英语听力精选进阶版 6169（在线收听）

The Year of the Heavyweights 大腕儿云集的一年

The 62nd Cannes Film Festival opened with an animated movie called Up. This light-hearted and popular Disney movie about an elderly global explorer showcases cutting edge animation techniques but it has been viewed as a surprising choice to open the festival.

2009 is being hailed as the year of the heavyweights. With classic filmmakers such as Coppola, Tarantino, Ang Lee and Von Trier showing films, few expected the festival to kick off with an animated movie.

Up may have been chosen in an attempt to show the broad reach and mass appeal of animation. After all, animated movies have proved to be some of the most popular and best selling in recent times.

This year’s festival appears to have a cross-cultural theme. Asia and Europe are well represented with films such as Looking for Eric, a British movie featuring the French football hero Eric Cantona. Other cross-cultural examples include Map of the Sounds of Tokyo which is a Spanish thriller set in Japan, and a movie about a French chef set in Hong Kong called Vengeance.

Asia and Europe also dominate the judging panel for the coveted Palme d’Or for best film. Actress Shu Qi will be one of a six-strong jury who decides which of the twenty nominated feature films merits this prestigious award.

Although there has been much speculation and not a lot of agreement on who will win, one thing is for certain.

The media attention that can be gained from participation in the festival provides enough of a draw for the industry heavyweights – not to mention the typical Cannes glitterati.

So, it looks as though the celebrities and media will still be out in force even though many thought the festival would be lower key than usual due to the current economic climate.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

animated 动画的

light-hearted 轻松的

showcases 展示

cutting edge 前沿的，领新的

hailed as 被誉为

heavyweights 重量级人物

broad reach 触及广博

mass appeal 广泛吸引力

cross-cultural 跨文化的

thriller 惊险影片

dominate 主导

judging panel 评选委员会

coveted 令人垂涎的

jury 评委

merits 值得/应受

speculation 揣测

media attention 媒体的关注

glitterati 影视名流

out in force 兴师动众

lower key 比较低调的