leeshumei的部落格

轉自蘋果派生活美語

●Reading閱讀英文

Catherine Hardwicke, director of the vampire blockbuster Twilight, is back with Red Riding Hood, a more mature 1)adaptation of the classic Grimm Brothers’ fairytale (note that there’s no “Little” in the title). Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, the film stars Amanda Seyfried as Valerie, a beautiful young woman torn between two men, and Gary Oldman as father Solomon, a 2)famed werewolf hunter.
The story is set in Daggerhorn, a 12)medieval village 3)terrorized by a 13)bloodthirsty werewolf. Valerie has fallen in love with an 4)orphaned woodcutter named Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry (Max Irons).

●中譯

吸血鬼鉅片《暮光之城》的導演凱薩琳哈德薇克，現在托推出經典格林童話的成人版《血紅帽》（請注意片名沒有「小」字）。這部由李奧納多狄卡皮歐製作的電影，由亞曼達塞佛瑞主演，周旋於兩個男人之間的美女薇樂麗，蓋瑞歐德曼飾演知名的狼人殺手所羅門神父。
故事發生在中世紀村落達格霍恩，全村籠罩在嗜血狼人的恐懼之中。薇樂麗和舉目無親的伐木工人彼得（夏伊洛費南德茲飾）墜入愛河，但她的父母已安排她嫁給富人亨利（麥斯艾朗飾）。

英檢字彙 Vocabulary Bank

1) adaptation (n.) 改編，改寫
The director is working on an adaptation of Macbeth.
2) famed (a.) 有名的，負盛名的
The English city of Bath is famed for its Roman baths.
3) terrorize (v.) 恐嚇，威脅
The man was accused of terrorizing his neighbors.
4) orphaned (a.) 孤兒的
There are many orphaned children living on the streets.

EZ 好用句型Tongue-tied No More

(be) torn between... 取捨兩難
torn 原意為「痛苦得難以下決定」，torn between 即表示難以在兩者中做出抉擇。
A: What color did you choose for your new car?
你的新車選了什麼顏色？
B: I haven’t decided yet. I’m torn between silver and white.
我還沒決定。我難以取捨要銀色還是白色。

英語通 Language Guide

blockbuster 賣座強片
blockbuster 這個字源自二次世界大戰，指的是一種威力強大能將敵方陣營摧毀的巨型炸彈，後來引申表示「賣座電影」，且多半是耗費鉅資拍攝而成，知名的 DVD 出租業者百視達就是用 Blockbuster 這個字當作店名。除了電影，blockbuster 也能用來表示大受歡迎的影集或小說。

轉自蘋果派生活美語

●Reading閱讀英文

Unwilling to lose each other, Valerieand Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that the werewolf has taken a human life. Hungry for revenge, the villagers 1)call on Father Solomon to help them kill the 2)creature.
But Solomon’s arrival brings 3)unintended 4)consequences as he warns that the wolf, who takes human form by day, could be any one of them. As the death toll rises with each full moon, Valerie begins to5)suspect that the werewolf could be someone she loves. As panic 6)grips the town, Valerie discovers that she has a unique connection to the beast!Xone that draws them together, making her both 9)suspect...and 11)bait. So who is the werewolf? You’ll just have to buy a ticket to find out!

●中譯

薇樂麗和彼得不願失去對方，他們計劃一起私奔時，驚聞有人已遭狼人殺害，復仇心切的村民請來所羅門神父，協助他們殺掉狼人。
但所羅門神父卻帶來出乎意料的後果，他提出警告：這個狼人白天是正常人的形態，可能就是其中任何一位村民。每到滿月時，死亡人數持續攀升，薇樂麗開始懷疑狼人會不會就是她所愛的人。當恐慌席捲全鎮，薇樂麗卻發現她與那頭野獸之間竟有特別的心電感應──這種感應讓他們彼此吸引，使她既成為嫌疑犯……又是誘餌。到底誰才是狼人呢？你得買張電影票才知分曉！

英檢字彙 Vocabulary Bank

1) call on (v.) 請求，呼籲
Human rights groups called on the government to end the death penalty.
2) creature (n.) 生物，動物
New creatures are being discovered all the time.
3) unintended (a.) 非計畫中的，非故意的
The government is working to reduce unintended pregnancies.
4) consequence (n.) 後果，結果
Drunk driving can have serious consequences.
5) suspect (v.) 懷疑，猜想
(n.) suspect 嫌疑犯
Frank suspects that his wife is cheating on him.
6) grip (v.) 使籠罩於（負面情緒、困境）中，緊握
Many African countries remain gripped by poverty.

EZ 好用句型Tongue-tied No More

1.take (a/one's) life 取人性命
life 在這邊指的不是生活，而是某人的性命。take one’s own life 則表示「結束自己性命，自殺」，等於 commit suicide。
A: What’s your position on the death penalty?
你對死刑的看法為何？
B: I think that it’s wrong to take a human life, no matter the circumstances.
我覺得不管在什麼情況下，奪人性命就是不對。