过去的一年,因为疫情,电影市场宛若进入了冰冻期。但是随着国内疫情得到控制以及农历新年的到来,大年初一上映的7部春节档电影在当天就拿下超过17亿的票房,创单日历史新高。今天我们一起来看一下各大外媒是如何报道「中国电影票房复苏」这件事情的。
今天的文章是多篇外媒报道的整合,主要内容包括:
  1. 两大年度电影票房预测;
  2. 《你好,李焕英》票房逆袭;
  3. 春节票房再创新高的原因。
我们先通读一遍原文:
第一篇-年度电影票房预测
China's booming Lunar New Year box office is undergoing a surprise shakeup, but both films ('Hi, Mom' and 'Detective Chinatown 3') are forecast to finish their runs with over $700 million apiece — an unprecedented outcome for two movies competing head to head.
第一篇-《你好李焕英》票房逆袭
①Beijing Culture's time-travel comedy Hi, Mom, which opened the Lunar New Year holiday in distant second place behind Wanda Picture's Detective Chinatown 3, has suddenly surged to the front of the pack.
②The lighthearted family comedy finished the weekend with $161.7 million, trailing DC3's record-smashing opening of $397.2 million. ③But by Monday, fortunes had reversed as Hi, Mom pulled in $82.2 million compared to $66.6 million for the Wanda tentpole, according to data from Artisan Gateway.
④The film stars Chinese comedy veteran Jia as a devoted daughter whose world is turned upside-down after her mother dies suddenly in an accident. ⑤In a state of emotional crisis, she finds herself mysteriously transported back to 1981, where she meets her mother (Zhang Xiaofei) and the social group of her youth. ⑥Jia's character attempts to improve her mother's life by using ideas from the future, but her plans repeatedly go awry.(Hollywood Reporter)
第二篇-春节票房创新高的原因
①First off, the country now has nearly 15,500 more screens than it did at the beginning of 2019, having added 5,800 new ones last year despite the serious headwinds of the pandemic. ②China's New Year box office tends to reward titles with broad family appeal — and a little sentimentality rarely hurts. ③Hi, Mom appears to have hit all the right notes. ④However, the biggest boon for the box office this year was government COVID-19 policies that urged citizens to stay in place rather than travel home to see family. ⑤These made the movies a more attractive entertainment option.(Yahoo Sports)
下面我们看精读:

一、两大年度电影票房预测

China's booming Lunar New Year box office is undergoing a surprise shakeup, but both films ('Hi, Mom' and 'Detective Chinatown 3') are forecast to finish their runs with over $700 million apiece — an unprecedented outcome for two movies competing head to head. 
中国春节票房欣欣向荣,正发生令人惊讶的变化,但《你好,李焕英》和《唐人街探案3》这两部电影预计均将超过7亿美元,这对两部正面交锋的电影来说是前所未有的。
前半句讲到中国春节票房正发生变化:China's booming Lunar New Year box office is undergoing a surprise shakeup.
booming 一词体现出中国春节票房的繁荣。
undergo 就是 experience 的意思,表示「经历、经受」,后面加 change 或 unpleasant things,2017 年考研英语一的 Text2 中就出现过这个词:
Hawaiian culture is not a relic of the past; it is a living culture undergoing a renaissance today.
夏威夷文化不是历史的遗物,而是一个正在经历复兴的鲜活文化。(renaissance 指「复兴」,本质上也是一种变化)
shakeup 的核心含义是 change,具体指组织、机构、体系的「调整、重组」,比如 a management shake-up「管理层的大调整」,a big shakeup of the education system「教育制度的重大改革」,如果把 shakeup 拆开变成 shake up,则成为动词,比如,shake up the educational system「改革教育体系」。
文中 undergo a surprise shakeup 意思是:发生了另人惊讶的变革。
btw,surprise 作为名词,有时也是可以修饰名词的,比如 a surprise attack「突然袭击」,这个语言点阅读中知道即可,写作中尽量不要主动使用。
这里的“a surprise shakeup”究竟指什么呢?我们继续往下看:
but both films ('Hi, Mom' and 'Detective Chinatown 3') are forecast to finish their runs with over $700 million apiece
注意,这里的 but 不是转折「但是」,而是用于强调一贯的事实,起到加强语气的作用——这个用法很罕见,我们看两个例句了解即可:
They're rich, but I mean rich.
他们很有钱,非常非常有钱。
She never passed her old home but she thought of the happy years she had spent there.
她每次经过自己的旧居,都会想起在那里度过的幸福岁月。
be forecast to do 表示“预计将…”,也可以用 be predicted, be expected 表示。
run 在这里是熟词僻义,在电影中指 a series of performances of a play or film/movie,即电影的「上映期」。举个例子:
His first movie had a three-month run.
他的第一部电影连续上演了三个月。(a three-month run:三个月的上映期/放映期)
apiece 用于名词或数字之后,表示「每个」,看个简单的例子,了解 apiece 的用法:
He and I had two fish apiece.
他和我各有两条鱼。
文中 but both films are forecast to finish their runs with over $700 million apiece 意思是:两部电影预计各将以 7 亿美元结束其上映期。
其后面又跟了一个同位语结构,作进一步补充:an unprecedented outcome for two movies competing head to head.
这部分的核心结构是 an unprecedented outcome for two movies「这对两部电影来说是一个前所未有的结果」。
unprecedented = un+precedent+ed「没有先例的」。
competing head to head 是 V-ing 形式的后置定语,修饰 movies:
head to head 是副词,顾名思义,表示「正面交锋的」,非常形象。如果加上连字符,则变成了形容词。

二、《你好,李焕英》票房逆袭

①Beijing Culture's time-travel comedy Hi, Mom, which opened the Lunar New Year holiday in distant second place behind Wanda Picture's Detective Chinatown 3, has suddenly surged to the front of the pack.
春节假期伊始,北京文化传媒影视公司的穿越喜剧《你好,李焕英》的票房还远远落后于万达影业的《唐人街探案3》,位居第二,但现在已逆袭到榜首。
一句话就囊括了两部电影的票房排名及变化,结构回环相扣,盘根错节。
这句话的主干是:Beijing Culture's time-travel comedy Hi, Mom has suddenly surged to the front of the pack.
surge 指 suddenly increase,常用于描述数据增长;pack 此处指 a group of people「一群人」,surge to the front of the pack 可当成一个固定搭配积累下来,表示「冲到一群人头里」,即「冲到领先位置、突然领先」,我们也可以用 be ahead of the pack 或者 lead the pack 表达相同含义,看个例子:
Europe has got used to following rather than leading the pack.
欧洲已经习惯了跟从,而不是领头儿。
此外还可以怎么表达「领先」呢?
2021年2月17日的 Shanghai Daily 中是这么写的:
Comedy "Hi, Mom" continued to top the Chinese mainland box office on Tuesday, extending its daily lead over the former highest daily grosser, "Detective Chinatown 3.
喜剧《你好,李焕英》周二继续蝉联中国内地票房榜首,扩大了对此前单日票房最高的《唐人街探案3》的优势。
top 后面加一个范围,比如 list, chart 等,表示「居于...之首」;
补充:extend the lead over...意为「扩大对...的领先优势」;
grosser 由 gross「总收入为」变化而来(我们后面还会讲到),表示「赚钱之物、能带来收入的东西」,former highest daily grosser 在文中指的就是「此前单日票房最高的电影」。
回到文中来,主语 time-travel comedy Hi, Mom 后面跟了一个定语从句,补充了《你好,李焕英》的信息:which opened the Lunar New Year holiday in distant second place behind Wanda Picture's Detective Chinatown 3
这部分的核心结构是:which opened the Lunar New Year holiday
字面意思是:《你好,李焕英》开启了春节假期,调整一下就是:春节假期刚开始,《你好,李焕英》上映了。
后面 in distant second place behind Wanda Picture's Detective Chinatown 3 是方式状语,修饰 opened the Lunar New Year holiday,意思是:以远远落后于万达影业《唐人街探案 3》的方式开启了春节假期。
这部分言简意赅地交代了李焕英和唐探的排名及差距,语言非常简洁。second点出排名,distant体现出差距,远远落后,居于第二。
这部分很体现英语思维,西方人注重「客体思维」,往往从「事物」本身的角度出发来进行描述,经常说“什么事发生在什么人身上”,因而语言显得更加生动、活泼;而中国人比较注重「主体思维」,讲究「以人为本」,往往从「人」的角度出发来叙述客观事物,经常说“什么人怎么样了”,因而相比之下语言稍有些呆板、枯燥。
比如表达「担忧」时,英文会这么说:
Concerns are grave that...
Concerns are growing that...
而汉语会说:

人们十分担忧...
人们越来越担忧...
来张表格对比一下:

英语
汉语
Concerns are grave that...
人们十分担忧...
Concerns are growing that...
人们越来越担忧...
An idea suddenly struck me.
突然想到一个主意
What happened to you?
出什么事了
文中这句话 opened the Lunar New Year holiday in...、前面的 finish their runs with over $700 million、以及后面即将出现的 finished the weekend with $161.7 million,都体现了英文的「客体思维」,所以我们在翻译时要调整一下。
《你好,李焕英》的英文名为 Hi, Mom,从面向外国观众这个角度而言, 通过 Hi, Mom 这个名字,外国观众可以推测出,这部电影应该是以孩子的角度去写母亲的。
那么为什么中文名字是《你好,李焕英》而不直接叫《你好,妈妈》呢?事实上,贾玲自己曾说,因为妈妈不仅是妈妈,同时也是她自己。
②The lighthearted family comedy finished the weekend with $161.7 million, trailing DC3's record-smashing opening of $397.2 million.
这部轻松的家庭喜剧在上周末票房达到了 1.617 亿美元,落后于《唐人街探案3》创纪录的首映票房3.972亿美元。
②句主句不难,finished the weekend with $161.7 million 我们前面提到了,体现了英文中的「客体思维」。再发散一下,当我们写作中表达「假期临近结束时/刚开始时发生了什么事情」,除了常规的把时间放在状语的位置上,我们还可以说「事件 open/finish 假期」,语言更加生动、活泼。
后面 trailing DC3's record-smashing opening of $397.2 million 是现在分词作状语。
trail 意思为 to be losing a game or other contest,翻译为「落后于…」,我们也可以说:falling behind DC3's record-smashing opening of $397.2 million.
record-smashing 是一个很好的表达,其中 smash=break,意为「打破」,record-smashing 就是「破纪录的」意思,可以同 record-breaking 替换。我们也可以使用其动词形式,直接表达为 smash/break/hit the record,比如,2021年2月15日的  Six Tone 有篇文章报道了中国春节的电影票房,文章标题为:
China’s Box Office Smashes Holiday Record as Crowds Pack Cinemas
电影院人潮涌动,中国票房打破春节档票房纪录
再比如,2021年2月16日的《纽约时报》中也有篇相关报道,文章标题为:
A bored China propels box office sales to a record high
百无聊赖的中国消费者推动票房创下历史新高。
补充:propel sth to a record high「推动…创下纪录
再多提一嘴,表示「票房高的电影」,我们还可以说 a box-office smasha blockbuster.
③But by Monday, fortunes had reversed as Hi, Mom pulled in $82.2 million compared to $66.6 million for the Wanda tentpole, according to data from Artisan Gateway.
但根据Artisan Gateway的数据,到周一(2月15日),情况已发生逆转,《你好,李焕英》票房达到了 8220 万美元,而万达的明星电影《唐探 3》的票房为 6660 万美元。
fortunes had reversed「情况发生逆转」是主干,as Hi, Mom pulled in $82.2 million 是从句,进行具体补充。
pull in 在这里表示 earn a specified sum of money,造个句子:
A food-deliveryman can sometimes pull in 10 thousand RMB a month.
compared to $66.6 million for the Wanda tentpole 是 Hi, Mom pulled in $82.2 million 的状语,be compared to...是「和...相比」,这里可以翻译成「而」,能体现出相同含义,但表述更加简洁地道
我们补充一段 2021年2月17日的 Variety 对中国春节电影票房的报道:
The top three films were “Detective Chinatown 3,” which grossed an eye-watering $550 million (RMB3.55 billion), “Hi, Mom,” which earned $422 million (RMB2.72 billion), and “A Writer’s Odyssey,” which made $83.7 million (RMB540 million), according to Alibaba’s Beacon industry data tracker.
根据阿里巴巴Beacon行业数据统计,排名前三的电影分别是《唐人街探案3》,票房收入令人咋舌,为5.5亿美元(即35.5亿元人民币)、《你好,李焕英》,票房收入为4.22亿美元(即27.2亿元人民币)和《刺杀小说家》,票房收入为8370万美元(即5.4亿元人民币)。
这段话的精彩之处是,连续出现了三个「赚了...钱」的说法,但用词各不相同,分别是 gross, earn, make,当作一组同义替换积累下来。
gross 前面出现过,意思为 to earn a particular amount of money「总收入为」,后面直接加钱。如果表示「票房最高的电影」,可以说 a highest-grossing film.
eye-watering「极大的、超出想象的」非常形象地表达了《唐探3》的票房让人眼红,下次想形容某物 high 或 large 的时候, 就可以用 eye-watering 表述。
类似的还有 jaw-dropping,形容令人惊讶。
④The film stars Chinese comedy veteran Jia as a devoted daughter whose world is turned upside-down after her mother dies suddenly in an accident. ⑤In a state of emotional crisis, she finds herself mysteriously transported back to 1981, where she meets her mother (Zhang Xiaofei) and the social group of her youth. ⑥Jia's character attempts to improve her mother's life by using ideas from the future, but her plans repeatedly go awry.
在这部电影中,中国喜剧元老贾玲饰演一个孝顺的女儿,她的母亲在一次意外事故中突然去世,从此她的世界发生了翻天覆地的变化。在情绪崩溃的状态下,她意外地发现自己回到了1981年,在那里她遇到了的母亲(张小斐 饰)和幼时的玩伴。贾玲在剧中试图用未来的想法来改善母亲的生活,但她的计划屡屡出现问题。
④⑤⑥句讲述了《你好,李焕英》的剧情,语言不难,我们简单看几个表达:
④句 The film stars Chinese comedy veteran Jia as a devoted daughter 中,star 在这里指「由...主演」,用法为「电影+star sb as+角色」。
⑤句中,表示「穿越回...」,可以说 be transported back to...也可以说 travel back to...
⑥句,go awry / əˈrai / 意思为 if sth goes awry, it does not happen in the way that was planned,翻译为「出错,出岔子」。

三、春节票房再创新高原因

①First off, the country now has nearly 15,500 more screens than it did at the beginning of 2019, having added 5,800 new ones last year despite the serious headwinds of the pandemic. ②China's New Year box office tends to reward titles with broad family appeal — and a little sentimentality rarely hurts. ③Hi, Mom appears to have hit all the right notes. ④However, the biggest boon for the box office this year was government COVID-19 policies that urged citizens to stay in place rather than travel home to see family. ⑤These made the movies a more attractive entertainment option.
首先,与2019年初相比,中国银幕数量现在增加了近1.55万个,而尽管疫情带来了很大影响,但去年(即2020年)仍增加了5800个电影荧幕。在春节档电影中,家庭主题的电影(带有一点小伤感屡试不爽)往往会得到更多票房。《你好,李焕英》刚好击中所有要点。不过,今年票房最大的利好来自于政府出台的防疫政策,敦促市民留在原地,而不是回家探亲。这些政策使得看电影成为一个更具吸引力的娱乐选择。
①句讲述春节票房创新高的第一个原因:电影荧幕增多;②③句讲第二个原因:《你好,李焕英》的主题对口;④⑤讲第三个原因:政府出台的防疫政策利好电影市场。
本段内容上没有什么太大难点,简单说几个地方:
①句 despite the serious headwinds of the pandemic 中,headwind 字面意思是「逆风」,外刊中常用来比喻「困难、挑战、阻力」,可灵活用于写作中;同样 tailwind「顺风」也可以比喻「利好、有利条件」。
②句 China's New Year box office tends to reward titles with broad family appeal 字面意思可以理解成:中国春节电影票房往往会奖励带有广泛家庭吸引力的电影名称,即,家庭主题的电影能获得更高票房。
③句 Hi, Mom appears to have hit all the right notes 中,hit/strike the right note 是一个固定搭配,表示 do the right thing「做得对」。
④句 the biggest boon for the box office this year was...中,boon 指 something that is very helpful and makes life easier for you「非常有用的东西,益处」,比如,作文中分析事物的好处时,就可以说:
Online education has been a boon for many young students.

四、敲黑板

正面交锋:compete head to head,a head-to-head competition
打破纪录:record-smashing, record-breaking, smash/break/hit the record, reach/hit a record high
领先:surge to the front of the pack, be ahead of the pack, lead the pack, top...
高票房电影:a box-office smash, a highest-grossing film, a blockbuster
表示电影赚多少钱:pull in+钱,  gross/earn/make+钱。
困难、挑战、阻力:headwinds
有利的条件:tailwinds, boon
主演:电影+star sb+角色
落后于:trail sth, fall behind sth
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