英语名人堂：华特·迪士尼（在线收听）

华特·迪士尼 (也叫做沃尔特·迪斯尼）（Walt Disney，全名：Walter Elias Disney 1901年12月5日—1966年12月15日），是美国著名动画大师、企业家、导演、制片人、编剧、配音演员、卡通设计者，举世闻名的迪士尼公司创始人，也是一位备受美国人民热爱和怀念的长者。他获得了56个奥斯卡奖提名和7个艾美奖。华特·迪士尼是世界上获得奥斯卡奖最多的人。华特有2个女儿Diane Disney和Sharon Disney（Sharon是其领养的）。他和他的职员一起创造了许许多多著名、受世人欢迎的卡通角色，包括那个被无数人喜爱的经典卡通形象、华特·迪士尼的好友——米老鼠（Mickey Mouse）。

Walt Disney was one of the most famous people ever to have lived. He has touched the lives of millions of children and adults. He holds the record for winning the  most Academy Awards (26) and was an innovative film producer and animator. He created some of the most successful characters, movies and theme parks of the 20th Century.

Disney was born in 1901 in Chicago. He developed a great love of drawing as a youngster. When he was ten, he discovered the world of theatre and cinema and fell in love with it. He became the cartoonist for his high school newspaper. In 1920, he set up his own animation company and his “Laugh-O-Gram” cartoons became very popular.

Disney wanted more and so he moved to Hollywood. He developed a character based on a pet mouse he once had. He gave the mouse his own voice and personality. Disney’s wife named him Mickey. Disney put Mickey in his first movie with sound, ‘Steamboat Willie’. By 1930, Mickey Mouse was the world’s most popular cartoon character and Walt Disney was a household name.

Following on from Mickey’s success, Disney created characters such as Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto. He then produced an animated feature-length version of Snow White, which was the most successful movie of 1938. Dozens more movies followed, including Fantasia and Bambi. Disney built up a global entertainment empire, including his Disneyland theme park. He died of cancer in 1966.