美国国家公共电台 NPR For Christmas, 'Doctor Who' Gets A Historic Change

 

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

It's time to say goodbye - and then hello - to a TV legend. The BBC's longtime sci-fi series "Doctor Who" bids farewell tonight to the current doctor played by Peter Capaldi. And we'll see the debut¹ of the new star of the show as well. But before we move on, NPR TV critic Eric Degens offers this appreciation² of Capaldi's version of The Doctor.

ERIC DEGGANS, BYLINE³: A lot of terrific performers have played this character, but I think Peter Capaldi might be the best actor to play the heroic time-traveling alien known as The Doctor since the show began in 1963. And he achieved this by making a brave choice when he first took on the role three years ago.

His version of The Doctor, especially early on, focused on beating villains⁴ without worrying so much about collateral⁵ damage - like this moment where The Doctor's stuck in a room with a group of people and a monster who kills them one by one. Only the person about to die can see the monster, which makes The Doctor badger⁶ that person for details that might help defeat it.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "DOCTOR WHO")

PETER CAPALDI: (As The Twelfth Doctor) You can see this thing. We can't. Tell us what you can see. Even the smallest detail might help us save the next one.

CHRISTOPHER VILLIERS: (As Emile Moorhouse) The next one? You mean you can't save me?

CAPALDI: (As The Twelfth Doctor) Well, that is implied, isn't it? Yes, this is probably the end for you. But make it count. Details, please.

DEGGANS: In another episode, The Doctor asked his trusty companion, Clara, a question few heroes ever ask.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "DOCTOR WHO")

CAPALDI: (As The Twelfth Doctor) I'm terrified.

JENNA COLEMAN: (As Clara) Of what?

CAPALDI: (As The Twelfth Doctor) The answer to my next question - which must be honest, without kindness or restraint. Tell me - am I a good man?

DEGGANS: Her full answer came later.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "DOCTOR WHO")

COLEMAN: (As Clara) You asked me if you were a good man. And the answer is, I don't know. But I think you try to be. And I think that's probably the point.

DEGGANS: I asked Capaldi if The Doctor was a manipulative jerk during a press event at Comic Con⁷ in San Diego this summer. And he pushed back on the idea that The Doctor was simply hardhearted.

CAPALDI: You know, when I grew up, Doctor Who was not a guy that you recognized. He wasn't a kind of avuncular⁸ uncle. He was a distant creature of mysterious power. And so in a way, I wanted to go back to that.

DEGGANS: Doctor Who survives, in part, because of an innovative⁹ idea the show's producers had back in the 1960s. They called it regeneration. The Doctor morphs into a new person when he's near death, allowing the show to cast a new actor every so often. Now Capaldi has chosen to depart, saying goodbye in a special Christmas episode, "Twice Upon A Time," in which his Doctor meets the very first version of the character.

The actor who played the original Doctor, William Hartnell, died in 1975. Producers cast "Game Of Thrones" alum David Bradley, who is his spitting image. At age 75, he's also senior to the 59-year-old Capaldi - though the original Doctor doesn't quite see it that way when they meet.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "DOCTOR WHO")

DAVID BRADLEY: (As The First Doctor) Who are you?

CAPALDI: (As The Twelfth Doctor) You know who I am. You knew the moment you saw me. I'd say stop being an idiot, but I kind of know what's coming.

BRADLEY: (As The First Doctor) But I thought...

CAPALDI: (As The Twelfth Doctor) What?

BRADLEY: (As The First Doctor) Well, I assumed I'd get younger.

CAPALDI: (As The Twelfth Doctor) I am younger.

DEGGANS: Capaldi, who was a fan of the show as a kid, was exceptional - even when the episodes he starred in weren't. He shifted the franchise¹⁰ from more romantic stories and offered a more inscrutable version of the character.

The Christmas show also features a historic transition. Jodie Whittaker will take over as the new Doctor, the first woman to play the character. But let's take a moment before then to celebrate Capaldi, a consummate¹¹ actor who brought a fan's passion to one of the trickiest¹² roles in television.

I'm Eric Deggans.

1 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

2 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 villains   

n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼

参考例句：

• The impression of villains was inescapable. 留下恶棍的印象是不可避免的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some villains robbed the widow of the savings. 有几个歹徒将寡妇的积蓄劫走了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 collateral   

adj.平行的；旁系的；n.担保品

参考例句：

• Many people use personal assets as collateral for small business loans.很多人把个人财产用作小额商业贷款的抵押品。
• Most people here cannot borrow from banks because they lack collateral.由于拿不出东西作为抵押，这里大部分人无法从银行贷款。

6 badger   

v.一再烦扰，一再要求，纠缠

参考例句：

• Now that our debts are squared.Don't badger me with them any more.我们的债务两清了。从此以后不要再纠缠我了。
• If you badger him long enough,I'm sure he'll agree.只要你天天纠缠他，我相信他会同意。

7 con   

n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的

参考例句：

• We must be fair and consider the reason pro and con.我们必须公平考虑赞成和反对的理由。
• The motion is adopted non con.因无人投反对票，协议被通过。

8 avuncular   

adj.叔伯般的，慈祥的

参考例句：

• He began to talk in his most gentle and avuncular manner.他开始讲话了，态度极其和蔼而慈祥。
• He was now playing the role of disinterested host and avuncular mentor.他现在正扮演着慷慨的主人和伯父似的指导人的角色。

9 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

10 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

11 consummate   

adj.完美的；v.成婚；使完美 [反]baffle

参考例句：

• The restored jade burial suit fully reveals the consummate skill of the labouring people of ancient China.复原后的金缕玉衣充分显示出中国古代劳动人民的精湛工艺。
• The actor's acting is consummate and he is loved by the audience.这位演员技艺精湛，深受观众喜爱。

12 trickiest   

adj.狡猾的( tricky的最高级 )；（形势、工作等）复杂的；机警的；微妙的

参考例句：

• Many believe this is the trickiest area to navigate. 很多人认为这是最难驾驭的领域。 来自时文部分
• Establishing confidence in a new monetary system was the trickiest part. 建立对新货币体系的信心是其最棘手的部分。 来自互联网