英闻天下——613 Cinemas Mainly in Metropolis in China

 　　With box office revenues rising 30 percent last year to 2.7 billion U.S. dollars, China has now edged out Japan to become the second-largest film market in the world following the United States.

 

　　Film industry insiders believe new movie screens, which are sprouting¹ up across the country, are a strong force stimulating² box office earnings³ in China.

 

　　But one expert also believes that box office revenues will continue to grow if China evenly distributes its cinemas in cities, including small county-level ones.

 

　　CRI's Shen Ting has more.

 

　　China is undergoing a cinematic growth spurt⁴, with 10 new cinema screens opening each day throughout the country, a higher number than anywhere else.

 

　　This trend is also attracting international investment to Chinese cinemas.

 

　　As the first jointly⁵ funded cinema in Beijing, Megabox, with some investment from South Korea, built its first movie theater in 2007 at Zhongguancun shopping mall in Beijing's Haidian district. Today, the Zhongguancun cinema is one of the most popular movie theaters in the city.

 

　　Li Yi, operations manager of the Zhongguancun cinema, proudly tells reporters about the theater's high moviegoer numbers.

 

　　"From Monday to Thursday, our cinema will receive around 2,000 moviegoers per day. Friday to Sunday is the prime time for moviegoers, particularly during a good movie debut⁶, and this may lead to the number of moviegoers rising to 4,000 per day. We often see moviegoers queuing up in a long line for a ticket."

 

　　Film industry insider, actress Dai Lele, believes a growing number of newly built cinemas have boosted the country's box office revenue considerably⁷.

 

　　"An obvious development is that we have more and more cinemas in China. In the past, we had to go far away to look for a cinema in order to watch a movie. Today, cinemas are often nearby either in the neighborhood of a community where we live or at a shopping area, which has also given rise to booming box office returns in China."

 

　　Chinese comedy film actress Dai Lele (L), who stars in the film "Dinner Party," visits the "Reel China" studio at CRI to discuss her latest movie on March 29, 2013. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

 

　　Today, audiences in big Chinese cities are happy not only about the growing number of new cinemas, but also about the advanced equipment in them, which offer moviegoers many pleasant surprises.

 

　　When James Cameron's sci-fi epic⁸ "Avatar" opened in December 2009, there were only 13 IMAX screens in all of China. Today, there are 110, with some 140 more scheduled to open in the near future.

 

　　Another film industry insider, playwright⁹ Dong Runnian, predicts cinema operators will increase their investment by introducing advanced equipment to satisfy people's desire to have better movie-going experiences.

 

　　"Nowadays, we have seen more and more IMAX screens or big screens in China that comfort audience' eyes with proper brightness. Big progress has been made in cinema facilities. I also think along with the boom in the Chinese film market, cinema managers in Chinese cities will become willing to increase their investment in technical upgrades."

 

　　Dong Runnian [File Photo: ent.sina.com]

 

　　Meanwhile, the noticeable growth in the number of movie theaters in big Chinese cities has unavoidably brought in market competition.

 

　　Manager Li Yi says Megabox now offers certain services to make itself more competitive.

 

　　"Six of our eight video halls have 3D equipment. Competition among cinemas in Beijing does exist. Hence, we follow a very rigid¹⁰ standard in the quality of service and management. We also provide our moviegoers with novel food varieties which are usually imported from overseas, and customers enjoy the flexibility¹¹ to have different meal options at a discounted price."

 

　　By contrast, movie cinemas are still in short supply in some second- and third-tier cities, particularly in western China, where most local theaters are timeworn and outdated¹².

 

　　Li Qiankuan [File Photo: baike.baidu.com]

 

　　Li Qiankuan, film director and chairman of the China Film Association, a 6,000-member filmmakers' organization, believes bustling¹³ small cities, even county-level ones, must install more screens in the future.

 

　　"But the construction of Chinese cinemas is situated¹⁴ in central areas or business districts in coastal¹⁵ cities and big cities. A large number of second- and third-tier cities and more than 3,000 county-level cities are not well covered by the country's cinema-construction projects. As the country yields a plan to further expand the construction of Chinese cinemas, Chinese box offices will embrace another big jump in overall scale."

 

　　For CRI, I'm Shen Ting.

1 sprouting   

v.发芽( sprout的现在分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• new leaves sprouting from the trees 树上长出的新叶
• They were putting fresh earth around sprouting potato stalks. 他们在往绽出新芽的土豆秧周围培新土。 来自名作英译部分

2 stimulating   

adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的

参考例句：

• shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
• This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。

3 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

4 spurt   

v.喷出；突然进发；突然兴隆

参考例句：

• He put in a spurt at the beginning of the eighth lap.他进入第八圈时便开始冲刺。
• After a silence, Molly let her anger spurt out.沉默了一会儿，莫莉的怒气便迸发了出来。

5 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

6 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。

7 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

8 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

9 playwright   

n.剧作家，编写剧本的人

参考例句：

• Gwyn Thomas was a famous playwright.格温·托马斯是著名的剧作家。
• The playwright was slaughtered by the press.这位剧作家受到新闻界的无情批判。

10 rigid   

adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的

参考例句：

• She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
• The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

11 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

12 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

13 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

14 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

15 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。