精彩的表演

精彩的演 January 22, 2010 Vol. 81 Jason W. Crockett The Spectacle of Avatar: A Movie of the Future Not only is Avatar the most expensive film ever made, it might also change the way that people watch movies. Directed by James Cameron, who also created the hit movies The Terminator and Titanic, Avatar reportedly cost almost $300 million to make and was filmed using 3-D technology. Viewers do more than simply watch Avatar: they experience it. Avatar is set in the year 2154 on the distant moon of Pandora, where humans are trying to take control of a substance that will save Earth from destruction. A team of scientists places Jake Sully, a wounded ex-marine, inside a hybrid creation called an avatar, which looks and acts like the Na’vi, the natives of Pandora . However, instead of going undercover and stealing the Na’vi’s secrets, Sully falls in love with the Na’vi princess and joins them to fight off a human invasion and save Pandora from conquest. Even though it is a science fiction, some people still go to see Avatar again and again because of its visual effects. In addition to the impressive 3-D technology, the virtual inhabitants of Pandora are also visually stunning. Created using stop-motion technology in which computers transform the movements of real people into the on-screen aliens, the 10- foot-tall Na’vi captivate the viewer with their blue skin and cat-like eyes, and look just as real as the human actors. Cameron even hired a linguist to create a unique Na’vi language to make the aliens seem even more authentic. In its premiere at the box office, Avatar earned approximately $278 million, breaking the record for the most money earned by a movie over an opening weekend. With its epic story of love and adventure, as well as its breathtaking special effects, Avatar will likely continue to be a hit for many weeks to come. Reading Comprehension ( ) 1. The article is mainly about __________. (A) the ancient history of Pandora and the Na’ Vi (B) what makes the movie Avatar such a huge success (C) how moviegoers feel after watching Avatar (D) the movie director’s interview and critics’ comments ( ) 2. The adjective “hybrid” in the second paragraph refer to “________.” (A) different (B) formed (C) mixed (D) indigenous ( ) 3. Which of following statements is NOT correct about Avatar? (A) A Na’vi is about 10 foot tall with blue skin and cat-like eyes. (B) Avatar, cost nearly 300 million dollars, is reportedly the most expensive film ever made. (C) Avatar is a science fiction movie with the advanced 3-D technology and visual effects. (D) The Na'vi language is based on a language that did exist few centuries ago on Earth. ( ) 4. The character Jake Sully in Avatar is _____________. (A) a scientist doing research on Pandora (B) an ex-marine from Earth (C) a Na’vi linguist living with the Na’vi (D) a hybrid Na’vi fighting against human beings ( ) 5. What of following statements about Avatar is true? (A) The 3-D and stop-motion technology make Avatar the most popular movie ever made. (B) The 3-D technology of Avatar transforms the movements of cats into the on-screen alien. (C) Cameron hired a Na’vi to teach all actors how to speak Na’vi language fluently. (D) The opening weekend of Avatar at the box office was not as good as Titanic did in 1997. Vocabulary and Phrases 1. spectacle [,,,,,,,,,] n. 精彩的表演 , The Ming Hwa Yuan Taiwan Opera Company’s The Legend of the White Snake is well-known for its marvelous spectacle of multimedia and choreography. 2. Avatar [,,,,,,,,] n. 《阿凡達》 2009年票房冠軍電影,詹姆士,卡麥隆利用3D合成攝影系統所拍攝的科幻史詩電影(science fiction epic film)。故事設定在 2154年的潘朵拉星球。人類為了挖掘該星球上珍貴礦物,與該星球上的納美發生了衝突。人類利用基因技術將人類與納美人混種出「阿凡達」,並利用技術來操控混種人,與納美人接觸以達成最終目的。 avatar [,,,,,,,,] n. (網路聊天用的)化身 ,To represent themselves on the cyberspace, some Internet users like to use cute images of comic characters or animals as their avatars. 3. James Cameron [,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,] n. 詹姆士,卡麥隆 加拿大籍電影導演製片。曾導演過許多熱門強片,如《魔鬼終結者》(1984)、《異形》(1986)、《魔鬼終結者2》(1991)、《鐵達尼號》(1997),及《阿凡達》(2009)。除了製作執導電影外,也與科技公司合作開發數位3D合成攝影系統(3-D fusion camera system)。 4. The Terminator [,, ,,,,,,,,,,] n. 《魔鬼終結者》 1984年由阿諾,史瓦辛格主演,詹姆士,卡麥隆執導的科幻電影。電影時間設定在1984年,來自2029年未來世界的機器人殺手(Terminator),來執行暗殺人類救世主(John Connor)的任務。之後陸續有三部續集Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)、Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) 、Terminator Salvation (2009)。 5. Titanic [,,,,,,,,,] n. 《鐵達尼號》 1997年美國災難愛情電影,由李奧那多,迪卡皮歐(Leonardo DiCaprio)、凱特,溫斯蕾(Kate Winslet)主演,詹姆士,卡麥隆執導。電影以描寫1912年超級郵輪「鐵達尼號」首航,在北大西 洋誤撞冰山的船難事件中,一個默默無名的愛爾蘭窮光棍小子Jack與富家女Rose的生死之戀的故事。以電腦特效製作出鐵達尼號沈船的情境,成為二十世紀製作成本最高(2億美金),目前影史上最賣座(18億美金)的電影。 6. moon [,,,,] n. 衛星 ,A moon, or a natural satellite, stays in orbit and moves around a planet. 7. Pandora [,,,,,;,,] n. 潘朵拉星球 電影《阿凡達》中虛構的星球,與地球大小相似,屬於Polyphemus 星的13個衛星之一。對於人類而言,這個星球保有地球所失去的原始自然環境,但大氣中的氣體對人類有害。夜間森林的生物會自然發出螢光。 8. destruction [,,,,,,,,,,,,] n. 毀滅、破壞 ,It is widely believed that people may sow seeds of their own destruction. 9. Jake Sully [,,,,, ,,,,,] n. 傑克,蘇利 電影《阿凡達》中的男主角,前海軍陸戰隊員,被派遣到潘朵拉星球參與「阿凡達計畫」,負責操控混種人。但因緣際會接觸納美人的生活,最終成為納美人的一分子,協助他們抵禦人類的入侵。 10. marine [,,,,,,] n. 海軍陸戰隊員 ,Marines are specialized soldiers trained for military operations at sea and on land. 11. hybrid [,,,,,,,,] adj. 混種的 ,A mule, the hybrid animal, is the offspring of a female horse and a male donkey that can help people carry heavy goods in the remote area. 12. the Na’vi [,,,,,,,,] n. 納美人 電影《阿凡達》中居住在潘朵拉星上虛構的外星人種。納美人平均約有300公分高,擁有光滑的藍色皮膚、一對琥珀色雙眼,以及長尾巴。他們被人類視為野蠻未開化的原始住民,有些人類輕蔑地稱他們為「藍色猴子」(blue monkeys)。 13. undercover [,,,,,,,,,,] adv. 臥底地、暗中進行地 ,To crack down the organized crime, the Italian police had assigned secret detectives who worked undercover in the Mafia gang for decades. 14. fight off 擊退,阻止 ,The 14-year-old girl fought off the robber despite the fact that she was alone in the dark street. 15. invasion [,,,,,,,,] n. 侵略、侵犯 ,The Napoleonic Wars, or the so-called French invasion of Russia of 1812, began with Napoleon’s ambition and ended with his military misjudgment. 16. conquest [,,,,,,,,,] n. 征服,佔領 ,After Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas in 1492, the Spanish Empire had been making the conquest in Central and South America for over three centuries. 17. inhabitant [,,,,,,,,,,,] n. 居民 ,New York City, the most populous metropolitan area in the United States, is a big city with nearly 20 million inhabitants. 18. stunning [,,,,,？] adj. 令人難忘的、驚人的 , The view from the top of Taipei 101 building is really a stunning and impressive sightseeing spot of Taipei City. 19. stop-motion n. 停格動畫 一種動畫拍攝手法,就是拍完一個畫面後,調整在影片中人偶、物品的動作後再繼續拍攝, 拍攝時相當繁瑣耗時。又稱stop-action 或frame-by-frame。利用這樣拍攝方式的黏土動畫有 《聖誕夜驚魂》(Nightmare Before Christmas)、《酷狗寶貝》系列(Wallace & Gromit)、《笑笑羊 系》列(Shaun the Sheep)等。 20. on-screen [,,,,,,,,,] adj. 出現在螢幕上的 ,Robert Pattinson and Kristen Steward, the leading actor and actress of Twilight series, not only are on- screen couple but also are seeing each other now. 21. captivate [,,,,,,,,,,] v. 吸引、使…迷住 ,Cirque du Soliel’s astonishing performances have captivated millions of people around the world for years. 22. linguist [,,,？,,,,,] n. 語言學家 ,A linguist is a professional expert who focuses on the study of language and how language works. 23. authentic [,,,,,,,,] adj. 真實的 ,With the help of Shakespeare experts, the manuscript has been proved his authentic handwritings. 24. premiere [,,,,,,,] n. 首映 ,The director and the leading actor will attend the world premiere in Los Angeles this Friday evening. 25. breathtaking [,,,,,,,,,,？] adj. 令人驚豔的、嘆為觀止的 ,It is really a unforgettable experience to see the breathtaking sunset at the Sun Moon Lake. Translation 阿凡達的精彩:未來趨勢電影 《阿凡達》不僅是史上製作成本最高的電影,可能還會改變觀眾看電影的方式。《阿凡達》的導演是詹姆士,卡麥隆,曾拍過《魔鬼終結者》以及《鐵達尼號》兩部熱門鉅片,此次號稱砸下近三億美金拍攝《阿凡達》,還融入3D科技,讓觀眾不只觀賞這部電影,更能身歷其境。 《阿凡達》故事發生在西元2154年遙遠的潘朵拉衛星上,人類企圖支配此星球上的某種礦產,以解決地球的毀滅危機。一群科學家將受傷的退役海軍陸戰隊士兵傑克與名為阿凡達的混血生物進行連結,此生物的外貌與舉止都和潘朵拉原住民納美人一模一樣。然而,傑克並未達成臥底、偷取納美人秘密的任務,反而和納美族公主墜入愛河,並且一同抵抗人類入侵、使潘朵拉不受佔領。 雖然這只是個有趣的科幻故事,但是有些人還是會因為視覺特效重複欣賞《阿凡達》。除了令人印象深刻的3D科技之外,潘朵拉星球的虛擬生物也為觀眾帶來視覺震撼,電腦以停格動畫技術將真人動作轉換成螢幕上的外星人,十呎高的納美人擁有藍色皮膚與像貓的雙眼,這些虛擬人物簡直栩栩如生。卡麥隆甚至還請了個語言學家創造獨特的納美語,以此讓這群外星人看起來更真實。 《阿凡達》首映票房大約兩億七千八百萬美金,成為史上首週票房最高的電影。本片勾勒出一段愛與冒險的史詩故事,還呈現令人嘆為觀止的特效,相信會在未來幾週持續發燒。 閱讀測驗解答, 1. B 2. C 3. D 4. B 5. A