VOA标准英语2014--尼日利亚“诺莱坞”电影产业高速发展

 

Nigeria's 'Nollywood' Movie Industry Rolls at High Gear 尼日利亚“诺莱坞”电影产业高速发展

LAGOS—

Twenty years after its birth in a video shop in Lagos, Nigeria's  "Nollywood" is one of the most prolific¹ film industries on earth. Despite low budgets and whirlwind production schedules, Nigerian films are wildly popular in Africa and industry professionals say they hope, in the future, their films will be as great in quality as they are in quantity.

As a generator² hums on the roof, Director F. Olu Michaels shoots his 14th episode³ of Remember Me, a soap opera about a girl with magical powers.

He said that since he got into the business 16 years ago, Nollywood has grown from a rag-tag industry into a giant -- producing thousands of films a year.

F. Olu Michaels, a Nollywood director, said, “It has changed a lot. Bad jobs don’t really make waves anymore. If you don’t really do a good job you’re nowhere. Bad jobs just die along the line, but good jobs are recommended and people keep talking about it.”

Tight productions

But Nollywood also suffers from the same woes⁴ as the rest of Nigeria -- widespread poverty, insecurity, and lack of electricity. As a result, Nigerian artists say their movies are made on tight budgets and films lack "polish."

At a fancy country club in Lagos, Olu Jacobs, one of Nollywood’s most famous actors, said many movies are shot in only a week for less than $30,000.

"We haven’t got the money to prolong⁵ it for more than six, seven, eight, nine, 10 days maximum. Otherwise you run out of money,” said Jacobs.

Resonant⁶ themes

Jacobs said Nollywood movies are popular, though, because they reflect themes Africans can relate to, instead of Hollywood's version of the continent: an exotic⁷ land of large, wild animals and suffering villagers.

“I’m an eternal⁸ optimist⁹. I will tell you Nollywood is going to improve by leaps ands bounds because more and more people and organizations are beginning to see that this field is respected outside this country,” said Jacobs.

Back on the set of Remember Me, where the generator is still the only source of power, 21-year-old actress Bronze Mannuels said Nollywood gives young Nigerian artists a chance to “make it."

“It’s about the passion. It’s about how much effort you can put into. That’s how I see it,” she said.

This is Mannuel's first role after many auditions¹⁰. She said she doesn’t want to be just another actress, however, she wants to be a Nollywood star.

1 prolific   

adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的

参考例句：

• She is a prolific writer of novels and short stories.她是一位多产的作家，写了很多小说和短篇故事。
• The last few pages of the document are prolific of mistakes.这个文件的最后几页错误很多。

2 generator   

n.发电机，发生器

参考例句：

• All the while the giant generator poured out its power.巨大的发电机一刻不停地发出电力。
• This is an alternating current generator.这是一台交流发电机。

3 episode   

n.（作品的一段）情节，插曲，系列事件中之一

参考例句：

• The episode was a huge embarrassment for all concerned.这段小插曲令所有有关人员都感到非常尴尬。
• This episode remains sharply engraved on my mind.这段经历至今仍深深地铭刻在我的心中。

4 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

5 prolong   

vt.延长，拉长，拖延

参考例句：

• He has decided to prolong his visit through the weekend.他已决定把他的访问延长到过完周末。
• People have all along been seeking to prolong life.人们一直在寻求长寿之道。

6 resonant   

adj.(声音)洪亮的，共鸣的

参考例句：

• She has a resonant voice.她的嗓子真亮。
• He responded with a resonant laugh.他报以洪亮的笑声。

7 exotic   

adj.奇异的，异乎寻常的，外（国）来的，外国产

参考例句：

• There are some exotic words in English language.英语中有一些外来词。
• She likes to wear exotic clothes.她喜欢穿奇装异服。

8 eternal   

adj.永久的，无休止的，永恒的，永不改变的

参考例句：

• Stop this eternal chatter!不要唠叨个不停！
• Rome has been called the Eternal City.罗马一向被称为不朽之城。

9 optimist   

n.乐观的人，乐观主义者

参考例句：

• We are optimist and realist.我们是乐观主义者，又是现实主义者。
• Peter,ever the optimist,said things were bound to improve.一向乐观的皮特说，事情必定是会好转的。

10 auditions   

n.（对拟做演员、歌手、乐师等人的）试听，试音( audition的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Find modeling auditions, casting calls& acting auditions, all in one place. 找一个立体感试听，铸造呼叫和表演试听一体的地方。 来自互联网
• We are now about to start auditions to find a touring guitarist. 我们现在准备找一个新的吉他手。 来自互联网