VOA英语2010年-Black Swan, The Tourist, Tron: the Legacy To

Winter Holidays. This is the time of the year when many movie goers crave¹ lavish² productions. And holiday movies echo that spirit. Hollywood shines with glitz, over-the-top special effects and expensive film productions. Three fit the bill: Black Swan by Darren Aronofsky, The Tourist by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and Jeff Kosinski's Tron: the Legacy³.

Black Swan

Innocent, sensitive Nina has dedicated⁴ her whole life to ballet. She is overjoyed when she finally gets tapped to dance the coveted⁵ dual⁶ role of the Swan queen in Tchaikovsky'sSwan Lake. Nina is the quintessential White Swan. But she has to twist her soul to exude⁷ the darkness of the Black Swan.

The pressure on Nina increases when Lily, another, more sensual dancer, vies for the same role.

Nina's innocence⁸ flutters away in Darren Aronofsky's psycho-thriller, Black Swan.

"Most ballets are really tragic⁹ and scary and gothic and there's demons¹⁰ and monsters and when you translate that into cinema, you can start to do some really scary, frightening, unsettling things," Aronofsky said.

Natalie Portman interprets tormented¹¹ Nina. Portman went through intense ballet training to fit into the shoes of the prima ballerina. "it's so vicious on the body. And you never see it. It's like you see those beautiful image and underneath¹² it is some really really grotesque¹³ detail," Portman said.

Costumes are rich, cinematography and cast are superb although the story line meanders¹⁴ to such extent it loses the viewer.

The Tourist

In The Tourist, Frank is an American tourist in Venice who can hardly believe his luck. He has just met Elise, a beautiful, mysterious woman, who takes him to her palatial¹⁵ hotel.

Little does Frank know that he is nothing but bait.

Alexander Pearce is Elise's lover, wanted by both the law and the Russian mafia for embezzling¹⁶ billions of dollars. Elise will do anything to protect him.

The plot is improbable and choppy, but who cares? Neither Angelina Jolie, who plays Elise, nor Johnny Depp, who interprets Frank, take themselves too seriously.

"It should make people feel good. It's got lovely twists and turns," Jolie said.

"It's a throwback in a way to old school thrillers," said Depp.

The Tourist is no Hitchcock mystery. It plays more like a comedy. Johnny Depp is no Cary Grant, but is charming in a clumsy sort of way. Angelina Jolie is simply stunning¹⁷.

In the end, we're left enchanted¹⁸ -- if not with the famous duo, at least with the scenery, the elegance¹⁹ and romance.

Tron: Legacy

Tron: the Legacy is the sequel of the original sci-fi film Tron, which tanked at the box office back in 1982. Back then, the story of Kevin Flynn, a computer engineer trapped in cyberspace²⁰ and living an alternative life there, seemed so outlandish that it captured the imagination of sci-fi die hards.

Today, Disney's $170 million production sequel is a box office hit thanks to cutting edge special effects and a story that resonates with the original fans of the saga²¹.

"Our late story. Kevin Flynn was reported missing. The visionary icon²², an ENCON CEO, skyrocketed to the top of the tech industry. He was last seen at this home with his son Sam leaving behind an empire and a now orphan²³ little boy," a newscaster says in the film.

Eighteen years later, Sam has given up seeing his dad ever again. Until he accidentally enters cyberspace through one of his father's experimental video game machines.

Sam is determined²⁴ to take his dad back into the real world, but they first have to flee from Clu, an evil computer program.

For those not sentimental²⁵ about Tron, the story runs like a video game. But the special effects and the IMAX technology make Tron: the Legacy an impressive spectacle.

Jeff Bridges appears as aged²⁶ Kevin Flynn, and as young Clu. His face has been made to look younger thanks to the latest 3-D cameras and motion-capture technology.

The film will satisfy younger crowds but also general sci-fi and video game fans who appreciate a more tekkie holiday spirit.

1 crave   

vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求

参考例句：

• Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。
• You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。

2 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

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 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

5 coveted   

adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图

参考例句：

• He had long coveted the chance to work with a famous musician. 他一直渴望有机会与著名音乐家一起工作。
• Ther other boys coveted his new bat. 其他的男孩都想得到他的新球棒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

7 exude   

v.(使)流出，(使)渗出

参考例句：

• Some successful men exude self-confidence.有些成功的人流露出自信。
• The sun made him exude sweat.烈日晒得他汗流浃背。

8 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

9 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

10 demons   

n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念

参考例句：

• demons torturing the sinners in Hell 地狱里折磨罪人的魔鬼
• He is plagued by demons which go back to his traumatic childhood. 他为心魔所困扰，那可追溯至他饱受创伤的童年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 tormented   

饱受折磨的

参考例句：

• The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. 知道了自己的罪责使他非常痛苦。
• He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. 他彻夜未眠，深受嫉妒的折磨。

12 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

13 grotesque   

adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物）

参考例句：

• His face has a grotesque appearance.他的面部表情十分怪。
• Her account of the incident was a grotesque distortion of the truth.她对这件事的陈述是荒诞地歪曲了事实。

14 meanders   

曲径( meander的名词复数 )； 迂回曲折的旅程

参考例句：

• The stream meanders slowly down to the sea. 这条小河弯弯曲曲缓慢地流向大海。
• A brook meanders through the meadow. 一条小溪从草地中蜿蜒流过。

15 palatial   

adj.宫殿般的，宏伟的

参考例句：

• Palatial office buildings are being constructed in the city.那个城市正在兴建一些宫殿式办公大楼。
• He bought a palatial house.他买了套富丽堂皇的大房子。

16 embezzling   

v.贪污，盗用（公款）( embezzle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Accordingly, object embezzling waste to be carried temporarily the schedule of administration. 因此，反对贪污浪费就提上了临时中央政府的议事日程。 来自互联网
• Some were sentenced for taking bribes, others executed for embezzling funds. 有的因受贿而被判刑，有的因侵吞公款而被判处死刑。 来自互联网

17 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

18 enchanted   

adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
• He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。

19 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。

20 cyberspace   

n.虚拟信息空间，网络空间，计算机化世界

参考例句：

• She travels in cyberspace by sending messages to friends around the world.她利用电子空间给世界各地的朋友们发送信件。
• The teens spend more time in cyberspace than in the real world of friends and family.青少年花费在电脑上的时间比他们和真正的朋友及家人在一起的时间要多。

21 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。

22 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

23 orphan   

n.孤儿；adj.无父母的

参考例句：

• He brought up the orphan and passed onto him his knowledge of medicine.他把一个孤儿养大，并且把自己的医术传给了他。
• The orphan had been reared in a convent by some good sisters.这个孤儿在一所修道院里被几个好心的修女带大。

24 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

25 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

26 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。