VOA常速英语2007年-‘The 99’ Superheroes Comic Book Debuts in US

By Mariam Mahmood
Washington, D.C.
28 November 2007
 
A new comic book is taking the world by storm. "The 99" features Muslim superheroes who embody¹ each one of the 99 characteristics of God described by Islam. The comic, already a hit in the Middle East, recently debuted³ in the United States. VOA's Mariam Mahmood introduces us to "The 99."

The year is 1258; the Mongol's have invaded and destroyed Baghdad's ancient libraries.

This is the story of  "The 99". The world's first Muslim comic book superheroes, featuring 99 characters based on Islamic history and culture. According to the creator of the comic book series, Naif Al-Mutawa, the title refers to the 99 attributes of God, which Muslims believe – when existent in one being – deify that being, and only Allah possesses all 99 attributes. However, Al-Mutawa declares that these are virtues⁴ of the Islamic faith that are often overlooked. 

"Those attributes are also human attributes but not at the same level,” he says. “Things like generosity⁵, strength, wisdom, mercy, foresight⁶ and dozens of others that are not used today to describe Islam in the media.

Al-Muttawa describes the central concept of "The 99."  "The idea is a series of heroes each of which embodying⁷ one of these traits yet needing to work in a team of three to solve a problem."

Al-Mutawa also challenges common female stereotypes⁸ in his comic. "I didn't want a comic where the boys break the bones and the girls mend them."

The comic book will feature an equal ratio of male and female characters, with nine female characters wearing traditional headscarves in nine different ways, according to culture. In order to reflect the diverse cultures of the Muslim world, each character originates from a different country.

Twenty-five thousand copies of the first issue of "The 99" were published in the Middle East in June 2006 in Al-Mutawa's native Kuwait and the comic book has been second in sales to Superman.  It made its debut² in the U.S. in late October. 

A Bahrain investment bank approved $25 million to finance Dr.Al-Mutawa's company, Teshkeel Media Group, and is interested in funding the launch of an animated⁹ series of the comic book for television.

Despite this success, there are critics of the comic book.  In response to religious clerics who have banned the selling of his comic book, Al-Mutawa relates the story of the book, "The Catcher in the Rye."

"Three hundred million people have read this book ["The Catcher in the Rye"]. Two people have committed violent crimes in the name of it; so whose fault is that, is it the book's fault or the reader?"

"The 99 " contains no prayers, mention of prophets, passages from the Koran or religious dialogue. Al-Mutawa stresses that "The 99" is not exclusively targeted towards Muslims, but rather it is based on universal human values, which appeal to a broad audience.

"The 99 series is not a religious book, it is as religious as Spiderman, so it's based on values.  So, when Uncle Ben teaches Spiderman – or Peter Parker – that with great power comes great responsibility: Is that a Christian¹⁰ message? Is it Jewish? Is it Buddhist¹¹? Is it Muslim? It's human. It's global."

1 embody   

vt.具体表达，使具体化；包含，收录

参考例句：

• The latest locomotives embody many new features. 这些最新的机车具有许多新的特色。
• Hemingway's characters plainly embody his own values and view of life.海明威笔下的角色明确反映出他自己的价值观与人生观。

2 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。

3 debuted   

初次表演，初次登台（debut的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• In late 2003 a full-size SUV, the Pathfinder Armada, debuted. 2003年末，全尺寸SUV的探路者无敌舰队，推出。
• The album debuted at number two and quickly went platinum. 专辑一亮相就荣登排行榜第二名，很快就取得了白金销量。

4 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

5 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

6 foresight   

n.先见之明，深谋远虑

参考例句：

• The failure is the result of our lack of foresight.这次失败是由于我们缺乏远虑而造成的。
• It required a statesman's foresight and sagacity to make the decision.作出这个决定需要政治家的远见卓识。

7 embodying   

v.表现( embody的现在分词 )；象征；包括；包含

参考例句：

• Every instrument constitutes an independent contract embodying a payment obligation. 每张票据都构成一份独立的体现支付义务的合同。 来自口语例句
• Fowth, The aesthetical transcendency and the beauty embodying the man's liberty. \" 第四部分：审美的超越和作为人类自由最终体现的“美”。 来自互联网

8 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

10 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

11 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。