curtain n. 帷幕——curtains n. 灾难性的结局(非正式)，it spells curtains for sth./sb.为某人/某事招致祸端

audience n. 观众——an audience of X …名观众

It is turning out to be a long intermission(n. 幕间休息=interlude … In March Disney’s “Onward” flopped as people refused to breathe recirculated air with a crowd of strangers. Business got harder when governments ordered theatres to shut, or imposed profit-crushing(a. 摧毁利润的) closures(歇业=shutdown) of refreshment counters(饮料售卖柜台) and caps(最高限额) on capacity.限制观影人数

 in an attempt/effort/bid to do 一次…的尝试

 box office n. 票房——box n. 包厢

 the X-th largest 第X大的…

 Odeon n. (古希腊)音乐厅——nickelodeon n. 五分钱(nickel)电影院

 flop v. 失败；扑街；n. (电影、戏剧)失败之作——hit n. 受欢迎的事物

 recirculated a. 再循环的——circulate v. 循环；流传

In China, where covid-19 seems under control, studios have resumed pumping out hits. But Hollywood will not risk premiering costly blockbusters while many markets, including New York and California, remain closed, and cinema-goers(常去…的人) wary. Most big titles(n.一部作品(电影、书籍)) have been postponed. The last straw for Cineworld was the decision on October 2nd by MGM and Universal Pictures to delay “No Time to Die”, James Bond’s latest caper(n.惊悚片), from November until April 2021. No big release(n./v. (电影)发行) is planned until Christmas Day, when Warner Bros’ “Wonder Woman 1984” will ride to the rescue(come to the rescue挽救某人).

 ease restriction 放宽限制

 studio/ film studio n. 电影公司

 pump n.泵 v.用泵输送——pump sth. out 大量生产/制造

 premiere v./n. 首映=debut

 blockbuster n. 大片——原意来源于二战时block街区+buster炸弹，指可以炸掉一整个街区的威力巨大的炸弹，后来引申为”大片/大受欢迎的事物”

 wary a. 谨慎的——【区分】weary a. 疲惫的

 the last straw 最后一根稻草=the straw that breaks the camel’s neck

Attendance was declining before covid-19. To distinguish a night at the movies from a night with Netflix, cinemas built snazzy multiplexes with waiters ferrying burgers(汉堡) to viewers lolling in reclining seats(躺椅). This(指代为了提供更好的服务) helped rack up debt: AMC’s $10bn-worth was more than six times last year’s gross operating profit(营业总利润).

 attendance n. 出席人数——take attendance点名

 snazzy a. 时髦的、华丽的

 multiplex n. 多厅影院；影城——snazzy multiplexes可以用“megaplex n. 超大影城”代替

 ferry n.轮船；v.摆渡；运送

 loll v. 懒洋洋地躺着

 rack up 累积

 X-worth n. 值X的东西——X不仅可以是金额，也可以是时间：a week’s worth of food够吃一周的食物

Both AMC and Cineworld are likely to default or file for bankruptcy, believes Moody’s, a ratings agency(信用评级机构=credit rating agency); … Warner Bros took one by releasing “Tenet” in the summer; with takings of just $45m at the American box office, the sci-fi thriller may not break even. And studios cannot afford charity. Disney recently laid off 28,000 workers from its covid-hit theme parks.

 go/be bust 破产

 bail sb. out 帮某人脱离困境——bail-out n. （经济上的）援助

 default v. 违约、不偿还债务——default on a debt 拖欠债务

 file for 提出(申请)——file for divorce 提出离婚申请

 slump v. 暴跌=plunge/plummet

 fall apart 崩溃、破碎

 takings n. 收入——box office receipts/numbers 票房收入

 sci-fi thriller n. 科幻惊悚片——sci-fi=science fiction, fiction/non-fiction 小说/纪实文学

 break even 收支相抵——breakeven (point) n. 收支平衡点

 lay off 裁员——layoff n. 裁员

 covid-hit 受新冠打击的——coronavirus-plagued companies 饱受新冠困扰的公司

Even then(即便到了这个时候), cinemas will have to defer investments, raise prices and close branches to shore up their balance-sheets(资产负债表)—just as viewers have more reasons than ever to stay home. The average American household subscribes to(subscription-based service订阅制服务) four streaming services(流媒体，live-streaming 直播), reckons Deloitte, a consultancy. Film studios are bargaining down how long films are shown exclusively in theatres; AMC recently let Universal put future releases online after just three weekends in cinemas, in return for a share(一份、分成；lion’s share 最大、最多的一份) of the takings. Even if covid-19 doesn’t smash it entirely, the big screen is likely to get a lot smaller.

 defer v. 推迟、暂缓

 shore up 支撑、稳住

 bargain down 压价

 in return for sth. 作为…的回报；in exchange for sth. 作为…的交换