美国国家公共电台 NPR Disney Becomes First Studio To Cross $7 Billion Global Box Office

 

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: 

Disney has become the first Hollywood studio to sell more than $7 billion in tickets globally in one year. And 2016 isn't over yet. NPR's Andrew Limbong reports on how Disney did it.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR")

CLIFF EDWARDS: (Singing) When you wish upon a star...

ANDREW LIMBONG, BYLINE¹: It's a nice thought, but Disney didn't get rich by wishing. It was far-sighted business strategy that made "Captain America: Civil War" this year's most successful film. Moviegoers spent more than a billion dollars to watch Tony Stark² and Steve Rogers fight and moralize over power.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR")

CHRIS EVANS: (As Steve Rogers) The safest hands are still our own.

ROBERT DOWNEY JR: (As Tony Stark) If we don't do this now, it's going to be done to us later.

LIMBONG: And another billion to see a fish with memory issues in "Finding Dory."

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FINDING DORY")

ELLEN DEGENERES: (As Dory) Oh, no, how long do I have? I have to find my family.

ED O'NEILL: (As Hank) All right, now don't get hysterical³. Uh-oh, not good.

DEGENERES: (As Dory) What? What is it? What happened?

LIMBONG: The movie that put them over the $7 billion mark, the recently opened "Rogue⁴ One."

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY")

ALISTAIR PETRIE: (As General Draven) Can you be trusted without your shackles⁵?

FELICITY JONES: (As Jyn Erso) Let's just get this over with, shall we?

LIMBONG: Those three movies were made by Marvel⁶, Pixar and Lucasfilm, all of which Disney owns. So no wonder they're making so much money. They beat the $6.89 billion record set by Universal last year. I can hear some of you now. It's all the same, big sequels and remakes.

MARK HUGHES: If you look at these films and they feel like they're just the same thing to you, then I think you're not looking deep enough and paying attention to the storytelling that's going on.

LIMBONG: Mark Hughes is a film critic and a writer for Forbes.

HUGHES: "Captain America: Civil War" is very much a continuation of Marvel's deconstruction of the whole idea of a national security state. If you look at "Zootopia" and all you see are talking animals...

LIMBONG: "Zootopia" also made a billion dollars, by the way.

HUGHES: ...Then you're missing the fact that this is a very strong commentary on racism⁷ in society and on the ways that our prejudices can be swayed to go along with or to accept or to outright⁸ participate in discrimination and persecution⁹ of minorities and other groups.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "ZOOTOPIA")

GINNIFER GOODWIN: (As Judy Hopps) You probably didn't know, but a bunny can call another bunny cute. But went other animals do it, it's a little...

NATE TORRENCE: (As Clawhauser) I am so sorry.

LIMBONG: Hughes says Disney is masterful at selling to different audiences worldwide.

HUGHES: They're able to look at the various target demographics, and they know that each of these properties has its own unique aspects that appeal to a variety of different viewers.

LIMBONG: We'll see if that strategy works when the fifth "Pirates Of The Caribbean" movie comes out next year. Andrew Limbong, NPR News.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

3 hysterical   

adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的

参考例句：

• He is hysterical at the sight of the photo.他一看到那张照片就异常激动。
• His hysterical laughter made everybody stunned.他那歇斯底里的笑声使所有的人不知所措。

4 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

5 shackles   

手铐( shackle的名词复数 )； 脚镣； 束缚； 羁绊

参考例句：

• a country struggling to free itself from the shackles of colonialism 为摆脱殖民主义的枷锁而斗争的国家
• The cars of the train are coupled together by shackles. 火车的车厢是用钩链连接起来的。

6 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

7 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

8 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

9 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。