VOA常速英语2007年-Actor Denzel Washington Presents Inspiring Dram

By Alan Silverman
Hollywood
30 December 2007

In his second film as director, Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington presents an inspiring drama of triumph over prejudice and ignorance based on true events of some 75 years ago. Alan Silverman has this look at The Great Debaters.

In the early 1930's at Wiley College, a small all-Black school in Texas, Professor Mel Tolson greets his new class with the words of African-American poet Langston Hughes. His goal is to challenge these young people to strengthen their minds; and his method is to form them into an inter-collegiate debate team.

This was a time and place in America when Black students were not welcome ...often not permitted ...on the campuses of major universities; but as the Wiley team scores victory after victory, they can no longer be ignored or marginalized.

Work hard, Professor Tolson assures his debaters, and you can achieve. "Do what you've got to do so you can do what you want to do" is how he puts it. Along with producing and directing the film, Denzel Washington stars as Tolson; and he acknowledges that theme is a philosophy he also uses with his own children. "I don't know if it came from me," says the star. "I must have heard it somewhere else; but it was a theme in the movie: 'do what you've got to do, so that you can do what you want to do.' I call it a 'sports movie.' In those days, they considered it a spectator sport. It was a very popular event to go to, so that was interesting. The fact that there were only 360 students at this college and they were going up against these big schools ...that was very fascinating."

As he did with his debut¹ film as director (2002's Antwone Fisher), Washington cast talented, but relatively² unknown young actors as the Wiley College debate team members: Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett and Denzel Whitaker. Then Washington says he challenged them not just to portray³, but to become debaters. "We set up a camp for the young actors. I met Dr. Freeman, who is the debating coach at Texas Southern University, one of the top debating schools in the country; and he put them through their paces," he says.

"Mr. Denzel was very adamant⁴ about us researching and knowing what we were talking about and being well versed⁵ in the process of debate," says Nate Parker, who add it helped him and his co-stars understand a lot about their characters. "It's a testament⁶ to research and preparation. Any time you're going to stand up in front of people and speak passionately⁸ about something, it helps for you to know what you are talking about. That is what helped us in the film. You see the film and these speeches that, of course, were written by someone else, but we studied and researched all the details behind those speeches so we could be passionate⁷ and so they meant something to us so we could be believable to you."

Smollett adds that making the film also became a powerful lesson in living history. "As you dig deeper and deeper and hear all the stories ...first-hand accounts of what it was like to live in the 'Jim Crow' [segregated] South and what it was like to live through the Great Depression. They knew education was their ticket. That's the thing everyone told us and a lot of the first-hand accounts were saying: education was their ticket. You were either a sharecropper or an educated person. There was no in between," he says.

Denzel Whitaker portrays⁹ the youngest member of the team: teenager James Farmer, Jr., who would grow up to establish 'CORE' - the Congress for Racial Equality - and become a leader of the American civil rights movement. "First of all I think there's a little pressure from wanting to do the actual person justice. Also, (it was) a time period when African-Americans weren't accepted in society. It is hard and kind of devastating¹⁰ to see it. Of course, I've learned about it in our history books, but to actually play the character is a little bit different because you can relate to what your ancestors were going through. For me, it just brought me closer and helps me to understand what I learned in the history books. It is not just text any more," he says.

"I felt, not an obligation, but a connection, if you will, with Mel Tolson and with Dr. Farmer and all of these people that accomplished¹¹ what they accomplished," says Denzel Washington, who adds, however, that he sees the history as directly relevant to issues of today and adult responsibility to guide and mentor¹² the next generation. "Whatever troubles our young people have are our fault. Period. I don't care how you slice it. We created this environment. We created this world that they are born into and it is our responsibility to try to create an environment for them to excel. That's what happened at Wiley. There's a line I say in the film: "I and every other professor on this campus are here to help you to find, take back and keep you righteous mind." "This is what we have to do. We can't just say 'well, it's up to them and they have to figure it out.' James Farmer Jr. (and the other team members) did not excel in a vacuum. It was because someone was there and made the sacrifice for them to excel."

The Great Debaters also features Forest Whitaker as James Farmer Sr. John Heard plays the racist¹³ local sheriff. The film is produced by TV personality Oprah Winfrey.

1 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。

2 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

3 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

4 adamant   

adj.坚硬的，固执的

参考例句：

• We are adamant on the building of a well-off society.在建设小康社会这一点上，我们是坚定不移的。
• Veronica was quite adamant that they should stay on.维罗妮卡坚信他们必须继续留下去。

5 versed   

adj. 精通，熟练

参考例句：

• He is well versed in history.他精通历史。
• He versed himself in European literature. 他精通欧洲文学。

6 testament   

n.遗嘱；证明

参考例句：

• This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
• It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明，编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。

7 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

8 passionately   

ad.热烈地，激烈地

参考例句：

• She could hate as passionately as she could love. 她能恨得咬牙切齿，也能爱得一往情深。
• He was passionately addicted to pop music. 他酷爱流行音乐。

9 portrays   

v.画像( portray的第三人称单数 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• The museum collection vividly portrays the heritage of 200 years of canals. 博物馆的藏品让运河200 年的历史再现眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The film portrays Gandhi as a kind of superman. 这部电影把甘地描绘成一个超人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

11 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

12 mentor   

n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导

参考例句：

• He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。
• He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。

13 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

14 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

15 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。