VOA标准英语2013--'Trance' Hypnotizes and Entertains

 

'Trance' Hypnotizes and Entertains

Simon, an art auctioneer, played by James McAvoy, risks his life to hide a Goya painting from a gang.

Franck, the gang leader, hits Simon on the head and Simon loses his memory from the blow. But Franck does not believe Simon sufferes from amnesia¹ and tortures him to make him talk. Gradually, he realizes that Simon is telling the truth and takes him to a hypnotist to help him remember.

The hypnotist is the seductive Elizabeth Lamb, played by Rosario Dawson.

In the beginning, the characters and their connection to each other appear straightforward². Simon is the victim, Elizabeth his advocate and Franck the villain³. But Danny Boyle says there is nothing formulaic about Trance.

“From every character’s costumes, the sound, the music, the locations, the style of the filmmaking, everything is there to seduce⁴ you, as though you are sitting in the chair about to be hypnotized." said Boyle. "There might be more than one story you should listen to here. And the delight of the film is who to trust.”

Trance resembles Inception⁵, which came out in 2010. But in Christopher Nolan's blockbuster, the main characters build subconsious worlds for corporate⁶ espionage⁷. 

The characters in Trance have fractured memories and broken personalities⁸. They are not who they appear to be.

"It’s a lovely multi-layered sweet box, really which is all designed to lure⁹ you in and then, you have to contribute to the puzzle of the film to try and unravel¹⁰ the puzzle," said Boyle.

Boyle likens Trance to a film noir where the central character is a mysterious, alluring¹¹ woman and there is no clear villain or hero. Although Boyle's Trance is not as gripping as his Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, it reflects its creator’s lively, over-the-top personality. It mesmerizes¹² and entertains.

1 amnesia   

n.健忘症，健忘

参考例句：

• People suffering from amnesia don't forget their general knowledge of objects.患健忘症的人不会忘记关于物体的一些基本知识。
• Chinese medicine experts developed a way to treat amnesia using marine materials.中国医学专家研制出用海洋物质治疗遗忘症的方法。

2 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

3 villain   

n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因

参考例句：

• He was cast as the villain in the play.他在戏里扮演反面角色。
• The man who played the villain acted very well.扮演恶棍的那个男演员演得很好。

4 seduce   

vt.勾引，诱奸，诱惑，引诱

参考例句：

• She has set out to seduce Stephen.她已经开始勾引斯蒂芬了。
• Clever advertising would seduce more people into smoking.巧妙策划的广告会引诱更多的人吸烟。

5 inception   

n.开端，开始，取得学位

参考例句：

• The programme has been successful since its inception.这个方案自开始实施以来一直卓有成效。
• Julia's worked for that company from its inception.自从那家公司开办以来，朱莉娅一直在那儿工作。

6 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

7 espionage   

n.间谍行为，谍报活动

参考例句：

• The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
• Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。

8 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

9 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

10 unravel   

v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开

参考例句：

• He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧，其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线，他都能解开。
• This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。

11 alluring   

adj.吸引人的，迷人的

参考例句：

• The life in a big city is alluring for the young people. 大都市的生活对年轻人颇具诱惑力。
• Lisette's large red mouth broke into a most alluring smile. 莉莎特的鲜红的大嘴露出了一副极为诱人的微笑。

12 mesmerizes   

v.使入迷( mesmerize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• This collection mesmerizes the Nepal's Himalayas, beautiful people and colourful festivals. 这张收录使尼泊尔的喜玛拉雅山脉、美丽的人民和多姿多彩的节日沉浸。 来自互联网