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Training for the Big Screen 动物明星训练班

課文朗讀

課文中英文講解

繁體中文譯本

“Never work with children or animals,” said the famous actor W.C. Fields. But sometimes you have to, such as when the leading character in your film is a highland terrier, or a hawk. However, as a new TV program called Animals at the Movie demonstrates, it’s never easy.

知名演员费尔兹曾说:「永远不要和小孩或动物共事。」但由时候你却不得不，比方说当你影片的主角是一只高地梗或老鹰时。然而，像一个新电视节目《Animals at the Movie》所证实的，这绝不是件简单的事。

The program is a behind-the-scenes look at how animals are trained to work in movies. Basically, there are two parts to training: one, preparing animals to work film sets; two, preparing animals for a particular scene. The first part of the training often begins when the animals are babies, and involves familiarizing them with cameras, crews, lights, and props. The second part, preparing animals for a particular scene, can be much more difficult. A single scene lasting only a few seconds can take weeks to prepare, and hours to shoot if the animals are not cooperating.

这个节目是动物们如何被训练在电影里演出的幕后直击。训练分为两部分:第一，让动物准备好在拍片现场工作；第二，为某一特定镜头训练动物。第一个训练部分通常在动物还小时就开始，包括让他们熟悉摄影机、工作人员、灯光和道具。第二部分要训练动物演出某个特定镜头那可就难多了。如果动物们不配合的话，一个只有几秒钟的画面可能得花上几个星期准备及数个小时来拍摄。

In the movie Greyfriars Bobby, the director wanted a scene where the dog bites a man. Weeks were spent training the dog to bite a squeaky toy. When the time came to film the dog attack, the toy was hidden inside the man’s pants. It was a great trick and, from the outside, it looked just like the dog had grabbed the man’s leg and wouldn’t let go.

在电影《忠狗巴比传》中，导演想要一幕狗咬人的画面。训练那只狗咬一个会发出声音的玩具就花了好几个星期。当要拍摄这幕狗攻击人的画面时，玩具就被藏在男人的裤子里。这是个高超的技巧，表面看来，就像那只狗紧抓住男人的脚不放。

But why not just use a stuffed dog for the scene, or CGI? Because, for directors, it’s about credibility. Making a movie about animals that doesn’t use animals is a little like making one about China that uses Western people in makeup.

但为什么不用填充玩具狗或计算机图样来制作这一幕就好了呢?因为对导演们来说，他们所在乎的是真实性。拍摄一部有关动物的电影却不借用动物，就有点像是请西方人易容来拍一部有关中国人的电影。

Vocabulary

demonstrate [ˋdɛmən͵stret] v. 示范

shoot [ʃut] v. 拍摄

stuffed [stʌft] adj. 填塞的

credibility [͵krɛdəˋbɪlətɪ] n. 可靠性; 可信性

makeup [ˈmekˌʌp] n. 化妆; 装扮

More Information

highland terrier [ˋtɛrɪɚ] n. 高地㹴

behind-the-scenes 幕后的; 后台的

familiarize [fəˋmɪljə͵raɪz] v. 使熟悉；使亲近[（+with）]

prop [prɑp] n.【口】道具（= property）

squeaky [ˋskwikɪ] adj. 吱吱响的；发短促尖声的

trick [trɪk] n. 窍门，招数，手法

let go: 松开 to stop holding someone or something

CGI 计算机图像(Computer-generated imagery)

課文中英文講解

When you work with animals on film sets you have to be prepared for problems. Animals don’t always do what you want. Sometimes they do what you want, but it takes them all day to do it. Other times they just go off and do their own thing. As the new TV program Animals at the Movie makes clear, when this happens, you just have to roll with the punches.

当你在拍片现场与动物一起工作时，你最好有面对麻烦的心理准备。动物们未必是照你的意思做。有时候牠们会听你的指挥，但这得花上一整天。而其他时候，牠们就退场做自己的事。就像新电视节目《Animals at the Movie》中所显示的，当这样的情况发生时，你也只能逆来顺受。

Modern animal trainers like to anticipate problems. For instance, for shooting ofA Hawk is Dying, the bird trainer brought, not one, but three identical birds to play a single role. Good thing, too. One important scene required a bird to dive down at a man. Bait was used to lure the animal, but the first hawk was completely uninterested in the food. The second hawk flew to a tree. Only the third hawk attacked the food.

现代的动物训练师会事先考虑到可能发生的问题。例如在拍摄《A Hawk is Dying》时，鸟类训练员带来了三只(而不是一只)外观一样的鸟来演同一个角色。这也是个好现象。有一幕重要的画面需要一只鸟俯冲到一个男人身上。他们用诱饵来引诱，但第一只老鹰却对它完全不感兴趣，第二只老鹰则飞到树上，只有第三只老鹰冲向那诱饵。

On the set of the horror flick The Breed, the problem with one animal was a little more serious. During the shooting of a scene in which the main character had to slide over a pack of wild dogs, an actress was bitten. The injury wasn’t serious, but it did highlight a paradox: animals in movie sets are tame, but they are often trained to imitate wild beasts. Is it any wonder that they sometimes get carried away and forget they are only acting?

在惊悚片《The Breed》的片场中，动物的问题就有点严重了。在拍摄一木主角要从一群野狗上面飞越而过的场景时，一位女演员被咬伤了。她的伤势并不严重，但这却突显出一个矛盾的现象:动物们在片场是很温顺的，但他们却经常被训练去模仿粗暴的猛兽。有没有可能牠们有时候太过激动，而忘了牠们其实只是在演戏呢?

－By Robert Kelly

Vocabulary

identical [aɪˋdɛntɪk!] adj. 完全相同的

bait [bet] n. 诱饵

slide [slaɪd] v. 滑行

paradox [ˋpærə͵dɑks] n. 似是而非的论点

More Information

go off: 离开 to leave

make clear: 清楚表明,阐明,说明 demonstrate

roll with the punches: 逆来顺受 to be able to deal well with difficulties or criticism

dive down 俯冲

lure [lʊr] v. 引诱，诱惑

flick [flɪk] n.【俚】电影

pack [pæk] n.（猎犬，野兽，飞机，舰艇等的）一群

get carried away  得意忘形;  失去理智 to be overcome by emotion or enthusiasm

Reading Questions

1. What does the quote “Never work with children or animals” likely mean?

A. Both these groups are difficult to work with on movie sets.

B. Children are often scared that animals will bite them on the leg.

C. Children and animals can never act as well as adults.

D. Working with children and animals is often satisfying.

2. Why did dog attack the man’s leg?

A. Because he was angry with the man.

B. Because he was trying to bite a concealed toy.

C. Because he and the man were old pals.

D. Because the man wouldn’t let go of the dog.

3. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. Animals at the Movie explains how animals become stars.

B. One scene in a film can take a long time to prepare.

C. Many things can go wrong when you work with animals.

D. Animals sometimes harm the people they work with.

4. Based on the conclusion, what is likely to happen on future movie sets?

A. Dogs will replace humans as actors.

B. More accidents will happen as animals grow wilder.

C. Accidents will happen, but not often.

D. Animals won’t cooperate unless they are fed with their favorite food.

Useful Dog Tricks

Answer