英语听力精选进阶版 6210

Back Down the Rabbit Hole 重游兔穴

The ongoing¹ mania² for 3D movies continues in the UK this week with the release of an updated version of the classic British children's novel Alice in Wonderland.

The film is the work of maverick³ Hollywood director Tim Burton who has carved a niche⁴ for himself by "re-imagining" classic films and stories in his trademark⁵ Gothic style.

As well as starring Hollywood heartthrob Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, the film features a wealth of British talent including Burton's wife Helena Bonham-Carter, while many other British actors supply the voices for the film's CGI characters.

The film sees 19-year-old Alice return to Wonderland ten years after her original adventures, where she must realise her destiny and end the Red Queen's reign⁶ of terror.

Although the film is a 21st Century, technology-laden, visual feast, it is based on the works of the 19th Century mathematician⁷ Lewis Carroll.

Lewis Carroll was actually the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a lecturer in mathematics at Christ Church College, Oxford⁸.

Carroll is said to have written the book for the entertainment of the children of an Oxford colleague, having made up stories for them during rowing trips around the Oxford area.

The books are characterised by a sense of absurd fantasy, however, they also reflect Carroll's fascinations⁹ as a mathematician and logician¹⁰, which may explain why they have had such enduring appeal for children and adults alike.

It would appear then that 145 years after their original publication Alice's adventures continue to enthral and intrigue¹¹, and will doubtless do so for many years to come.

Glossary 词汇表

mania 狂热 

updated version 现代更新版 

maverick 标新立异的人 

carved a niche 找到了合适的位置/工作 

trademark gothic 标志性的哥特式 

heartthrob 大众情人 

Mad Hatter 疯帽人 (电影里的一个角色的名字) 

cgi characters 用cgi技术创造出的特效角色 

reign of terror 恐怖统治 

visual feast 视觉大餐 

pen name 笔名 

lecturer 讲师 

made up 编造出来的，凭空想象出来的 

rowing trips 划船旅行 

characterised 特色 

absurd fantasy 荒谬的幻想 

logician 逻辑学家 

enduring appeal 具有经久不衰的吸引力 

enthral 迷住，吸引住 

intrigue 激起好奇心

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 mania   

n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好

参考例句：

• Football mania is sweeping the country.足球热正风靡全国。
• Collecting small items can easily become a mania.收藏零星物品往往容易变成一种癖好。

3 maverick   

adj.特立独行的；不遵守传统的；n.持异议者，自行其是者

参考例句：

• He's a maverick.He has his own way of thinking about things.他是个特异独行的人。对事情有自己的看法。
• You're a maverick and you'll try anything.你是个爱自行其是的人，样样事情都要尝试一下。

4 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。

5 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

6 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

7 mathematician   

n.数学家

参考例句：

• The man with his back to the camera is a mathematician.背对着照相机的人是位数学家。
• The mathematician analyzed his figures again.这位数学家再次分析研究了他的这些数字。

8 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

9 fascinations   

n.魅力( fascination的名词复数 )；有魅力的东西；迷恋；陶醉

参考例句：

• The fascinations of the circus are endless. 马戏表演非常吸引人。 来自辞典例句
• He held the children spellbound with magic tricks and other fascinations. 他使那些孩子沉浸在魔术和其他魅力中。 来自互联网

10 logician   

n.逻辑学家

参考例句：

• Mister Wu Feibai is a famous Mohist and logician in Chinese modern and contemporary history. 伍非百先生是中国近、现代著名的墨学家和逻辑学家。 来自互联网

11 intrigue   

vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋

参考例句：

• Court officials will intrigue against the royal family.法院官员将密谋反对皇室。
• The royal palace was filled with intrigue.皇宫中充满了勾心斗角。