英文原版对话1000个:745 Big Break

Todd: OK, now Matt, you used to work in Hollywood as an actor. Can you talk about what kind of actor you were?

Matt: Sure. I acted mainly in commercial work and that is I auditioned¹ for commercials and basically in Los Angeles it's unlike any other city in the world for acting² and it's just so heavily centered around Hollywood and television and screen work that there isn't really a lot of work in theater so I didn't have a ton of training going in to the acting world when I entered L.A. so like many others I opted³ just for commercial work and tried to get experience that way.

Todd: Oh, cool. So how do you actually get a gig? Tell me about the process.

Matt: It actually... It's a lot more complicated than I thought when I first got there and competitive. Basically, there are two types of actors in Los Angeles. There's union actors and non-union. And to really progress you need to be a union actor which takes getting a speaking part or doing commercial work, which took me about six months and from there becoming a SAG⁴ member, screen actor's guild⁵ member. You're in the union which looks a lot better on your resume to go after agents so that was my next step and after I got an agent then I was able to be sent out on auditions⁶ and look for work that way.

Todd: So how did you get your first big break?

Matt: It was just by chance really. I was acting and I was doing a lot of non-speaking work on television and movies and really not progressing as fast as I wanted to and I was on a commercial for I think it was Pepsi and they liked my look and they needed an extra guy in the scene in a library and they put me in and from that thirty second spot which was shown all the East Coast of the United States I has half of my income for my first year because you get royalty⁷ checks every time a commercial is shown on television. You get paid, so...

Todd: Nice.

Matt: Yeah... But from there I went back to television and movies.

Todd: Cool.

 

1 auditioned   

vi.试听（audition的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• None of the actresses we have auditioned is suitable. 我们试听的这些女演员都不合适。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• What is that, from some script you auditioned for in the '40s? 什么玩意儿是你40年代试的那些剧本吗？ 来自电影对白

2 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

3 opted   

v.选择，挑选( opt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was co-opted onto the board. 她获增选为董事会成员。
• After graduating she opted for a career in music. 毕业后她选择了从事音乐工作。

4 sag   

v.下垂，下跌，消沉；n.下垂，下跌，凹陷，[航海]随风漂流

参考例句：

• The shelf was beginning to sag beneath the weight of the books upon it.书架在书的重压下渐渐下弯。
• We need to do something about the sag.我们须把下沉的地方修整一下。

5 guild   

n.行会，同业公会，协会

参考例句：

• He used to be a member of the Writers' Guild of America.他曾是美国作家协会的一员。
• You had better incorporate the firm into your guild.你最好把这个公司并入你的行业协会。

6 auditions   

n.（对拟做演员、歌手、乐师等人的）试听，试音( audition的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Find modeling auditions, casting calls& acting auditions, all in one place. 找一个立体感试听，铸造呼叫和表演试听一体的地方。 来自互联网
• We are now about to start auditions to find a touring guitarist. 我们现在准备找一个新的吉他手。 来自互联网

7 royalty   

n.皇家，皇族

参考例句：

• She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
• I waited on tables，and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生， 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。