英语听力精选进阶版 6118

Mamma Mia!: From Stage to Silver Screen 妈妈咪呀!：从舞台走向银幕

The ever so-beloved West End musical Mamma Mia! has finally been taken from the stage to the silver screen.

The international premiere of the film was held at the Odeon Leicester Square in central London, 30 June 2008.

The film is a musical based on the legendary¹ Swedish pop band ABBA’s songs and it is the film adaptation of the musical of the same name.

Mamma Mia! uses the music of ABBA to tell the story of Sophie Sheridan, a 21-year-old American bride-to-be, trying to find out the identity of her real father so that he can give her away at the wedding.

Since the premiere of the musical in London in 1999, over 30 million people have seen Mamma Mia! around the world and the theatre production has grossed² $2bn (15bn yuan) in earnings³.

Although the title of the musical is taken from ABBA’s 1975 chart-topper Mamma Mia, neither the musical’s nor the film’s plot has anything to do with the story of the group itself.

The band ABBA was the winner of the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest and following that success their songs topped the charts worldwide until the early 1980s. The name ABBA is an acronym⁴ formed from the first letters of the group member’s first names.

After a week of exclusive⁵ showing in the Leicester Square Odeon, one of London’s most famous cinemas, the film will be on in all cinemas across the country from 10 July.

Some people say maybe it is the mature A-list cast that makes the film work so well. Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard star as the three potential dads with the Oscar winner Meryl Streep starring as the mum of the bride-to-be.

A film critic said the film is truly wonderful. It is sharp, hilarious⁶ and very beautifully shot.

If you are a fan of ABBA, a fan of the musical, or simply just a fan of Pierce Brosnan, then the film Mamma Mia！is a must.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

beloved 心爱的，受人喜爱的

musical 音乐剧

stage 舞台

silver screen 银幕

legendary 传奇的

adaptation 改编

bride-to-be 准新娘

identity 身份

give her away （婚礼中通常由父亲）把新娘交给新郎

grossed 总共赚得

chart-topper （音乐）榜首

plot 情节

Eurovision Song Contest 欧洲歌唱大赛

acronym 缩写字

exclusive showing 独家放映

A-list cast 由重量级演员组成的演出班子

potential 可能的

critic 评论家

hilarious 十分有趣的

shot 拍摄

1 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

2 grossed   

获得（…的）总收入( gross的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her last film grossed a million pounds. 她拍最后一部影片总共赚了100万英镑。
• Her last film grossed (ie earned) a million pounds. 她拍最后一部影片总共赚了一百万英镑。

3 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

4 acronym   

n.首字母简略词，简称

参考例句：

• That's a mouthful of an acronym for a very simple technology.对于一项非常简单的技术来说，这是一个很绕口的缩写词。
• TSDF is an acronym for Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities.TSDF是处理，储存和处置设施的一个缩写。

5 exclusive   

adj.不包括的，不算在内的，独有的，独享的

参考例句：

• The hotel charges 6 pounds a day,exclusive of meals.这家旅馆一天收六英镑，不包括饭钱。
• This bathroom is for the President's exclusive use.这间浴室是总统专用的。

6 hilarious   

adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed

参考例句：

• The party got quite hilarious after they brought more wine.在他们又拿来更多的酒之后，派对变得更加热闹起来。
• We stop laughing because the show was so hilarious.我们笑个不停，因为那个节目太搞笑了。