier and Orson Welles, and he had guest spots on TV shows like "Doctor Who." And for 37 years, he played the philosophical⁶ Norman Clegg, or Cleggy, on the long-running British sitcom⁷ "Last Of The Summer Wine."

CORNISH: Still, nothing brought him more acclaim⁸ than those beloved "Wallace And Gromit" films. Nick Park, the series' creator, told ITV News he was grateful that Peter Sallis agreed to voice Wallace.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

NICK PARK: There was never another choice for me. The charm and the sort of qualities that he brought onto it have always been so kind of endearing and appealing and very much shaped Wallace's face. You know, the way I modeled Wallace was very much based on how Peter would pronounce words and say cheese and crackers⁹.

SIEGEL: For his part, Peter Sallis confessed in 2009 that he wasn't like his character in one key way. He said this. I have to admit. I'm not really a big cheese fan. I'd much prefer a nice piece of cake.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "WALLACE AND GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT")

1 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

2 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

3 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。

4 autobiography   

n.自传

参考例句：

• He published his autobiography last autumn.他去年秋天出版了自己的自传。
• His life story is recounted in two fascinating volumes of autobiography.这两卷引人入胜的自传小说详述了他的生平。

5 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

6 philosophical   

adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的

参考例句：

• The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
• She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。

7 sitcom   

n.情景喜剧，（广播、电视的）系列幽默剧

参考例句：

• This sitcom is produced in cooperation with Hong Kong TV.这部连续剧是同香港电视台联合制作的。
• I heard that a new sitcom is coming out next season.我听说下一季会推出一个新的情境喜剧。

8 acclaim   

v.向…欢呼，公认；n.欢呼，喝彩，称赞

参考例句：

• He was welcomed with great acclaim.他受到十分热烈的欢迎。
• His achievements earned him the acclaim of the scientific community.他的成就赢得了科学界的赞誉。

9 crackers   

adj.精神错乱的，癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 )；薄脆饼干；（认为）十分愉快的事；迷人的姑娘

参考例句：

• That noise is driving me crackers. 那噪声闹得我简直要疯了。
• We served some crackers and cheese as an appetiser. 我们上了些饼干和奶酪作为开胃品。 来自《简明英汉词典》