美国国家公共电台 NPR Hollywood's Favorite Giant Ape Returns In 'Kong: Skull Island'

 

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

It's been two weeks since the Oscars, time enough for the film industry to reset¹ from prestige mode to blockbuster. This week, Hollywood's favorite giant ape returns to the screen in "Kong: Skull² Island," a film that left critic Bob Mondello growling³.

BOB MONDELLO, BYLINE⁴: So let's say you're making a movie about - I don't know - a giant aardvark, and it lives on a secluded⁵ island that you're not going to get your characters to for about 40 scene-setting minutes. That's too long to wait for the first scare, so how do you make people jump at the beginning without giving away the scale of your aardvark? Maybe just show a shadow - well, not if you're filmmaker Jordan Vogt-Roberts. He brings on his beast in the very first scene.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "KONG: SKULL ISLAND")

MONDELLO: In fact, he even stages the scene in a way he's going to repeat later when it's time for beauty to meet his beast, and then he trundles through the 40 minutes of scene setting, having basically given away his big reveal, to build up to a reveal that isn't so big anymore but that does have helicopters.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "KONG: SKULL ISLAND")

SAMUEL L JACKSON: (As Preston Packard) Fox leader to fox group, form a perimeter⁶.

MONDELLO: That's Samuel L. Jackson as a military man fresh out of Vietnam, the year being 1973. He is eager to battle an enemy he'll be allowed to beat.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "KONG: SKULL ISLAND")

JACKSON: (As Preston Packard) Fire at will.

MONDELLO: The director has clearly seen "Apocalypse Now," and so it seems has Samuel L. Jackson. But although there'll be a trip up a river and a lot of face-painted but mute jungle folk, they are not making "Akongolypse Now" (ph). They're making something closer to "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" with comic asides about the reptilian⁷ critters that live underground.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "KONG: SKULL ISLAND")

JOHN C REILLY: (As Hank Marlow) I call them skull crawlers.

TOM HIDDLESTON: (As James Conrad) Why?

REILLY: (As Hank Marlow) Because it sounds neat.

HIDDLESTON: (As James Conrad) OK.

REILLY: (As Hank Marlow) Look; I just made that name up. It sounds stupid now that I say it. Just you call them whatever you want.

BRIE LARSON: (As Mason Weaver) I'm fine calling them that. Are you cool with it?

HIDDLESTON: (As James Conrad) Yeah, that seems like a good...

LARSON: (As Mason Weaver) I like the name.

MONDELLO: John C. Reilly offers much of "Skull Island's" fun while Tom Hiddleston's tracker mostly looks grim. Last year's Oscar winner Brie Larson points her camera prettily⁸ and pretends she's not embarrassed to be there. And John Goodman offers up exposition in his best Richard Attenborough-style "Jurassic Park" voice.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "KONG: SKULL ISLAND")

JOHN GOODMAN: (As Bill Randa) Ancient species owned this earth long before mankind, and if we keep our heads buried in the sand, they will take it back.

MONDELLO: These folks are stock characters. Toby Kebbell, meanwhile, is playing the one semi-human human, a devoted⁹ letter-writing dad they're all trying to rescue. Kebbell is also, through motion capture, playing the title primate¹⁰, who is, truth be told, at least as believable as the folks around him and a good deal more believable than the script, which only makes as much sense as it absolutely has to.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "KONG: SKULL ISLAND")

SHEA WHIGHAM: (As Cole) Sometimes the enemy doesn't exist until you're looking for them.

MONDELLO: Battles with giant spiders, water buffalo¹¹ and octopi, a few of "Skull Island's" more colorful critters, are modestly persuasive¹² - battles with pterodactyl-like skull crawlers somewhat less so. And I confess I have not a clue what the production designer was thinking when he set up a theoretically polar Aurora¹³ Borealis in this tropical paradise. Maybe they'll explain that in the "Kong" sequels. Sadly that means I'll never know. I'm Bob Mondello.

(SOUNDBITE OF QUETZAL SONG, "CIEN ANOS DE SOLEDAD")

1 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

2 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

3 growling   

n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼

参考例句：

• We heard thunder growling in the distance. 我们听见远处有隆隆雷声。
• The lay about the deck growling together in talk. 他们在甲板上到处游荡，聚集在一起发牢骚。

4 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。

5 secluded   

adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• Some people like to strip themselves naked while they have a swim in a secluded place. 一些人当他们在隐蔽的地方游泳时，喜欢把衣服脱光。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This charming cottage dates back to the 15th century and is as pretty as a picture, with its thatched roof and secluded garden. 这所美丽的村舍是15世纪时的建筑，有茅草房顶和宁静的花园，漂亮极了，简直和画上一样。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 perimeter   

n.周边，周长，周界

参考例句：

• The river marks the eastern perimeter of our land.这条河标示我们的土地东面的边界。
• Drinks in hands,they wandered around the perimeter of the ball field.他们手里拿着饮料在球场周围漫不经心地遛跶。

7 reptilian   

adj.（像）爬行动物的；（像）爬虫的；卑躬屈节的；卑鄙的n.两栖动物；卑劣的人

参考例句：

• The chick is ugly and almost reptilian in its appearance. 这只小鸡长得很丑，看起来几乎像个爬行动物。 来自辞典例句
• Being from Orion do Zetas contain DNA from the Reptilian race? 齐塔人是从猎户座而来，DNA来自爬虫族吗？ 来自互联网

8 prettily   

adv.优美地；可爱地

参考例句：

• It was prettily engraved with flowers on the back.此件雕刻精美，背面有花饰图案。
• She pouted prettily at him.她冲他撅着嘴，样子很可爱。

9 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

10 primate   

n.灵长类（目）动物，首席主教；adj.首要的

参考例句：

• 14 percent of primate species are highly endangered.14%的灵长类物种处于高度濒危状态。
• The woolly spider monkey is the largest primate in the Americas.绒毛蛛猴是美洲最大的灵长类动物。

11 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

12 persuasive   

adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的

参考例句：

• His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
• The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。

13 aurora   

n.极光

参考例句：

• The aurora is one of nature's most awesome spectacles.极光是自然界最可畏的奇观之一。
• Over the polar regions we should see aurora.在极地高空,我们会看到极光。