VOA标准英语2013--Small Illinois Town Gets Boost From New Superman Movie

 

Small Illinois Town Gets Boost From New Superman Movie

Plano Mayor Bob Hausler said, “I would say a great Midwestern small town, and we epitomize that.”

Hausler was in charge of the city's government in 2011 when a Hollywood production company came to town. “There was a lot of secrecy¹ about what the storyline, and even who the main character was.”

But in a town as small as this, it’s hard to keep a secret. Once the trucks, lights, and movie cameras moved onto Main Street, news quickly spread it was not just any Hollywood movie, but the big budget Man of Steel, a new version of the beloved and iconic comic book hero Superman.

“It was very exciting that our town would be picked for a major motion picture. I used to watch him on a black-and-white TV, and it was one of my favorite shows growing up,” said Hausler.

For several weeks in the summer of 2011, film director Zach Snyder, along with hundreds of cast and crew members, transformed Plano, Illinois, into Smallville, Kansas, hometown of Superman’s adopted parents Jonathan and Martha Kent. The location plays a significant backdrop in several key sequences in the new film.

Resident Jim Martens is the chairman of the Smallville Superfest, a three-day-long, city-wide party dedicated² to the fictional³ character that has helped put Plano on the map of the Superman universe.

“We really couldn’t believe something as big as Superman could be filmed here,” he said.

Martens said that even before its release, the movie attracted fans from far and wide. “They had to get a piece of the action and see what was going on.”

Hausler said the increase in tourists has brought new life to Plano’s Main Street. “We have seen more and more of the vacancies⁴ being filled with retail⁵ spaces and other shops.”

Some of those businesses embraced the connection to Man of Steel, keeping the artwork created for the movie sets on their storefronts. Hausler said preserving the look of the fictional Smallville helped Plano get through the recent economic downturn.

“From 2011 we’ve actually seen our sales tax revenue grow just about every month since then. We’ve had that much economic growth,” said Hausler.

While you may not be able to see the superhero known for traveling faster than a speeding bullet, or more powerful than a locomotive, you can soon visit a Smallville museum in the town’s historic train station, featuring movie set props⁶ and other items related to the filming of Man of Steel.

1 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

2 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。

3 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。

4 vacancies   

n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺

参考例句：

• job vacancies 职位空缺
• The sign outside the motel said \"No Vacancies\". 汽车旅馆外的招牌显示“客满”。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

6 props   

小道具； 支柱( prop的名词复数 )； 支持者； 道具； （橄榄球中的）支柱前锋

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The government props up the prices of farm products to support farmers' incomes. 政府保持农产品价格不变以保障农民们的收入。