VOA标准英语2008年-Hollywood Remembers Heath Ledger

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
24 January 2008

Friends and admirers of Heath Ledger¹ are mourning his loss and recalling his achievements in a film career cut short by his death Tuesday at age 28. Mike O'Sullivan looks back on his transition from teen actor to talented star.

Makeshift memorial for Heath Ledger in front of his apartment building in New York, 23 Jan 2008

Fans left flowers in front of the New York apartment where the actor was found dead Tuesday, with prescription² sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication nearby. The actor's family insists the death was accidental. The New York medical examiner says an autopsy³ was inconclusive, and a full investigation⁴ will take 10 days.

Colleagues in Hollywood expressed shock at Ledger's death, and admiration⁵ for his skill as an actor. Geoffrey Rush, who starred with Ledger in the films Ned Kelly and Candy, called him a sensitive and daring performer. Mel Gibson, who selected the young star for the film The Patriot⁶, called the death tragic⁷. Gibson said in a written statement, "I had such great hope for him." Ang Lee, who directed Ledger in Brokeback Mountain, called the young star a joy to work with. The actor John Travolta said Ledger's talent touched him.

Ledger was born in Perth in Western Australia in 1979. He discovered acting⁸ through a drama class in high school. After work in Australian films and television series, he moved to Los Angeles and starred in the 1999 teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You.

Then came a role in a big production, The Patriot, a tale of the American Revolution. In the film, Ledger tries to convince his reluctant father, played by Mel Gibson, to join the fight again the British.

In 2001, Ledger starred in a light-hearted action film called A Knight⁹'s Tale. He also gained notice for a role in Monster's Ball, a story about race relations in the American South. It was first of the intense, serious roles that he became known for.

In 2003, he played the title role in Ned Kelly, about a legendary¹⁰ Australian outlaw¹¹. There were also lighter¹² roles. He played opposite Matt Damon in the fantasy adventure The Brothers Grimm, and had a starring role in Lords of Dogtown, which looked at the world of California surfers.

Ledger played opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in the critically acclaimed¹³ Brokeback Mountain, a 2005 film about two cowboys who fall in love. Both actors earned Oscar nominations¹⁴ for their roles as men tormented¹⁵ by their mutual¹⁶ attraction.

In 2006, Ledger played a poet who was addicted¹⁷ to heroin¹⁸ in the Australian drama Candy.

More recently, he was one of six performers who portrayed¹⁹ singer Bob Dylan at different stages of his career in I'm Not There.

In what some critics say may be Ledger's best and darkest role, he plays the fiendish Joker in the upcoming Batman film The Dark Knight. The picture is scheduled for release in July. Ledger adds an edge to the character made famous by Jack²⁰ Nicholson, who challenges Batman and local officials in the fictional²¹ Gotham City.

As coworkers and fans recalled Heath Ledger's talent, the actor's father, Kim, remembered his son as down-to-earth, generous and kindhearted.

Ledger has a two-year-old daughter, Matilda, from his relationship with actress Michelle Williams, who played his wife in Brokeback Mountain.  The couple broke up last September.

1 ledger   

n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿

参考例句：

• The young man bowed his head and bent over his ledger again.那个年轻人点头应诺，然后又埋头写起分类帐。
• She is a real accountant who even keeps a detailed household ledger.她不愧是搞财务的，家庭分类账记得清楚详细。

2 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

3 autopsy   

n.尸体解剖；尸检

参考例句：

• They're carrying out an autopsy on the victim.他们正在给受害者验尸。
• A hemorrhagic gut was the predominant lesion at autopsy.尸检的主要发现是肠出血。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

5 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

6 patriot   

n.爱国者，爱国主义者

参考例句：

• He avowed himself a patriot.他自称自己是爱国者。
• He is a patriot who has won the admiration of the French already.他是一个已经赢得法国人敬仰的爱国者。

7 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

8 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。

9 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

10 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

11 outlaw   

n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法

参考例句：

• The outlaw hid out in the hills for several months.逃犯在山里隐藏了几个月。
• The outlaw has been caught.歹徒已被抓住了。

12 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

13 acclaimed   

adj.受人欢迎的

参考例句：

• They acclaimed him as the best writer of the year. 他们称赞他为当年的最佳作者。
• Confuscius is acclaimed as a great thinker. 孔子被赞誉为伟大的思想家。

14 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

15 tormented   

饱受折磨的

参考例句：

• The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. 知道了自己的罪责使他非常痛苦。
• He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. 他彻夜未眠，深受嫉妒的折磨。

16 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

17 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

18 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

19 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》

20 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

21 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。