VOA标准英语2014--《蜘蛛侠2》在世界范围内广受欢迎

 

Spider-Man 2 has Global Appeal 《蜘蛛侠2》在世界范围内广受欢迎

Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is one of Hollywood’s summer big budget movies. It cost $250 million to make and another $150 million to market around the world.  Sony Pictures hopes its stunning¹ special effects will bring in the money.  But it is Spiderman's humanity and idealism that speak to people all over the world.

Marc Webb’s 3D sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2, starts as Peter Parker, the young man under the Spiderman suit, is graduating from high school and preparing to take on the world.  The film dazzles with its special effects, but filmmaker Marc Webb says the superhero's optimism and youthfulness are the biggest draw for young people.

“Which is kind of a magical thing because we are in a world that is divided by borders, by religion, by politics and these characters, the characters that everybody can find something in, can penetrate² people in a very special way as we travelled the world," said Webb.

Like Marc Webb, Andrew Garfield, who plays Spiderman, believes that Hollywood’s big budget superhero flicks³ help shape an international popular culture based on compassion⁴, idealism and hope.

“No matter what your gender⁵, no matter what your sexual persuasion⁶ or your skin color. He is a representative of all of us. We really felt that going around the world, everyone can imagine themselves as Spiderman," said Garfield.

In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Spiderman fights crime with gusto in the urban canyons⁷ of New York City, breaking into witticisms⁸ that many may not find that witty⁹.  But he is likeable and has a great chemistry with his co-star Emma Stone, who plays Gwen Stacy, his love interest.

“It feels like making a different movie every day because you are shooting these really grounded intimate scenes one day and the next day you are on wires swinging in a giant green room," said Stone.

The big money is on the film's impressive special effects.  Like those seen in one of the film's climactic moments, when Spiderman faces off with his nemesis¹⁰ Electro, played by Jamie Foxx.

“We built an entire version of Times Square off on Long Island because they wouldn’t let us do the things we needed to do in the actual Times Square.  We had 13 construction cranes, all these green screens surrounding this environment we could come up with, an arena¹¹ for Spiderman and Electro to go head to head," said Webb.

The sleek¹² CGI technology makes Spiderman more agile¹³ than ever and his enemies more menacing.

“After it’s done, after people are watching it and it’s opening up all over the world, we had a chance to travel and see young kids and people so excited about it," said Foxx.

 But it is the grim and unexpected  turn of events towards the end of the film that highlights Spiderman's humanity and limitations in a human drama where no one can have it all.

1 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

2 penetrate   

v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解

参考例句：

• Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
• The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

3 flicks   

（尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的第三人称单数 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等）

参考例句：

• 'I shall see it on the flicks, I suppose.' “电影上总归看得见。” 来自英汉文学
• Last night to the flicks. 昨晚看了场电影。 来自英汉文学

4 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

5 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

6 persuasion   

n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派

参考例句：

• He decided to leave only after much persuasion.经过多方劝说，他才决定离开。
• After a lot of persuasion,she agreed to go.经过多次劝说后，她同意去了。

7 canyons   

n.峡谷( canyon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This mountain range has many high peaks and deep canyons. 这条山脉有许多高峰和深谷。 来自辞典例句
• Do you use canyons or do we preserve them all? 是使用峡谷呢还是全封闭保存？ 来自互联网

8 witticisms   

n.妙语，俏皮话( witticism的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We do appreciate our own witticisms. 我们非常欣赏自己的小聪明。 来自辞典例句
• The interpreter at this dinner even managed to translate jokes and witticisms without losing the point. 这次宴会的翻译甚至能设法把笑话和俏皮话不失其妙意地翻译出来。 来自辞典例句

9 witty   

adj.机智的，风趣的

参考例句：

• Her witty remarks added a little salt to the conversation.她的妙语使谈话增添了一些风趣。
• He scored a bull's-eye in their argument with that witty retort.在他们的辩论中他那一句机智的反驳击中了要害。

10 nemesis   

n.给以报应者，复仇者，难以对付的敌手

参考例句：

• Uncritical trust is my nemesis.盲目的相信一切害了我自己。
• Inward suffering is the worst of Nemesis.内心的痛苦是最厉害的惩罚。

11 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。

12 sleek   

adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢

参考例句：

• Women preferred sleek,shiny hair with little decoration.女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。
• The horse's coat was sleek and glossy.这匹马全身润泽有光。

13 agile   

adj.敏捷的，灵活的

参考例句：

• She is such an agile dancer!她跳起舞来是那么灵巧！
• An acrobat has to be agile.杂技演员必须身手敏捷。