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本文選自經濟學人2019年2月14日文章。《流浪地球》相信很多讀者都看過,劇情在此就不作介紹,用ScienceFiction.com在推特上發表的一段評論概括這部電影最合適不過:The Wandering Earth is not without faults, but it is a solid tension-building story that will keep you on the edge of yourseat.
本文從另一視角——中國的外交政策來點評這部電影,雖然一如既往的充滿酸腐的抨擊語調,但就文筆而言,可以說本文是《經濟學人》文章的典範,這篇文章也是我看過的眾多點評《流浪地球》的外刊文章中寫的最好的,全文短小精悍,語句流暢出眾,用詞準確多樣,節奏緊湊明快。
由於篇幅較長,今天對本文標題和第一段進行精講,明天會繼續精講後續段落,幫助大家提高英語閱讀、翻譯和寫作能力。
英文原文
Lights! Camera! Win-win outcomes!
China’s first sci-fi blockbuster is also a foreign-policy primer
Feb 14th 2019 | HONG KONG
EARTH MUST be moved away from the expanding sun, which threatens to engulf it. As it is propelled across the solar system by gargantuan thrusters it gets trapped in Jupiter’s gravitational pull. The apocalypse looms. There is only one hope for the human race: China.
選文精讀
Lights! Camera! Win-win outcomes! 燈光!攝像!雙贏!
這句話來自導演在開機前的口令「Lights! Camera! Action!」
China’s first sci-fi blockbuster is also a foreign-policy primer
中國首部科幻大片也是其外交政策的入門讀物
[NPR例句]:That kid was Joel Silver, the Hollywood producer who's better known for his work on blockbuster movies like 48 Hours, Lethal Weapon and Die Hard. 這個孩子就是好萊塢製片人喬爾·西爾弗,他更出名的作品是大片《48小時》、《致命武器》和《虎膽龍威》。
primer: 入門讀本;該詞還有「底漆;底層塗料」的意思(a substance used as a preparatory coat on previously unpainted wood, metal, or canvas, especially to prevent the absorption of subsequent layers of paint or the development of rust.);化妝用的打底霜也可以用該詞,eg. it's best to apply primer around the eye to help the makeup blend properly. 最好在眼睛周圍塗上打底,以幫助妝品恰當地混合。primer來源於「prime」: adj. 主要的,最好的,基本的;n. 初期;青年;精華;全盛時期;外刊或生活中常用的含「prime」的短語有:Amazon Prime: 亞馬遜金牌會員;prime location: 黃金地段;prime minister: 首相;sub-prime: 次貸債權人。
EARTH MUST be moved away from the expanding sun, which threatens to engulf it. As it is propelled across the solar system by gargantuan thrusters it gets trapped in Jupiter’s gravitational pull. The apocalypse looms. There is only one hope for the human race: China.
[經濟學人濃咖啡例句]:With depressing timing, the country is in the grip of an African Swine Fever epidemic that threatens to ruin millions of pig-rearing smallholders. 令人沮喪的是,中國正處於非洲豬瘟疫情的籠罩之下,這一疫情有可能毀掉數百萬養豬小農的生計。
[金融時報例句]:The biggest impediment to a deal by March 1, when US president Donald Trump has threatened to double the tariff assessed on about half of all Chinese imports, is disagreement over the backing Chinese companies enjoy from government subsidies, industrial policies and state-owned banks. 達成協議的最大障礙是:中美雙方在中國企業享受政府補貼、產業政策和國有銀行支持的問題上存在分歧。如果雙方在3月1日之前不能達成協議,美國總統唐納德•川普威脅將對大約一半的中國進口商品徵收雙倍關稅。
gravitational pull: 萬有引力; graviate: 被吸引,傾向於「受自然的力量產生」的被吸引,而非「人為的」,eg. Whether blood related or not, people tend to gravitate to others, and eventually form a family unit. 不管是否有血緣關係,人們都趨向於相互吸引,並逐漸形成一個家族單元。這裡「gravitate to others」 如果換成「attract each other」,意思就發生了微妙的變化,大家細細體味下。
apocalypse: 天啟、大災難,該詞來自《聖經》「Apocalypse」:世界末日。
loom: vi. 可怕地出現;朦朧地出現;隱約可見;該詞在外刊中經常出現,例如:
太陽不斷膨脹,即將吞噬地球,地球必須遠離。當地球被巨型推進器推動穿越太陽系時,被木星引力所困,世界末日迫在眉睫,此時人類只有一個希望:中國。
本文可以與本公眾號之前發布的《衛報》中介紹《流浪地球》的一篇文章(點擊連結閱讀:《流浪地球》引領中國科幻電影飛速發展【衛報】)作對比閱讀,你就會體味到本文在文筆上的優勝之處。
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