《大战外星人》:内心的巨人

即将迈入婚姻殿堂那天,一块带有巨大能量的陨石击中了准新娘苏珊,将平凡的她变成几十层楼高的女巨人!面对觊觎陨石能量的外星人的威胁,苏珊眼下只有一条路可走――奋起战斗!

2009年春,这部动画的票房佳绩标志着3D电影时代的全面到来。2009年秋,高清的蓝光DVD让我们近距离地回味梦工厂对各种科幻作品套路的吐槽和调侃。不知道明年轮到什么题材“遭殃”呢,期待啊期待……

怪兽们联手打败了外星人派来的巨型侦察机器人,身为主力的苏珊异常亢奋……

Susan: Three weeks ago, if you had asked me to

defeat a giant alien robot, I would’ve said, “No can do.” But I did it! Me! I’m so buzzing[嗡嗡响,喻兴奋]! I mean, did you see how strong I was? There probably isn’t a jar in this world I can’t open!

Dr. Cockroach: You were possitively heroic, my dear. I especially loved how you saved all those people on the bridge. It was a nice touch. Wasn’t she amazing, Link?

Link: Yeah, she was great. Really cool. Loved it.

Dr. Cockroach: Oh, poor Link. After all that tough talk, you were out-monstered by a girl. No wonder you’re depressed.

Link: Hey, I’m not depressed. I’m tired.

B.O.B.: Why are you tired? You didn’t do anything.

Link: Well, I haven’t been sleeping well, alright?

Susan: So Link’s a little rusty[生疏的,迟钝的], I mean, sleep-deprived[缺乏的]. You’ll be back to your old self in no time. And so will I.

B.O.B.: What happened to the “there isn’t a jar in the world I can’t open” stuff?

Susan: Oh, thanks, you guys. That is so sweet. But I have a normal life waiting for me, you know?

Link: So…tell me exactly how this “normal life” thing works with you being giant and all.

Susan: I’m not gonna be a giant forever. Derek

won’t rest until we’ve found a cure for my...condition. We’re a team.

Dr. Cockroach: We could all do with a Derek.

Perhaps some day we could make his

acquaintance[结识].

Susan: Really? You guys want meet Derek?

苏珊:三个星期前,如果让我迎战巨型外星机器人,我肯定会说:“办不到。”但我成功了!就是我!我太兴奋了! 我是说,你们看到我当时有多神勇吗?这世上估计没有我打不开的瓶子!

蟑螂博士:你确实非常英勇,亲爱的。我最欣赏你拯救桥上众人的举动,真令人感动。她棒极了对吧,林克?

林克:是啊,了不起。她真酷,我爱极了。

蟑螂博士:噢,可怜的林克。你老说自己是个很厉害的怪兽,这回可让一个女孩比下去了。难怪你会感到沮丧。

林克:嘿,我不是沮丧,只是有点累。

鲍勃:你怎么会累?你一点忙都帮不上。

林克:我近来睡得不好,得了吧?

苏珊:林克这回只是反应慢了点儿――我的意思是,因为睡眠不足的关系。你很快就会恢复过来,我也一样。

鲍勃:刚才那“世上没有我打不开的瓶子”的劲儿都哪里去啦?

苏珊:哦,谢谢,大伙儿。你们这样说真窝心。但我总要过正常生活的,对吧?

林克:那……确切来说,你打算怎样用这个大块头去过“正常生活”?

苏珊:我可不会永远都是巨人。德里克会坚持下去的,直到他找出方法治疗我的……病症。我们是一队的。

蟑螂博士:我们确实需要一个德里克。也许终有一天,我们都可以和德里克交上朋友。

苏珊:真的吗?你们想认识德里克吗?

口语锦囊

“do with”除了显而易见的“处理,处置”和“与……有关”以外,还有两个常见的意思,其一是“需要,想要”,一般跟在could后面,例如:

I could do with a cup of tea. (我想喝一杯茶。)

“do with”又可以表示“容忍,容许”,这种非正式用语与否定连用,一般出现在英式英语中,

例如:

I can’t do with all this loud music. (我受不了这么吵闹的音乐。)

苏珊带着几个怪兽朋友回家。晚上家里开派对,她前往电视台找未婚夫德里克……

Derek: Wow, you really are big!

Susan: Yeah, but I’m still me. I’m still the same girl you fell in love with.

Derek: Except you...did just destroy the Golden Gate Bridge.

Susan: Well, that was the only way I was gonna stop that giant robot. Did you ever think I could do

something like that?

Derek: No, I didn’t. I can honestly say that it never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever occurred to me.

Susan: Look, I know this is a little weird. Okay, it’s a lot weird. But we’ll figure it out. I know that together we can find a way to get me back to normal.

Derek: Susan, try and look at this from my perspective[视角]. I have an audience that depends on me for news, weather, sports and heartwarming[温馨感人的]

fluff[没有价值的东西] pieces. So you expect me to put all that on hold while you try to undo this thing that happened

to YOU? That I had absolutely nothing to do with?

Susan: Yes, that’s exactly what I expect. What…what about the life that we always talked about? Don’t you still want that?

Derek: Of course. I just...don’t see how I can have that with you.

Susan: Derek, please! Don’t do this!

Derek: Oh, you have to face facts, Susan. And don’t

crush[压扁] me for saying this, but I’m not looking to get married and spend the rest of my life in someone

else’s shadow. And you’re casting a pretty big

shadow. I’m sorry. It’s over. Good luck, Susan.

德里克:喔,你的块头真大!

苏珊:是没错,但我还是我,还是你爱的那个女孩。

德里克:但你也是……毁掉金门大桥的那个女孩。

苏珊:呃,但这是阻止那个巨形机器人的唯一办法。你有没有想过我会成就这样一番壮举呢?

德里克:不,没有。我可以很肯定地说,我从来……从……来……没这么想过。

苏珊:你瞧,我知道这一切有点儿

古怪――好吧,是非常古怪。但我们会找到解决办法的。我相信只要我们一起努力,总能找到让我恢复正常的办法。

德里克:苏珊,试着站在我的立场想想吧。观众还指望我为他们播报新闻、天气和体育消息,再讲几句温馨感人的无聊闲话。而你却希望我把所有这些都置之不理,等你试着将这件发生在你身上的怪事扭转过来?就为了这件和我完全无关的事情?

苏珊:没错,我确实希望你这样做。

那……我们以前常常挂在嘴边的生活大计呢?难道你不想过那样的生活吗?

德里克:当然想。我只是……我不知道如何与你一起过那样的生活。

苏珊:德里克,求你了!不要这样做!

德里克:噢,你必须面对现实,苏珊。别因为我下面的话将我压扁――我不打算在别人的阴影下度过余生,也不会和这样的人结婚,而你投下的这片阴影也确实够大的。很抱歉,我们结束了。祝你好运,苏珊。

口语锦囊

对喜欢表演的同学来说,这段性格突出的原声作为role-play材料应该是易如反掌了吧?所以我们这次将难度再提高一点,希望同学们在role-play之后接着进行独角戏的演绎,一人分饰两角能让你对人物之间鲜明的矛盾体会得更加真切。当然了,德里克的“ever大串烧”模仿起来可不容易,要注意他的语音语调如何随着语气变化而变化哦――深呼吸,go!

派对不欢而散,怪兽们在路边的加油站找到伤心的苏珊……

Link: What…that was a great party. One of the best

I’ve been to since I…got out of prison.

B.O.B.: I must have been at a different party, ’cause that’s not how I interpreted[理解为] it at all.

Dr. Cockroach: Well, at least the garbage was free, you know, I really…

Link: Ah, who are we kidding? We could save every city on the planet; they’d still treat us the same way they’ve always treated us. Like monsters.

Susan: Right. Monsters.

Link: Anyway. How...how is Derek?

Susan: (sighs) Derek...is a selfish jerk[(俚)傻瓜,笨蛋].

B.O.B.: No!

Susan: Yes! All that talk about US! “I’m so proud of US.” “US just got a job in Fresno.” There was no US! There was only Derek! Why did I have to get hit by a meteor[陨石] to see that? Oh, such an idiot! (Susan kicks off the roof of the gas station.) Why did I ever think life with Derek would be so great anyway? I mean, look at all the stuff I’ve done without him! Fighting an alien robot? That was me! Not him! And that was amazing! Meeting you guys? Amazing! Dr. Cockroach, you can crawl[爬] up walls and build a super-computer out of a pizza box, two cans of hair spray[发胶] and…

Dr. Cockroach: And a paper clip[回形针].

Susan: Amazing! (to Link) And you! You hardly need an introduction! You’re the Missing Link! You

personally carried 250 coeds[男女合校中的女生] off of

Cocoa Beach and still had the strength to fight off the National Guard[国民警卫队]!

Link: And the Coastguard[海岸警卫队], and also the lifeguard[救生员].

Susan: Amazing! (B.O.B. falls down onto the ground.) B.O.B., who else could fall from unimaginable[不可思议的] heights and end up without a single scratch[擦伤]?

B.O.B.: Link?

Susan: …You.

B.O.B.: Amazing!

(Insecto shouts.)

Link: Good point, Insecto! Susan, don’t shortchange yourself!

Susan: Oh, I’m not gonna shortchange myself…ever again!

林克:呃……这个派对真棒,是我……出狱后参加过最棒的派对之一。

鲍勃:那我参加的一定是另一个派对,因为我对这个派对的感觉完全不一样。

蟑螂博士:哦,至少垃圾是免费的,你知道,我真的……

林克:唉,别自欺欺人了。即便我们拯救了这个星球上的每一座城市,他们还是会以一贯的态度对待我们――把我们当怪物看。

苏珊:没错,是怪物。

林克:别提了。那……德里克的事呢?

苏珊:(叹气)德里克……他是一个自私的混蛋。

鲍勃:不可能!

苏珊:是真的!他一直挂在嘴边的“咱们”!“我真为咱们感到骄傲。”“咱们得到了一份在弗雷斯诺市的工作。”根本就没有所谓的“咱们”!一切都只是德里克!为什么我非要被殒石击中才看清这个事实?噢,我真!(苏珊将加油站的顶部踢飞。)再说,为什么我会认为和德里克厮守终生一定很幸福?我的意思是,瞧瞧没有他在身边时我做的事情!与外星机器人战斗?那是我!不是他!那太了不起了!认识了你们大伙儿?实在是棒极了!蟑螂博士,你可以飞檐走壁,制造超级电脑只需要一个比萨饼盒、两罐发胶,还有……

蟑螂博士:还有一个回形针。

苏珊:太厉害了!(对林克)到你了!你根本无需多作介绍!你是半鱼人林克!你一个人就在可可海滩掳走了250名女大学生,还有余力打退国民警卫队!

林克:以及海岸警卫队和救生员。

苏珊:了不起!(鲍勃落在地上。)鲍勃,还有谁能够从难以想象的高度掉落下来,却毫发无伤?

鲍勃:是林克吗?

苏珊:……是你。

鲍勃:太牛了!

(幻虫叫了起来。)

林克:说得对,幻虫!苏珊,不要蒙蔽了自己的眼睛!

苏珊:噢,我不会骗自己了……再也不会了!

口语锦囊

林克的全名为“The Missing Link”,后者其实是一个特定的词组,指的是一种过渡性动物,有些学者相信这种动物曾出现在从类人猿到人类的进化过程中,但其存在至今没有得到证实。

“shortchange”原本指的是“少找钱给顾客”,之后引申出“欺诈,诈骗,蒙骗”的意思,用于非正式场合,例如:

When the band only played for 15 minutes, the fans felt they had been shortchanged. (乐队只演奏了15分钟,粉丝们觉得自己受骗了。)

成功摧毁了外星人侵略地球的计划,人们为苏珊等人的胜利归来而欢呼――这时,德里克突然出现……

Derek: Susan!

Susan: Derek?

Derek: Baby, I thought long and hard about what happened between us. And I want you to know I forgive you.

Susan: …You forgive me?

Derek: Of course! It wasn’t your fault you got hit by a meteor and ruined everything! And you know what? I say maybe you didn’t ruin everything. I just got a call from New York! They offered me network! All I have to do is get an exclusive interview from you!

Susan: Really?

Derek: Yeah! I get my dream job and you get your dream guy. It’s a win-win for Team Dietl!

Susan: Derek, that’s amazing! Is the camera rolling?

Derek: Absolutely.

Susan: (picking up Derek) Good, because I wouldn’t

want your fans out there to miss this. This is Susan Murphy saying... (throwing Derek away) Good bye, Derek!!

德里克:苏珊!

苏珊:德里克?

德里克:宝贝,我反覆思量,总算将我们之间发生的这一切都想清楚了。我希望你明白一件事――那就是我原谅你。

苏珊:……你原谅我?

德里克:当然!虽然你被殒石击中,把事情弄得一团糟,但这并不是你的错!你知道吗?我认为你也许没有把一切都搞砸。我刚刚接到从纽约打来的电话!他们给我提供一份电视网的工作!只要我能拿到你的独家采访就可以上任!

苏珊:真的?

德里克:没错!我得到了梦寐以求的工作,你则找到了理想的伴侣――迪特尔队大获全胜!

苏珊:德里克,这真是太棒了!摄影机是开着的吗?

德里克:当然!

苏珊:(捏起德里克)好极了,因为我可不希望你的粉丝错过这个镜头。以上是苏珊・墨菲为你们报导……(将德里克丢远)再见吧,

德里克!!

口语锦囊

本期“口语角”选段集中在电影的其中一条主线上,情节基本完整,适合同学们进行复述练习。完成每段的学习之后,脱离文字从头到尾听一遍,边听边做笔记,然后用2-3分钟给你的搭档复述这个故事,最后对照文字再听一遍,看看你能否抓住故事的要点。