2007年VOA标准英语-Super-Hero Creator Stan Lee Still Purveying Won

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
16 August 2007

Comic book writer Stan Lee is the man behind some of the world's greatest fictional¹ super-heroes.  Today, at 84, the creator of the Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four and Spider-Man is still making his mark on popular culture.  Mike O'Sullivan spoke² with the writer about his legacy³ and his future projects.

Stan Lee

Stan Lee has dreamed up some of the most memorable⁴ characters who ever made the move from the pages of comic books to the movie screen.  Working with several artists at Marvel⁵ Comics, he created or co-created the Mighty⁶ Thor, the X-Men, Dr. Strange, Daredevil, and many other characters.

The most popular was Spider-Man.  A bite from an irradiated spider transformed teenaged Peter Parker into a super-hero, but he still faced adolescent problems, from acne to nervousness around girls.

Lee says all of his super-heroes had human failings.

"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," he said.  "And I tried to make them real people who happened to have super powers.  And apparently⁷ that little shade of a difference was the main thing that made the characters as popular as they became."

Scene from Spider-Man 3

Today, a new generation of fans has discovered Spider-Man and Lee's other characters from Marvel Comics.  The third film in the Spider-Man franchise⁸ came out this year, and a fourth has been announced.  Another recent release, Rise of the Silver Surfer, is the latest installment⁹ in the Fantastic Four series.  The super-heroes face the powerful Silver Surfer and the planet-eating Galactus.

Upcoming films inspired by Lee's characters include Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Wolverine, and Nick Fury.

Lee is active in many aspects of the entertainment business through his company POW! Entertainment.

"And that stands for 'purveyors of wonder,'" he noted¹⁰.  "And we're doing movies and television shows, DVDs, and I'm creating new characters, and probably having more fun than I've ever had."

He is creating a cartoon series with former Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr, and another with celebrity-socialite Paris Hilton.  He is working on film projects with Disney Pictures, producing video games and content for the Internet and for mobile phones.

"There is so much going on today, and entertainment has become so important," he said.  "Where it used to be just movies and comic books, then television came along, now it's movies, television, comics, Internet, DVDs, cell phones.  I mean, wherever you look, there are new types and new methods of the media and entertainment, and it's really a very exciting world we live in.

Lee says he is no longer surprised at the popularity of the characters he has created. 

"Now I expect it," he added.  "In fact, if people talk about some of the great characters in the world today and [when] they don't mention Marvel's characters, I get very upset."

He says the challenge of thinking up new characters and stories keeps his work exciting.

1 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

4 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

5 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

6 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

7 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

8 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。

9 installment   

n.(instalment)分期付款；(连载的)一期

参考例句：

• I shall soon pay the last installment of my debt.不久我将偿付我的最后一期债款。
• He likes to buy things on the installment plan.他喜欢用分期付款法购买货物。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。