【一起听英语】詹姆斯邦德

 大家看过电影007里的詹姆斯邦德吧，他给人留下的印象刻入人心....

Alice: Hello, I'm Alice.

Rob: And I'm Rob.

Alice: And this is 6 Minute English! I have to say Rob, you’re looking very smart and

sophisticated¹ in your dinner jacket and bow tie.

Rob: Oh, thanks, Alice. I’m trying to get in to character as James Bond because

that's who we're talking about today.

Alice: Ah, James Bond, probably one of the most famous fictional² spies.

Rob: Yes, British agent 007 was the smooth spy and hero of the novels by Ian

Fleming.

Alice: Well, even though Ian Fleming died in 1964, a new Bond book has just been

published. But before I tell you more about it, Rob, here’s our question today.

Do you know the title of the first-ever James Bond story that Ian Fleming

wrote? Was it:

a) Diamonds Are Forever

b) From Russia With Love

c) Casino Royale 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

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Rob: Hmm… they all sound like old titles, but I’ll have a guess at Casino Royale.

Alice: OK, well, as usual, I'll tell you the correct answer at the end of the programme.

Now let's talk about this new James Bond novel. It's called 'Carte Blanche'.

Rob: 'Carte Blanche'. This is the first story about James Bond that's not written by

Ian Fleming.

Alice: That's right. It has been written by American author, Jeffery Deaver. He

normally writes crime novels, but of course he’s a big fan of Ian Fleming and

started reading his books when he was eight years old.

Rob: Wow! That's quite young to be reading something that’s more suitable for

adults!

Alice: It is. Let's hear what he has to say about his parents encouraging him to read.

Insert 1:

Well, my parents had an odd rule in the household: my sister and I could read any book

we could get our hands on - books were good. There were some movies that we were not

allowed to see, so I picked up the James Bond books and was captivated with them. So

Fleming was always part of my life as a reader and when I started writing, which was

only a few years later, I modelled my books after his writing.

Alice: That was Jeffrey Deaver who said he was captivated by the James Bond

 books.

Rob: Captivated, so he was hooked³ on reading about him, especially as he wasn't

allowed to watch any films – or movies.

Alice: And when he started writing he modelled - copied the style of - the books on

the writing of Ian Fleming. 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

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Rob: So it seems like he’s a good choice for someone to write the next Bond book.

And it must have been a huge honour for him.

Alice: A huge honour. He got the news by text message but, as he says, he didn't take

long to say yes.

Insert 2:

I remember I was driving down the motorway⁴ and my phone buzzed⁵ with a text message.

And of course I pulled over and I looked at it, and I debated 7, 8 seconds and answered

that yes I would. The thrill was unsurpassed - I just can’t describe it.

Rob: So he got a text message when he was driving. He pulled over and debated it

with himself for 7 or 8 seconds. So he discussed it with himself!

Alice: Yeah, and then he said yes! He said the thrill – the excitement – was

unsurpassed; it couldn't be any better!

Rob: I'm sure. But Alice, I know the world of James Bond is constantly being

reinvented and updated, so how different is this new book from the old ones?

Alice: Well, as you know, one of the best things about the Bond stories are the

gadgets⁷. And as this is the first book to be set in the 21st Century there are some

very up-to-date ones, including an app to help eavesdrop⁸ on people.

Rob: An app – or application – used on a smart phone. That sounds great. Anything

else? 

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Alice: Yes. There is a gadget⁶ for iris⁹ recognition¹⁰. It can check who you are by

looking at your eyes!

Insert 3:

Spies have always been on the cutting edge of technology and Bond is always outthinking

the bad guys - he has to have his gadgets. The trick of if you have to give a

message to an agent on the street, and yet you know you’re being listened to or observed

- you tie your shoelaces in a slightly different pattern and that will convey the message. I

love little things like that.

Alice: So Jeffrey says that Bond is always out-thinking the bad guys.

Rob: So he means he’s trying to think beyond what the villains¹¹ are thinking?

Alice: I think so! That's why he said spies are always on the cutting edge of

technology. They need them to catch the bad guys.

Rob: Well, there aren't many Bond villians I would like to meet anyway, but they are

very good to watch in the Bond films.

Alice: They are, and of course the Bond film franchise¹² is hugely successful. I wonder

if this new book, Carte Blanche, will ever become a film? Anyway Rob, let's

see if you got the correct answer to the question I gave you earlier.

Rob: Ah, yes. You asked me what was Ian Fleming's first-ever James Bond book.

And I said Casino Royale.

Alice: And you were right.

Rob: Ah! 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

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Alice: Casino Royale, first published in 1953. Well done! And before we go, let’s hear

some of the words and phrases that we’ve used in today’s programme.

Rob: sophisticated

fictional

novels

 captivated

 modelled

 debated

 unsurpassed

 eavesdrop

 iris recognition

 out-thinking

 cutting edge

 franchise

Alice: Thanks, Rob. Well, we hope you’ve had fun with us today on 6 Minute English

- and that you’ll join us again next time. 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

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Both: Bye. 

1 sophisticated   

adj.老练的，精密的，尖端的，高雅的

参考例句：

• She has become very sophisticated since she went to live in London.移居伦敦后她变得世故多了。
• This is a very sophisticated machine.这是一台非常精密的机器。

2 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

3 hooked   

adj.钩状的，弯曲的

参考例句：

• I first got hooked on scuba diving when I was twelve. 12 岁时我开始迷上了带水肺潜水。
• He hooked his arm round her neck and pulled her head down. 他一只胳膊钩在她的脖子上，把她的头拉低。

4 motorway   

n.高速公路，快车道

参考例句：

• Our car had a breakdown on the motorway.我们的汽车在高速公路上抛锚了。
• A maniac driver sped 35 miles along the wrong side of a motorway at 110 mph.一个疯狂的司机以每小时110英里的速度在高速公路上逆行飙车35英里。

5 buzzed   

v.发出嗡嗡声( buzz的过去式和过去分词 )；（发出）充满兴奋的谈话声[闲话，谣言]；忙乱，急行；用蜂鸣器（发信号）

参考例句：

• Bees buzzed lazily among the flowers. 蜜蜂在花丛中懒洋洋地嗡嗡叫着。
• He buzzed the rumour everywhere. 他到处散播谣言。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 gadget   

n.小巧的机械，精巧的装置，小玩意儿

参考例句：

• This gadget isn't much good.这小机械没什么用处。
• She has invented a nifty little gadget for undoing stubborn nuts and bolts.她发明了一种灵巧的小工具用来松开紧固的螺母和螺栓。

7 gadgets   

n.小机械，小器具（ gadget的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• Certainly. The idea is not to have a house full of gadgets. 当然。设想是房屋不再充满小配件。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• This meant more gadgets and more experiments. 这意味着要设计出更多的装置，做更多的实验。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

8 eavesdrop   

v.偷听，倾听

参考例句：

• He ensconced himself in the closet in order to eavesdrop.他藏在壁橱里，以便偷听。
• It is not polite to eavesdrop on the conversation of other people.偷听他人说话是很不礼貌的。

9 iris   

n.虹膜，彩虹

参考例句：

• The opening of the iris is called the pupil.虹膜的开口处叫做瞳孔。
• This incredible human eye,complete with retina and iris,can be found in the Maldives.又是在马尔代夫，有这样一只难以置信的眼睛，连视网膜和虹膜都刻画齐全了。

10 recognition   

n.承认，认可，认出，认识

参考例句：

• The place has changed beyond recognition.这地方变得认不出来了。
• A sudden smile of recognition flashed across his face.他脸上掠过一丝笑意，表示认识对方。

11 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》

12 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。