中英双语新闻——99 Mammoth search for Santa Claus

 　　Christmas loves a franchise–or any already beloved thing.It can dress up in tinsel and wrap itself around like mistletoe. And then, every year, there are the Christmas specials for almost every sitcom¹ and cartoon, which nod in sincerity² (or in irony) towards the holiday season.

 

　　圣诞节总是青睐能产生衍生效应的电影，或是任何已经深受人们喜爱的事物。这样的电影总是披着华丽的金箔外衣，像槲寄生那样把自己包裹起来装扮一番。因此几乎所有情景喜剧和卡通片每年都会推出圣诞特别版，以真诚或调侃的方式向圣诞节假期致敬。

 

　　Since Charles Schultz, the American cartoonist who created Charlie Brown and Snoopy, put his indelible stamp on the holiday with A Charlie Brown Christmas, back in 1965, characters from television and comic books have tried on the Christmas outfit³.

 

　　自从《查理?布朗和史努比》动画之父，美国漫画家查尔斯?舒尔茨1965年出版《查理?布朗的圣诞节》一书为那个圣诞节打上不可磨灭印记后，电视和漫画书中的角色便开始尝试圣诞装扮。

 

　　This year, Fox has tied a bow around its “Ice Age” property for Ice Age: A Mammoth⁴ Christmas, which premiered on Thanksgiving.

 

　　今年， 福克斯电影公司为旗下的《冰河世纪》系列电影重新装扮一番，推出《冰河世纪：猛犸象的圣诞节》，并于感恩节举行了首映礼。

 

　　The “Ice Age” films, which began in 2002, with a fourth feature slated⁵ for 2012, have been successful. One thing many fans would love A Mammoth Christmas is that they can have a chance to spend more time with the memorable⁶ characters from the series: Manny the Mammoth (Ray Romano), Diego the Smilodon (Denis Leary), and Sid the Sloth⁷ (John Leguizamo).

 

　　“冰河世纪”系列电影最初于2002年一经推出便大获成功，该系列的第四部已定于2012年推出。相信很多粉丝会爱上这部《猛犸象的圣诞节》，原因就是他们有机会和该系列影片中那些令人难忘的角色共同度过更多时光，其中包括猛犸象曼尼（雷?罗马诺配音），刀齿虎迭戈（丹尼斯?利瑞配音）和地懒希德（约翰.雷吉扎莫配音）。

 

　　The film tells the story of the birth of the Christmas tree, Santa’s reindeer⁸, his sleigh, his elves and the tradition of mistletoe.

 

　　电影讲述了圣诞树，圣诞老人的驯鹿和雪橇，以及小精灵们的由来，此外还介绍了槲寄生的传统。

 

　　It’s also a “Christmas Must Be Saved” story and a “You Must Believe” story.

 

　　这同时也是一个“圣诞节必须保留的”，且“你必须坚信不移”的故事。

 

　　Like the other “Ice Age” films, it involves a dangerous journey and time is found to torture the poor little saber-toothed squirrel, Scrat.

 

　　同其他《冰河世纪》系列影片一样，该片讲述了一场危险之旅，并且花大篇幅在折磨那只牙齿锐利的可怜小松鼠斯克莱特。

 

　　Christmas has been strapped⁹ on to “Ice Age” like antlers on to a dog–filmmakers behind A Mammoth Christmas may have spent most of their time working on the fourth installment¹⁰ of the “Ice Age” rather than its Christmas special. It feels at times as if someone had merely made a list of things associated with the holiday and threaded a script through them, with little thought to sense or consistency¹¹.

 

　　圣诞节与“冰河世纪”绑在一起似乎有点不搭调。与这个圣诞特别版影片相比较，《猛犸象的圣诞节》的幕后主创们可能将更多的精力都花费在《冰河世纪4》上了。某些时候，该片给人的感觉就像是有人只是简单地列出一份与圣诞节有关的流水账，然后将它们串成一个剧本，几乎毫无思想深度和连贯性可言。

 

　　However, cockeyed Sid, the series’ most likable character, is a high point of the film. In A Mammoth Christmas, he’s still got his silliness, enthusiasm and useful comical shape. Whatever else is happening, Leguizamo and the animators make Sid reliably funny.

 

　　然而，作为该系列电影中最讨人喜欢的角色，装傻充愣的希德是本片中最大亮点。在《猛犸象的圣诞节》中，他仍然保持愚笨和热情的特点以及颇为奏效的滑稽的外形。不管其他有什么变化，雷吉扎莫和动画设计师的确将希德这个角色刻画得相当有趣。

 

　　“It’s wildly irresponsible and impulsive,” he says when Manny’s “little girl” Peaches suggests they go find Santa. “Let’s do it.”

 

　　“这真是一种疯狂的不可理喻的冲动行为。”当猛犸象曼尼可爱的“小女儿”小桃建议大家去找圣诞老人时，他说道。“让我们行动吧。”

1 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。

2 sincerity   

n.真诚，诚意；真实

参考例句：

• His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
• He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。

3 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

4 mammoth   

n.长毛象；adj.长毛象似的，巨大的

参考例句：

• You can only undertake mammoth changes if the finances are there.资金到位的情况下方可进行重大变革。
• Building the new railroad will be a mammoth job.修建那条新铁路将是一项巨大工程。

5 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。

6 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

7 sloth   

n.[动]树懒；懒惰，懒散

参考例句：

• Absence of competition makes for sloth.没有竞争会导致懒惰。
• The sloth spends most of its time hanging upside down from the branches.大部分时间里树懒都是倒挂在树枝上。

8 reindeer   

n.驯鹿

参考例句：

• The herd of reindeer was being trailed by a pack of wolves.那群驯鹿被一只狼群寻踪追赶上来。
• The life of the Reindeer men was a frontier life.驯鹿时代人的生活是一种边区生活。

9 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 installment   

n.(instalment)分期付款；(连载的)一期

参考例句：

• I shall soon pay the last installment of my debt.不久我将偿付我的最后一期债款。
• He likes to buy things on the installment plan.他喜欢用分期付款法购买货物。

11 consistency   

n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度

参考例句：

• Your behaviour lacks consistency.你的行为缺乏一贯性。
• We appreciate the consistency and stability in China and in Chinese politics.我们赞赏中国及其政策的连续性和稳定性。