VOA标准英语2010年-Like a Recurring Dream, 'Inception' Li

Combining larger-than-life sets and a mind-bending plot, director Christopher Nolan creates a complex, entertaining film

Penelope Poulou | Washington, DC 20 July 2010

At its core, 'Inception¹,' starring Leonardo DiCaprio, contains a heartbreaking love story and an existential dilemma².

In "Inception," director Christopher Nolan weaves a visual extravaganza about dreams. The much-anticipated science fiction thriller³ grossed over $60 million during the first weekend of its release, crowning it a blockbuster.

Dom Cobb is not your average hacker⁴. He can travel into a person's subconscious⁵ and steal his innermost secrets. To do that he enters people's dreams. 

But Cobb is growing tired of corporate⁶ crime. He wants to live a normal life. To do that he must perform one last job for Saito, a mega tycoon⁷ who holds the key to Cobb's safe return to the United States.

Instead of extracting information, Saito wants to plant an idea into the mind of his corporate enemy. Once the idea is rooted, it would bring down his competitor. The technique is called inception.

 "At the heart of "Inception," is the notion that an idea is indeed a resilient parasite⁸. It's like a virus. It can be communicated to other people," says Nolan.

To make the film's dream world concrete, Nolan uses grand sets in six different countries. They provide a different texture⁹ for every dream and a layered dream world. He leads characters and the audience deeper and deeper into the subconscious, combining an elaborate heist with science fiction and psychological drama.

The cast adds complexity¹⁰ to the story. Leonardo DiCaprio plays master extractor Dom Cobb. Although he appears to maintain control in the midst of chaos¹¹, he actually crumbles¹² under the weight of his own emotions and his regrets. 

French actress Marion Cotilliard plays Mal, which means "bad" in French. She is a malcontent¹³, the dream-like projection¹⁴ of Cobb's dead wife.

Ellen Page is Ariadne. In Greek mythology¹⁵, Ariadne was the princess who helped guide Theseus out of the Minotaur's deadly labyrinth¹⁶.

Here, Ariadne is Cobb's architect of dreams. She is also his emotional and spiritual guide, the one who provides a reality check for him.

At its core, the film contains a heartbreaking love story and an existential dilemma

For the actors, it was demanding. They perform their own stunts¹⁷, says DiCaprio.

"Well, there were a lot of situations throughout the entire course of the film whether we were all wrapped up in cables floating through an elevator shaft¹⁸ or whether we were being soaked by a massive water tank that was blasting around us."

By combining larger-than-life sets and a mind-bending plot, Nolan creates an intelligent, highly entertaining and dramatic film.

One may need to watch it more than once to penetrate¹⁹ the different layers of the human condition.

Unfortunately, too many action sequences overpower the story and its existential issues.

But like a recurring²⁰ dream, this is a movie that's hard to forget. 

 

1 inception   

n.开端，开始，取得学位

参考例句：

• The programme has been successful since its inception.这个方案自开始实施以来一直卓有成效。
• Julia's worked for that company from its inception.自从那家公司开办以来，朱莉娅一直在那儿工作。

2 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

3 thriller   

n.惊险片，恐怖片

参考例句：

• He began by writing a thriller.That book sold a million copies.他是写惊险小说起家的。那本书卖了一百万册。
• I always take a thriller to read on the train.我乘火车时，总带一本惊险小说看。

4 hacker   

n.能盗用或偷改电脑中信息的人，电脑黑客

参考例句：

• The computer hacker wrote that he was from Russia.这个计算机黑客自称他来自俄罗斯。
• This site was attacked by a hacker last week.上周这个网站被黑客攻击了。

5 subconscious   

n./adj.潜意识(的)，下意识(的)

参考例句：

• Nail biting is often a subconscious reaction to tension.咬指甲通常是紧张时的下意识反映。
• My answer seemed to come from the subconscious.我的回答似乎出自下意识。

6 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

7 tycoon   

n.有钱有势的企业家，大亨

参考例句：

• The tycoon is on the verge of bankruptcy.那名大亨濒临破产的边缘。
• The tycoon has many servants to minister to his needs.那位大亨有很多人服侍他。

8 parasite   

n.寄生虫；寄生菌；食客

参考例句：

• The lazy man was a parasite on his family.那懒汉是家里的寄生虫。
• I don't want to be a parasite.I must earn my own way in life.我不想做寄生虫，我要自己养活自己。

9 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

10 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

11 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

12 crumbles   

酥皮水果甜点( crumble的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This cake crumbles too easily. 这种蛋糕太容易碎了。
• This bread crumbles ever so easily. 这种面包非常容易碎。

13 malcontent   

n.不满者，不平者；adj.抱不平的，不满的

参考例句：

• The malcontent is gunning for his supervisor.那个心怀不满的人在伺机加害他的上司。
• Nevertheless,this kind of plan brings about partial player is malcontent.不过，这种方案招致部分玩家不满。

14 projection   

n.发射，计划，突出部分

参考例句：

• Projection takes place with a minimum of awareness or conscious control.投射在最少的知觉或意识控制下发生。
• The projection of increases in number of house-holds is correct.对户数增加的推算是正确的。

15 mythology   

n.神话，神话学，神话集

参考例句：

• In Greek mythology,Zeus was the ruler of Gods and men.在希腊神话中，宙斯是众神和人类的统治者。
• He is the hero of Greek mythology.他是希腊民间传说中的英雄。

16 labyrinth   

n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路

参考例句：

• He wandered through the labyrinth of the alleyways.他在迷宫似的小巷中闲逛。
• The human mind is a labyrinth.人的心灵是一座迷宫。

17 stunts   

n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 )；（广告中）引人注目的花招；愚蠢行为；危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长]，抑制，妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He did all his own stunts. 所有特技都是他自己演的。
• The plane did a few stunts before landing. 飞机着陆前做了一些特技。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 shaft   

n.(工具的)柄，杆状物

参考例句：

• He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。
• This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。

19 penetrate   

v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解

参考例句：

• Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
• The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

20 recurring   

adj.往复的，再次发生的

参考例句：

• This kind of problem is recurring often. 这类问题经常发生。
• For our own country, it has been a time for recurring trial. 就我们国家而言，它经过了一个反复考验的时期。