VOA慢速英语2021--《在高地》纽约拉美裔社区的音乐之旅

‘In the Heights:’ A Musical Visit to New York's Hispanic Neighborhood

Lin-Manuel Miranda began writing what would become In the Heights as a university student. The musical play would launch¹ him as a playwright² and performer. Now, 20 years later, a movie version³ is in theaters for its first weekend.

Miranda said like other artists, he was driven by ambition – but also by something else.

"It was a lot of fear, honestly," Miranda said in a recent interview. "I was 18, 19 and starting to study theater. The fear was: I'm going into a field that has no space for me, that has no roles for me. It was sort of that thing of: No one's going to write your dream show."

In the Heights opened on June 10. It celebrates many things: the Latino immigrant⁴ experience, neighborhood communities in New York City and life itself.

The movie was supposed to be released⁵ last June, but was delayed by the coronavirus health crisis⁶. The film's director, however, thinks the delay was not necessarily⁷ a bad thing. Moviegoers might be ready for some energetic music, singing and dancing after a year of restricted⁸ life.

In the Heights Director Jon M. Chu calls the movie, "a vaccine⁹ of joy."

"On the first day of shooting, we all got in a circle and I was like: Let go of all the pressure. Let's just entertain...these people," Chu remembers.

On Wednesday, In the Heights played at the Tribeca Film Festival with showings across New York City. It has won praise from critics.

The filmmakers hope In the Heights can be for Latinos what Black Panther was for Black Americans and what Crazy Rich Asians was for Asian Americans. Hispanics are the largest minority in the United States. They make up an even larger percentage of moviegoers. But, the minority is underrepresented in Hollywood productions.

Chu said, in the end, it is moviegoers who decide. Crazy Rich Asians, which Chu also directed, was a surprise pop culture hit that led to changes in the movie industry.

"For the culture!"

In the Heights tells a story about a Dominican-American store owner Usnavi who dreams of returning to the Caribbean area. Miranda himself played Usnavi in the theater version. Actor Anthony Ramos, a native of New York City's Bushwick area, performs the part in the movie.

Ramos said he experienced¹⁰ many of the things shown in the movie. "There are shots of the food that I grew up eating, the music that I grew up listening to," he said.

A sense of responsibility weighed on Ramos during the filming in Washington Heights. Before shooting, Ramos would shout to the crew: "For the culture!" — a custom he learned¹¹ from director Spike¹² Lee while working on one of his movies.

"It meant that we are all here, in this moment, doing this film and telling this story for something that is way bigger than any [of] us," said Ramos. "This is for everybody who had to sacrifice, who had to break doors open."

Director: 'This is what we're here for'

Many performers involved in the first In the Heights Broadway show appear in the movie's final song and dance. Students from a nearby high school also can be seen in the film. The students had produced their own In the Heights show which the filmmakers watched and found moving.

"It just showed us: This is what we're here for," said Chu.

Others starring in the movie include Leslie Grace¹³ as Nina Rosario, a college student home for the summer; Corey Hawkins as Benny, a taxi driver; and Melissa Barrera as Vanessa, a beauty salon¹⁴ worker trying to get her own home. Thirty-year-old Barrera said the part she plays as a young woman seeking a better future away from home — is basically¹⁵ herself.

Barrera was born in Mexico.

"I feel like I've worked really hard in my career but there's always something, like, what is it that I'm missing¹⁶?" said Barrera. "I was that girl. I left Mexico. I knew I wasn't going to be able to become a performer in my hometown."

When the film was early in development, there was an interest in getting famous singers to play some parts. But Miranda strongly believed that In the Heights should help grow the Latino stars the industry has been lacking. The creators also decided¹⁷ to include some current issues in the story.

"Once we decided on now, there was a lot of room to grow," said Quiara Alegría Hudes. She wrote the screenplay and, earlier, the book for the theater production. "I live in Washington Heights. Part of how I write is by just walking around and listening."

Miranda has seen many changes since the first 2008 Broadway performance. He noted¹⁸ that theater attendance¹⁹ numbers for Latinos went up in 2008, the year his musical was released. Then, he said the numbers decreased.

"In a lot of ways, time has caught up to In the Heights," Miranda said.

Words in This Story

ambition –n. a desire to be successful, powerful or famous

interview –n. a meeting between a reporter and another person in order to get information for a news story

role –n. the character played by an actor

entertain –v. to perform for other people by singing, dancing or doing other activities

career – n. a job or profession that someone does for a long time

1 launch   

vt.发动，推出；发射；n.发射，下水，投产

参考例句：

• The makers are about to launch out a new product.制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。
• Would it be wise to launch into this rough sea?在这样汹涌的大海中游泳明智吗？

2 playwright   

n.剧作家，编写剧本的人

参考例句：

• Gwyn Thomas was a famous playwright.格温·托马斯是著名的剧作家。
• The playwright was slaughtered by the press.这位剧作家受到新闻界的无情批判。

3 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？

4 immigrant   

adj.(从国外)移来的，移民的；n.移民，侨民

参考例句：

• Life in the USA was very hard for almost every new immigrant.美国的生活几乎对每一个新移民都很艰难。
• I'd like to obtain some information about applying for an immigrant visa.我想取一些申请移民签证的资料。

5 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

6 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

7 necessarily   

adv.必要地，必需地；必定地，必然地

参考例句：

• More work does not necessarily call for more men.增加工作量不一定就要增添人员。
• A voter must necessarily be no younger than eighteen.选民必须在18岁以上。

8 restricted   

adj.有限的；受约束的

参考例句：

• Speed is restricted to 30 mph in towns. 在城里车速不得超过每小时30英里。
• a restricted range of foods 有限的食物种类

9 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

10 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

11 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

12 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

13 grace   

n.优雅，雅致，魅力，恩惠，慈悲

参考例句：

• She is a beautiful girl with the grace and poise.她是一位仪态优雅的佳丽。
• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。

14 salon   

n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室

参考例句：

• Do you go to the hairdresser or beauty salon more than twice a week?你每周去美容院或美容沙龙多过两次吗？
• You can hear a lot of dirt at a salon.你在沙龙上会听到很多流言蜚语。

15 basically   

adv.基本上，从根本上说

参考例句：

• His heart is basically sound.他的心脏基本上健康。
• Basically I agree with your plan.我基本上同意你的计划。

16 missing   

adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的

参考例句：

• Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
• All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。

17 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

18 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

19 attendance   

n.出席，出席人数，护理，照料

参考例句：

• The attendance of this class never dropped off.这个班的出席人数从未下降。
• The young man danced attendance on his rich aunt.这个年轻人小心侍候他有钱的姑妈。