VOA标准英语2013--Washington Faces Terror Attack in 'White House Down'

 

Washington Faces Terror Attack in 'White House Down'

This is not the first time Roland Emmerich is destroying the White House.  In 1996, he  blew it to smithereens in Independence Day. Back then, the enemy was aliens. Now, it's an inside job.

A terrorist group is planning to take the president hostage and access America's weapons of mass destruction. But all is not lost. John Cale, a soldier fresh out of Afghanistan, is visiting the White House for a job interview.

His estranged¹ daughter, Emily, is visiting with him. What happens next is predictable. In the chaos², John and Emily are separated. Cale races to save his daughter and, of course, the president.

Channing Tatum, as John Cale, is in super shape as he goes through leaps and bounds to protect the Commander in Chief. 

“There is a 25 foot drop I didn't do. But I did most of them. Yeah!" he admitted, referring to the stunts³ he performed.  

Tatum, who was named the “Sexiest Man Alive” by People Magazine, approaches stardom with humor and humility⁴.

“I don't know. I don't sit there pondering that question, really, I just sort...keep working,"  he said.

In White House Down, Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx plays James Sawyer,  the president of the United States. He said it's not a take on President Obama.

“We didn't want to do an impersonation of him because we don't want people to think that's how Obama would react in this situation because we don't know,” Foxx explains.

Maggie Gyllenhaal plays special agent Carol Finnerty.

“To come here to see the Capitol Building felt like I want to go up as close as I can get," she said, adding that visiting Washington helped her connect with her character. "To see the First Amendment⁵ written in stone on the Newseum, and to walk up and read it and think I absolutely believe in that! And I think Carol Finnerty is like that.”

Filmmaker Roland Emmerich said despite the grand sets and special effects, his film is, at its core, about a father trying to reconnect with his daughter - a throwback to 80s and 90s action flicks⁶.    

"It's not as fun anymore like it was, like with movies such as Indiana Jones," Emmerich said, regretfully.  "Raiders of Lost Ark was one of the most fun movies I have ever seen in my life. These kind of movies are missing [today].”

White House Down is a wild ride in the heart of the nation's capital. It toys with the hypothesis of what would happen to the world if the White House were compromised.

1 estranged   

adj.疏远的，分离的

参考例句：

• He became estranged from his family after the argument.那场争吵后他便与家人疏远了。
• The argument estranged him from his brother.争吵使他同他的兄弟之间的关系疏远了。

2 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

3 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》

4 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。

5 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

6 flicks   

（尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的第三人称单数 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等）

参考例句：

• 'I shall see it on the flicks, I suppose.' “电影上总归看得见。” 来自英汉文学
• Last night to the flicks. 昨晚看了场电影。 来自英汉文学