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Mr. Entertainment’s Century of Hope 欢笑与希望──鲍伯霍普的百年典范

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

On July 27, 2003, Leslie Townes Hope, better known to the world as “Bob,” took his final curtain call after a remarkable eighty years in showbiz. Hope’s career encompassed a dizzying variety of accomplishments including work as a vaudeville performer, stand-up comedian, actor, radio and TV broadcaster, semi-professional golfer, philanthropist, and USO stalwart – earning him the nickname “Mr. Entertainment.” He always looked at the funny side of life, and his own life seemed like the epitome of the American Dream.

2003年7月27日，莱斯里．汤恩．霍普（世人较为熟知「鲍伯」霍普这个名字），纵横演艺圈八十载后，在这天告别了人生的舞台。他的一生绚丽多彩，在许多方面都成就不凡。他是个歌舞杂耍表演【注1】者、单口相声喜剧演员、演员、广播及电视节目主持人、半职业的高尔夫选手、慈善家以及美国联合服务组织【注2】的忠实成员──这些经历为他赢得「演艺先生」的美誉。他总看生命中有趣的一面，而他的一生正是美国梦的缩影。

The Hope family immigrated to the U.S. from England when Bob was four (he later joked “I left England … when I found out I couldn’t be king.”) Along with stints as a boxer, pool hustler, and shoe salesman, Bob honed his performing skill throughout the twenties as a vaudeville performer and cultivated his trademark wisecracking comic style.

霍普一家人在鲍伯四岁时从英国移民到美国（他之后自嘲：「……当我知道我不能成为国王时，我就离开了英国。」）鲍伯除了曾短暂当过拳击手、撞球高手以及鞋品售货员外，整个二０年代，他藉由参与歌舞杂耍的演出磨练表演技巧，并培养属于他自己妙语如珠般的喜剧风格。

But the vaudeville theater circuit couldn’t contain Hope’s entertainment genius. First, Broadway beckoned. There, Hope met his wife, Dolores, while performing in the 1933 musical Roberta; the two were married in 1934. Starting with The Big Broadcast of 1938, Bob brought his talents to the silver screen. However, he was truly catapulted to international fame with the film, The Road to Shanghai (1940). A star had been born.

但歌舞杂耍的剧场巡回演出无法掩盖霍普的演艺长才。首先，百老汇向他招手了。1933年，霍普在百老汇演出音乐剧《罗贝塔》时认识了多洛瑞丝；两人在1934年结婚。霍普在大银幕的处女作是《1938大广播》。然而，直到1940年演出《上海之旅》时，他才一飞冲天，享誉国际。一代巨星，于焉诞生。

【注1】：vaudeville 是北美地区于1870年至1930年大为流行的一种轻歌舞剧或歌舞杂耍表演。

【注2】：美国联合服务组织USO是United Service Organization的缩写，美国的志工团体，以促进美国军人的生活为目标。

Vocabulary

单词发音

curtain call (演员的)谢幕 The appearance of performers or a performer at the end of a performance to receive applause from the audience.

showbiz [ˋʃobɪz] n.【口】娱乐性行业；娱乐界

encompass [ɪnˋkʌmpəs] v. 包含

vaudeville [ˋvodə͵vɪl] n.【美】歌舞杂耍表演﹐综艺节目〔盛行于1880年至1950年的一种剧院娱乐形式﹐有演唱﹑舞蹈﹑笑话等〕

stand-up comedian 单口相声演员; 独角滑稽秀演员

philanthropist [fɪˋlænθrəpɪst] n. 慈善家

stalwart [ˋstɔlwɚt] n. 忠实成员，坚定分子

epitome [ɪˋpɪtəmɪ] n. 缩影；象征; …的典型[典范]

stint [stɪnt] n. (工作)任务

pool [pul] n. 撞球

hustler [ˋhʌs!ɚ] n. <美，非正>耍诡计骗钱的人

wisecracking [ˋwaɪzkrækɪŋ] adj. 说俏皮话的，爱说俏皮话的

circuit [ˋsɝkɪt] n.（尤指工作时的）巡回线路，巡回

contain [kənˋten] v. 控制，遏制

beckon [ˋbɛkn] v.（招手或点头）向……示意；召唤

catapult [ˋkætə͵pʌlt] v. 使…一举成名; 用弹射器发射

Sentence of the Day

Bob Hope had the gift of the gab.

鲍伯霍普天生是个话匣子。

gab [gæb] n.【非正式】喋喋不休﹐闲聊

课文讲解

Throughout the forties, Bob Hope went from American superstar to American institution. Along with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, he made seven highly successfulRoad to ….. movies. As well, in 1949, he began a relationship with NBC television that continued for an unprecedented fifty-plus years. And on May 6, 1941, Bob Hope performed his first of countless USO shows. He is dearly remembered for entertaining America’s troops through to the 1990 Persian Gulf War.

整个四０年代，鲍伯霍普从美国巨星，成了美国典范。他与平克劳斯贝、多萝西拉摩合作了七部非常卖座的《……之旅》系列电影。1949年，他开始与NBC电视台合作，这个合作关系从此延续了五十多年，可说是史无前例。1941年5月6日，鲍伯霍普第一次参加美国联合服务组织的劳军演出，此后更演出过无数次。他不断为美军劳军表演，一直到1990年波湾战争后才结束，因此受到人们的感怀。

Bob Hope’s charitable work was important as his entertainment work. He contributed a great deal of time and money to charitable causes and according to his agent, made lifetime donations totaling more than US$1 billion. Bob and Dolores showed that this humanitarian spirit started at home by adopting four children.

鲍伯霍普的慈善事业和他的演艺事业一样重要。他大力为慈善事业出钱出力，根据他经纪人的说法，鲍伯和多洛瑞丝将这种人道精神从自家做起──他们认养了四个小孩。

Bob Hope the semi-professional golfer was another hat he wore. He golfed with nearly every president from Eisenhower to Bush Sr. and his Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Golf Tournament is now entering its forty-sixth year.

鲍伯霍普的另一个身分是半职业的高尔夫选手。从艾森豪威尔威尔威尔威尔到老布什，鲍伯几乎和每位总统都打过球，而以他命名的「鲍伯霍普克赖斯勒经典高尔夫锦标赛」正要堂堂迈入第四十六届。

Among his innumerable honors, he was made a knight by Queen Elizabeth II, and in 1977 Congress made him the first and only, honorary military veteran. On his deathbed, when asked where he would like to be buried, he quipped, “Surprise me.”

鲍伯拥有无数荣耀，他曾被英国女王伊丽莎白二世封为骑士，而在1997年美国国会则赠与他绝无仅有的荣誉退伍军人身分。他临终前，有人问他身后想要安葬何处，他开玩笑说：「给我个惊喜吧！」

－by Iain Ferguson and Mark Rawson

Vocabulary

单词发音

institution [͵ɪnstəˋtjuʃən] n. <口>名人，名物 One long associated with a specified place, position, or function.

unprecedented [ʌnˋprɛsə͵dɛntɪd] adj. 无先例的，空前的

dearly [ˋdɪrlɪ] adv. 充满深情地

humanitarian [hju͵mænəˋtɛrɪən] n. 人道主义者；慈善家

adopt [əˋdɑpt] v. 过继，收养

hat [hæt] n. 角色; 职位; 工作

tournament [ˋtɝnəmənt] n. 锦标赛；联赛

innumerable [ɪˋnjumərəb!] adj. 无数的；数不清的

knight [naɪt] n.（近代英国的）爵士

honorary [ˋɑnə͵rɛrɪ] adj.〔称号﹑官阶﹑学位等〕作为一种荣誉授予的﹐荣誉的

deathbed [ˋdɛθ͵bɛd] n. 临终所卧的床；临终的一段时间

quip [kwɪp] n. 说俏皮话﹐说妙语

Sentence of the Day

Bob Hope had more feathers in his cap than any other entertainer.

鲍伯霍普获得的荣誉比任何一位艺人都多。

a feather in one’s cap  可夸耀的事,卓越的成就

Reference:

The Big Broadcast of 1938

Road to Bali - "Hoot Mon!" with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby

Road to Rio