美国国家公共电台 NPR In 'Roma,' A Director Re-Creates The City — And The Caretaker — Of His Youth

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The Oscar-winning director who stranded¹ us in space and transported us to Hogwarts now invites audiences into his childhood home. Alfonso Cuaron's new film "Roma" is named for the middle-class neighborhood in Mexico City where he grew up. NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports the film pays tribute to the woman who helped to raise him.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOG BARKING)

MANDALIT DEL BARCO, BYLINE²: With sounds of street vendors³, barking dogs and spontaneous parades, Alfonso Cuaron recreates the Roma of his childhood.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOGS BARKING)

DEL BARCO: Cuaron also chronicles the daily rituals of the woman who cleaned house and helped care for him and his three siblings⁴.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "ROMA")

DANIELA DEMESA: (As Sofi) Buenos noches, Cleo.

YALITZA APARICIO: (As Cleo) Buenos noches, Sofi.

DEL BARCO: The movie focuses on Cleo, who is based on Cuaron's real-life nanny and housekeeper⁵ Liboria Rodriguez - Libo.

ALFONSO CUARON: We call her mama. She came into my life when I was just a newborn. She would wake me up, prepare breakfast. She would take us to the movies. We would go with her to the market.

DEL BARCO: Rodriguez was from a small village in the state of Oaxaca. Cuaron remembers spending hours with her in the kitchen as she cooked and told stories about her own childhood far from cosmopolitan⁶ Mexico City.

CUARON: She would talk about her hardships, remembering as a child being cold. My concept of being cold was the day that I didn't bring my sweater when I went to the movies - or being hungry. My concept of being hungry was that day that they took so long to have dinner ready or whatever - you know? - or she would talk about her father to be attended by the witch doctor. Of course, for me, it was so exciting - the whole idea of a witch doctor. I was not considering the lack of health services that she would have.

DEL BARCO: The 57-year-old filmmaker says he now recognizes their class and racial differences. And he realizes he grew up with what he calls a perverse⁷ relationship of convenience, with Libo being part of his family and the hired help.

CUARON: In the same breath, it's, we really love you. But go and wash the clothes and make a smoothie for me. When everything goes wrong, it's your fault. Why didn't you clean the dog poo? On one hand, she has her three seconds of sitting with the family to watch TV, but on the floor.

(LAUGHTER)

CUARON: And soon after she's starting to enjoying herself - to be told to bring some tea or coffee.

DEL BARCO: In "Roma," Cuaron wanted to depict⁸ a more realistic domestic worker than those seen in, for example, classic, melodramatic telenovelas - fair-skinned maids with meticulous⁹ braids and starched¹⁰ uniforms.

CUARON: The very beautiful domestic worker that makes it because the prince of the house notices her and takes her from rags to riches.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "MARIA ISABEL")

ADELA NORIEGA: (As Maria, speaking Spanish).

DEL BARCO: "I'm your servant, the Indian who arrived at your house," she says. And he whispers, "unfortunately, that's true. But I've learned so much from you." In the 1990s show "Maria Isabel," the indigenous¹¹ maid marries a wealthy widower¹² - a typical narrative¹³.

CUARON: Always played by a very white actress. In Mexico, that is a deeply racist¹⁴ country, even if some people try to deny it. The other kind of archetype would be the one that is mean and steals.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

CUARON: If something is missing in a house, the first one to be blamed is the domestic worker.

(SOUNDBITE OF WATER SPLASHING)

DEL BARCO: By contrast, in "Roma," Cleo scrub the floors, hand-washes laundry. And she chats with her friend in Mixtec, a Oaxacan language. Cleo also falls for a young man who turns out to be a member of Los Halcones, a government-supported paramilitary group.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "ROMA")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) Ucachi.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTORS: (As characters, yelling).

DEL BARCO: Cleo witnesses the 1971 Corpus Christi massacre¹⁵, when Los Halcones killed more than a hundred student protesters.

(SOUNDBITE OF GUNSHOTS)

DEL BARCO: Cleo suffers her own traumas¹⁶, but she's also a hero.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "ROMA")

APARICIO: (As Cleo) Sofi.

DEL BARCO: Cuaron cast "Roma" with almost all non-actors who resemble real people from his memories. After auditioning¹⁷ thousands around Mexico, he found his leading lady in 24-year-old Yalitza Aparicio.

APARICIO: (Speaking Spanish).

DEL BARCO: Aparicio says she never imagined she'd be the lead in a movie. She'd just finished studying to be a preschool teacher in Oaxaca when her sister asked her to accompany her to the casting call.

APARICIO: (Speaking Spanish).

DEL BARCO: She says she had no idea who Alfonso Cuaron was, having never watched his movies. But the director says he recognized in her the same face and spirit as his Libo. And Aparicio says Cuaron entrusted¹⁸ her to portray¹⁹ Libo authentically²⁰.

APARICIO: (Speaking Spanish).

DEL BARCO: "This movie shows that such women do exist," says Aparicio, whose mother was a domestic worker. She notes that many women still leave their communities to clean houses and care for children far away from their own families, often leaving behind their own sons and daughters. Yalitza Aparicio's portrayal²¹ is much appreciated by women like Perla Jimenez, an art historian who lives in Oaxaca.

PERLA JIMENEZ: (Speaking Spanish).

DEL BARCO: "To see Yalitza with brown skin like mine," says Jimenez, "the movie is proposing a new standard of beauty and is breaking stereotypes²²." Jimenez, whose heritage is Zapotec, thanks Cuaron for celebrating Indigenous Mexicans and all domestic workers.

JIMENEZ: (Speaking Spanish).

DEL BARCO: "The movie dignifies²³ work that is sometimes seen as shameful," says Jimenez. "Roma" actress Marina de Tavira agrees.

MARINA DE TAVIRA: These are women that tend to be invisible.

DEL BARCO: de Tavira portrays²⁴ the mother Sofia, who has a troubled marriage.

DE TAVIRA: She's going through a very stressful moment. And she has a very complex relationship with Cleo. It's also very intimate and very family-like. She struggles with that because she's also a silent witness of all the pain she's going through.

DEL BARCO: Like her character, the actress is also a single mother and relies on a woman named Guadalupe to help raise her son Tadeo.

DE TAVIRA: This film also is putting question marks on our parenthood because women together can bring up children in a very, very special way and help each other. Guadalupe and I know exactly the clock of Tadeo. And we're remembering each other about his medicines, about what he's going to eat. And I mean, we're like two brains working in the same direction.

DEL BARCO: Outside the Cine Tonala movie theater in the Roma neighborhood last weekend, 13-year-old Danae Quiroz said the film made her examine Mexico's classism and racism²⁵ against domestic workers.

DANAE: (Speaking Spanish).

DEL BARCO: Her father, Andres Quiroz, says he was glad the movie breaks stereotypes.

ANDRES QUIROZ: (Speaking Spanish).

DEL BARCO: "The main character of "Roma" doesn't end up with a prince," he says. Instead, she earns a family's love and respect. Mandalit del Barco, NPR News.

1 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

2 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。

3 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

4 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

5 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

6 cosmopolitan   

adj.世界性的，全世界的，四海为家的，全球的

参考例句：

• New York is a highly cosmopolitan city.纽约是一个高度世界性的城市。
• She has a very cosmopolitan outlook on life.她有四海一家的人生观。

7 perverse   

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。

8 depict   

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。

9 meticulous   

adj.极其仔细的，一丝不苟的

参考例句：

• We'll have to handle the matter with meticulous care.这事一点不能含糊。
• She is meticulous in her presentation of facts.她介绍事实十分详细。

10 starched   

adj.浆硬的，硬挺的，拘泥刻板的v.把（衣服、床单等）浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• My clothes are not starched enough. 我的衣服浆得不够硬。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The ruffles on his white shirt were starched and clean. 白衬衫的褶边浆过了，很干净。 来自辞典例句

11 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

12 widower   

n.鳏夫

参考例句：

• George was a widower with six young children.乔治是个带著六个小孩子的鳏夫。
• Having been a widower for many years,he finally decided to marry again.丧偶多年后，他终于决定二婚了。

13 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

14 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

15 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

16 traumas   

n.心灵创伤( trauma的名词复数 )；损伤；痛苦经历；挫折

参考例句：

• She felt exhausted after the traumas of recent weeks. 她经受了最近几个星期的痛苦之后感到精疲力竭。
• Conclusion: Safety lens of spectacles can protect the occurrence of ocular traumas. 结论：安全镜片可以预防眼镜碎片所致的眼外伤。 来自互联网

17 auditioning   

vi.试听（audition的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• She was auditioning for the role of Lady Macbeth. 她试演了麦克佩斯夫人的角色。
• Which part are you auditioning for? 你试音什么角色？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 entrusted   

v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。
• She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

20 authentically   

ad.sincerely真诚地

参考例句：

• Gina: And we should give him something 2 authentically Taiwanese. 吉娜：而且我们应该送他有纯正台湾味的东西。
• A loser is one who fails to correspond authentically. 失败者则指那些未能做到诚实可靠的人。

21 portrayal   

n.饰演；描画

参考例句：

• His novel is a vivid portrayal of life in a mining community.他的小说生动地描绘了矿区的生活。
• The portrayal of the characters in the novel is lifelike.该书中的人物写得有血有肉。

22 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

23 dignifies   

使显得威严( dignify的第三人称单数 )； 使高贵； 使显赫； 夸大

参考例句：

• Tragic literature dignifies sorrow and disaster. 悲剧作品使悲伤和灾难得到了升华。

24 portrays   

v.画像( portray的第三人称单数 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• The museum collection vividly portrays the heritage of 200 years of canals. 博物馆的藏品让运河200 年的历史再现眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The film portrays Gandhi as a kind of superman. 这部电影把甘地描绘成一个超人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。