Stan Lee is the creative force behind some of the world's greatest comic-book super-heroes. He created iconic characters such as Spiderman, the X-Men, Incredible Hulk and Captain America.
For 70 years, Lee has led fans into a world where heroes with super-human powers fight crime and evil.
Getting started
As a teenager working at part-time jobs in New York City in 1939, Stan Lee never expected to become a legendary talent behind some of the world's most memorable super-heroes.
1939年，斯坦·李在纽约市打零工时，还是一个少年，根本没有想到有朝一日他会创作出世界上一些最伟大的漫画英雄人物来。
"I never looked that far ahead," says Lee. "In fact, I never thought I'd get into the comic book business. I applied for a job at a publishing company and I thought they published regular magazines, which they did also. But the one place they had an opening was in the comic book department, so that's where I went. I guess I've been there ever since, practically."
他说：“我从来没想得那么远，也从来没有想到自己会从事漫画书行业。我到一家出版公司申请工作。我以为他们出版一般性杂志，他们的确也出版这种杂志。但是，当时那个空缺是他们漫画书部门的。最后，我进到这个部门工作。从那时以来，我实际上就一直呆在那儿。”
And what a tenure it was. Lee, whose given name is Stanley Lieber, was quickly promoted at Timely Comics, from office assistant to writer to editor. By the time the company became known as Marvel Comics, in the 1960s, he was art director and about to revolutionize comics.
多么好的终身职位啊！李的全名是斯坦利·里伯。他很快在快捷漫画公司得到提升，从办公室助理一跃升为漫画作家，然后升为编辑。该公司1960年代改名为惊奇漫画公司后，他已经成为艺术部主任，一场漫画革命即将到来。
Revolutionary talent
Unlike the perfect, invincible comic book superheros of other companies, Lee made Marvel's new characters flawed, more human.
和其它公司创作的完美无缺、攻无不克的漫画英雄人物相比，斯坦·李为惊奇漫画公司创造出一些虽有缺点、但更具人情味的新人物。
"And I tried to show that even though they had super power, everything wasn't perfect in their lives. They still had to worry about earning a living, about their relationship with other people, about their families and their health and so forth," Lee says. "And I tried to make them real people who happened to have super powers. And apparently that little shade of a difference was the main thing that made the characters as popular as they became."
他说：“我试图表明，这些人物虽然具有超能，但是，他们的生活并非一帆风顺。他们也要为挣钱糊口、人际关系、家庭以及健康等问题担心。我试图把他们刻画成恰好拥有超能的真实人物，这一微小的差别是使这些人物家喻户晓的主要原因。”
The characters that Lee and the Marvel artists created are so popular, more than two billion comic books based on their adventures have been published, in 75 countries and 25 languages. For fans interested in creating their own characters, Lee has published a book called "How to Draw Comics," which covers all the elements of the comics art form, including tools - like computers - which were unimaginable in the industry's early days.
斯坦·李和惊奇漫画公司的艺术家们笔下的人物受到广泛欢迎。有关这些人物的探险故事的20亿本漫画书在75个国家、以25种文字出版。斯坦·李刚刚完成一本名为《如何画漫画》的新书，以飨热衷于创作自己的漫画人物的漫画迷们。该书覆盖了漫画艺术的所有要素，包括象电脑这样的工具。这在漫画业的早期历史中是无法想象的。
Looking back over his 70 years in comics, Lee sees other changes, too.
回顾自己70年的漫画生涯，斯坦·李还看到一些其它的变化。
"When we did the comics years ago, we tried to make them so they were suitable for every age. They were sort of G-rated. We had a lot of action, but we didn't really have what we'd call violence," he says. "I tried to write them so they were intelligent enough for an older reader, but a young kid could also understand them and enjoy them. Today, sometimes they become a little more gritty, a little more dark than they had been."
他说：“多年前，我们从事漫画业时，我们试图使作品满足每个年龄层的口味，也就是老少咸宜。虽然加上了很多动作，但并没有所谓的暴力。我试图创作一些比较成熟的人物，不仅年龄大的读者能够接受，连小孩子也能看懂和欣赏。但是，今天的漫画人物比过去更强悍、更灰色一些。”
While comic book artwork has become much more sophisticated, Lee - who is primarily a writer, not an artist - says that's not enough to hold an audience.
斯坦·李的身份主要是漫画家，而不是艺术家。他说，当今的漫画艺术变得比过去更高深，更精美，但是，光靠这个不足以吸引读者。
"Story is everything. You could have the greatest artwork in the world, but if the artwork is depicting a story that nobody's interested in, you've got nothing."
“故事是最重要的。你可以创作出世界上最伟大的艺术作品，但是，如果这个艺术作品所刻画的故事情节，没有人感兴趣，你就一无所得。”
Hollywood comes calling
Interest in stories about Marvel's superheroes is growing, especially in Hollywood. Next year, Captain America and The Mighty Thor will bring their adventures to the big screen, following in the super-footsteps of The X-Men, Ironman, the Fantastic Four and, of course, Spiderman.
人们对惊奇漫画公司的超人故事表现出日益浓厚的兴趣，特别是好莱坞。明年，《 美国上尉》、《 雷神 》将步《X战警 》、《钢铁侠 》、《神奇四侠》和《蝙蝠侠》的后尘，被搬上银幕。
Lee, when pressed, picks Spiderman as his favorite superhero, because he's become the most popular…
当被问到自己最喜欢的超人时，斯坦·李选择了蝙蝠侠，因为他已经成为最受欢迎的漫画人物。
"But I really love them all, I love Ironman, I love the X-Men. I could go down the list. It's like asking a parent who his favorite child is.
他说：“但是，所有这些人物，我都非常喜欢。我喜欢钢铁侠，也喜欢X战警，举不胜举。这就好像问一个父母最喜欢自己的哪个孩子一样。”
Lee is no longer surprised at the popularity of the characters he helped create. "Now I expect it. In fact, if people talk about some of the great characters in the world today and they don't mention Marvel's characters, I get very upset."
斯坦·李对自己帮助创作的这些人物如此受欢迎，已不再感到惊奇了。他说：“现在，我认为这是理所当然的事。事实上，如果今天有人在谈论世界上最伟大的人物时没有提到惊奇漫画公司的人物，我会很恼火。”
As chairman emeritus of Marvel Entertainment, the 88-year-old keeps a loving eye on his classic characters, even as he continues to create new heroes and comic universes. He supports the not-for-profit Stan Lee Foundation, which promotes literacy, writing and the arts. And next year, he'll reach an entertainment pinnacle of sorts -- his name will appear on one of those coveted brass and stone stars set into the sidewalk on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
88岁高龄的斯坦·李如今是惊奇娱乐公司的荣誉退休主席。虽然他仍在继续创作一些新的英雄人物和新的漫画世界，但是，他对自己过去创作的一些经典人物独有情衷。他还支持旨在推动扫盲、写作和艺术的非盈利组织“斯坦·李基金会”。今年，斯坦·李将达到类乎于娱乐颠峰的高度。他的名字将出现在好莱坞星光大道上一个令人垂涎三尺的由青铜和水磨石制作的星形奖章上。 |