VOA标准英语2010年-Nominees Say Oscar Night a Hollywood C

James Cameron, an Academy Award nominee¹ for Best Director for 'Avatar,' gestures for photographers at the Academy Awards Nominees² luncheon³ in Beverly Hills, California, 15 Feb 2010

Hollywood is gearing up for the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars.  The event March 7 is the highlight of the year for the American movie industry.  Nominees who attended a recent luncheon say the event is a more of a celebration than a contest.

Christoph Waltz is an Austrian actor who got an Oscar nomination⁴ for his supporting role in the Quentin Tarantino film "Inglourious Basterds."  Waltz, considered a favorite for his portrayal⁵ of a suave⁶ but sinister⁷ Nazi⁸, says the Oscar race is not about winning. 

"It's not a competition.  It's not a sports event.  There's no pistol going off and we all run and the guy who does it under 10 seconds comes in first.  We do this together.  This is a really beautiful camaraderie⁹ that I have never experienced."

Major contenders for this year's Oscars include filmmaker James Cameron and his groundbreaking three-dimensional fantasy "Avatar." 

Lee Daniels, the filmmaker behind the unexpected success "Precious," says the film's central character is an outsider ignored by those around her.   He says that's not a typical plot for an Oscar-nominated movie.  The main character, played by best actress nominee Gabourey Sidibe, is a troubled and overweight African American teenager. 

Daniels is a nominee as director and producer.   He is African American and gay, and he says that at first, he did not take the nomination too seriously.

"And then I got thousands of emails, thousands of emails, of young, not just African American filmmakers, but gay filmmakers, Chinese filmmakers, that there's a chance that the Academy is wise," he said. "So, it's monumental, guys.  I'm over the moon about this."

There are five nominees in most Oscar categories.  The best picture competition, which honors a film's producers, has been expanded to 10 entries this year.  Yet in every category, most nominees will go home without an Oscar.  Many take their loss in stride, but the disappointment is clear on the face of some of the losers.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is a nominee for supporting actress for "Crazy Heart," a film about an aging country musician.  She plays opposite Jeff Bridges and she says the veteran actor gave her advice about not getting too excited about the competition.

"The one thing he did say to me before I was nominated, actually, he said, there isn't actually anything at the end of the rainbow.  He said, it's a lot of fun, and enjoy it in that spirit."

Jeremy Renner, a nominee for best actor for his role in the war film "The Hurt Locker¹⁰," says recognition from the fans, especially the families of war veterans, has been just as rewarding as a possible Oscar win.

"We thought we had won when were in four theaters," he said. "We won when we wrapped the movie.  It was already a victory for us, so all this is - it's been a really lovely, slow trajectory¹¹, and for me to be standing¹² here now is kind of bananas, but what a wonderful feeling."

The Hurt Locker, from director Kathryn Bigelow, is tied with James Cameron's "Avatar" as a leading Oscar entry.  Both films have nine nominations¹³, including nods for their directors.  Both films will also compete for the Oscar for best picture.

There are many awards in Hollywood, from critics and foreign reporters, and from associations of actors, producers and directors.  But the Academy Awards  are the culmination¹⁴ and climax¹⁵ of the award season. 

Colin Firth, star of the drama "A Single Man," says the whirlwind of activities leading up to the Oscars leaves him uncertain how he feels about his nomination as best actor.

"Since people start talking about this, you're constantly on a plane and talking yourself into circles, so that actually you don't process anything," he said. "So I'm sure I'm ecstatic."

Oscar winners are selected by roughly 6,000 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which is made up of actors, directors, producers and others in the movie industry.

 

1 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

2 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

3 luncheon   

n.午宴，午餐，便宴

参考例句：

• We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。
• I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。

4 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

5 portrayal   

n.饰演；描画

参考例句：

• His novel is a vivid portrayal of life in a mining community.他的小说生动地描绘了矿区的生活。
• The portrayal of the characters in the novel is lifelike.该书中的人物写得有血有肉。

6 suave   

adj.温和的；柔和的；文雅的

参考例句：

• He is a suave,cool and cultured man.他是个世故、冷静、有教养的人。
• I had difficulty answering his suave questions.我难以回答他的一些彬彬有礼的提问。

7 sinister   

adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的

参考例句：

• There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
• Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值，而且包藏祸心。

8 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

9 camaraderie   

n.同志之爱，友情

参考例句：

• The camaraderie among fellow employees made the tedious work just bearable.同事之间的情谊使枯燥乏味的工作变得还能忍受。
• Some bosses are formal and have occasional interactions,while others prefer continual camaraderie.有些老板很刻板，偶尔才和下属互动一下；有些则喜欢和下属打成一片。

10 locker   

n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人

参考例句：

• At the swimming pool I put my clothes in a locker.在游泳池我把衣服锁在小柜里。
• He moved into the locker room and began to slip out of his scrub suit.他走进更衣室把手术服脱下来。

11 trajectory   

n.弹道，轨道

参考例句：

• It is not difficult to sketch the subsequent trajectory.很容易描绘出它们最终的轨迹。
• The path followed by a projectile is called its trajectory.抛物体所循的路径称为它的轨道。

12 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

13 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

14 culmination   

n.顶点；最高潮

参考例句：

• The space race reached its culmination in the first moon walk.太空竞争以第一次在月球行走而达到顶峰。
• It may truly be regarded as the culmination of classical Greek geometry.这确实可以看成是古典希腊几何的登峰造级之作。

15 climax   

n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点

参考例句：

• The fifth scene was the climax of the play.第五场是全剧的高潮。
• His quarrel with his father brought matters to a climax.他与他父亲的争吵使得事态发展到了顶点。