EZCNN 易英网

Fists of Fury: Wuxia Goes Hollywood 怒客双拳：武侠闯荡好莱坞

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

繁體中文譯本

 

Neo, known to the real world as Keanu Reeves is trading a flurry of furious punches, kicks, and blocks with an Asian opponent against the backdrop of a Japanese room, when, suddenly, they stop fighting. Neo’s opponent explains to him that the fight was just a test; only this way could they truly know each other. The movie, Matrix Reloaded, is this year’s Hollywood blockbuster. But at its heart we find the philosophy and cinema aesthetic of Chinese wuxia film.

尼欧，即现实世界的基努利瓦伊，在一个日本房间的场景中与一位亚洲人激战数回合，拳腿相交，迎击拦挡，突然间，他们歇手停战。尼欧的对手向他解释，这个较量只是一个测试；只有如此他们才能真的了解彼此。电影「黑客任务：重装上阵」是好莱坞今年的卖座巨片。但我们可以在它的核心发现中国武侠电影的哲学与电影美学。

 

The cultural exchange between Chinese cinema and Hollywood began with 2000’s Crouching tiger, Hidden Dragon (CTHD), which picked up four Oscars and astounded audiences worldwide. Taiwanese director Ang Lee galvanized Western and Eastern cinema with his epic tale of larger-than-life martial arts duelists tied up in an intricate world of moral duty and adventure.

华语电影和好莱坞的文化交流，起自于2000年赢得四项奥斯卡奖并风靡全球的「卧虎藏龙」。在台湾导演李安的史诗故事中，他充满魅力的侠客纠葛在道德责任和冒险的复杂世界，让东西方的电影界都受到了刺激。

 

Though Western audiences are long familiar with the movies of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, such kung fu cinema is the lowbrow cousin of true wuxia cinema. By fusing the swordplay of wuxia films with big budget Hollywood production values, Lee initiated a movement of stories and talent across the Pacific that has yet to wash out.

虽然西方观众早已熟悉李小龙和成龙的电影，但那些功夫电影只能算是真正武侠电影中比较粗俗无文的表亲。借着融合武侠的刀光剑影和好莱坞高预算的制作价值，李安发起流通太平洋两岸故事和人才的运动，将会源源不断持续下去。

 

And one key figure connects CTHD andthe Matrix films: Yuen Wo Ping, master martial arts choreographer.

而链接「卧虎藏龙」和「黑客任务」系列电影的关键人物是武术指导大师：袁和平。

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

fury [ˋfjʊrɪ] n. 狂怒，暴怒

flurry [ˋflɝɪ] n. 阵风

block [blɑk] n. 拦截，阻截

against [əˋgɛnst] prep. 以……为背景

backdrop [ˋbæk͵drɑp] n.〔事件的〕背景

matrix [ˋmetrɪks] n. (事物成长和发展的)环境，背景

aesthetic [ɛsˋθɛtɪk] n. 美学；美学标准

astound [əˋstaʊnd] v. 使震惊；使大惊

galvanize [ˋgælvə͵naɪz] v. 激励﹐刺激〔某人〕

larger-than-life  富有传奇色彩的; 有英雄色彩的

duelist [ˋdjuəlɪst] n. 决斗者

intricate [ˋɪntrəkɪt] adj. 错综复杂的；复杂精细的

lowbrow [ˋloˋbraʊ] n. 文化修养浅薄的；知识程度不高的

swordplay [ˋsord͵ple] n. 剑术

has yet to  至今尚未

wash out  失色; 失去活力

choreographer [͵korɪˋɑgrəfɚ] n. 舞蹈指导

 

 

Sentence of the Day

Wuxia is alive and kicking.

武侠仍是生龙活虎的。

 

alive and kicking【口】生气勃勃, 精神饱满, 活泼, 活跃

 

 

 

课文讲解

 

Hollywood had dabbled at wuxia in the past. For example, the early seventies cult TV series Kung Fu mimicked the depth of wuxia but often descended into fortune cookie-style philosophy. Following the introduction authentic wuxia with CTHD, it was natural that the Wachowski Brothers – co-writers and directors of The Matrix trilogy – would recruit Yuen Wo Ping, the man who made Ang Lee’s combat convincing.

好莱坞曾和武侠交手过。比如，70年代早期的小众电视影集「功夫」就曾模仿武侠的深度，却往往降格成如唐人街幸运饼般的廉价哲学。随着「卧虎藏龙」把真正的武侠介绍出来，华卓斯基兄弟──「黑客任务」三部曲的共同编导──很自然地会征召把李安的武打戏编得很真实的袁和平。

 

Yuen Wo Ping, known also as the Eighth Master, was specifically recruited by the Wachowski Brothers, not only for his contribution to CTHD, but also for his work on earlier classics like Drunken Master. Despite his association with films where the characters float in the air and fly through bamboo groves, Yuen is actually a devout realist when it comes to combat choreography. Frequently during the filming of CTHD, Yuen would ask despairingly, “Which do you want: a fight scene or just something that looks nice?” to which Ang Lee would reply, “How about a fight scene that looks good?”

华卓斯基兄弟会特别征召人称「第八大师」的袁和平，并不仅是因为他对「卧虎藏龙」的贡献，也是因为他的早期经典电影作品，如「醉拳」。虽然他的电影作品也有人物飘在空中并跃飞在竹林上，但他对于武术指导还是热衷写实。在拍摄「卧虎藏龙」时，袁和平屡次绝望地问，「你要哪一种：武打戏或只是看起来美美的东西？」李安答道，「能不能弄出美美的武打戏？」

 

There can be little doubt that without Yuen’s realist, down-to-earth convictions, the fantastical melee of CTHD and The Matrix films would have been hard to swallow. Like the wuxia masters of fable, Yuen shows us the sublime poetry of combat.

一般咸信如果不是袁和平讲求写实和他务实的信念，「卧虎藏龙」和「黑客任务」系列的虚幻武打大概会让人难以接受。就像传说中的武术宗师，袁和平为我们展现出武打境界的崇高诗意。

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

dabble [ˋdæb!] v. 涉猎，浅尝；涉足[（+at/in）]

cult [kʌlt] n.（对人、思想、事物等的）狂热崇拜，迷信；狂热

mimic [ˋmɪmɪk] v. 模仿，学……的样子

fortune cookie【美】签饼（中国餐馆的折迭形小饼，内藏有预测运气话语的纸条）

authentic [ɔˋθɛntɪk] adj. 真正的

trilogy [ˋtrɪlədʒɪ] n.〔戏剧﹑图书﹑电影等的〕三部曲

recruit [rɪˋkrut] v. 雇用，聘用

convincing [kənˋvɪnsɪŋ] adj. 有说服力的；令人信服的

specifically [spɪˋsɪfɪk!ɪ] adv. 特别地; 专门地

association [ə͵sosɪˋeʃən] n. 联想; 关联

devout [dɪˋvaʊt] adj. 虔诚的；虔敬的

realist [ˋrɪəlɪst] n. 现实主义者，注重实际的人

choreography [͵korɪˋɑgrəfɪ] n. 编舞（艺术）; 舞蹈设计

despairingly [dɪˋspɛrɪŋlɪ] adv. 绝望地

down-to-earth [͵daʊntəˋɝθ] adj. 实事求是的﹐ 实际的﹐ 切实的﹐ 务实的﹐ 脚踏实地的

conviction [kənˋvɪkʃən] n. 确信，信念

melee [ˈmɛle] n.【法】互殴；混战；混乱

hard to swallow 难以接受的事实

fable [ˋfeb!] n. 故事；传说

sublime [səˋblaɪm] adj. 崇高的，令人崇敬的

 

 

Sentence of the Day

He knows combat like the back of his hand.

他对格斗了如指掌。

 

know something like the back of one’s hand【口】了如指掌; 了解透彻

 

 

 

 

课文讲解

 

Hugh has come over to Stephanie’s to watch a DVD:修到丝达夫妮家里看DVD电影：

 

S: You’re going to love this movie I just bought. It’s a classic Hong Kong wuxia film from 1967 called A Touch of Zen.

你一定会爱死我刚买的这部片。这是一部1967年的香港经典武侠片，叫「侠女」。

 

H: Whoopee. More people flying through the air.

哇！一堆人在空中飞。

 

S: Come on, that wire work looks cool. It’s a traditional fantasy element in wuxia tales. After all, it’s not like Hollywood movies don’t have some strange conventions.

哎呀，吊钢丝很酷的。这是武侠故事中的传统幻想元素。毕竟，好莱坞电影也不是没有一些奇怪的表现手法。

 

H: I suppose you’re right there. I guess Jedi Knights using the Force or cowboys whose guns never run out of bullets are pretty far-fetched as well.

我想你说得对。我猜绝地武士使用原力，或者牛仔的枪永远不缺子弹也都是满荒谬的。

 

S: Exactly. You know, Hollywood cinema has spread around the world, so I think it’s pretty cool that the world is now swapping film genres. Also, I didn’t hear you object to thewuxia elements in Charlie’s Angels.

的确。你知道，好莱坞电影吃遍全世界，所以我认为现在大家开始电影类型的交流是很棒的一件事。再说，我也没听到你反对「霹雳娇娃」里的武侠元素。

 

H: Guilty as charged. I can see how the whole Hollywood-Hong Kong exchange has revitalized both worlds. I mean, I don’t imagine a big budget production like Hero would have gotten off the ground without the prior successes of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon andThe Matrix.

被你说中了。我看得出好莱坞和香港这样的交流让两者都更有活力。我是说，如果没有先前「卧虎藏龙」和「黑客任务」的成功，我很难想象如「英雄」这样的大成本制作会顺利地开拍。

 

S: Wait until you read some wuxia literature, like Louis Cha’s tale of Trinket Wei. But you have trouble reading sometimes, don’t you?

你该去读一些武侠小说，比如金庸的韦小宝。但你好像有时嫌读书麻烦，是吗？

 

H: Watch out, or I’ll use my excellent kung fu on you!

小心点，否则我会用我的盖世神功对付你！

 

－by Iain Ferguson

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

come over to 从一地(通常为远处)来到另一地

whoopee [ˋhwʊˋpi] int. 感叹词哇！（表示兴奋激动的心情时）

convention [kənˋvɛnʃən] n.（艺术上的）传统手法; 惯例；常规

far-fetched [ˋfɑrˋfɛtʃt] adj. 牵强的，未必会的；不着边际

swap [swɑp] v.【口】交换，交易

guilty as charged  指控罪名成立  A term meaning something like, I did it / I admit it / I did exactly what you (he, someone else) said I did.

revitalize [riˋvaɪt!͵aɪz] v. 使恢复生气；使复活；使复兴

get off the ground (指活动、事业等)顺利开始  make a successful start

trinket [ˋtrɪŋkɪt] n. 廉价珠宝; 小件饰物

 

 

Sentence of the Day

"Everybody was kung fu fighting / Those cats were fast as lightning" - "Kung Fu Fighting" Carl Douglas, Billboard #1 single, 1974

「每个人都用功夫干架/ 那些酷哥疾如雷电」

「功夫干架」卡尔道格拉斯，告示牌单曲第一名，1974

 

cat  Slang  A person, especially a man.

 

 

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Official Trailer HD