美国国家公共电台 NPR 'Game Of Thrones' Season 7 Finale: Epic In More Ways Than One

 

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

One escape from the news for many people today has been to talk about "Game Of Thrones." The season finale of the crazy popular HBO series aired on Sunday night. And before we go any further, consider this your spoiler alert. I repeat, in this segment that will run about three and a half minutes, there will be spoilers.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "GAME OF THRONES")

KRISTOFER HIVJU: (As Tormund Giantsbane) Run. Run.

(SOUNDBITE OF DRAGON ROARING)

MCEVERS: That is an undead dragon whipping up a major plot development at the end of Sunday's episode. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says the last new episode in 2017 was epic¹ in more ways than one.

ERIC DEGGANS, BYLINE²: My favorite moment in Sunday's season finale wasn't the undead dragon burning a hole in the great frozen wall between the land of the living and the army of the dead, though that was an awesome³ sequence. I loved this speech by hero Jon Snow. He's refusing to lie even though that lie would bring a truce⁴ between factions⁵ fighting for control of the continent of Westeros to fight that zombie army.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "GAME OF THRONES")

KIT⁶ HARINGTON: (As Jon Snow) I'm not going to swear an oath I can't uphold. Talk about my father if you want. Tell me that's the attitude that got him killed. But when enough people make false promises, words stop meaning anything. Then there are no more answers, only better and better lies.

DEGGANS: Now, that's a perfect criticism of today's fact-challenged, fake news-filled political and media world. And it's also a potent⁷ argument for the kind of story "Game Of Thrones" has told this season. When it began seven seasons ago, this sword and sorcery series was an anti-heroic tale where people who acted selflessly were often outmaneuvered and killed by savvy⁸ villains⁹.

This season, the tables have turned. Bad guys are learning to be better people. Heroes and heroines are stepping up for the common good. And Peter Dinklage's Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf¹⁰ who's one of those anti-heroes becoming a hero, keeps facing down jerks twice his size, like in this scene where he's trying to start a negotiation¹¹ and gets interrupted.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "GAME OF THRONES")

PETER DINKLAGE: (As Tyrion Lannister) I think we ought to begin with larger concerns.

PILOU ASBAEK: (As Euron Greyjoy) Then why are you talking? You're the smallest concern here.

DINKLAGE: (As Tyrion Lannister) Do you remember when we discussed dwarf jokes?

ALFIE ALLEN: (As Theon Greyjoy) His wasn't even good.

DINKLAGE: (As Tyrion Lannister) He explained it at the end. Never explain it; always ruins it.

DEGGANS: Tyrion is estranged¹² from his sister, Cersei Lannister, a villainous woman who now sits on the Iron Throne. They were reunited Sunday. Tyrion tried to talk her into joining the fight against the dead and she brought up a little family friction¹³.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "GAME OF THRONES")

LENA HEADEY: (As Cersei Lannister) You killed our father.

DINKLAGE: (As Tyrion Lannister) After he sentenced me to death for a crime I didn't commit. Yes, I killed him. Hate me for it if you want. I hate myself for it in spite of what he was, in spite of what he did to me.

HEADEY: (As Cersei Lannister) You left us opened. You laid us bare for the vultures, and the vultures came and tore us apart.

DEGGANS: That conversation quickly recaps painful storylines. It also reveals a fast-paced storytelling style this year that's different from previous seasons as "Game Of Thrones" barrels towards its six-episode final season. Fans have criticized some of the leaps of logic¹⁴ required by this fast pace. Characters covered distances in what seemed like impossible speed, and the plotline required to get all these characters together in Sunday's episode to debate their truce seemed kind of, well, dumb.

But last night we were also rewarded by an episode filled with important reunions and bittersweet farewells. For viewers who know the history, it was particularly poignant¹⁵ to see characters whose adventures stretch back many seasons come together again.

And there was a blockbuster revelation. Jon Snow thought he was family patriarch Ned Stark's bastard¹⁶ son. We found out his real parents make him a rightful heir to the Iron Throne. It also means his love affair with the woman challenging Cersei, Daenerys Targaryen, is actually a hookup with his aunt. Ew.

Anyway, Sunday's episode capped a season which proved the master storytellers behind "Game Of Thrones" are more focused than ever. They're powering towards an ending which could come latest 2019 that will cap one of the most successful series on modern television. I'm Eric Deggans.

(SOUNDBITE OF RAMIN DJAWADI'S "GAME OF THRONES MAIN TITLE")

1 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

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 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 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

5 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

6 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

7 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

8 savvy   

v.知道，了解；n.理解能力，机智，悟性；adj.有见识的，懂实际知识的，通情达理的

参考例句：

• She was a pretty savvy woman.她是个见过世面的漂亮女人。
• Where's your savvy?你的常识到哪里去了？

9 villains   

n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼

参考例句：

• The impression of villains was inescapable. 留下恶棍的印象是不可避免的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some villains robbed the widow of the savings. 有几个歹徒将寡妇的积蓄劫走了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 dwarf   

n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小

参考例句：

• The dwarf's long arms were not proportional to his height.那侏儒的长臂与他的身高不成比例。
• The dwarf shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. 矮子耸耸肩膀，摇摇头。

11 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

12 estranged   

adj.疏远的，分离的

参考例句：

• He became estranged from his family after the argument.那场争吵后他便与家人疏远了。
• The argument estranged him from his brother.争吵使他同他的兄弟之间的关系疏远了。

13 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

14 logic   

n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性

参考例句：

• What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？
• I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

15 poignant   

adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的

参考例句：

• His lyrics are as acerbic and poignant as they ever have been.他的歌词一如既往的犀利辛辣。
• It is especially poignant that he died on the day before his wedding.他在婚礼前一天去世了，这尤其令人悲恸。

16 bastard   

n.坏蛋，混蛋；私生子

参考例句：

• He was never concerned about being born a bastard.他从不介意自己是私生子。
• There was supposed to be no way to get at the bastard.据说没有办法买通那个混蛋。