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Walt Disney: Turning Fantasy into Reality 永不放弃的梦想家：华特．迪斯尼

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

If you want to put a smile on any child’s face, simply mention the names Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy, and they’ll likely be grinning from ear to ear. With their bubbly personalities and zany adventures, these Disney characters have been entertaining people for nearly a century. But were it not for the optimism and never-say-die attitude of Walt Disney, these lovable characters would never have existed.

如果想让任何一个孩子脸上挂着笑容，只要提到米奇、米妮、唐老鸭、高飞狗这些名字，孩子们很可能就会咧嘴大笑。这些有着活泼个性和滑稽冒险经历的迪斯尼角色，已经娱乐大众将近100年的时间。但若不是华特．迪斯尼的乐观和永不放弃的态度，这些讨人喜爱的角色将永不存在。

Walt was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1901, but shortly after, his family moved to Marceline, Missouri. He took a keen interest in drawing and art, and as a boy, he would often sell his original sketches to neighbors. In high school, Walt continued to draw, but he also took up photography and writing for the school newspaper. In his free time, Walt would frequently tell his classmates compelling stories while illustrating them on the chalkboard.

华特于1901年出生在伊利诺伊州的芝加哥，但不久之后就举家迁往密苏里州的马赛林市。华特对绘画与艺术有强烈的兴趣，当他还是个小男孩时，就经常把原创的素描卖给邻居。中学时期，华特继续画画，但也开始为校刊摄影和写作。华特闲暇之余，常一边讲精彩的故事给同学听，一边在黑板上画图说明。

When World War I broke out, Walt felt patriotic and wanted to help his country. But the army rejected him because he was underage. Not to be deterred, he enlisted in the Red Cross and drove an ambulance in France. Unlike the other ambulances, which were draped in camouflage, Walt’s was covered with original cartoons.

第一次世界大战爆发时，华特的爱国情操让他想帮助自己的国家，但是军方因华特未达规定年龄而拒绝他入伍。华特并未退却，他加入红十字会并在法国驾驶救护车。不同于其他救护车上有迷彩伪装，华特驾驶的救护车上是他自己原创的卡通图样。

After returning from the battlefield, Walt accepted a job in a commercial art studio. But he soon felt that working for others stifled his creativity. He opened his own company, called Laugh-O-Grams, which made short, animated films to promote local businesses. After one year, it went bankrupt. He wouldn’t allow this failure to discourage him, however, and he soon hatched a new plan.

从战场返回后，华特接受一份广告艺术工作室的职务，但不久之后便觉得为别人工作扼杀了他的创意。于是华特开设了自己的公司「Laugh-O-Grams」，专为当地企业制作商业宣传的动画短片。一年之后公司宣告破产，但华特不允许这样的失败就让自己丧失信心，所以很快地，他有了一个新计划。

Vocabulary

单词发音

personality [͵pɝsnˋælətɪ] n.（显明的）个性

optimism [ˋɑptəmɪzəm] n. 乐观；乐观主义

keen [kin] adj. 热心的; 强烈的

compelling [kəmˋpɛlɪŋ] adj. 令人信服的; 令人感叹的 having a powerful and irresistible effect

creativity [͵krieˋtɪvətɪ] n. 创造力

promote [prəˋmot] v. 宣传，推销

bankrupt [ˋbæŋkrʌpt] adj. 破产的

discourage [dɪsˋkɝɪdʒ] v. 使泄气，使沮丧

hatch [hætʃ] v. 策划

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片语发音

grin [grɪn] from ear to ear 咧着嘴笑 to smile a very wide, beaming smile

bubbly [ˋbʌblɪ] adj. 活泼的; 生龙活虎的; 生气勃勃的 lively; animated; excited

zany [ˋzenɪ] adj. 滑稽的; 可笑的 comical because of incongruity or strangeness; bizarre

were it not for someone or something 若不是有...的话 (or if it were not for someone or something) the situation would have been different without someone or something

never-say-die adj. 不轻易放弃的, 不气馁的 do not give up

lovable [ˋlʌvəb!] adj. 可爱的，讨人喜欢的

sketch [skɛtʃ] n. 速写，素描

take up 开始学, 做; 喜欢上; 接受 to develop an interest in or devotion to

illustrate [ˋɪləstret] v. 插图于（书籍等); 图解

break out 爆发；突然发生 to develop suddenly and forcefully

patriotic [͵petrɪˋɑtɪk] adj. 爱国的

underage [ˋʌndɚˋedʒ] adj. 未达成年的

deter [dɪˋtɝ] v. 阻碍；制止

enlist in 从军，入伍;（热心）参加 to join something; to join the armed services

ambulance [ˋæmbjələns] n. 救护车

drape [drep] v.（用打褶的布等）覆盖

camouflage [ˋkæmə͵flɑʒ] n. 伪装；掩饰

stifle [ˋstaɪf!] v. 扼杀; 使窒息

课文朗读

课文讲解

Walt decided to head west to California and join forces with his brother Roy. They pooled their meager savings and borrowed money from their relatives to launch the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio – from their uncle’s garage! Few people thought they would succeed. But Walt’s enthusiasm and faith in his ideas carried them through some tough years.

华特决定西进加州，并与哥哥罗伊一起合力打拼。他们一起拿出微薄的存款并向亲戚借钱，然后就在一位男性长辈的车库里成立「迪斯尼兄弟工作室」！几乎没有人认为他们两兄弟会成功，但凭借华特对自己想法的热情与信念，支持着他们度过几年艰苦的时光。

In 1928, the company made history with the release of a short animated film called Steamboat Willie. It was the first synchronized sound cartoon and it also marked the big screen debut of Mickey Mouse. But this was just the start for Walt. In 1937, he spent $1,499,000, an astronomical sum in those days, to produce the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The film was a mega success that paved the way for other Disney classics such as Bambi, Pinocchio, and Dumbo.

1928年，迪斯尼兄弟工作室发行了一部动画短片《汽船威利号》而名垂青史。那是第一部画面与声音同步的卡通片，同时也意味着米老鼠在大屏幕的首次登场，不过对华特来说，这只是个开始而已。1937年，他花费将近150万美元制作第一部动画长片《白雪公主》，斥资总额在当时来说是个天文数字。这部影片非常成功，并为迪斯尼其他经典卡通影片《小鹿斑比》、《木偶奇遇记》、《小飞象》等铺路。

Walt’s biggest dream was to build an amusement park where his characters could truly come to life and interact with people. And he did this in 1955, when Disney Park opened in California. Filled with exciting rides and fun attractions, it became a hit with not only kids but people from all walks of life. Walt passed away in 1966, but during his 43-year Hollywood career, he changed the entertainment industry forever. He’s remembered for his incredible talents as a storyteller, entertainer, and producer. He also serves as a powerful example that with hard work, a positive outlook, and a bright imagination, fairy tales really can come true.

华特最大的梦想是建造一座游乐园，在那里他所创造的角色就能真正活起来与大众互动。他于1955年实现了这个梦想，迪斯尼乐园在加州开幕，乐园里充满了刺激的游乐设施和吸引人的有趣事物。迪斯尼乐园受到儿童和各行各业民众的欢迎。华特于1966年逝世，但在他43年的好莱坞职涯里，他永远改变了娱乐业。华特身兼故事叙述者、娱乐家和制作人，惊人的天赋，令人难忘。同时他也为我们树立了一个强而有力的典范──只要肯努力、有积极的想法和活跃的想象力，童话故事真的能够成真。

－by Jamie Blackler

Vocabulary

单词发音

join forces with someone 和...联合以达到共同的目的 to combine one's efforts with someone else's efforts

enthusiasm [ɪnˋθjuzɪ͵æzəm] n. 热情，热忱

debut [dɪˋbju] n. 首次露面；初次登台

astronomical [͵æstrəˋnɑmɪk!] adj.（指数量）庞大的; 极巨大的; 天文数字的

pave the way for..: 为...铺平道路 to make progress or development easier

come to life 表现生动 to become vigorous or lively

interact [͵ɪntəˋrækt] v. 互动

entertainment [͵ɛntɚˋtenmənt] n. 娱乐，消遣

incredible [ɪnˋkrɛdəb!] adj.【口】难以置信的；惊人的

outlook [ˋaʊt͵lʊk] n. 观点，看法  a point of view; an attitude

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单词发音

pool [pul] v.（为共同目的）合出（资金，物资，想法等）；to put into a fund for use by all

meager [ˋmigɚ] adj. 不足的；贫乏的

synchronize [ˋsɪŋkrənaɪz] v. 画面和声音一致 to cause (soundtrack and action) to match exactly in a film

full-length [ˋfʊlˋlɛŋθ] adj. 标淮长度的 of a normal or standard length

mega [ˋmɛgə] adj. 【俚】非常大的

ride [raɪd] n. 乘坐设施 a device or structure, such as a roller coaster at a fairground, in which people ride for pleasure or entertainment

hit [hɪt] n. 成功而风行一时的事物 a successful or popular venture

walks of life 生活阶层  different types of jobs and different levels of society

Reading Questions

1.  Why did Disney want to get involved with World War I?

(A)  He loved his country and wanted to support it.

(B)  He wanted to spend some time in Europe.

(C)  He had always wanted to drive an ambulance.

(D)  He wanted to get some new ideas for cartoons.

2.  Which of the following statements about Disney is NOT true?

(A)  He became interested in drawing as a boy.

(B)  He felt that working for others made him less creative.

(C)  He lost all of his money after opening his first business.

(D)  He used to make movies for his high-school classmates.

3.  How can we describe the business Disney started with his brother Roy?

(A)  The two brothers fought a lot and the business did poorly.

(B)  Walt provided the finances and Roy supplied the idea.

(C)  They beat the odds and created an amazing company.

(D)  The company immediately became a big success.

4.  What is a lesson that we can learn from Walt Disney’s life?

(A)  It’s better to play it safe and not to take too many chances.

(B)  If you have big dreams you will always become rich.

(C)  Cartoons are only interesting if you add sound to them.

(D)  It’s important to believe in yourself and never give up.

beat the odds 获得出乎意料的成功  overcoming improbability

1922-12-01 Laugh O Gram Cinderella

Topolino - Steamboat Willie (1928)

Snow White-Meeting the dwarfs (Snow White off)

Answer