EZCNN 易英网

Heath Ledger: A Talented Rising Star 希斯莱杰：耀眼的新星

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Deep in the rugged, snowcapped mountains of Wyoming begins a decades-long struggle for love between two cowboys. In the movie Brokeback Mountain, direct by Ang Lee, Australian-born actor Heath Ledger takes on his most daring role on the road to stardom.

怀俄明州皑皑白雪覆盖的崎岖深山中，两位牛仔为爱挣扎数十年的故事在此展开。澳洲演员希斯莱杰在李安执导的《断臂山》中，在通往巨星之路上做了最大胆的演出。

Ledger’s ride began in junior high school where he was required to take either cooking or drama classes. Unable to picture himself in cooking class, Ledger signed up for the latter. His acting talent stood out as he later became the captain of the drama team. Back then, however, his classmates saw him as an up-and-coming field hockey star.

巨星莱杰的旅程在初中时萌芽，当时他被要求修习烹饪或戏剧课。无法想象烹饪的模样，莱杰选择了后者。他的戏剧天赋脱颖而出，后来还成为戏剧组的领队。然而，当时他被同学视为陆上曲棍球中崭露头角的明日之星。

But Ledger had another direction in mind. At the age of seventeen, he packed his bags and headed to Sydney. He believed it was the place where actors could make it big. Ledger auditioned for everything and accepted anything. It was in Sydney that he landed his first real acting jobs in a low-budget film.

但莱杰心里有另一个方向。17岁时，他打包行李前往雪梨；他相信那是能使演员发光发热的地方。他参加所有试镜，并接下任何机会。而就在雪梨一部低成本影片中，他得到了第一个真正的演出工作。

Ledger’s parents named him after Heathcliff, a mysterious and gloomy hero in the novel Wuthering Heights. After he moves to Los Angeles, though, his name gained a new meaning. With movies such as 10 Things I Hate About You, Ledger became Hollywood’s latest teen heartthrob. However, afraid of being stereotyped as a teen actor, Ledger went after serious roles in movies. He fought in the American Revolution as Mel Gibson’s brave son in The Patriot, and played the lead role as an outlaw in Ned Kelly

莱杰的父母以小说《咆哮山庄》中神秘且阴郁的Heathcliff替他命名。但当他搬到洛杉矶后，他的名字有了新意涵。演出像是《对面的恶女看过来》之类电影后，莱杰成了好莱坞新一代的青少年偶像。然而，担心自己被定型为典型青少年电影演员，莱杰寻求在电影中扮演严肃的角色。在《决战时刻》中，他饰演梅尔吉勃逊在美国独立战争中作战的英勇儿子；并在《法外狂徒》中主演一位亡命之徒。

Vocabulary

单词发音

rugged [ˋrʌgɪd] adj. 不平的﹐崎岖的﹐起伏的

audition [ɔˋdɪʃən] n.〔面试时〕试听﹐试唱﹐试演; 试镜

gloomy [ˋglumɪ] adj. 忧郁的

stereotype [ˋstɛrɪə͵taɪp] v. 使定型

patriot [ˋpetrɪət] n. 爱国者

More Information

单词发音

snowcapped [ˋsno͵kæpt] adj. 顶部被雪所盖着的

ride [raɪd] n. 旅程

picture [ˋpɪktʃɚ] v. 想象

stand out 突出, 显著 to protrude; project

up-and-coming [ˋʌpəndˋkʌmɪŋ] adj. 崭露头角的; 很有前途的

hockey [ˋhɑkɪ] n. 曲棍球

heartthrob [ˋhɑrt͵θrɑb] n. 迷恋的对象

go after  追求 to pursue someone, something

outlaw [ˋaʊt͵lɔ] n. 亡命之徒

课文讲解

With each new role, Ledger loses himself to become his character. “I just sit and think and find a voice for the character and visualize it.” Ledger explains. In Brokeback Mountain, Ledger looked deep inside to play Ennis Del Mar, a repressed, tight-lipped cowboy from Wyoming.

在每个新角色中，莱杰完全融入所扮演的角色。「我只是坐下来思考，替我的角色发声，想象他的样子，」莱杰说。在《断臂山》里，莱杰深入观察以饰演伊尼斯．戴尔玛，一位压抑、不轻易透露情感的怀俄明州牛仔。

“Ennis had this real inability to express and to love and be loved. So I really wanted to represent that physically and through his voice.” He walks bow-legged and mumbles in a Wyoming accent, as if the words have to fight their way out from within. Throughout the movie, Ledger’s character has to age 20 years as well.

「伊尼斯无法表达，无法爱人与被爱。所以我真的很想从肢体及声音来呈现这一点。」他弯着膝盖走路；用怀俄明州腔咕哝讲话，就好像这些字必须从嘴中奋力吐出一样。莱杰在这部戏里必须横跨二十年的演出。

By completely becoming the character, Ledger gained insight into Ennis’s repressed feelings. “I think Ennis is really sensitive to light….. He doesn’t like to look people in the eye, because it makes him really uncomfortable.” Ledger’s outstanding performance impressed movie critics and fans alike. Even Annie Proulx, the writer of the story, admitted that Ledger understood Ennis better than she did!

藉由完完全全成为这个角色，莱斯也洞察了伊尼斯压抑的情感。「我认为伊尼斯对光线真的很敏感……他不喜欢凝视别人的眼睛，因为那使他很不舒服。」莱杰卓越的诠释，让专家还有影迷都留下深刻印象。故事作者安妮普鲁思甚至承认，莱杰比她更了解伊尼斯！

Ledger’s Oscar nominated performance presents a fork on his road to fame. Which direction will the 26-year-old star choose? For now, he wants to spend time with his fiancé and co-star in Brokeback Mountain, Michelle Williams, and be a good father to their newborn baby girl.

莱杰获得奥斯卡提名的表演使他的成名之路上出现岔口。这位26岁的明星会选择哪个方向？现在，他想陪陪他的未婚妻，同时也是《断臂山》演员的米歇尔威廉斯，并且当他们新生女儿的好爸爸。

−by Matthew Wilson

Vocabulary

单词发音

visualize [ˋvɪʒʊə͵laɪz] v. 想象

repressed [rɪˋprɛst] adj. 受压抑的

mumble [ˋmʌmb!] v. 含糊地说，咕哝着说

outstanding [ˋaʊtˋstændɪŋ] adj. 显著的；杰出的

nominate [ˋnɑmə͵net] v. 提名

More Information

单词发音

lose oneself 全神贯注于 to be thoroughly absorbed in someone or something; to become engrossed in someone or something.

tight-lipped [ˋtaɪtˋlɪpt] adj. 不愿说话的﹐缄默的

bow-legged [`boˏlɛgd] adj. 外弯腿的

age [edʒ] v. 变老

impress [ɪmˋprɛs] v. 给……极深的印象

fork [fɔrk] n. 岔口，岔路

Reading Questions

1.  Which of the following actions highlights Ledger’s determination to become an actor?

A.  He spent many years in acting school.

B.  He moved to Los Angeles at the age of 17.

C.  He had his picture taken and sent it to movie directors.

D.  He seized every opportunity he had to act in movies.

2.  What technique does Ledger use to become a character in a movie?

A.  He tries to put himself in the shoes of the character he is playing.

B.  He reads up on the character’s biography.

C.  He reads the script over and over again.

D.  He contacts the writer and discusses the role with him or her.

3.  Based on the text, how would you characterize Ennis Del Mar?

A.  As an outgoing person who is very comfortable with people.

B.  As someone who is quiet and shy and who shuns company.

C.  As a brave cowboy who doesn’t take no for an answer.

D.  As a man who is unable to stop thinking about women.

put oneself in the shoes: 设身处地去看或体验...to allow oneself to see or experience something from someone else's point of view.

not take no for an answer: 非取得同意不可，坚持己见 if someone will not take no for an answer, they continue asking for something although their request has already been refused

Brokeback Mountain Trailer

Ned Kelly Trailer

 Answer