【英语听和读】越位

 Callum: Hello, I'm Callum Robertson and this is Entertainment. In today's programme

we focus on the language of talking about films. As it's World Cup time, we're

going to be looking at reviews of a new film based on a World Cup

qualification match.

The film is called Offside and is by Iranian director Jafar Panahi.

The film is about a group of women football fans in Iran who want to go and

watch a World Cup qualification match between their country, Iran and

Bahrain. However, because in Iran women are not allowed to attend male

sporting events they have to try different ways of getting into the stadium.

They try different disguises¹ but are stopped from seeing the match by soldiers

who keep them in a room where they can hear, but not see the match.

The film is not in the English language it doesn't have any big international

stars and there aren't explosions² and special effects. It is not typical of the

summer blockbusters from Hollywood and maybe because of this it has proved

to be quite popular with the critics and the public.

Mark Kermode is one of the BBC's film reviewers, he isn't a football fan but he

did like the film, this is what he said about it.

Mark Kermode

It's really terrific³. Number of lovely things about it. The first thing is, is that it's really

genuinely⁴ gentle but in a melancholic⁵ and insightful⁶ way. 

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Callum: He says it's terrific, he thinks it's really good and there are some lovely things

about it. He comments that the film is gentle – which means that it's an easy

film to watch, there aren't strong and angry conflicts. He also says it has a

melancholic feel, it's slightly sad and is also insightful – it shows a good

understanding of the situation.

He also says that even though he isn't a football fan he still enjoyed the film. In

fact he says that he doesn't 'get' football – he doesn't get it – this means that he

doesn't understand it, he doesn't know why it is so popular or makes people feel

the way they do. Does watching this film help him to understand this at all?

Here's Mark Kermode again.

Mark Kermode

The reason I like it is as somebody who genuinely hasn't had any interest in football, doesn't

get football, I've never got it, I've never got the kind of national enthusiasm⁸ for it, I've never

got why it is that people get so excited. Watching Offside I actually felt that I understood at

least a little bit more what that was about because what he does brilliantly as a director is to

show you that sense of wanting to be part of this kind of collective⁹ event which is a force for

good.

Callum: So yes. He said that watching the film helped him to understand what it is like

to be a football fan, what it is like to want to want to be involved in a group

event which he describes as a force for good.

Those were the views of the critic, the reviewer, but what about others who

have seen the film for their own entertainment. What do they think? Here are a

few opinions – how do people describe the film and their reaction to it.

VOICES

I thought it was one of the best films I'd seen in ages. I really really enjoyed it 

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Oh I really enjoyed it, I thought it was funny, endearing and yet it made a really serious point.

I thought the film was excellent. I like Iranian films and this particular film was interesting

because it was quite a heavy subject but there were funny bits. So even though you might

think 'oh this is a very difficult subject to talk about in a film', it approached it in a very light

hearted and a gentle way.

Callum: Some very positive views there. The first speaker commented that it was the

best film he'd seen in ages – the best film in a long time. It was also described

as funny and endearing – endearing means charming¹⁰ and very likeable. This

view was echoed¹¹ by the third speaker who commented that even though it was

a heavy subject – a serious and difficult topic – it was done in a light-hearted

and gentle way. Light-hearted is a useful adjective¹² to describe films which are

funny.

That's all from this edition of entertainment. Before we go, some final

recommendations¹³ for the film offside.

VOICES

I'd recommend this film to absolutely anybody.

Yes I would recommend this film. You certainly don't have to be a football fan to enjoy it and

if you like watching films from different countries around the world this is a really good one

to start with. I would recommend this film to everybody especially this time when the football

fans are going around the world, having a great time. 

1 disguises   

n.伪装( disguise的名词复数 )；伪装品v.假扮( disguise的第三人称单数 )；化装；伪装；掩盖

参考例句：

• But as they soon discovered, disguises can sometimes be too per fect. 正象他们不久就发现的那样，化装效果有时可能太完美无缺了。 来自《用法词典》
• He has tried all sorts of disguises. 他曾经设法找各种借口。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 explosions   

爆炸( explosion的名词复数 )； 爆发； 激增； （感情，尤指愤怒的）突然爆发

参考例句：

• Soon afterwards five explosions were heard from the area. 此后不久从那个地方传来五次爆炸声。
• They were monitoring the upper air to collect evidence of atomic explosions. 他们正在检测高空空气以收集原子爆炸的证据。

3 terrific   

adj.可怕的，极好的，非常的

参考例句：

• The game was terrific.那场比赛棒极了。
• Darren drove at a terrific speed.达伦以惊人的速度驾车。

4 genuinely   

ad.真地；确实地

参考例句：

• She appeared genuinely surprised by this gesture of affection. 看来她真的被这个爱意的表示惊呆了。
• She seems genuinely fond of the children. 她似乎真的喜欢这些小孩。

5 melancholic   

忧郁症患者

参考例句：

• A absurd tragedy accompany a melancholic song by the Tiger Lillies. 一出荒诞的悲剧，在泰戈莱利斯犹豫的歌声中缓缓上演。
• I have never heard her sing a melancholic song. 我从来没有听她唱过忧伤的曲子。

6 insightful   

adj.有深刻见解的，有洞察力的

参考例句：

• The statute is hardly a masterpiece of insightful policymaking or incisive drafting. 这个法案几乎不算一个有见识的杰作，也算不上是个透彻的草案。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• This is not an insightful article. It's all just filler, really. 这不是一篇很有见地的文章。只是一篇补白，仅此而已。

7 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

8 enthusiasm   

n.热情，激情；巨大兴趣；热衷的事物

参考例句：

• We set about our task at once with great enthusiasm.我们立刻兴致勃勃地干起来。
• A team which is full of enthusiasm is more likely to win.情绪高涨的球队更可能获胜。

9 collective   

adj.集体的，共同的；n.团体，集体

参考例句：

• I do feel deeply the strength of the collective. 我确实深深地感到了集体的力量。
• They hold together for collective security.他们为了共同安全而团结在一起。

10 charming   

adj.迷人的，可爱的

参考例句：

• She looked small and gentle and altogether charming.她看起来小巧文雅,十分迷人。
• She has charming manners.她具有媚人的风姿。

11 echoed   

重复，随声附和( echo的过去式和过去分词 )； 类似； 发射（声音等）； 发出回声

参考例句：

• Their shouts re-echoed through the darkness. 他们的喊声回荡在黑暗中。
• Their footsteps echoed in the silence. 他们的脚步声在一片寂静中回荡着。

12 adjective   

n.形容词；adj.形容词的，用作形容词的

参考例句：

• Don't apply that adjective to me.不要用那个字眼来形容我。
• The adjective loose has several senses. 形容词loose有几个义项。

13 recommendations   

n.推荐( recommendation的名词复数 )；推荐信；正式建议；提议

参考例句：

• The board completely disregarded my recommendations. 董事会完全无视我的建议。
• Recommendations from two previous clients helped to establish her credibility. 两位以前的客户的推荐有助于确立她的诚信度。 来自《简明英汉词典》