VOA标准英语2011--'Immortals' Offers Fresh Take on Greek Myths

'Immortals¹' Offers Fresh Take on Greek Myths

 

The old fashioned "swords and sandals" adventure comes back to movie screens with a fresh take on ancient Greek mythology² in "Immortals."

The stage is set for an epic³ struggle when the power-mad King Hyperion sets out to release the Titans and topple the Olympians from their lofty perch⁴.

While the future of humankind is at stake, the chief god, Zeus, has banned his fellow immortals from meddling⁵ in earthly affairs. But he does choose a champion: a young villager who possesses the qualities to become a hero.

English actor Henry Cavill stars as that hero. Although this Theseus is only loosely based on the mythological⁶ founder⁷ of Athens, Cavill says the ancient legends and myths helped him find the character.

"I've always been a fan of reading the stories from mythology and history and anything like that. As a kid I enjoyed reading it all and growing up with it."

Theseus is mighty⁸ and moral, but Cavill says it was important that he not appear to be perfect.

Actor Henry Cavill portrays9 Greek hero Theseus in 'Immortals.'

"To play a hero effectively I think you have to focus entirely¹⁰ on the flaws and doubts of the hero, because it's sort of become a little boring to be too good and too great at everything you do. So to focus on all of the things which make life and everything difficult for that individual, therefore, makes them more heroic when they overcome them."

Luke Evans, who costars as Zeus, jokes about strutting¹¹ around the set in regal robes, but the Welsh-born actor says that had to be part of his character.

"I had to channel being a father, a king, authoritarian¹² and somebody who was thousands of years old," Evans says. "You have to get yourself to that place. There is no point thinking 'Oh, I look a bit silly in this gold cape¹³ or crown of brass¹⁴ leaves on my head.' You've got to believe it."

The international cast of "Immortals" also includes Mumbai native Freida Pinto of "Slumdog Millionaire" fame. She plays the oracle¹⁵ Phaedra. American screen veteran Mickey Rourke plays bloodthirsty King Hyperion.

Director Tarsem Singh puts the action in a surreal landscape of massive sets augmented¹⁶ by digital technology. The Indian-born director admits that describing his imaginative visions to studio executives is difficult.

"Talk really fast with an Indian accent. Then they kind of think 'He must know what's happening, because we don't understand,'" Singh says. "I'm very clear in what I want to say or what I want to do in my head and if you can get them to believe in the infectiousness of it, I don't think it can be cheated. They usually say 'Okay, you've done visual films before. Let him have it.'"

Singh was apparently¹⁷ on to something when he cast Cavill as his film's champion. The "Immortals" star is now playing the ultimate hero of modern mythology, "Superman," in the new film "Man of Steel" coming to theaters in 2013.

1 immortals   

不朽的人物( immortal的名词复数 )； 永生不朽者

参考例句：

• Nobody believes in the myth about human beings becoming immortals. 谁也不相信人能成仙的神话。
• Shakespeare is one of the immortals. 莎士比亚是不朽的人物之一。

2 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。

3 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。

4 perch   

n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于

参考例句：

• The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。
• Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。

5 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

6 mythological   

adj.神话的

参考例句：

• He is remembered for his historical and mythological works. 他以其带有历史感和神话色彩的作品而著称。
• But even so, the cumulative process had for most Americans a deep, almost mythological significance. 不过即使如此，移民渐增的过程，对于大部分美国人，还是意味深长的，几乎有不可思议的影响。

7 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

8 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。

9 portrays   

v.画像( portray的第三人称单数 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• The museum collection vividly portrays the heritage of 200 years of canals. 博物馆的藏品让运河200 年的历史再现眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The film portrays Gandhi as a kind of superman. 这部电影把甘地描绘成一个超人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

11 strutting   

加固，支撑物

参考例句：

• He, too, was exceedingly arrogant, strutting about the castle. 他也是非常自大，在城堡里大摇大摆地走。
• The pompous lecturer is strutting and forth across the stage. 这个演讲者在台上趾高气扬地来回走着。

12 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

13 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

14 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

15 oracle   

n.神谕，神谕处，预言

参考例句：

• In times of difficulty,she pray for an oracle to guide her.在困难的时候，她祈祷神谕来指引她。
• It is a kind of oracle that often foretells things most important.它是一种内生性神谕，常常能预言最重要的事情。

16 Augmented   

adj.增音的 动词augment的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• 'scientists won't be replaced," he claims, "but they will be augmented." 他宣称：“科学家不会被取代；相反，他们会被拓展。” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• The impact of the report was augmented by its timing. 由于发表的时间选得好，这篇报导的影响更大了。

17 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。