VOA标准英语2011--Sentiment Mixes with Science Fiction in

Sentiment Mixes with Science Fiction in 'Real Steel'

Battling robots in the boxing ring help a wayward father reconnect with his young son in the new sci-fi action film "Real Steel," starring Hugh Jackman.
In the not too distant future, prizefighters no longer face off in the arena¹. Instead, they operate the controls of boxing robots or 'bots.' Charlie Kenton is an ex-fighter whose bots keep getting pummeled in the ring. His luck changes when Max, the son he abandoned as a baby 10 years earlier, comes back into his life.
Scavenging for parts in the junkyard, Max discovers a rusty² old robot which he cleans up and then convinces his dad to give it a chance.
There's an old show business warning, usually attributed to the comic actor W.C. Fields, about never working with small children because they are natural scene-stealers. That's certainly the case with young Dakota Goyo, who plays Max. But Jackman, who plays Charlie, says he gladly let the 10 year old take the spotlight³ because he did it so well.
"Without that boy being that good we really don't have a movie," Jackman says. "The movie exists on the strength of that relationship and the relationship with that discarded robot. It's the redemption tale of these three and this kid is phenomenal. He is funny, he's full of life. He's a brilliant actor and the nicest kid imaginable. I have no doubt he's going to become a huge star and I'll be in the old person's home saying 'You know, I was in his first movie' and they'll be saying 'Shut up, Jackman.'"
Many big Hollywood movies with robots as central characters rely on big, loud action scenes. "Real Steel" has some of that, but director Shawn Levy⁴ pairs the action with the emotional father-son story.
"The self-given mandate⁵ of "Real Steel" was to do science fiction with sentiment, to do as much heart as action," Levy says. "My feeling is that was the chance that "Real Steel" had of being unique because robot action sequences in 2011 do not bring an inherent newness and I thought that to pretend they do would be delusional⁶, silly and short-sighted."
Guided by producer Steven Spielberg, Levy used full-sized real robots instead of computer-generated images whenever possible.
"There is no comparison in what you get from your actors. If you're asking them to fake it, that's tough. But if you're asking an actor to play a scene with a real two-meter tall robot, you get something different altogether," Levy says. "My co-star is 10 years old; the reason those scenes have magic to them and the reason it looks like that boy loves that robot is because that actor loved that robot."
The robot boxing looks authentic⁷ thanks to the special ring advisor⁸ on the movie, former welterweight champion Sugar Ray Leonard.
"I tried to make sure that it stayed close to boxing," Leonard says, "but they are robots and they can do some things that normal boxers⁹ can not or are not allowed to do."
Leonard also worked with Hugh Jackman on the moves, attitude and bearing of a boxing champ, help to give 'Real Steel" a realistic edge along with its emotional heart.

1 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

2 rusty   

adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的

参考例句：

• The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
• I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。

3 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

4 levy   

n.征收税或其他款项，征收额

参考例句：

• They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
• A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

5 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

6 delusional   

妄想的

参考例句：

• You became delusional and attacked several people trying to escape. 你产生了错觉并攻击了许多人还试图逃走。 来自电影对白
• He is incoherent, delusional, suffering auditory hallucinations. 他出现无逻辑的，妄想的，幻听的症状。 来自电影对白

7 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

8 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

9 boxers   

n.拳击短裤；（尤指职业）拳击手( boxer的名词复数 )；拳师狗

参考例句：

• The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The boxers slugged it out to the finish. 两名拳击手最后决出了胜负。 来自《简明英汉词典》