2019年经济学人 迪士尼创新策略:翻拍经典动画的真人版电影(3)

 

A crucial step in these renovations is to tap into the films’ existing fan base by zealously¹ monitoring online forums² and quizzing focus groups. A few purist fans decry³ any updates, such as the redesign of Mrs Potts, an enchanted⁴ teapot, in “Beauty and the Beast”. But the typical viewer covets⁵ the big moments—the waltz in “Beauty and the Beast”, or Simba held aloft on the African plains—while being less fussy⁶ about the details. That leaves room for plot changes and character development. “We looked back a lot at what Walt Disney had done, not in terms of specifics but in terms of spirit,” explains Sean Bailey, the studio’s president of production. The original Disney identified stories that had enduring appeal and adapted them to his era, Mr Bailey says; “then he applied⁷ the very best talent and technology that he could.”

翻拍的关键一步是通过密切关注在线论坛和调查焦点小组，挖掘电影现有的粉丝基础。一些纯粹主义粉丝谴责任何更新，如在《美女与野兽》中被施魔咒的茶壶——波特夫人的重新设计。但一般的观众都渴望看到宏大的场景，如《美女与野兽》里的华尔兹，或是立于非洲平原上的狮子王辛巴——同时又对细节不怎么挑剔。这为情节变化和角色发展留下了空间。“我们回顾了很多华特·迪士尼所做的事情，并非在细节上而是在精神上，”制片公司总裁肖恩·贝利解释说。最初，迪士尼先生确定了那些具有持久吸引力的故事，并将其改编到他的时代，贝利先生表示；“然后他用上了他所能运用的最好的才能和技术。”

Today that means attracting stars—Ms Watson as Belle⁸, Donald Glover and Beyoncé as Simba and Nala, Will Smith as the Genie—and directors who reinforce each title’s strengths. Tim Burton is a good fit for a story about a persecuted⁹ circus elephant and a nefarious¹⁰ entertainment magnate, because Dumbo’s outsider status is “a central characteristic that also runs through all of (Mr Burton’s) work”, according to Derek Frey, the film’s producer. Guy Ritchie’s aptitude¹¹ for raucous¹² action sequences lends itself to “Aladdin”, a fable¹³ about a mischievous¹⁴ street urchin¹⁵.

对今天来说意味着有吸引力的明星：沃特森饰演贝拉（《美女与野兽》），唐纳德·格洛沃饰演辛巴（《狮子王》），碧昂丝饰演娜拉（《狮子王》），威尔·史密斯饰演灯神（《阿拉丁》）；以及强化每个标题优势的董事。蒂姆?伯顿非常适合写这样一个故事：受迫害的马戏团大象和邪恶的娱乐巨头，因为根据电影制片人德里克?弗雷的说法，小飞象的局外人身份是“贯穿伯顿所有作品的一个中心特征”。导演盖?里奇对喧闹动作场面的天赋，让《阿拉丁》更有看头，这是一个关于一个淘气街头顽童的寓言故事。

1 zealously   

adv.热心地；热情地；积极地；狂热地

参考例句：

• Of course the more unpleasant a duty was, the more zealously Miss Glover performed it. 格洛弗小姐越是对她的职责不满意，她越是去积极执行它。 来自辞典例句
• A lawyer should represent a client zealously within the bounds of the law. 律师应在法律范围内热忱为当事人代理。 来自口语例句

2 forums   

讨论会； 座谈会； 广播专题讲话节目； 集会的公共场所( forum的名词复数 )； 论坛，讨论会，专题讨论节目； 法庭

参考例句：

• A few of the forums were being closely monitored by the administrators. 有些论坛被管理员严密监控。
• It can cast a dark cloud over these forums. 它将是的论坛上空布满乌云。

3 decry   

v.危难，谴责

参考例句：

• Some people will decry this,insisting that President Obama should have tried harder to gain bipartisan support.有些人会对此表示谴责，坚持说奥巴马总统原本应该更加努力获得两党的支持。
• Now you decry him as another Hitler because he is a threat to the controlling interest of oil in the middle east.现在你却因为他对中东石油控制权益构成了威胁而谴责他为另一个希特勒。

4 enchanted   

adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
• He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。

5 covets   

v.贪求，觊觎( covet的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It is the kind of TV news coverage every president covets. 所有总统都垂涎这类电视新闻报导。 来自互联网
• She covets her sister's house. 她对她姐姐的房子垂涎三尺。 来自互联网

6 fussy   

adj.为琐事担忧的，过分装饰的，爱挑剔的

参考例句：

• He is fussy about the way his food's cooked.他过分计较食物的烹调。
• The little girl dislikes her fussy parents.小女孩讨厌她那过分操心的父母。

7 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

8 belle   

n.靓女

参考例句：

• She was the belle of her Sunday School class.在主日学校她是她们班的班花。
• She was the belle of the ball.她是那个舞会中的美女。

9 persecuted   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。

10 nefarious   

adj.恶毒的，极坏的

参考例句：

• My father believes you all have a nefarious purpose here.我父亲认为你们都有邪恶的目的。
• He was universally feared because of his many nefarious deeds.因为他干了许多罪恶的勾当，所以人人都惧怕他。

11 aptitude   

n.(学习方面的)才能，资质，天资

参考例句：

• That student has an aptitude for mathematics.那个学生有数学方面的天赋。
• As a child,he showed an aptitude for the piano.在孩提时代，他显露出对于钢琴的天赋。

12 raucous   

adj.(声音)沙哑的，粗糙的

参考例句：

• I heard sounds of raucous laughter upstairs.我听见楼上传来沙哑的笑声。
• They heard a bottle being smashed,then more raucous laughter.他们听见酒瓶摔碎的声音，然后是一阵更喧闹的笑声。

13 fable   

n.寓言；童话；神话

参考例句：

• The fable is given on the next page. 这篇寓言登在下一页上。
• He had some motive in telling this fable. 他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

14 mischievous   

adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的

参考例句：

• He is a mischievous but lovable boy.他是一个淘气但可爱的小孩。
• A mischievous cur must be tied short.恶狗必须拴得短。

15 urchin   

n.顽童；海胆

参考例句：

• You should sheer off the urchin.你应该躲避这顽童。
• He is a most wicked urchin.他是个非常调皮的顽童。