VOA标准英语2012--Streep Win Would End Long Oscar Drought

Streep Win Would End Long Oscar Drought

With 17 Oscar nominations², Meryl Streep has joined the pantheon of great thespians³ but, despite being the most nominated actress in history, she has not won an Oscar since 1982.
This is the year that could break Streep's Oscar dry spell. Nominated for her leading role as Margaret Thatcher⁴ in "The Iron Lady," Streep is considered by many to be the front runner.
Streep has never shied away from controversial roles. Once again, as Margaret Thatcher, she validates⁵ her acting⁶ pedigree.
Her every gesture, the intonation⁷ of her voice, all bring to life the former British prime minister.
Success is not new for this actress. On Feb. 12, she won a BAFTA Best Actress award, the British equivalent of an Oscar. In early December, she was honored by the Kennedy Center for her achievements over a lifetime.
Streep has been at it since childhood. She started acting in high school.
Murray Horwitz, a playwright⁸ and former director of the American Film Institute, says Streep blossomed on the stage.
“She is, I think, the most talented actor I have ever seen when it comes to physical portrayals," he says. "And for this, you really have to have seen her on stage.”
But film made her famous.
Streep's first Oscar nomination¹ was for her 1978 role in "The Deer Hunter," in which she played Linda, a working class woman touched by the war in Vietnam.
A year later, she starred opposite Dustin Hoffman in "Kramer vs. Kramer," about a family wrecked¹⁰ by divorce. She was Joanna, a mother who leaves her husband and child to find herself.
Streep received an Oscar as best supporting actress for the role. But she also earned the respect of her peers for standing¹¹ up to the producer, director and co-star in softening¹² the portrayal⁹ of Joanna.
In 1982, Streep won the Oscar for best actress for her title role "Sophie’s Choice." Streep offered a tour de force performance as the tragic¹³ woman, a survivor¹⁴ of the Nazi¹⁵ Holocaust¹⁶. She went on to play in dozens of films and has garnered¹⁷ countless¹⁸ awards.
Murray Horwitz explains her success. “A Broadway producer said to me one time, the idea is to make the hard ones look easy and the easy ones look hard. And I think Streep does this very, very well. She doesn't let you know she's acting."
Her emotional and intellectual range landed her roles like the ourageous baroness¹⁹ in "Out of Africa," the eccentric lady in the children's film "Lemony Snicket," and as fashion dragon Miranda Priestly in the comedy "The Devil Wears Prada."
After the fashion icon²⁰, she became a Catholic nun²¹ in the drama "Doubt," and then the iconic chef of French cuisine²² Julia Child in "Julie and Julia."
“Every muscle, every twitch²³, every breath, it seemed was right," Horwitz says. "Her physical gifts and her ability to harness them, her ability to use them are just, I think, unmatched.”

1 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

2 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

3 thespians   

n.演员( thespian的名词复数 )；悲剧演员

参考例句：

• Broadway was full of loafing thespians in search of next season's engagements. 百老汇大街上挤满了闲荡的演员，在寻找下个季度的演出机会。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• These fine thespians and l were just heading back to my cabin. 这些好演员们正打算和我回船舱呢。 来自电影对白

4 thatcher   

n.茅屋匠

参考例句：

• Tom Sawyer was in the skiff that bore Judge Thatcher. 汤姆 - 索亚和撒切尔法官同乘一条小艇。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• Mrs. Thatcher was almost crazed; and Aunt Polly, also. 撒切尔夫人几乎神经失常，还有波莉姨妈也是。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

5 validates   

v.证实( validate的第三人称单数 )；确证；使生效；使有法律效力

参考例句：

• Other research validates that when it comes to chocolate, type does matter. 其他的研究也证实了不同种类的巧克力确实功效不同。 来自互联网
• Trouble shoots equipment, review and validates data and complete reports. 管理错误描述设备，审查并确认试验数据，完成试验报告。 来自互联网

6 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

7 intonation   

n.语调，声调；发声

参考例句：

• The teacher checks for pronunciation and intonation.老师在检查发音和语调。
• Questions are spoken with a rising intonation.疑问句是以升调说出来的。

8 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。

9 portrayal   

n.饰演；描画

参考例句：

• His novel is a vivid portrayal of life in a mining community.他的小说生动地描绘了矿区的生活。
• The portrayal of the characters in the novel is lifelike.该书中的人物写得有血有肉。

10 wrecked   

adj.失事的，遇难的

参考例句：

• the hulk of a wrecked ship 遇难轮船的残骸
• the salvage of the wrecked tanker 对失事油轮的打捞

11 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

12 softening   

变软，软化

参考例句：

• Her eyes, softening, caressed his face. 她的眼光变得很温柔了。它们不住地爱抚他的脸。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• He might think my brain was softening or something of the kind. 他也许会觉得我婆婆妈妈的，已经成了个软心肠的人了。

13 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

14 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

15 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

16 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

17 garnered   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith gradually garnered a national reputation as a financial expert. 史密斯先生逐渐赢得全国金融专家的声誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals. 他的提议得到了广泛的支持。 来自辞典例句

18 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

19 baroness   

n.男爵夫人，女男爵

参考例句：

• I'm sure the Baroness will be able to make things fine for you.我相信男爵夫人能够把家里的事替你安排妥当的。
• The baroness,who had signed,returned the pen to the notary.男爵夫人这时已签过字，把笔交回给律师。

20 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

21 nun   

n.修女，尼姑

参考例句：

• I can't believe that the famous singer has become a nun.我无法相信那个著名的歌星已做了修女。
• She shaved her head and became a nun.她削发为尼。

22 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。

23 twitch   

v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛

参考例句：

• The smell made my dog's nose twitch.那股气味使我的狗的鼻子抽动着。
• I felt a twitch at my sleeve.我觉得有人扯了一下我的袖子。