美国国家公共电台 NPR Spooky Sounds To Leave Your Ears Trembling

Spooky Sounds To Leave Your Ears Trembling

play pause stop mute unmute max volume 00:0003:56repeat repeat off Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser¹ to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: 

Now it's time for our regular segment Words You'll Hear. That's where we take a word or phrase we think will be in the news in the coming days and let you know what it's all about. But instead of a word this week, we decided² to go with a sound or rather scary sounds.

(SOUNDBITE OF THUNDER)

MARTIN: Yes. That's because Halloween is tomorrow, and for a lot of people, it's not just about the candy. It's also about getting that you-know-what scared out of them either at the movies or at a haunted house and that involves scary sounds which because this is NPR makes us wonder what makes a sound scary? For this, we called an expert. Peter Brown of the Formosa Group in Los Angeles is a sound editor who scares up the magic behind lots of horror films, including much of the blockbuster series "Paranormal Activity."

PETER BROWN: In "Paranormal Activity 2," at the climax³ of the film when the dad is down in the basement looking for the possessed⁴ son, there's a moment of quiet.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2")

BRIAN BOLAND: (As Daniel Rey, screaming).

BROWN: That is immediately followed by a large explosion of sound when he is attacked, and that seemed to sort of set the stage for how a lot of the scares in those films would occur.

MARTIN: OK. So that was pretty scary. What about zombies, especially zombies being chopped to bits?

BROWN: We got a real weed whacker⁵ with a big metal blade on it and set about chopping up all of the pumpkins⁶, watermelons, vegetables, sticks, foliage⁷ that we could find. And that was pretty crazy.

MARTIN: Yeah. And some heart-stopping sounds are so iconic, they've become almost inside jokes among sound designers. One of the most famous sounds in the film industry is something called the Wilhelm Scream.

(SOUNDBITE OF THE WILHELM SCREAM)

MARTIN: The scream first appeared in a movie you probably never heard of called "Distant Drums" from 1951.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "DISTANT DRUMS")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) For the only retreat was to cross the wild, steaming swamp-ridden Everglades, the unknown jungle, dark, deadly.

MARTIN: Let's hear the scream again.

(SOUNDBITE OF WILHELM SCREAM)

MARTIN: That comes from a scene of an alligator⁸ dragging a man underwater to his death. The movie was unremarkable, but the sound has made it into more than 200 films - "Star Wars."

(SOUNDBITE OF THE WILHELM SCREAM)

MARTIN: "Indiana Jones."

(SOUNDBITE OF THE WILHELM SCREAM)

MARTIN: Even "Toy Story."

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOY STORY")

TIM ALLEN: (As Buzz Lightyear, screaming).

JIM VARNEY: (As Slinky) Buzz.

WALLACE SHAWN: (As Rex, screaming).

TOM HANKS: (As Woody) Buzz.

MARTIN: Of course, it's also in Peter Brown's "Paranormal Activity" movies. But the key to creating a truly terrifying sound is to give it context.

BROWN: If you live alone, you know, me just going (clears throat) is not a very scary sound. But if you heard it outside your bedroom door in the middle of the night (clears throat), it would be about the most terrifying thing in the world.

MARTIN: So next time you hear something a little creepy...

(SOUNDBITE OF FOOTSTEPS)

MARTIN: ...Just remember it's the story that's really scaring you.

(SOUNDBITE OF MICHAEL JACKSON SONG, "THRILLER⁹")

MARTIN: And to keep the Halloween spirit going, remember yesterday we asked you to post on Twitter your favorite and not so favorite Halloween candies. No doubt about it chocolate came out on top - Kit¹⁰ Kats, Snickers, Heath bars. @Tanesha_hall_ says she will take any chocolate bar. Even Mallo Cups got one vote if you can believe that. I guess some people like coconut¹¹. Tweeter at Angela Roquemore said she lost a baby tooth on a Starburst and can't stand them. Ashley Bovi says the worst candy ever is Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses. And what about the ever controversial candy corn? Super yuck says at Lee Kris but @VAEllis5 says candy corn is his favorite along with milk duds. Go figure. Either way, enjoy the candy rush and happy Halloween.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THRILLER")

MICHAEL JACKSON: (Singing) Thriller, thriller night. And no one's going to save you from the beast about to strike. You know it's thriller...

1 browser   

n.浏览者

参考例句：

• View edits in a web browser.在浏览器中看编辑的效果。
• I think my browser has a list of shareware links.我想在浏览器中会有一系列的共享软件链接。

2 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。

3 climax   

n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点

参考例句：

• The fifth scene was the climax of the play.第五场是全剧的高潮。
• His quarrel with his father brought matters to a climax.他与他父亲的争吵使得事态发展到了顶点。

4 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

5 whacker   

n.异常巨大的东西或人

参考例句：

• Do I do my hair with a weed whacker? 我是不是用除草机给自己理发？ 来自互联网

6 pumpkins   

n.南瓜( pumpkin的名词复数 )；南瓜的果肉，南瓜囊

参考例句：

• I like white gourds, but not pumpkins. 我喜欢吃冬瓜，但不喜欢吃南瓜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put lights inside. 然后在南瓜上刻出一张脸，并把瓜挖空。 来自英语晨读30分（高三）

7 foliage   

n.叶子，树叶，簇叶

参考例句：

• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage.小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
• Dark foliage clothes the hills.浓密的树叶覆盖着群山。

8 alligator   

n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼)

参考例句：

• She wandered off to play with her toy alligator.她开始玩鳄鱼玩具。
• Alligator skin is five times more costlier than leather.鳄鱼皮比通常的皮革要贵5倍。

9 thriller   

n.惊险片，恐怖片

参考例句：

• He began by writing a thriller.That book sold a million copies.他是写惊险小说起家的。那本书卖了一百万册。
• I always take a thriller to read on the train.我乘火车时，总带一本惊险小说看。

10 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

11 coconut   

n.椰子

参考例句：

• The husk of this coconut is particularly strong.椰子的外壳很明显非常坚固。
• The falling coconut gave him a terrific bang on the head.那只掉下的椰子砰地击中他的脑袋。