这是“英语周记之「外网影评」系列的第一篇文章。周记每周更新一篇,旨在为爱学英语,又爱看电影的同道中人提供地道的学习资料。评论区欢迎用英语留言,我会请我的外教老师帮忙点评修改。
本系列学习笔记,主要以英语电影的外网影评(IMDB为主)为阅读材料,通过解析和翻译,一来提高英语水平,二来更好地了解电影和电影制作。
因为最近在微信“小打卡”程序中参与了一个英语学习组,刚好提到了这部电影,那我个人又笃信时空中无处不在的巧合与缘分,所以处女篇就献给<Minority Report>(少数派报告)吧。不怕你是少数派,只希望我投你所爱,咱们一起学习,一起越来越好。
电影很老啦,2002年的,著名科幻作家飞利浦迪克(Philip K. Dick)的短片小说改编,斯皮尔伯格(Steven Spielberg)导演,汤姆克鲁斯(Tom Cruise)主演。强大的制作团队和演员阵容,加️之未来世界的故事设定,可以大胆地称这部电影是2002年最好看的电影。在下面这篇摘自IMDB上的英文影评中,笔者就从不同方面给出了解释。
文中做下划线和粗体标记的单词和表达,是我在阅读英文原文过程中有觉得眼前一亮的地方,会做语言上的解析。
What must film makers do? This was GOOD-believe nothing else.
By Dgoodger from IMDB
I think some people just write reviews for sites like this because they like to complain. I actually find myself wondering if all the gripers here have actually seen Minority Report, as I just have, because I have to say that is one of the most gripping and involving movies I have seen in quite a while.
The content is amazing - all the little details that put the audience firmly in the middle of the 21st century. Personally I can absolutely believe that technology will have advanced in the kind of ways portrayed in the film within 50 years. Just look back 50 years into the past and you should be able to see why. The lives of everyday people in the film, where they are scanned and advertised 'at' all day every day, apart from an excuse for product placement (and why not?), certainly make you think about a world where 'they' know your every move (a future towards which we are already hurtling with some speed).
The style is amazing - why the wooden balls? Because they're cool is why. I like to think that as we progress as a civilization we will keep a few such elegant idiosyncrasies knocking around. The plastic, chrome and glass sets, objects and architecture all looked clean and functional and the way that they suck the color out of a scene worked well and gave the film a distinctive palette. The cars are the best looking vehicles I have ever seen in a film. I have only one criticism here - why do all the computer displays look like Macs? Surely a touch unrealistic ;)
The story is amazing - complicated, yes, but also engrossing, exciting and scary. There are elements here that are only hinted at, but which give the plot a depth increasingly lacking in modern action flicks. And it asks the kind of questions about morality, justice, exploitation and society that'll keep you thinking for much longer than the film's two and some hours.
The direction and performances are amazing - the pre-visualization on this movie must have been a nightmare and yet all the incredible special effects blend perfectly into a visual style that is completely natural and assured, as might be expected from Spielberg and Michael Kahn. There are, of course, numerous references and homages to the work of Stanley Kubrick, which have given a hint of the edge and flair of 'Clockwork Orange' or '2001'. I hope it will continue to be a big influence on Spielberg.
Cruise delivers a first class performance as usual, but the discovery of this film is Samantha Morton as Agatha. Who saw the film and didn't share her terror and vulnerability? Little touches such as the way she clings to Cruise, almost like a baby's reflex, make her a character you immediately care about, innocent and tragic.
Anyway, if that's not enough to recommend the film, then you'll probably never find another one you like again. But if you need another reason, go to see it just for another fantastic soundtrack from the master, John Williams.
Full marks, five stars, a must see several times and buy the DVD movie.
gripers:指那些抱怨电影不好的观众。gripe做动词有“抱怨,发牢骚”的意思。+er变成做动作的人。
gripping and involving:扣人心弦,深陷其中。grip做动词有“紧握,抓住”的意思,+ing变成形容词,形容电影情节扣人心弦。
(gripe和grip就差一个e,但意思不一样,而且两个单词中的“i”的发音也不一样。)
put the audience firmly in the middle of the 21st century:这个表达中的形容词firmly用得好,可以意译成“使观众牢牢地相信自己身处在21世纪中期”。
advertised 'at':这个表达中的“at”用得特别好。看过电影后,就知道点名道姓的广告植入非常具有侵略性,足足的人身攻击呀,而“at”就刚好传达出这样的意思。
knocking around:这个短语的意思是“闲逛”。文中处的意思,是指这些人性十足的元素时不时在眼前“晃悠”。这种非正式短语,用得好则最显英语之地道。下面是外网网络辞典中的一些例子。
1 : to spend time in (a place) without having a goal or purpose : to wander around (a place)
He spent the summer knocking around (in) Europe.
2 : to spend time with (another person)
She was knocking around with her brother.
3 : to be considered or discussed in an informal way over a period of time
These ideas have been knocking around for years.
4 : to consider or talk about (ideas, plans, etc.) in an informal way
We knocked the plan around for a while before we came to an agreement.
They knocked around several possible names for the new car.
5 : to beat or hit (someone) badly or repeatedly
The boy was getting knocked around by bullies.
I really got knocked around at the last staff meeting.(figuratively)
6: to be lying somewhere within a general area or place
That jacket is knocking around here somewhere.
gave the film a distinctive palette:所有的电影都想给人留下深刻的印象,想与众不同。所以“distinctive”这个词用得好。少数派报告这部电影的整体色彩风格让人记忆深刻。
complicated, yes, but also engrossing, exciting and scary:有这么多的单词可以形容电影了,以后再给朋友推荐电影的时候,不用只一句:“This film is very very good, you must watch it.”了。
pre-visualization:“视觉预览”是指在电影开始拍摄前,为了拟定打算目的而以可视化方式,无论是手绘亦或者数码方式,展示片子场景的任何技术。(摘自网络)
all the incredible special effects blend perfectly into a visual style that is completely natural and assured, as might be expected from Spielberg and Michael Kahn:这句话的语法层次非常好,“that is completely natural and assured”做后置定语从句修饰“a visual style”。“as might be expected from Spielberg and Michael Kahn”以逗点隔开,作为整句话的深层修饰。
delivers a first class performance:这个表达中的动词要用“deliver”,可以意译成“贡献了一流的表演”。(个人认为阿汤哥在这部电影中的演技,中规中矩。其中两场怀念儿子的哭戏,看起来蛮尬。反而科林法瑞尔(Colin Farrell)这个配角,因为没有太多感情崩溃点,演得倒自然流畅,看起来也舒服。)
go to see it just for another fantastic soundtrack from the master, John Williams:单列此句话的原因,是因为电影提名了2003年最佳音轨电影。
Full marks, five stars, a must see several times and buy the DVD movie:笔者提供了一些非常地道的口语化的表达,用以形容一部好电影。每一个表达都可以单独做形容性短语来使用,比如:Minority Report is a must-see-sveral-times movie.
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