英语听力精选进阶版 6319

If you used your imagination to create a fantasy world, what accent would the characters speak in?

This month sees the return of the successful American television series, Game of Thrones. Set in a fantasy world of mythical¹ castles and charming princesses, it is notable that all of the characters speak in British accents.

British actors have long portrayed² sneering³ villains⁵ or brutish baddies in Hollywood films. From Dr Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs to the Sherriff of Nottingham in Robin⁶ Hood⁷: Prince of Thieves, the hero can be American but his rival often speaks with an elegant British accent whilst curling his lip.

Now the same British accent is casting a spell over fantasy worlds too. From The Lord of the Rings to The Hobbit, Brits are frequently the stars of these film fantasy yarns⁸.

Fantasy fiction is conjured⁹ up from old history books and folklore¹⁰. So some people say that, as some of the English language is rooted in the medieval era, it carries a tradition and culture suited to the genre¹¹.

Historical screen sagas¹² include bewitching British accents too. This flight of fancy goes unchallenged even when they are set in ancient Rome or Greece. So a British accent often works its magic for these historical or fantasy tales as it provides an enchanting¹³ link to the past for modern audiences.

After all, would the triumph of the Harry¹⁴ Potter films have been such a fairytale success if he had spoken with an American accent?

Quiz 测验

Is this statement true, false or not given? British actors have long portrayed weak villains or lazy baddies in Hollywood.

False. British actors have long portrayed sneering villains or brutish baddies in Hollywood films.

What was the name of the villain⁴ in The Silence of the Lambs?

Dr Hannibal Lecter

As well as history books, where else is fantasy fiction conjured up from?

folklore

What two words are other names to describe old stories?

yarns, sagas

What expression is used to refer to an unexpected and very good outcome?

A fairytale success

Glossary 词汇表

imagination 想象力

fantasy world 幻想世界

mythical 神话的

charming 迷人的

sneering villains 已嘲弄他人为乐的恶人

brutish baddies 凶恶的人

curling his lip 卷曲着自己的嘴唇

casting a spell 下咒语

yarns 有趣的故事

conjured up 想象源于

folklore 民间传说

rooted 生根于

medieval era 中世纪时期

tradition 传统

genre 类别，风格

sagas 长篇小说

bewitching 引人入胜的

flight of fancy 异想天开

works its magic 施展魔力，达到成功

enchanting 迷人的

fairytale success 出人意料的好结果

1 mythical   

adj.神话的；虚构的；想像的

参考例句：

• Undeniably,he is a man of mythical status.不可否认，他是一个神话般的人物。
• Their wealth is merely mythical.他们的财富完全是虚构的。

2 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 sneering   

嘲笑的，轻蔑的

参考例句：

• "What are you sneering at?" “你冷笑什么？” 来自子夜部分
• The old sorceress slunk in with a sneering smile. 老女巫鬼鬼崇崇地走进来，冷冷一笑。

4 villain   

n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因

参考例句：

• He was cast as the villain in the play.他在戏里扮演反面角色。
• The man who played the villain acted very well.扮演恶棍的那个男演员演得很好。

5 villains   

n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼

参考例句：

• The impression of villains was inescapable. 留下恶棍的印象是不可避免的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some villains robbed the widow of the savings. 有几个歹徒将寡妇的积蓄劫走了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

7 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

8 yarns   

n.纱( yarn的名词复数 )；纱线；奇闻漫谈；旅行轶事

参考例句：

• ...vegetable-dyed yarns. 用植物染料染过色的纱线 来自辞典例句
• Fibers may be loosely or tightly twisted into yarns. 纤维可以是膨松地或紧密地捻成纱线。 来自辞典例句

9 conjured   

用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现

参考例句：

• He conjured them with his dying breath to look after his children. 他临终时恳求他们照顾他的孩子。
• His very funny joke soon conjured my anger away. 他讲了个十分有趣的笑话，使得我的怒气顿消。

10 folklore   

n.民间信仰，民间传说，民俗

参考例句：

• Zhuge Liang is a synonym for wisdom in folklore.诸葛亮在民间传说中成了智慧的代名词。
• In Chinese folklore the bat is an emblem of good fortune.在中国的民间传说中蝙蝠是好运的象征。

11 genre   

n.(文学、艺术等的)类型，体裁，风格

参考例句：

• My favorite music genre is blues.我最喜欢的音乐种类是布鲁斯音乐。
• Superficially,this Shakespeare's work seems to fit into the same genre.从表面上看， 莎士比亚的这个剧本似乎属于同一类型。

12 sagas   

n.萨迦（尤指古代挪威或冰岛讲述冒险经历和英雄业绩的长篇故事）( saga的名词复数 )；（讲述许多年间发生的事情的）长篇故事；一连串的事件（或经历）；一连串经历的讲述（或记述）

参考例句：

• Artwork depicted the historical sagas and biblical tales for the illiterate faithful. 墙上的插图为不识字的信徒描绘了历史传说和圣经故事。 来自互联网
• It will complete one of the most remarkable transfer sagas in English football. 到时候，英格兰史上最有名的转会传奇故事之一将落下帷幕。 来自互联网

13 enchanting   

a.讨人喜欢的

参考例句：

• His smile, at once enchanting and melancholy, is just his father's. 他那种既迷人又有些忧郁的微笑，活脱儿象他父亲。
• Its interior was an enchanting place that both lured and frightened me. 它的里头是个吸引人的地方，我又向往又害怕。

14 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。