pbs高端访谈:决定电影命运的著名评论家罗杰·艾伯特

 　　JEFFREY BROWN:And finally tonight, remembering the popular movie reviewer and television co-host Roger Ebert. He was the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize.

　　He died today at age 70.

　　Hari is back with our remembrance.

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　　HARI SREENIVASAN:Ebert was the longtime film critic for The Chicago Sun-Times and was syndicated to more than 200 newspapers. He also became well known for co-hosting a weekly show with fellow critic Gene¹ Siskel. And, in 2005, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and spoke² about his love for the movies.

　　ROGER EBERT,Film Critic: Movies are the most powerful empathy machine of all the arts.

　　When I go to a great movie, I can live somebody else's life a little bit for a while. I can walk in somebody else's shoes. I can see what it feels like to be a member of a different gender³, a different race, a different economic class, to live in a different time, to have a different belief.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN:Ebert began a long battle with cancer in 2002. By 2006, he lost the ability to eat, speak and drink after surgeries for thyroid and salivary⁴ gland⁵ cancer. He continued to review and write about the movies and his own illness on his blog and on social media, where he reached a robust⁶ new audience.

　　On Tuesday, he announced on his blog that his cancer had returned.

　　For more, we're joined by David Edelstein. He's the film critic for New York Magazine and for NPR's "Fresh Air."

　　Thanks for being with us.

　　DAVID EDELSTEIN, New York Magazine/ “Fresh Air”: My pleasure on this sad occasion.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN:It is.

　　So, why was Roger Ebert's voice so large in the film industry?

　　DAVID EDELSTEIN:Well, it's a funny thing.

　　Most of us don't remember that, in Ebert's early days, he was a bit of a hell-raiser and a partier, went to the Playboy Mansion⁷, drank a lot. He wrote about all this. But when he sobered up, he decided⁸, I think, that he was going to be a public figure.

　　Now, most film critics are kind of private, twisted loners, myself included. But Roger almost styled himself an ambassador of the movies and a sort of mayor of movie criticville.

　　And when he got this show, when he started the show, he was able to, I think, frame certain discussions about the movies, frame his own responses in a way that become enormously appealing to great numbers of people, people who maybe thought of film critics as kind of Rex Reed types who would come on talk shows and drop insults and give their opinions.

　　Roger had this great gift for being able to speak in whole paragraphs. He knew from his topic sentence what his conclusion was going to be. And he was going to pull you into that, whether you were an elitist pointy head or just a guy wanting to be entertained. He could communicate with you what the joy of movies really was.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN:He started writing in '67. He won his Pulitzer in, what, '75.

　　DAVID EDELSTEIN:Yes.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN:Hasn't been on TV in a half-dozen years, but here's a guy who has got more than 800,000 followers⁹ on Twitter. How did he transcend¹⁰ these generations?

　　DAVID EDELSTEIN:Well, it's an amazing thing.

　　When he first started on TV, remember, he wasn't universally loved. He and Gene Siskel were people—a lot of people tuned¹¹ in just to see them bicker¹², because it was said that they kind of didn't like each other off-camera. And people referred to them derisively¹³ as the fat guy and the other one.

　　But, slowly, as people grew up with Roger, as new fans came of age, he in part—also because of his Pulitzer—managed to acquire a lot of authority, and to make film criticism serious on television, which it really hadn't been at that point.

　　Then, what was absolutely stunning¹⁴ was that his greatest gift was his voice, his ability to speak extemporaneously¹⁵. When he lost that, he went and he reinvented himself. He turned himself into this amazing blogger, more passionate¹⁶ than ever, someone whose voice was infectious and who every day set an example for all of us in what to do when—you know, when life gives you a lemon.

　　I think he wrote 1,000 times better after he lost his voice than he did before. In some ways—in some ways, I mean, as terrible as, of course, it was, it was a blessing¹⁷ for him as a writer and a thinker that he could lay out his philosophy of life, his aesthetic¹⁸ and his politics in a way that he never had before.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN:So, what is it about that show that made it so successful? The two of them co-hosted it together for almost, what, 23, 24 years.

　　DAVID EDELSTEIN:Well, a lot of critics went on TV and talked and were not really challenged by anybody.

　　But they were very, very different people. You had Siskel, who was very prickly and scattershot and really, really kind of moody¹⁹ and not that much of an intellectual, and Roger, who was—who managed to be very, very centered and to kind of keep the discussion on track.

　　And they taught us not just how to think about movies, which I think we knew how to do, but how to talk about them, so that we didn't just sit there and say, well, I liked it. Well, I liked it, too. Let's give it a yes.

　　They actually engaged with each other. They thought. They aired different world views, different personalities²⁰, different temperaments²¹. And I think they created a template for a lot of shows that followed, none of them anywhere near as good as the original "Siskel & Ebert at the Movies."

　　HARI SREENIVASAN:Did getting a thumbs up or thumbs down actually have a measurable difference on a movie?

　　DAVID EDELSTEIN:Oh, sure it did.

　　I mean, look, the phrase two thumbs up has passed into the lexicon²². There are people still nowadays who say, I give it two thumbs up, even if it's their own thumbs. Yes, you know, it was—Roger often lamented²³ that, you know, quote ads were all reduced to silly superlatives and adjectives.

　　And I once reminded him, to his great irritation²⁴, that as much as he wanted to see more intelligent quote ads, a lot of it these days was two big thumbs.

　　On the other hand, if you could win over Ebert and Siskel, you knew that there was going to be an audience.

　　Ebert—you see, Ebert didn't think just about his own responses. And he didn't think about the history of cinema. I mean, he did, but first and foremost, he thought about you, the viewer at home. You know, what are you going to make of this? What is everybody going to make? What can we learn from this? How can we support this filmmaker or that filmmaker? It's really an inspiring legacy²⁵.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN:I mean, it seems even Facebook stole the thumbs up for the like button, right?

　　I want to ask ...

　　DAVID EDELSTEIN:He copyrighted it, though. He did copyright it.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN:Did he really?

　　DAVID EDELSTEIN:Yes, he did. Oh, yes.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN:So, I want to ask, what are you going to remember about him as a peer? Because I'm sure there's hundreds of movies that the two of you disagreed on. But when you read his work and compared it to your own, what is going to leap out at you?

　　DAVID EDELSTEIN:Well, I think the funny is, you know, Roger never really represented a certain aesthetic.

　　He wasn't—his writing wasn't transformative, the way someone like Andrew Sarris or Pauline Kael was, people whose aesthetic we still argue about. As I said, what I remember about Roger was that public persona, that public dimension.

　　He reminded us that movies weren't just some private thing that we sat in the dark and were sort of bathed, bathed in the light of the screen, that they were—that each and every one of us, our own responses, you know, were—were a starting point for a larger debate, a larger cultural debate. What does this mean? What is this artist trying to do? How can movies transform all of our lives, teach us what it is to transcend our mundane²⁶ reality?

　　That's what inspires me most about his legacy, not just even so much any individual things he wrote, although he was a fine writer. He was a lucid²⁷ writer. It was the—it was that—it was that public dimension to what he did that is hugely important.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN:All right, David Edelstein, thanks so much for your time.

1 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

4 salivary   

adj. 唾液的

参考例句：

• Small doses depress salivary and bronchial secretion and sweating. 小剂量可抑制唾液分泌、支气管分泌及出汗。
• The five pairs of salivary glands open into the mouth. 有五对唾液腺通向口腔。

5 gland   

n.腺体，(机)密封压盖，填料盖

参考例句：

• This is a snake's poison gland.这就是蛇的毒腺。
• Her mother has an underactive adrenal gland.她的母亲肾上腺机能不全。

6 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

7 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

10 transcend   

vt.超出，超越(理性等)的范围

参考例句：

• We can't transcend the limitations of the ego.我们无法超越自我的局限性。
• Everyone knows that the speed of airplanes transcend that of ships.人人都知道飞机的速度快于轮船的速度。

11 tuned   

adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• The resort is tuned in to the tastes of young and old alike. 这个度假胜地适合各种口味，老少皆宜。
• The instruments should be tuned up before each performance. 每次演出开始前都应将乐器调好音。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 bicker   

vi.(为小事)吵嘴，争吵

参考例句：

• The two children used to bicker about who should do the washing-up.这两个小孩子过去常为该由谁洗餐具一事而争吵。
• They always bicker when they meet at school.在学校见面时他们总是争吵。

13 derisively   

adv. 嘲笑地，嘲弄地

参考例句：

• This answer came derisively from several places at the same instant. 好几个人都不约而同地以讥讽的口吻作出回答。
• The others laughed derisively. 其余的人不以为然地笑了起来。

14 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

15 extemporaneously   

参考例句：

• Electric piano extemporaneously performance, in modern music education teaching, but also is in a development a. 电子琴的即兴演奏，在现代音乐教育教学中，还处于一个发展和不完善的阶段。 来自互联网
• He makes the splendid performance frequently extemporaneously at the concert, has made the astonishing progress. 他常常在音乐会上作精彩的即兴演奏，取得了惊人的效果。 来自互联网

16 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

17 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

18 aesthetic   

adj.美学的，审美的，有美感

参考例句：

• My aesthetic standards are quite different from his.我的审美标准与他的大不相同。
• The professor advanced a new aesthetic theory.那位教授提出了新的美学理论。

19 moody   

adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的

参考例句：

• He relapsed into a moody silence.他又重新陷于忧郁的沉默中。
• I'd never marry that girl.She's so moody.我决不会和那女孩结婚的。她太易怒了。

20 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

21 temperaments   

性格( temperament的名词复数 )； （人或动物的）气质； 易冲动； （性情）暴躁

参考例句：

• The two brothers have exactly opposite temperaments: one likes to be active while the other tends to be quiet and keep to himself. 他们弟兄两个脾气正好相反， 一个爱动，一个好静。
• For some temperaments work is a remedy for all afflictions. 对于某些人来说，工作是医治悲伤的良药。

22 lexicon   

n.字典，专门词汇

参考例句：

• Chocolate equals sin in most people's lexicon.巧克力在大多数人的字典里等同于罪恶。
• Silent earthquakes are only just beginning to enter the public lexicon.无声地震才刚开始要成为众所周知的语汇。

23 lamented   

adj.被哀悼的，令人遗憾的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• her late lamented husband 她那令人怀念的已故的丈夫
• We lamented over our bad luck. 我们为自己的不幸而悲伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 irritation   

n.激怒，恼怒，生气

参考例句：

• He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。
• Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说，但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。

25 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

26 mundane   

adj.平凡的；尘世的；宇宙的

参考例句：

• I hope I can get an interesting job and not something mundane.我希望我可以得到的是一份有趣的工作，而不是一份平凡无奇的。
• I find it humorous sometimes that even the most mundane occurrences can have an impact on our awareness.我发现生活有时挺诙谐的，即使是最平凡的事情也能影响我们的感知。

27 lucid   

adj.明白易懂的，清晰的，头脑清楚的

参考例句：

• His explanation was lucid and to the point.他的解释扼要易懂。
• He wasn't very lucid,he didn't quite know where he was.他神志不是很清醒，不太知道自己在哪里。