211. The stubborn studio executive固执的电影公司经理 stringent-subsidy
There was once a stubborn studio executive. He thought everyone’s ideas were subordinate to his. Had it not been for a stroke of good luck, his career would have already subsided. He worked for a subsidiary of Global Pictures, a company that met stringent standards in the movie business. They made stunning action movies. Many stunts appeared in these stylized portraits of a by-gone heroic age. Audiences were stunned at the quality of the filmmaking. The executive had submitted great projects to his superiors, like the one about the hunt for two old submarines submerged under the ocean.
Then he did something stupid. He began subsidizing a film for an avant-garde group. He could do so as the subsidy was small. Perhaps his office had become too stuffy and he suffered from lack of fresh air. This was a sure way to kill his career.
The plot of the movie involved a chemist who sublimates compounds. He took strips of paper exposed to dangerous chemicals and striped each one with a different color. This somehow represented the subjection of intellectuals to drones. The intended theme: submission of the intellect to inferior beings is impossible. In subsequent drafts, the script became even worse. This plot is ludicrous, of course. Thankfully, an executive at the parent company stumbled across the script when it was in the pre-production phase. People wondered how an executive with such a sturdy career could gamble on such a ridiculous script. After this incident, the stubborn executive went back to making action films. Had it not been for his higher-up, he certainly would not be working in the film industry today.
stringent adj.严厉的,缺钱的,银根紧的,周围困难的
strip vt.剥夺,剥掉n.条,带
stripe vi. 努力,奋斗,力求vt.给…划条纹
stroke n.(绘画等)一笔,(幸运或突发事件的)一次,一回,一击
stubborn adj.顽固的,固执的
studio n.录音室,艺术家工作室,电影厂
stuffy adj.不通风的,闷气的
stumble vi.绊倒,偶然碰到
stun vt.使晕倒,打晕,使震惊
stunning adj.让人惊叹的
stunt n.惊人表演,绝技vt.阻碍…发育,妨碍…生长
sturdy adj.(人)强健,结实的,(物)稳固的
stylized adj.风格化的,程式化的
subjection n.征服,服从
sublimate v.使升华,纯化
submarine n. 潜水艇,潜艇adj.水下的,海底的
submerge v.(使)沉没,淹没
submission n.屈服,服从
submit v.服从,提交,递交
subordinate adj.下级的,从属的
subsequent adj.随后的,后来的
subside v.平息,减退
subsidiary n.支流,子公司
subsidize v.补助,资助
subsidy n.补助金,津贴 |