VOA标准英语2010年-Angelina Jolie Adds Spice to 'Salt'

Angelina Jolie stars as Evelyn Salt in Columbia Pictures' contemporary action thriller¹ 'Salt.'

Phillip Noyce's highly anticipated spy thriller, "Salt," offers double the entertainment: adrenaline-pumping scenes and uber-celebrity Angelina Jolie.

The synergy between movie genre³ and daredevil actress is seamless, translating this movie into a box office success. On its opening weekend, the film grossed $36.5 million.

When CIA operative Evelyn Salt is declared a Russian spy by Russian defector Orlov, she goes underground. Years of training and dangerous missions have equipped her to outrun and outsmart the best.

 

But why is Salt running? Is she going to assassinate⁴ the Russian president who's visiting New York City? Or is she determined⁵ to uncover the truth behind an assassination⁶ plot and exonerate⁷ herself?

Is she a sleeper⁸ Russian spy, one who has spent a lifetime in the United States waiting to fulfill⁹ her mission?

Salt doesn't say much and her expression doesn't give away her intentions.

Neither the CIA nor the FBI can stop her in her tracks. 

The more Salt runs, the more the plot reveals a mission far more sinister¹⁰ than an  assassination. Ultimately, like in many spy films, the end is predictable. There are only so many sides a spy may take. But the action scenes develop deftly¹¹ and decisively, keeping viewers guessing as to what will happen next. 

Liev Schreiber plays CIA agent Ted² Winter, Salt's partner, who's mystified by her behavior.

But the film's main attraction is Jolie. The actress is no stranger to action films and she has her own signature in fight sequences and stunts¹³.

"I've worked with the same stunt¹² team for 10 years and they've become my family," says the actress.  "So I think they get more nervous. When I am climbing out the window to climb on a ledge¹⁴, the first ones go, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait!' I know that they are going to extra check my harness. They are going to check my safety rig and if they say you can go off that bridge, I'll trust them that it's okay."

Jolie also brings gravitas to this movie. Originally intended for  a man, the role of Salt went to Jolie, who infuses the super spy with feminine menace. She is beautiful but not sexual, almost androgynous. Her moves are unfailing, her focus single-minded. 

Phillip Noyce's expert hand is clearly behind the camera. The action scenes are reminiscent of Cold War-era spy movies with classic fistfights and kicks, thrilling and unpretentious. There's no space for empathy, sensitivity or forgiveness.

This shoot-to-kill summer flick¹⁵ takes no prisoners.
 

1 thriller   

n.惊险片，恐怖片

参考例句：

• He began by writing a thriller.That book sold a million copies.他是写惊险小说起家的。那本书卖了一百万册。
• I always take a thriller to read on the train.我乘火车时，总带一本惊险小说看。

2 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

3 genre   

n.(文学、艺术等的)类型，体裁，风格

参考例句：

• My favorite music genre is blues.我最喜欢的音乐种类是布鲁斯音乐。
• Superficially,this Shakespeare's work seems to fit into the same genre.从表面上看， 莎士比亚的这个剧本似乎属于同一类型。

4 assassinate   

vt.暗杀，行刺，中伤

参考例句：

• The police exposed a criminal plot to assassinate the president.警方侦破了一个行刺总统的阴谋。
• A plot to assassinate the banker has been uncovered by the police.暗杀银行家的密谋被警方侦破了。

5 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

6 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

7 exonerate   

v.免除责任，确定无罪

参考例句：

• Nothing can exonerate her from that.任何解释都难辞其咎。
• There is no reason to exonerate him from the ordinary duties of a citizen.没有理由免除他做公民应尽的义务。

8 sleeper   

n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺

参考例句：

• I usually go up to London on the sleeper. 我一般都乘卧车去伦敦。
• But first he explained that he was a very heavy sleeper. 但首先他解释说自己睡觉很沉。

9 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

10 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。

11 deftly   

adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He deftly folded the typed sheets and replaced them in the envelope. 他灵巧地将打有字的纸折好重新放回信封。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• At last he had a clew to her interest, and followed it deftly. 这一下终于让他发现了她的兴趣所在，于是他熟练地继续谈这个话题。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

12 stunt   

n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长

参考例句：

• Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
• Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。

13 stunts   

n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 )；（广告中）引人注目的花招；愚蠢行为；危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长]，抑制，妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He did all his own stunts. 所有特技都是他自己演的。
• The plane did a few stunts before landing. 飞机着陆前做了一些特技。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 ledge   

n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁

参考例句：

• They paid out the line to lower him to the ledge.他们放出绳子使他降到那块岩石的突出部分。
• Suddenly he struck his toe on a rocky ledge and fell.突然他的脚趾绊在一块突出的岩石上，摔倒了。

15 flick   

n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动

参考例句：

• He gave a flick of the whip.他轻抽一下鞭子。
• By a flick of his whip,he drove the fly from the horse's head.他用鞭子轻抽了一下，将马头上的苍蝇驱走。