VOA标准英语2013--Black-themed进入好莱坞主流电影

Black-themed Films Enter Hollywood Mainstream¹ Black-themed进入好莱坞主流电影

From Lee Daniel's biopic The Butler about the African American butler who served eight U.S. presidents, to Steve McQueen's historic drama 12 Years a Slave, about free  man Solomon Northup's abduction into slavery, movies about the African-American experience are sweeping² movie theaters and winning critical acclaim³.

The Butler chronicles the life of Cecil Gaines who, from the 1950s to the late 80s, served as a catalyst⁴ for social change by discreetly⁵ affecting the presidents he  served. Cecil, based on the real butler Eugene Allen, was not a social activist⁶. He was a dignified⁷ servant commanding respect.

The Butler has gained Oscar buzz for its lead actor, Forest Whitaker, as well as supporting actress Oprah Winfrey and director Lee Daniels. It also did well at the box  office, a sign that American audiences are drawn⁸ to stories about the African-American experience.

Also getting Oscar buzz is director Steve McQueen's unflinching portrayal⁹ of American slavery. The movie, 12 Years A Slave, is based on Solomon Northup's true account  of his abduction into slavery and life on a southern plantation¹⁰ under a brutal¹¹ owner.

“Going to the plantations¹² in the south and being in places where some of these things occurred and that burning heat, the violence that he sees occurring, you do get  a glimpse of what the day-to-day must have been like,” said Chiwetel Ejiofor, who portrays¹³ Northup and is considered an Oscar frontrunner.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, about the life of South African leader Nelson Mandela, is another drama that may also do well at the box office because of apartheid  icon's fame and recent death. The film exposes life during apartheid in South Africa, a different type of oppression that put the black leader behind bars for 27  years.

Critical acclaim aside, George Mason University film historian Dexter Gabriel says the future of movies about the black experience is linked to the box office.

“Hollywood wants to make revenue and has these presuppositions about who goes to see movies and who will see what movies," Gabriel said. "And so it is very tepid¹⁴  about certain things that it thinks will not bring revenue."Films like Black Nativity, based on the Broadway musical, show that African-American movies can hold their  own, even when they are not period dramas.

The film about family reconciliation¹⁵ during Christmas has an impressive cast including Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett and Jennifer Hudson. And it’s a hit.

If these kinds of films can draw crowds, then Hollywood is likely to follow.

1 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

2 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

3 acclaim   

v.向…欢呼，公认；n.欢呼，喝彩，称赞

参考例句：

• He was welcomed with great acclaim.他受到十分热烈的欢迎。
• His achievements earned him the acclaim of the scientific community.他的成就赢得了科学界的赞誉。

4 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

5 discreetly   

ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地

参考例句：

• He had only known the perennial widow, the discreetly expensive Frenchwoman. 他只知道她是个永远那么年轻的寡妇，一个很会讲排场的法国女人。
• Sensing that Lilian wanted to be alone with Celia, Andrew discreetly disappeared. 安德鲁觉得莉莲想同西莉亚单独谈些什么，有意避开了。

6 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

7 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

8 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

9 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。

10 plantation   

n.种植园，大农场

参考例句：

• His father-in-law is a plantation manager.他岳父是个种植园经营者。
• The plantation owner has possessed himself of a vast piece of land.这个种植园主把大片土地占为己有。

11 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

12 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

13 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》

14 tepid   

adj.微温的，温热的，不太热心的

参考例句：

• She bent her mouth to the tap and drank the tepid water.她把嘴伸到水龙头底下去喝那微温的水。
• Her feet firmly planted on the tepid rough brick of the floor.她一双脚稳固地立在微温而粗糙的砖地上。

15 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。