美国国家公共电台 NPR 'John Wick, Chapter 2': A 'Violent Ballet' Of Action

 

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

Keanu Reeves played a reluctant assassin in the movie "John Wick" a few years back. The elegance¹ of the film's action scenes directed by a former stuntman² took audiences by surprise. Now comes "John Wick: Chapter Two," and while the surprise might be gone, critic Bob Mondello says the stunts³ are still like ballet - really violent ballet.

BOB MONDELLO, BYLINE⁴: Practically the first thing on screen is a motorcycle crash projected on the side of a New York City skyscraper⁵. You hear the roar of engines, the squeal⁶ of tires neatly⁷ in sync with the action sequence being projected on the building, but then a real Harley skitters out of a real alley⁸ down below, followed at alarming speed by the guy who must have been riding it. What follows is the sort of preposterously⁹ over-the-top chase scene most directors would use to end a movie. Here it's just Director Chad Stahelski clearing his throat and clearing the decks, as it were.

The first "John Wick" film featured a dead puppy, a stolen car and a hero who really wanted to quit the assassin game. This one picks up with Wick getting his car back, but now he finds he can't quit.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2")

KEANU REEVES: (As John Wick) I'm not that guy anymore.

RICCARDO SCAMARCIO: (As Santino D'Antonio) You're always that guy, John.

MONDELLO: At least until his producers have made a stab - literally¹⁰ with all the knives on screen - at turning his saga¹¹ into a 007-style franchise¹². There's a power structure that governs his actions.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2")

SCAMARCIO: (As Santino D'Antonio) If you don't do this, you know the consequences.

MONDELLO: Also a chain of super-elegant, assassins-only hotels where when the sommelier talks German varietals, he means guns, not wines, and where the tailors who make Wick's all-black formalwear offer special features not offered by most haberdashers.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) How many buttons?

REEVES: (As John Wick) Two.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Trousers?

REEVES: (As John Wick) Tapered¹³.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) How about the lining¹⁴?

REEVES: (As John Wick) Tactical.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Cutting-edge body armor - we just sew it between the fabric¹⁵.

MONDELLO: Though Keanu Reeves establishes that the title character can converse¹⁶ casually¹⁷ in sign language as well as Italian, English and Russian, he tends to make his most persuasive¹⁸ arguments with his fists. And of course, he's fluent in gunfire, as his "Matrix" buddy¹⁹ Laurence Fishburne intuits, playing an underworld lord of the Bowery.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2")

LAURENCE FISHBURNE: (As Bowery King) Somebody please get this man a gun.

MONDELLO: Director Stahelski, as befits a former stuntman, choreographs²⁰ fights, sending whole platoons of thugs after his star and letting Wick jete them into submission²¹. Kicking guns across plazas²², turning clinches²³ into chokeholds, Reeves is the director's Nureyev, subduing²⁴ foes²⁵ in halls of mirrors, backlit Roman grottoes, backlit subway stations - backlit being key. The director loves glass, whether it's shattering or just lit from behind to show off bloody²⁶ handprints.

Does all this add up to anything - well, decorative²⁷ mayhem I guess, as stylish²⁸ as it is mindless. Call it pulpy²⁹ fiction for moviegoers craving³⁰ distraction³¹ from the pummeling they're getting in the real world. I'm Bob Mondello.

1 elegance   

n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙

参考例句：

• The furnishings in the room imparted an air of elegance.这个房间的家具带给这房间一种优雅的气氛。
• John has been known for his sartorial elegance.约翰因为衣着讲究而出名。

2 stuntman   

n.特技演员

参考例句：

• The stuntman will double for the main actor during the action scenes.一些动作场景中，特技演员代替主演。
• The stuntman flew the aircraft upside-down within a hair's breadth of the rooftops.那位做电影演员替身的杂技演员驾驶着飞机翻过来又倒过去，差一点撞着平顶房的屋顶。

3 stunts   

n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 )；（广告中）引人注目的花招；愚蠢行为；危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长]，抑制，妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He did all his own stunts. 所有特技都是他自己演的。
• The plane did a few stunts before landing. 飞机着陆前做了一些特技。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 skyscraper   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• The skyscraper towers into the clouds.那幢摩天大楼高耸入云。
• The skyscraper was wrapped in fog.摩天楼为雾所笼罩。

6 squeal   

v.发出长而尖的声音；n.长而尖的声音

参考例句：

• The children gave a squeal of fright.孩子们发出惊吓的尖叫声。
• There was a squeal of brakes as the car suddenly stopped.小汽车突然停下来时，车闸发出尖叫声。

7 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

8 alley   

n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路

参考例句：

• We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
• The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。

9 preposterously   

adv.反常地；荒谬地；荒谬可笑地；不合理地

参考例句：

• That is a preposterously high price! 那价格高得出奇！ 来自辞典例句

10 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

11 saga   

n.(尤指中世纪北欧海盗的)故事，英雄传奇

参考例句：

• The saga of Flight 19 is probably the most repeated story about the Bermuda Triangle.飞行19中队的传说或许是有关百慕大三角最重复的故事。
• The novel depicts the saga of a family.小说描绘了一个家族的传奇故事。

12 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。

13 tapered   

adj. 锥形的，尖削的，楔形的，渐缩的，斜的 动词taper的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The tail tapered to a rounded tip. 尾部越来越细，最后成了个圆尖。
• The organization tapered off in about half a year. 那个组织大约半年内就逐渐消失了。

14 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

15 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

16 converse   

vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反

参考例句：

• He can converse in three languages.他可以用3种语言谈话。
• I wanted to appear friendly and approachable but I think I gave the converse impression.我想显得友好、平易近人些,却发觉给人的印象恰恰相反。

17 casually   

adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地

参考例句：

• She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。
• I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。

18 persuasive   

adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的

参考例句：

• His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
• The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。

19 buddy   

n.（美口）密友，伙伴

参考例句：

• Calm down,buddy.What's the trouble?压压气，老兄。有什么麻烦吗？
• Get out of my way,buddy!别挡道了，你这家伙！

20 choreographs   

v.设计舞蹈动作( choreograph的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• And Nick Gillard, the fellow who choreographs the fights, came out as well. 设计这些打斗动作的尼克-吉拉德也去了。 来自互联网

21 submission   

n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出

参考例句：

• The defeated general showed his submission by giving up his sword.战败将军缴剑表示投降。
• No enemy can frighten us into submission.任何敌人的恐吓都不能使我们屈服。

22 plazas   

n.（尤指西班牙语城镇的）露天广场( plaza的名词复数 )；购物中心

参考例句：

• At focal points, there are seating plazas as rest points for users. 在主要主景点上，有空间较大的广场提供休息的地方。 来自互联网
• Such products are suitable for lighting and decoration of plazas, courtyards, parks, residential district and roadside. 本产品适合于广场、庭院，公园、小区草坪和道路的装饰和照明。 来自互联网

23 clinches   

n.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的名词复数 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议）v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的第三人称单数 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议）

参考例句：

• Pass argy-bargy one time, both sides clinches a deal with 6000 yuan. 经过一番讨价还价，双方以6000元成交。 来自互联网
• That clinches the argument. 那件事澄清了这项议论。 来自互联网

24 subduing   

征服( subdue的现在分词 )； 克制； 制服； 色变暗

参考例句：

• They are the probation subduing the heart to human joys. 它们不过是抑制情欲的一种考验。
• Some believe that: is spiritual, mysterious and a very subduing colour. 有的认为：是精神，神秘色彩十分慑。

25 foes   

敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。
• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。

26 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

27 decorative   

adj.装饰的，可作装饰的

参考例句：

• This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
• The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。

28 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。

29 pulpy   

果肉状的，多汁的，柔软的； 烂糊； 稀烂

参考例句：

• The bean like seeds of this plant, enclosed within a pulpy fruit. 被包在肉质果实内的这种植物的豆样种子。
• Her body felt bruised, her lips pulpy and tender. 她的身体感觉碰伤了，她的嘴唇柔软娇嫩。

30 craving   

n.渴望,热望

参考例句：

• a craving for chocolate 非常想吃巧克力
• She skipped normal meals to satisfy her craving for chocolate and crisps. 她不吃正餐，以便满足自己吃巧克力和炸薯片的渴望。

31 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。