美国国家公共电台 NPR Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Everybody Wants To Rule The World

OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

This is ASK ME ANOTHER, NPR's hour of puzzles, word games and trivia. I'm your host Ophira Eisenberg here with puzzle guru Art Chung and house musician Jonathan Coulton.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Let's meet our next two contestants². Brendan Michalko, you're a music teacher. In fact, you were declared the king of music...

BRENDAN MICHALKO: That's right.

EISENBERG: ...By one of your students. Why were you declared the king of music?

MICHALKO: I had a kindergarten student who came up to me and said he wrote me a card. I was so excited to see what was inside. And it was a picture of me with a crown and it said you are the king of music.

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: Aww.

MICHALKO: So I don't know if he has that authority, but I like to think that I'm now the king of music.

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: Yes, you are. That's awesome³. And Lee DiGeorge, you're a three-timed failed game show contestant¹.

LEE DIGEORGE: Yes, I am.

(LAUGHTER)

DIGEORGE: Let's not make it for four.

EISENBERG: (Laughter) What were the shows?

DIGEORGE: I was on "Minute To Win It."

EISENBERG: Yep.

DIGEORGE: And I was on "Let's Ask America."

EISENBERG: OK.

DIGEORGE: And I was on "Million Second Quiz."

EISENBERG: Wow, OK.

DIGEORGE: And I still have not won anything at all.

EISENBERG: Well, I'm really happy you're here.

DIGEORGE: Might as well try again, right?

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: It's time for us to take another famous song and ruin it in the name of trivia. So I'll toss it over to Jonathan Coulton.

JONATHAN COULTON: That would be my pleasure, Ophira. In this game, we took the Tears For Fears hit "Everybody Wants To Rule The World," and rewrote it to be about power-hungry fictional⁴ characters and organizations. They can be from films, television, comic books, you name it. Buzz in to answer and the winner will move on to the final round at the end of the show. You ready? OK.

(Singing) Welcome to your life. I am watching you, even while you sleep. Orwell screens catch ungood thoughts before they worsen, though I might not be a person. I'm in charge of Oceania.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Lee.

DIGEORGE: Big Brother.

COULTON: Big Brother is the right answer, yes.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Remember that - in 1984, we thought we'd be scared of security cameras...

COULTON: Yeah.

EISENBERG: ...And documenting our every move?

COULTON: They were wrong.

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: Yeah, we'd just do it ourselves, wouldn't we?

COULTON: That's right.

EISENBERG: Oh, yeah.

COULTON: Joke's on us.

EISENBERG: (Laughter) It sure is.

COULTON: (Singing) I'm a mouse so you might not find me. Giant ego⁵, I sound like Orson Welles. I'd be ruling if not for Pinky.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Lee.

DIGEORGE: Napoleon.

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: Napoleon is a great guess.

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: Incorrect. Brendan - he is hanging his head in shame. Brendan, do you know the answer?

MICHALKO: The Brain.

COULTON: The Brain is correct, yes.

(APPLAUSE)

COULTON: Lee, you were thinking of the show "Pinky And Napoleon."

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: (Singing) One is a dumb mouse, the other is a French general.

EISENBERG: (Laughter) That's right.

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: All kinds of high jinks those guys get up to.

(Singing) Please say hail when you meet us. Avengers try to beat us. Head cut off, two more will take its place.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Brendan.

MICHALKO: Hydra⁶.

COULTON: Hydra, you got it.

(APPLAUSE)

COULTON: (Singing) First lady who's quite conniving⁷. Frank and I, we don't stop striving. I'm a modern day Lady Macbeth.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Lee.

DIGEORGE: Hillary Clinton.

(LAUGHTER)

DIGEORGE: Had to do it, sorry.

COULTON: Feel like you've got an axe⁸ to grind, Lee. That is - that is incorrect - he said without judgment⁹.

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: Brendan, do you know the actual answer?

MICHALKO: Is it the main character from "Scandal?"

COULTON: No, I am sorry. That's also incorrect. Does anybody know out there?

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: Claire Underwood.

COULTON: Claire Underwood from "House Of Cards."

(Singing) Call me the Necro - Necro - Necro - Necromancer¹⁰. You want brains, I'm the answer. My big fiery¹¹ eye sees everything.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Brendan.

MICHALKO: Sauron.

COULTON: Sauron, that's right.

(APPLAUSE)

COULTON: This is your last clue.

(Singing) Charismatic billionaire, my goal is clear, no, not grow hair. I will eliminate the Man of Steel.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Lee.

DIGEORGE: Lex Luthor.

COULTON: You got it.

(APPLAUSE)

COULTON: I have a good feeling about this. Art Chung, how did our contestants do?

ART CHUNG: Brendan, you're moving on to the final round at the end of the show.

(APPLAUSE)

1 contestant   

n.竞争者，参加竞赛者

参考例句：

• The company will furnish each contestant with a free ticket.公司将为每个参赛者免费提供一张票。
• The personal appearance and interview of the contestant is another count.参加比赛者的个人仪表和谈话也是一项。

2 contestants   

n.竞争者，参赛者( contestant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The competition attracted over 500 contestants representing 8 different countries. 这次比赛吸引了代表8个不同国家的500多名参赛者。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency. 两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

4 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

5 ego   

n.自我，自己，自尊

参考例句：

• He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
• She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。

6 hydra   

n.水螅；难于根除的祸患

参考例句：

• Let's knock down those hydras and drive them to the sea!让我们铲除祸根，把他们赶到大海去！
• We may be facing a hydra that defies any easy solution.我们也许正面临一个无法轻易解决的难题。

7 conniving   

v.密谋 ( connive的现在分词 )；搞阴谋；默许；纵容

参考例句：

• She knew that if she said nothing she would be conniving in an injustice. 她知道她如果什么也不说就是在纵容不公正的行为。
• The general is accused of conniving in a plot to topple the government. 将军被指控纵容一个颠覆政府的阴谋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 axe   

n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减

参考例句：

• Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利，你要当心。
• The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。

9 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

10 necromancer   

n. 巫师

参考例句：

• The necromancer hurls a bolt of dark energies against his enemies. 亡灵法师向对手射出一道带着黑暗能量的影束。
• The necromancer tried to keep the anticipation out of her voice. 死灵法师尽量让自己的声音不带期待。

11 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。