美国国家公共电台 NPR Meryl Streep's Singer Has Delusions Of Adequacy In 'Florence Foster Jenkins'

Meryl Streep's Singer Has Delusions¹ Of Adequacy In 'Florence Foster Jenkins'

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

In the 1940s, Florence Foster Jenkins became famous for being a terrible opera singer. She was a wealthy arts patron who gave concerts, recorded albums and is now the subject of a movie starring Meryl Streep. The film "Florence Foster Jenkins" is out now, and critic Bob Mondello predicts that the story of the least-gifted performer to ever sell out Carnegie Hall is about to start selling out a lot of movie theaters.

BOB MONDELLO, BYLINE²: Florence and her actor husband, St. Clair, always seemed to have something musical going on in their grand apartment - people inquiring about concert tickets, conductor Arturo Toscanini dropping by to solicit³ a symphony donation and, on this day, auditioning⁴ pianists. Florence needs an accompanist for her music lessons. A diminutive⁵ fellow named Cosme McMoon erupts in smiles when he's selected, and he's still smiling the next day.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS")

MERYL STREEP: (As Florence Foster Jenkins) Maestro, this is the talented young man I was telling you about.

DAVID HAIG: (As Carlo Edwards) Then let's get started.

MONDELLO: And then his smile fades as he hears his patron's voice for the first time.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS")

STREEP: (As Florence Foster Jenkins, singing).

HAIG: (As Carlo Edwards) Stop there. There's work to be done, but you've never sounded better.

MONDELLO: Now, you'll note that never sounded better is not quite a compliment.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS")

STREEP: (As Florence Foster Jenkins) It is true that a lot of singers my age are on the decline, but I seem to just get better and better.

HAIG: (As Carlo Edwards) There is no one quite like you.

MONDELLO: Also not quite a compliment, but you see how this works. St. Clair Bayfield protects his wife by surrounding her with people he pays to be supportive, like this vocal⁶ coach. And who's hurt, really - until Florence's enthusiasm leads her to propose a public concert, at which point Cosme panics.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS")

SIMON HELBERG: (As Cosme McMoon) Could we speak, Mr. Bayfield?

HUGH GRANT: (As St. Clair Bayfield) Yes, of course. What is it?

HELBERG: (As Cosme McMoon) Well, I thought I was being hired to accompany Madame Florence's lessons. But I'll be honest with you, Mr. Bayfield. I think Madame Florence might need a little more preparation before she sings in public.

GRANT: (As St. Clair Bayfield) We've been rehearsing for a month.

HELBERG: (As Cosme McMoon) Mr. Bayfield, we can't be talking about the same singer. I mean, her vocal cords - they don't phonate freely. Her phrasing is haphazard⁷. As for her subglottal pressure - it defies medical science.

MONDELLO: What Bayfield knows that Cosme doesn't is that the guests at the concert will all be prescreened - folks who know her, have benefited from her generosity⁸, have a reason to applaud. Then Florence does something that causes even her husband alarm. She rents Carnegie Hall.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS")

STREEP: (As Florence Foster Jenkins) Well, I'm going to give a thousand tickets away to the soldiers because we must support our boys.

GRANT: (As St. Clair Bayfield) Well, I applaud your courage. And no one would enjoy seeing you triumph here more than I, obviously. But this place is just - it's so big, you know? It's nearly a thousand - 3,000 people.

STREEP: (As Florence Foster Jenkins) Well, Lily Pons' voice filled it. She's just a little bird.

GRANT: (As St. Clair Bayfield) Well, yes, but she's a young woman with a young woman's strength and perfect technique.

MONDELLO: Whoops⁹.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS")

STREEP: (As Florence Foster Jenkins) My technique isn't perfect?

GRANT: (As St. Clair Bayfield) No, it is. It is. It is.

MONDELLO: Hugh Grant's stammering¹⁰ has rarely been put to better use. Director Stephen Frears has made "Florence Foster Jenkins" more affectionate than affecting, taking a frothier approach than the French film "Marguerite" did earlier this year when tackling a similar story. But Frears is blessed with a cast that seems incapable¹¹, ironically, of hitting any wrong dramatic notes, Hugh Grant's Bayfield stoic¹² as he strives to protect his wife from what you might call her delusions of adequacy...

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS")

GRANT: (As St. Clair Bayfield) For 25 years I have kept the mockers and scoffers at bay.

MONDELLO: ...Simon Helberg doing his own accomplished¹³ piano playing as Cosme even as his eyes betray his gathering¹⁴ panic...

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS")

HELBERG: (As Cosme McMoon) You'll be murdered out there.

MONDELLO: ...And Meryl Streep not only doing her own excruciating singing but inhabiting the dotty diva of the title as fully¹⁵ as she has such other real-life figures as Margaret Thatcher¹⁶ and Julia Child. She looks at times like a sort of musical Margaret Dumont, upholstered in a dowager's furs and gowns, ignoring a whole world of Marx Brothers distractions¹⁷. But she's so much more fragile and hopeful. And though you come to laugh at her, you'll likely reconsider.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS")

STREEP: (As Florence Foster Jenkins) Too many feathers, you think?

GRANT: (As St. Clair Bayfield) The perfect number of feathers, restrained and elegant.

STREEP: (As Florence Foster Jenkins) I'm so nervous, Whitey.

GRANT: (As St. Clair Bayfield) Oh, don't be.

STREEP: (As Florence Foster Jenkins) Are you nervous, Mr. McMoon?

HELBERG: (As Cosme McMoon) Somewhat.

GRANT: (As St. Clair Bayfield) You have a full and very warm house, and you are both going to be sensational¹⁸.

MONDELLO: The real Florence Foster Jenkins did rent Carnegie Hall, and she and Cosme McMoon did perform there to a sold-out crowd. And well, you'll see...

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) House lights, please.

MONDELLO: ...How it all turns out. I'm Bob Mondello.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS")

STREEP: (As Florence Foster Jenkins) This is what we live for - isn't it - this moment.

(APPLAUSE)

CORNISH: And a round of applause today to the man responsible for our sound, our technical director Kurt Stonnecker (ph). With a wry¹⁹ smile or a chuckle²⁰ under his breath, Kurt lets us know when we're doing something right or something wrong. And after nearly a decade here at NPR, he's moving on to exciting things in Vancouver, Canada. Kurt, you made us better. Thank you, and we'll miss you.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WE'LL MEET AGAIN")

UNIDENTIFIED CHOIR²¹: (Singing) We'll meet again. Don't know where, don't know when, but oh, we'll meet again some sunny day.

1 delusions   

n.欺骗( delusion的名词复数 )；谬见；错觉；妄想

参考例句：

• the delusions of the mentally ill 精神病患者的妄想
• She wants to travel first-class: she must have delusions of grandeur. 她想坐头等舱旅行，她一定自以为很了不起。 来自辞典例句

2 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。

3 solicit   

vi.勾引；乞求；vt.请求，乞求；招揽(生意)

参考例句：

• Beggars are not allowed to solicit in public places.乞丐不得在公共场所乞讨。
• We should often solicit opinions from the masses.我们应该经常征求群众意见。

4 auditioning   

vi.试听（audition的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• She was auditioning for the role of Lady Macbeth. 她试演了麦克佩斯夫人的角色。
• Which part are you auditioning for? 你试音什么角色？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 diminutive   

adj.小巧可爱的，小的

参考例句：

• Despite its diminutive size,the car is quite comfortable.尽管这辆车很小，但相当舒服。
• She has diminutive hands for an adult.作为一个成年人，她的手显得非常小。

6 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

7 haphazard   

adj.无计划的，随意的，杂乱无章的

参考例句：

• The town grew in a haphazard way.这城镇无计划地随意发展。
• He regrerted his haphazard remarks.他悔不该随口说出那些评论话。

8 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

9 whoops   

int.呼喊声

参考例句：

• Whoops! Careful, you almost spilt coffee everywhere. 哎哟！小心点，你差点把咖啡洒得到处都是。
• We were awakened by the whoops of the sick baby. 生病婴儿的喘息声把我们弄醒了。

10 stammering   

v.结巴地说出( stammer的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He betrayed nervousness by stammering. 他说话结结巴巴说明他胆子小。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"Why,\" he said, actually stammering, \"how do you do?\" “哎呀，\"他说，真的有些结结巴巴，\"你好啊？” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

11 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

12 stoic   

n.坚忍克己之人，禁欲主义者

参考例句：

• A stoic person responds to hardship with imperturbation.坚忍克己之人经受苦难仍能泰然自若。
• On Rajiv's death a stoic journey began for Mrs Gandhi,supported by her husband's friends.拉吉夫死后，索尼亚在丈夫友人的支持下开始了一段坚忍的历程。

13 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

14 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

15 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

16 thatcher   

n.茅屋匠

参考例句：

• Tom Sawyer was in the skiff that bore Judge Thatcher. 汤姆 - 索亚和撒切尔法官同乘一条小艇。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• Mrs. Thatcher was almost crazed; and Aunt Polly, also. 撒切尔夫人几乎神经失常，还有波莉姨妈也是。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

17 distractions   

n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱

参考例句：

• I find it hard to work at home because there are too many distractions. 我发觉在家里工作很难，因为使人分心的事太多。
• There are too many distractions here to work properly. 这里叫人分心的事太多，使人无法好好工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 sensational   

adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的

参考例句：

• Papers of this kind are full of sensational news reports.这类报纸满是耸人听闻的新闻报道。
• Their performance was sensational.他们的演出妙极了。

19 wry   

adj.讽刺的；扭曲的

参考例句：

• He made a wry face and attempted to wash the taste away with coffee.他做了个鬼脸，打算用咖啡把那怪味地冲下去。
• Bethune released Tung's horse and made a wry mouth.白求恩放开了董的马，噘了噘嘴。

20 chuckle   

vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑

参考例句：

• He shook his head with a soft chuckle.他轻轻地笑着摇了摇头。
• I couldn't suppress a soft chuckle at the thought of it.想到这个，我忍不住轻轻地笑起来。

21 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。