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VOA慢速英语-People in America - Sydney Pollack, 1934-2008: He Di

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Some of his most famous movies were “Tootsie” and “Out of Africa.” Transcript1 of radio broadcast:
20 July 2008

VOICE ONE:

I’m Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember with People in America in VOA Special English. Today we tell about movie director and producer Sydney Pollack. He made many popular movies with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. The award-winning movies he directed in the nineteen seventies and eighties include “The Way We Were”, “Tootsie” and “Out of Africa.”

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:
 

Sydney Pollack in New York City, 2006

Sydney Pollack also acted in many films, including “Tootsie,” released in nineteen eighty-two. In the movie, Dustin Hoffman plays an actor, Michael Dorsey. He has trouble getting acting2 jobs because he is very difficult to work with. He goes to see his agent, George Fields, whose job is to get him acting jobs. Sydney Pollock plays the agent.

(SOUND)

Fields:"Nobody will hire you."

Dorsey: "Are you saying that nobody in New York will work with me?"

Fields: "No, that's too limiting. Nobody in Hollywood will work with you either. I can't even send you up for a commercial. You played a tomato for thirty seconds and they went half a day over schedule because you wouldn't sit down."

Dorsey: "Yes, it wasn't logical."

Fields: "You were a tomato! A tomato doesn't have logic3! A tomato can't move!

Dorsey: "That's what I said! So if he can't move, how's he gonna sit down, George?


VOICE ONE:

Later, Michael Dorsey proves his agent wrong. He dresses up like a woman and gets a job acting on a popular daytime television series.

VOICE TWO:

“Tootsie” was a huge success. But filming it was not easy. Hoffman and Pollack argued about the movie. Pollack wanted to bring attention to the love affair between the two main characters. Hoffman wanted to make a funnier version of the story. The movie cost more money and took more time to make than it was supposed to. But in the end, “Tootsie” received ten Academy Award nominations4, including Best Picture. It earned over one hundred and seventy million dollars in the United States.

VOICE ONE:
 

Sydney Pollack received an Emmy award in 1966 for outstanding directorial achievement

Sydney Pollack made movies with big stars, high production values and often political or moral subjects. His movies were popular with the general public while also remaining sharply intelligent. He said that his movies were not about special effects and high technology action scenes. He said his movies were character driven stories defined by the performances of the actors.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Sydney Irwin Pollack was born in nineteen thirty-four in Lafayette, Indiana. His parents were Russian-Americans who met in college in Indiana. In high school, Sydney discovered his love of theater. He later moved to New York City to study at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater. Pollack studied there for two years, then continued working as
an assistant to the head of the school’s acting department. In nineteen fifty-eight, he married Claire Griswold.

VOICE ONE:

Sydney Pollack acted in many plays during this early part of his career. One person he met during these years was the actor Burt Lancaster. Lancaster suggested that Pollack try directing instead of acting. Pollack later said that his time as an acting teacher helped him a great deal in developing his method as a director.

VOICE TWO:

During the nineteen sixties, Sydney Pollack began directing shows on television like “Ben Casey” and “Naked City.” His first full-length movie, “The Slender Thread,” came out in nineteen sixty-five, followed a year later by “This Property is Condemned5.” These were not successful.

Then, in nineteen sixty-nine, Pollack directed “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” This movie tells an intense story about a group of people in a dance competition during the Great Depression in the nineteen thirties. Jane Fonda and Michael Sarrazin give powerful performances as two struggling contestants6. The film received nine Academy Award nominations, including one for Pollack.

VOICE ONE:

Robert Redford starred in many of Pollack’s movies. The two became friends in the early nineteen sixties. They worked together on seven movies. One is a western, "Jeremiah Johnson.” Another is “The Way We Were” which stars the actress and singer Barbra Streisand. In “Three Days of the Condor” Robert Redford plays a worker at the Central Intelligence Agency who becomes caught in a deadly political plot.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Sydney Pollack's best movie is probably “Out of Africa” which was released in nineteen eighty-five. This beautifully filmed movie was based on a book by the Danish writer Karen Blixen about her life. She wrote the book under the name Isak Dinesen. She moved to Kenya in nineteen fourteen to buy land and operate a coffee-growing farm.

Pollack’s movie version brought to life the great love story between Baroness7 Blixen and the big-game hunter Denys Finch8 Hatton. Two of the biggest stars of the nineteen eighties, Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, play the lovers. Here they meet for the first time. Karen Blixen is looking at the wildlife on her land when her horse runs away. She sees a lion walking towards her.

(SOUND)

Finch Hatton: "I wouldn't run. If you do, she'll think you're something good to eat.”

Blixen: "Do you have a gun?"

Finch Hatton: "She won't like the smell of you."

Blixen: "Shoot it."

Finch Hatton: "She's had breakfast."

Blixen: "Please shoot her."

Finch Hatton: "Let's give her a moment."

Blixen: "Oh my God, shoot her!"

(The lion walks away.)

Blixen: "How much closer did you expect her to let her come?"

Finch Hatton: "A bit. She wanted to see if you would run. That's how they decide -- a lot like people that way."

Blixen: "She almost had me for lunch!"

Finch Hatton:" It wasn't her fault, baroness. She's a lion."


VOICE ONE:

“Out of Africa” won seven Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Picture for Sydney Pollack.

Five years later, Pollack directed “Havana”, also starring Robert Redford. This movie was followed by “The Firm” and “Sabrina.” In two thousand five Pollack directed “The Interpreter” starring Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman. Part of the movie was filmed in the United Nations building in New York City. It is the only movie ever filmed inside the buildings of the UN General Assembly and Security Council.

VOICE TWO:


Sydney Pollack once said that he backed into filmmaking and never actually trained for the job. He said that directing movies made him very tense. He noted9 that every fifteen-minute period in making a movie represents thousands of dollars, so a director is concerned about the clock every minute.

VOICE ONE:

Pollack also produced many films during his long career. He started a production company called Mirage10 Productions in the nineteen eighties. He said that he liked the creative part of being a producer. And he said he liked producing because not getting the praise or the blame for a movie was a big relief.

His production credits include “Sense and Sensibility”, “The Talented Mister Ripley” and “Cold Mountain.” He also produced “Michael Clayton" which was nominated for Best Picture in two thousand eight.

In two thousand five, he directed and produced “Sketches of Frank Gehry," a documentary about the famous architect. Here, Pollack talks about his friendship with Frank Gehry.

Sydney Pollack: "Frank’s got his own original and sort of perverse11 way of doing things. We’ve been friends for several years. We spend a lot of time together bemoaning12 the difficulties of trying to find personal expressiveness13 within disciplines that makes stringent14 commercial demands. Several people approached him with the idea of making a documentary about him. When he asked me if I’d do it, I thought he was crazy. It’s not just that I didn’t know anything about making documentaries, I didn’t even know anything about architecture. That’s why you’re perfect, he said."

(SOUND)

VOICE TWO:

Throughout his career, Sydney Pollack never stopped acting. He said that once in a while he could not resist being able to spy on other directors by acting in their films. He said that he learned new methods and techniques from these directors. Pollack has played many kinds of roles in movies such as “Husbands and Wives” directed by Woody Allen; “Eyes Wide Shut”, directed by Stanley Kubrick, and “The Player”, directed by Robert Altman. He even made appearances in television shows such as “Will and Grace” and “Entourage.”

In “Michael Clayton” Pollack plays a high-powered lawyer named Marty Bach. He is head of a group of lawyers involved in a difficult case. Here is a scene with Pollack and George Clooney who plays one of the lawyers, Michael Clayton.

(SOUND)

Marty:"Everybody knows how valuable you are, Michael, everyone who needs to know."

Michael: "I’m forty-five years old and I’m broke. I’ve been riding shotgun for twelve years and I got no equity15. I’m sorry,I don’t feel reassured16."

Marty:" Nobody told you to go into the bar business."

Michael:" I only opened it so that I have something else, I’d have a way out."

Marty: "I had no idea that you were so unhappy."

Michael: "How many times did I ask you to put me back on a litigation team."

Marty: "Hey, anyone can go to court, you think that’s so special?"

Michael:" I was good at it!"

Marty: "Wonderful, so are a lot of people. At this, what you do, you’re great."


VOICE ONE:

Later in his career, Pollack was involved in many film and acting organizations. For example, he served as director of the Actors Studio West in Los Angeles, California and as a chairman for the American Cinematheque.

Sydney Pollack died of cancer at his home in Los Angeles, California in two thousand eight. He was seventy-three years old. His many films will continue to influence generations of movie lovers.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I’m Barbara Klein. You can learn about other interesting Americans on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for People in America in VOA Special English.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 transcript JgpzUp     
n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书
参考例句:
  • A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
  • They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。
2 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
3 logic j0HxI     
n.逻辑(学);逻辑性
参考例句:
  • What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑?
  • I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。
4 nominations b4802078efbd3da66d5889789cd2e9ca     
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
5 condemned condemned     
adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
  • The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。
6 contestants 6183e6ae4586949fe63bec42c8d3a422     
n.竞争者,参赛者( contestant的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The competition attracted over 500 contestants representing 8 different countries. 这次比赛吸引了代表8个不同国家的500多名参赛者。
  • Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency. 两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 baroness 2yjzAa     
n.男爵夫人,女男爵
参考例句:
  • I'm sure the Baroness will be able to make things fine for you.我相信男爵夫人能够把家里的事替你安排妥当的。
  • The baroness,who had signed,returned the pen to the notary.男爵夫人这时已签过字,把笔交回给律师。
8 finch TkRxS     
n.雀科鸣禽(如燕雀,金丝雀等)
参考例句:
  • This behaviour is commonly observed among several species of finch.这种行为常常可以在几种雀科鸣禽中看到。
  • In Australia,it is predominantly called the Gouldian Finch.在澳大利亚,它主要还是被称之为胡锦雀。
9 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的,知名的
参考例句:
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
10 mirage LRqzB     
n.海市蜃楼,幻景
参考例句:
  • Perhaps we are all just chasing a mirage.也许我们都只是在追逐一个幻想。
  • Western liberalism was always a mirage.西方自由主义永远是一座海市蜃楼。
11 perverse 53mzI     
adj.刚愎的;坚持错误的,行为反常的
参考例句:
  • It would be perverse to stop this healthy trend.阻止这种健康发展的趋势是没有道理的。
  • She gets a perverse satisfaction from making other people embarrassed.她有一种不正常的心态,以使别人难堪来取乐。
12 bemoaning 1ceaeec29eac15496a4d93c997b604c3     
v.为(某人或某事)抱怨( bemoan的现在分词 );悲悼;为…恸哭;哀叹
参考例句:
  • They sat bemoaning the fact that no one would give them a chance. 他们坐着埋怨别人不肯给他们一个机会。
  • The rest were disappointed, miserable creatures in unwarm beds, tearfully bemoaning their fate. 剩下那些不幸的人,失望的人在不温暖的被窝里悲泣自己的命运。 来自汉英文学 - 家(1-26) - 家(1-26)
13 expressiveness 5t7z1e     
n.富有表现力
参考例句:
  • His painting rose to a fresh expressiveness and revealed a shrewder insight. 他的画富有一种新的表达力,显示出更敏锐的洞察力。
  • The audiences are impressed by the expressiveness of the actors. 演员们的丰富表情给观众留下了深刻的印象。
14 stringent gq4yz     
adj.严厉的;令人信服的;银根紧的
参考例句:
  • Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
  • Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。
15 equity ji8zp     
n.公正,公平,(无固定利息的)股票
参考例句:
  • They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
  • To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值,墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。
16 reassured ff7466d942d18e727fb4d5473e62a235     
adj.使消除疑虑的;使放心的v.再保证,恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句:
  • The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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