020《经济学家》读译参考之二十：现代启示录-美前总统拍电影.doc

经济学家读译参考 Translated & Edited by Chen JilongTEXT 20Apocalypse Now?1现代启示录？（陈继龙 编译）May 4th 2006 | LOS ANGELESFrom The Economist print editionUNLIKE many recent political documentaries, “An Inconvenient Truth” does not a_ its fiercest fire at George Bush. （1）Surprising this, especially as the film stars Al Gore, the man whom President Bush narrowly 1 beat to the White House in 2000. Instead, Davis Guggenheim, the films director, tries to rise above American politics, addressing his film, which is to be shown at the Cannes film festival 2 later this month, to the whole of the human race. 难以忽视的真相并不像许多政治题材的纪录片那样，将最猛烈的炮火对准乔治布什。尤为令人感到意外的是，这部电影的领衔主演竟然是曾在2000年惜败于布什总统的阿尔戈尔。导演戴维斯古根汉姆力图超越美国政治，将这部即将于本月下旬在戛纳电影节上映的影片视角定位到整个人类。（2）Mr Guggenheims film is a fascinating and alarming polemic2 that does, indeed, set out to speak to everyone. It was inspired by the lectures and slide-show on global warming that Mr Gore has d_ more than 1,000 times since he failed to become president. The former vice-president is shown talking about what he calls “our planetary emergency” to groups of concerned Americans, displaying the relaxed charm and sense of humour that he notably lacked as a political campaigner.古根汉姆的影片就像一场精彩、惊人的辩论，而且其开场白的确也是说给每个人听的。戈尔竞选总统失败后，不止1000次发表过关于全球气候变暖的演说，该片正是从中受到启发。片中，这位前任美国副总统对许许多多忧虑的美国人谈到了他所谓的“我们星球的突发事件”，展现出过去身为一名参加竞选的政治家所不具有的得体仪态和幽默感。The powers of cinema are used to extend his teaching techniques: before-and-after3 photography from around the world, footage of ice-shelves collapsing, animated maps and graphs, even an interlude4 starring “The Simpsons” 3. These parts of the film, which r_ the entertaining science documentaries that Frank Capra4 made in the 1950s, （3）probably communicate as much information as an audience in a cinema can be expected to digest in one sitting.应用电影制作为戈尔的说教赋予了更加多彩的形式，比如前后对照鲜明的世界各地摄影、冰架坍塌的组拍镜头、动画地图和图表，甚至还插入了辛普森一家的一个片段。影片这些组成部分所传递的讯息量也许快赶上一名观众在电影院看一次电影所能理解接受的讯息量了，（译者按：译文的确很蹩脚，但句子的结构应该是清楚的，主语是these parts of the film，谓语是communicate（传达，传递），宾语是information，as much as后接的是一个比较状语从句，从句主语是an audience，谓语是情态助动词can加被动语态be expected， to digest则是expect的间接宾语，in a cinema和in one sitting都是状语）这不禁让人想起了20世纪50年代弗兰克卡普拉的娱乐性科学纪录片。In addition, the film tells a human story: how Mr Gore became an environmentalist, and the motives that have impelled him to devote the past five years to playing the part of Paul Revere5, bearing his warning of approaching danger across the land. （4）Orators have always understood that their listeners must believe in the good character of the person addressing them if he is to have any chance of winning them to his cause. To that end, Mr Guggenheim works away to humanise Mr Gore, who talks (as he has on other occasions) of almost losing his six-year-old son in a traffic accident and seeing his sister die of lung cancera personal c_ that spurred his family to get out of the tobacco business. 此外，该片还讲述了一个人的故事：戈尔如何成为一位环境保护主义者？过去五年来，戈尔一心一意向保罗里维尔学习，在全国各地警告人们危险即将来临，其动机何在？演说者从来都明白，要想听众支持自己的论点，就一定要让他们相信自己是个好人。为此，古根汉姆想方设法让戈尔更具有人情味。戈尔在片中谈到了（跟他在其它场合一样）一次车祸差点让他失去6岁的儿子，还有眼睁睁地看着姐姐被肺癌夺去生命这次个人巨大的不幸让他全家彻底告别了烟草业。The films end-credits, which intersperse appeals to the s_ with the names of the film-makers, do not actually include a “Draft Gore” sticker. Even without such an overt bow, this portrait of Gore the Crusader5 adds a political layer to the films message which, despite the directors supposedly non-partisan hopes, the press (and a lot of other people too) will make much of. With a bit of luck, however, more attention will be paid to the message than to the messenger. （5）If Mr Gore should happen to be right, and he may be, time is running out faster than most of the world thinks. 影片结尾致谢字幕中，对观众的呼吁和电影制作人员的名字交替出现，但并没标出“特邀嘉宾戈尔”。（译者按：这里的“Draft Gore”，本人半天没有悟出来，就信手编了一个凑数，欢迎纠正。）即便缺少这类公开的致敬，“十字军战士戈尔”这一形象还是给该片的寓意抹上了一层政治色彩。导演可能不希望牵扯上任何党派干系，但新闻媒体照样会对此大做文章，其他许多人也一样。然而，只要运气不至于太糟，人们还是会更加关注影片所蕴含的寓意，而不是片中说话的人（译者按：指戈尔）。要是真让戈尔给说中了，并且也许他就是正确的话，时间流逝之快就确实超出了全世界大多数人的想象了。（译者按：要是片中戈尔关于温室效应的说法不假的话，那么时光飞逝，地球末日也就即将来临了。而“启示录”就是用来预言万物结局的，这句正好呼应了文章的题目“现代启示录”，您看呢？）QUIZ1. 根据首个字母以及括号内的词性提示和英文释义填入单词（注意形式变化，如分词等）：a_（vt. to point a weapon or another object towards an intended goal）d_（vt. to make a speech etc to a lot of people）r_（vt. to remember a particular fact, event, or situation from the past）c_（n. a disaster）s_（n. someone who is watching an event or game; audience）2. 将划线部分英文翻译成中文：NOTES(LONGMAN)1. narrowly adv. 1）by only a small amount 勉强，刚好：He was narrowly defeated in the election.他以微弱劣势在选举中落败。One bullet struck his car, narrowly missing him.一颗子弹穿过他的汽车，差点打中他。A man narrowly escaped death when a fire broke out in his home on Sunday morning.星期天早上，一个男人家里着火后侥幸逃生。2）in a limited way: 限制过窄地，狭窄地The law is being interpreted too narrowly. These big general issues should be broken down into more narrowly focused questions. 2.polemic n.1）C a written or spoken statement that strongly criticizes or defends a particular idea, opinion, or person （书面或口头的）争论，辩论，争辩2）U （亦作polemics）the practice or skill of making written or spoken statements that strongly criticize or defend a particular idea, opinion, or person 3. before-and-after adj. 表示出外形上的尖锐对照；前后形成明显对照的4. interlude n.1）a period of time between two events or situations, during which something different happens: 两件事情或两种情况之前的一段时期（尤指有意外情况发生的）2）a short period of time between the parts of a play, concert etc戏剧或音乐演出各幕之间的短暂间隔= intermission3）a short piece of music, talk etc used to fill such a period幕间音乐片段或简短对话4）a short romantic or sexual meeting or relationship: 短暂的爱情或色情聚会或关系5. crusader n. 改革者；十字军战士TIPS & BACKGROUND1. 现代启示录（Apocalypse Now）：是弗朗西斯福特科波拉1979年拍摄的经典名作，由马龙白兰度、罗伯特杜瓦尔主演。当时，受政治环境的影响以及为了迎合主流观众的胃口，该片曾删掉长达49分钟的内容。2001年，在科波拉的策划下，这部惊世之作终于恢复其本来面目。影片描写的是越战期间，美军情报官员威尔德上尉奉命“毫不留情”地除掉库尔兹上校，一个叛逃美国军人。接到命令后，威尔德率领小分队，冒险深入柬埔寨。在一处偏僻的热带丛林内，精神失常的库尔兹上校以其嗜血成性的残暴统治着当地土著居民，成为他们盲目崇拜、迷信的图腾。随着小艇驶入柬埔寨，威尔德一行人似乎卷入一个超乎现实、彻底疯狂的世界，淹没在人类灵魂最黑暗、卑劣的阴影里。本片是科波拉备受争议的战争史诗作品。全片的最精采之处，就是Vittorio Storaro惊人的摄影映像，完全是他将观众带入迷茫的丛林中。影片真实、生动地描述了千奇百怪因战争而引发的疯狂：高视阔步、目空一切的基尔戈上校率领直升机打击目标时竟疯狂地陶醉在瓦格纳歌剧的乐声中；前来慰问的“花花公子”俱乐部联欢会一开场便陷入不可收拾的混乱；在一个被越军围困的营队里，官兵嗜毒成性，指挥部门形同虚设，士兵一盘散沙。所有这一切不过是威拉德上尉丛林之旅的序曲而已。在库尔兹的据点周围，展现在眼前的更是一幅可怖的画面：挂在树枝上的尸体在烈日下东摇西晃；叛逆者的头颅被割下示众。经典台词：“我喜欢闻弥漫在清晨空气中汽油弹的味道。” I love the smell of napalm in the morning.2. 戛纳电影节（the Cannes film festival；Festival De Cannes）：又名康城电影节或坎城电影节，国际上最有影响力的电影节之一，与德国的柏林电影节、意大利的威尼斯电影节、加拿大的蒙特利尔电影节以及捷克的卡罗维发利电影节是国际电影联合会确定的国际五大电影节。电影节始于1946年，于每年春季在法国南方小城戛纳举行。电影节在1948年、1949年曾停办两次，在1968年因为法国的五月风暴又中断一次。电影节设立多个奖项，其中最高奖项在1957年之前为“金鸭奖”，1957年起开始改为“金棕榈奖”，这也是每年国际电影界相当重要的奖项。另外评委会特别奖也是电影节比较重要的奖项。3. 辛普森一家（The Simpsons）：是美国电视史上播放时间最长的动画片，已经热播17年，在全球拥有数以亿计的观众。这部卡通剧还保持了“系列动画片中名人出现最多”的吉尼斯世界纪录。动画片中，辛普