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浪漫主义作家激情四射

时间：2006-04-17 16:00:00

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（单词翻译）

Romance Writers are Passionate1 about Their Work

浪漫主义作家激情四射

 

You can't mistake a romance novel, with its richly illustrated2 cover -- usually depicting4 a beautiful woman and a handsome man in some type of embrace -- and a title that promises passion inside the covers -- Dead on the Dance Floor… Dangerous Affair… Learning Curves… Eye of a Hunter… Kiss and Make Up. But there's more to romance novels than romance; they're a source of entertainment, comfort, even spiritual inspiration. And they're a big part of the global publishing industry, as was easy to see at the 25th annual Romance Writers of America conference last week.

 

Some 2000 mostly female readers and writers of romance novels met in Reno, Nevada, to learn the ins and outs of publishing, to meet mingle5, and to hone their craft in writing workshops.

 

While some took their chances on slot machines at the hotel casino where the conference was held, others spent their time focused on the more certain -- and happy -- outcome of romance novels. The genre6 does not garner7 as much respect as other forms of literature… in fact, critics call it pure escapism. But Jessica Jiji, a romance novelist -- and news writer for the United Nations -- asks, what's wrong with that?

 

Jessica Jiji: Sometimes I think we feel like we have to grapple with the heavy philosophical8 subjects of our day, but it's OK to indulge yourself a little in some sort of escape. I work at the United Nations. I deal with a lot of body counts. I write about AIDS, refugees, wars. I mean the worst blights9 on the planet. When I got home I really didn't want to read an analysis of the genocide in Rwanda; I wanted to read Cosmo. I think it keeps me sane10.

 

In addition to providing millions of readers with escape, the romance novel industry also provides more than $1 billion in annual sales worldwide. It comprises 1/3 of all popular fiction sold in the United States. Large distributors like Harlequin Enterprises sell more than 4 books per second and about half of those sales are international. Romance novels are published in more than two-dozen languages, from Afrikaans to Korean.

 

The global popularity doesn't surprise best-selling author Heather Graham, who says emotions translate easily. A romance novel is less about language and more about the universal passion of human relationships.

 

Heather Graham: There is no finer emotion than love, and I mean obviously it goes beyond a husband and wife. I mean you have your love for your parents, your love for your children. But as human beings very few of us want to spend our lives alone. Most people really want to find a companion who is their soul mate. The person you share your triumphs with, the person who's there when you're desperate to cry on someone's shoulder when you need help.

 

But romance novelist Rachel Gibson says even literature about passion must be tempered with reason and it's important to know what's selling.

 

Rachel Gibson: I think that to be successful you have to write what you love, but I think you have to pay attention to the market and what readers want to read at the moment.

 

Publishers also pay attention to that. Pamela Jaffee, Director of Publicity11 for Avon and William Morrow Books, says trends in the market have prompted booksellers to create sub-categories of romance, such as books geared toward older women, and ones with a Christian12 emphasis in addition to a love story. But Mrs. Jaffee says novels designed to appeal to 20 and 30-somethings -- young women of the so-called generation X and Y – this is the best selling sub-category.

 

Pamela Jaffee: The point of those stories wasn't perhaps your typical happily every after where you ride off into the sunset with the man of your dreams. The purpose was more about self-realization, self-actualization, which goes more toward the Gen-X and Gen-Y age-groups who are so independent and strong and don't need Mr. Right. They need Mr. Right-Now.

 

Whether it's a novel for the Gen-X audience or a more mature crowd, Harlequin Executive Editor Leslie Wainger says romance authors need to believe in love to convince anyone knows of it’s often testy13.

 

Leslie Wainger: You have to believe in the fantasy because if you don't, you can't fake it. Romances are about emotion. They're about people falling in love and the reader has to experience the feeling of falling in love and you really can't fake that in fiction any more than you can fake in life.

 

According to historical romance novelist Julia Quinn, that emotional intensity14 can forge a special relationship between readers and authors. She recalls a letter she received from a woman who was sharing Ms. Quinn's book with her ailing15 mother, before her mother passed away.

 

Julia Quinn: When she went to the hospital to collect her things she saw the book and she realized that her mother had never finished the book. And so she took the book to her mother's gravesite and read the rest of the book to her. It just made me sob16. I couldn't believe that someone would do that to something I had created. I can't even explain to you right now how it made me feel. It's really very touching17.

 

The market for love is an ever-evolving one and is no longer limited to the printed page. Romance enthusiasts18 can now download audio books onto their computers and even some cell phones and listen to the stories. As the authors, would-be authors and publishers at the Romance Writer’s Conference considered what's next for their industry, they agreed whatever it is, it will end happily ever after.

 

I’m Kristin Larsen, Reno, Nevada.

 

注释：

illustrated [5ilEstreitid] adj. 有插图的

depict3 [di5pikt] vt. 描述，描写

embrace [im5breis] n. 拥抱

inspiration [7inspE5reiFEn] n. 灵感

Reno [5ri:nEu] 里诺（美国有名的“离婚城市”，在内华达州西部）

slot machine 自动贩卖机，（尤指一种俗称吃角子老虎的赌具）

casino [kE5si:nEu] n. 娱乐场（供表演跳舞、赌博的地方）

genre [VB:Nr] n. 类型，流派

escapism [is5keipizEm] n. 逃避现实，空想

grapple with 抓住

philosophical [7filE5sCfikEl] adj. 哲学的

Afrikaans [7Afri5kB:ns] n. 南非的公用荷兰语

triumph [5traiEmf] n. 胜利，成功

desperate [5despErit] adj. 不顾一切的

subcategory [5sQb5kAti^Eri] n. 子种类，子范畴

fake [feik] vt. 捏造

ailing [5eiliN] adj. 生病的

pass away 去世

touching [5tQtFiN] adj. 动人的，使人伤感的


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 passionate rLDxd     
adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的
参考例句：
  • He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
  • He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。
2 illustrated 2a891807ad5907f0499171bb879a36aa     
adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
  • His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
  • The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。
3 depict Wmdz5     
vt.描画，描绘；描写，描述
参考例句：
  • I don't care to see plays or films that depict murders or violence.我不喜欢看描写谋杀或暴力的戏剧或电影。
  • Children's books often depict farmyard animals as gentle,lovable creatures.儿童图书常常把农场的动物描写得温和而可爱。
4 depicting eaa7ce0ad4790aefd480461532dd76e4     
描绘，描画( depict的现在分词 )； 描述
参考例句：
  • a painting depicting the Virgin and Child 一幅描绘童贞马利亚和圣子耶稣的画
  • The movie depicting the battles and bloodshed is bound to strike home. 这部描写战斗和流血牺牲的影片一定会取得预期效果。
5 mingle 3Dvx8     
vt.使混合，使相混；vi.混合起来；相交往
参考例句：
  • If we mingle with the crowd,we should not be noticed.如果我们混在人群中，就不会被注意到。
  • Oil will not mingle with water.油和水不相融。
6 genre ygPxi     
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。
7 garner jhZxS     
v.收藏；取得
参考例句：
  • He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
  • Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。
8 philosophical rN5xh     
adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的
参考例句：
  • The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
  • She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。
9 blights dfc4191d6f7a4377123865e38fb444b0     
使凋萎( blight的第三人称单数 )； 使颓丧； 损害； 妨害
参考例句：
  • The crops suffered from frequent blights. 农作物经常遭受病虫害。
  • New England was accustomed to didacticism in its literature, and unmitigated didacticism blights the novel. 新英格兰习惯于在文学里说教，可是一味说教，小说就要完蛋。
10 sane 9YZxB     
adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的
参考例句：
  • He was sane at the time of the murder.在凶杀案发生时他的神志是清醒的。
  • He is a very sane person.他是一个很有头脑的人。
11 publicity ASmxx     
n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告
参考例句：
  • The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
  • He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。
12 Christian KVByl     
adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒
参考例句：
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
13 testy GIQzC     
adj.易怒的；暴躁的
参考例句：
  • Ben's getting a little testy in his old age.上了年纪后本变得有点性急了。
  • A doctor was called in to see a rather testy aristocrat.一个性格相当暴躁的贵族召来了一位医生为他检查。
14 intensity 45Ixd     
n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度
参考例句：
  • I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
  • The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。
15 ailing XzzzbA     
v.生病
参考例句：
  • They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
  • She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。
16 sob HwMwx     
n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣
参考例句：
  • The child started to sob when he couldn't find his mother.孩子因找不到他妈妈哭了起来。
  • The girl didn't answer,but continued to sob with her head on the table.那个女孩不回答，也不抬起头来。她只顾低声哭着。
17 touching sg6zQ9     
adj.动人的，使人感伤的
参考例句：
  • It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
  • His letter was touching.他的信很感人。
18 enthusiasts 7d5827a9c13ecd79a8fd94ebb2537412     
n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册

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