英语听力精选进阶版 6242

It's the Beginning of the End for Harry¹ Potter《哈利波特》终结的开始

The first part of the final Harry Potter film has just had its premiere in London. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows marks the end of the almost ten-year fantasy film franchise².

The young stars of the films have been in the limelight for almost a decade but now it's the beginning of the end for the Hogwarts schoolmates and for fans of the films.

The first film was screened in 2001. The girls and boys who watched it then have grown up, perhaps more quickly than the on-screen characters. Certainly the films have got darker and scarier and this latest episode is a long way from the original film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

The Harry Potter effect has certainly been profitable, becoming one of the highest- grossing film series of all time. But is it because of the story or because of its high-profile marketing³ campaign? Xan Brooks⁴ talks about the films in The Guardian⁵ newspaper saying "It's hard tomourn the demise⁶ of a franchise that was never more than half-alive to begin with… after all this time and all these films, it is as though we never really knew you at all."

Others may disagree and for the cast it's been a franchise that has launched their careers. The actor Daniel Radcliffe told the BBC he has fond memories of playing the wizard Harry Potter but "as ten years with one character I'm ready to move on as well".

Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, agrees that playing the role has been a great start to his acting⁷ career but he admits "it has been hard to adjust really because it's been a huge part of my life".

The downside of actors playing the same person for so many years is that they can become typecast. The audience just can't think of them playing another character.

But Daniel Radcliffe has already made appearances on stage and is set to perform in a Broadway musical. Emma Watson, who plays Hermione Granger, has already made her modelling debut⁸ for the fashion brand Burberry.

The second part of this final story will be screened next year. After that, for die-hard fans of Harry Potter the legacy⁹ will live on in J.K. Rowling's books and also through a theme park in Florida called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. And maybe the wizard will cast some of his magic on the author's future projects.

Glossary 词汇表

premiere 首映式 

franchise 特许拍片权 

limelight 众人关注的中心 

a long way from 相差很远 

profitable 盈利的 

highest-grossing 高票房 

marketing 市场宣传 

to mourn 悼念 

demise 结束 

fond 好的 

wizard 巫师 

to move on 继续前进 

career 职业生涯 

adjust 适应，调整 

downside 负面 

typecast 由于一直扮演某角色而模式化 

is set to 必定 

debut 首次亮相 

die-hard 忠实（粉丝） 

legacy 遗产

1 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

3 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

4 brooks   

n.小溪( brook的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brooks gave the business when Haas caught him with his watch. 哈斯抓到偷他的手表的布鲁克斯时，狠狠地揍了他一顿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ade and Brooks exchanged blows yesterday and they were severely punished today. 艾德和布鲁克斯昨天打起来了，今天他们受到严厉的惩罚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

6 demise   

n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。

7 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。

8 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

9 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。