英语原版电影鉴赏

万美元的片酬要求－这

在当时可是笔巨款。但有消息透露，他将收入全部 捐献给了英国战争救济基金会。

One of the goofs in this film: When Mike is outside the library, there

are no columns outside, but when he enters, the shot from inside the

library shows one.

电影中 有一个这样的穿帮镜头：当迈克在图书馆外的时候，外面并没有圆柱。可当他走

进图书馆 ，从里面望出去时，却有根柱子立在那里。

Annotations

（注解）

The Former Part

my eye

：

completely untrue or nonsensical

瞎说；胡说

sort of

：

to some extent

；

in some way or other

有几分，有点儿

apt to: likely or having a tendency to do sth

易于做某事；有做某事的倾向

live up to: behave in accordance with sth

依某事物行事；表现出符合某事物的标准

between ourselves: secretly

私底下

dirty sth up

：

make sth dirty

把……弄脏

get it

：

understand

明白；理解

on impulse

：

suddenly and without previous thinking or planning

一时冲动，心血来

潮

an

absolute

rat

：

（

informal

）

a

despicable

，

sneaky

person

，

especially

one

who

betrays

or informs upon associates

卑鄙小人；令人生厌的人，尤指出卖或背叛朋友的人。

fall for sth

：

allow oneself to be persuaded by sth

，

esp unwisely

相信某事（尤指

不明智）

fall for sb

：

be attracted by sb

；

fall in love with sb

被某人所吸引；爱上某人

in the pink

：

in perfect condition

；

extremely healthy

非常健康，状况极佳

best

man

：

male

friend

or

relative

of

the

bridegroom

who

supports

him

at

his

wedding

伴郎，男宾相

on account of

：

because of

由于……

down

< br>－

to

－

earth

practical

，

sensible

现实的；实际的

d og

：

（

informal

a person

家伙

make out

：

understand

go for

：

be fond of

；

like

喜欢

（

ri ght

）

up

one

’

s

street

：

（

informal< /p>

）

within

one

’

s

area of

interest

，

knowledge

，

etc

在某人的兴趣、知识等范围内；正合适

banshee

：

female spirit with a distinct wail

，

thought by some to warn of death in

a house

报丧女妖

a

tower

of

strength

：

person

who

can

be

relied

on

for

protection

，

strength

or

comfort

in time of trouble

危难时可依赖的人；靠山

lord and master

：

husband

inasmuch as

：

because

gyp

：

cheat

骗子

hike up

：

to raise

提起

The Latter Part

the

dickens

＝

the

用以加强语气，尤其用于疑问句中

Wh at/Who/Where the

dickens

is that

？到底是什么

/

谁

在哪儿？

coals to Newcastle

：多此一举；徒劳无功

doggone

：

Damn

shoot

：

（

sla ng

）

to begin talking

（

often used in the im perative

）

(

俚语

开始说

（常用于祈使句）

－

opener

：

sth surprising

go through with sth

：

do sth necessary to

complete or take

进行完，参加

no dice

：

（

slang

）< /p>

no agreement

bright

（

sth

）

up

：

（

cause

sth/sb

to

）

become

brighter

，

more cheerful

or

more

hopeful

（使某物或某人）焕发出光彩，更愉快或更有希望

pincher

：小气鬼

in sb

’

s pocket

：

be very close to intimate

with sb

与某人很亲密

nu mber

：

（

slang

）

a person or thing with

special characteristics

come along

：

appear

cheek

：

impudence

脸皮厚，厚颜无耻

straight out

：

fran kly

；

without hesitation

pop up

：

appear suddenly

come to one

’

s sense

：

stop behaving foolishly or irrationally

明白过来，不再做傻事

in good shape

：

in good condition

状态很好

be through with

：

have finished

straight off

＝

right off

：

without hesitation or delay

毫不犹豫

Let bygones be bygones

：过去的就过去吧；既

往不咎

Suggested AFTER Viewing Activities:

1.

Have students written a movie review for THE PHILADELPHIA STORY

.

They should include a basic plot summary. In addition, students should

analyze the literary, dramatic and cinematic elements of the film, such

as plot (was it simple, complex, realistic, convoluted); dialogue; acting;

sets; costumes; and makeup, if significant. Remind students they need to

support their evaluations with evidence from the movie.

2.

Have students written love letters or admiring letters, from one

character to another. Discuss the possible exchanges: 1) Dexter to Tracy

or vice versa, 2) Macaulay to Tracy or vice versa, 3) Elizabeth to

Macaulay or vice versa, 4) George to Tracy, 5) Uncle Willie to Elizabeth,

6) Seth Lord to Margaret Lord or vice versa.

The review of this film

REVIEW ONE:

Preparations for the wedding are in full swing. Tracy Lord (Katharine

Hepburn) thinks that she's found just the man for her, George Kittredge

(John Howard), after her earlier failed union with C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary

Grant). The ceremony looks as if it could be a bit empty though since

Tracy hasn't invited her father Seth Lord (John Halliday) or C.K. while her

little sister still prefers C.K. over George. However, unknown to her, C.K.

is planning to attend -- with a little surprise. Knowing just how much

Tracy detests publicity he is planning to smuggle two reporters into the

wedding, although there's also the small matter of blackmail by the

smutty magazine's editor. The so-called friends are Macaulay Connor

(James Stewart), a writer, and Elizabeth Imbrie (Ruth Hussey), a

photographer.

When all three arrive suddenly, the day before the wedding, the Lord'

are justifiably suspicious and soon realize the truth. However they must

keep up the pretence due to blackmail involving Seth, who also turns up

unannounced. The scene is thus set for some memorably amusing

scenes, especially when C.K. and Tracy are alone together. Knowing

each others weaknesses they continue to verbally spar, throwing insults,

witty rejoinders and catty remarks in a hailstorm of words. Underpinning

this is the knowledge that they still care for each other whatever their

respective flaws. An example is that both C.K. and Seth remark that

Tracy is like a goddess; all looks, perfection and invulnerability but with

no heart or ability to understand the weaknesses of others. Tracy

recognizes this and longs to change, to the extent that when she flirts

with Macaulay we see only human qualities.

Events reach a climax at the pre- wedding party where Tracy gets

gloriously drunk (although -of course she doesn't drink!) and realizes that

George also visualizes her in an ivory tower. Flirting even more with

down-to- earth Macaulay we see how well they fit together, although

Macaulay avoids further problems by leaving the party to visit Dexter.

Here he provides the ammo to out- blackmail his scheming editor and

winds up leaving with Tracy, who arrived with Imbrie after an argument

with George (complicated!). Their alcohol-fuelled emotions run away

with them somewhat leading to some revealing moments when both C.K.

and George arrive. The aftershocks reverberate the next day, at the

wedding, with unexpected consequences.

This movie is, simply, one of the great comedies. The dialogue is

electric, immensely funny, penetrating and moving -- not a single word is

wasted. Coupled with this script are several outstanding pieces of acting

by the well chosen cast - so good that it's difficult to choose the best

performance - with Stewart especially memorable. Almost every moment

works, although scenes involving Seth seem a little out- of-place in

today's

would recommend this film to all as a well-paced, verbal comedy lifted by

actors in their prime.

REVIEW TWO:

Its witty dialogue, romantic complications, and class-skewering

satire are hallmarks of screwball comedy, but George Cukor

’

s classic

The Philadelphia Story doesn

’

t turn on absurd situations, outlandish

behavior, or unpredictable plot twists. Instead, it

’

s a more mature and

humanistic social satire, a comedy of manners skewering every kind of

snobbery: not only the class-based snobbery of the rich against the poor

—

and the poor against the rich

—

but also the intellectual snobbery of

the literate against the popular, and above all the moral snobbery of the

self-righteous against the imperfect.

Like the heroines of The Awful Truth and His Girl Friday, Katherine

Hepburn plays a divorc

é

e caught between flawed ex-husband Cary Grant

and a respectable but somehow unsuitable fianc

é

(John Howard). But

The Philadelphia Story goes beyond the formula by throwing in surprise

contender Jimmy Stewart as a disgruntled novelist-reporter

—

an

unexpected source of conflict and uncertainty that eliminates the need

for Grant to resort to the underhanded tricks he needed to show up his

rivals in Awful Truth and Girl Friday. Hepburn shines in the role she

originated on Broadway, and Stewart won his only Oscar for his terrific

performance.

REVIEW THREE:

No self- respecting film snob would speak ill of

George Cukor's

classic romantic comedy The Philadelphia Story, with its three major

stars (plus the overlooked Ruth Hussey), rat-a-tat dialogue, hairpin

plotting, and delightful humor. And so it's my turn -- what have I got to say

for myself?

Not much that hasn't already been said. I fall in line with the conventional

wisdom that Philadelphia is one of the smartest comedies you'll find. At

the film's opening, C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant) and Tracy Lord

(Katharine Hepburn) are seen in the midst of their breakup. Fast-forward

a few years and Tracy's engaged again, and Dexter shows up with two

Spy magazine reporters (James Stewart and Hussey), determined to

throw a wrench into things.

It doesn't take long before Stewart's Connor has fallen for Tracy,

Tracy's got three guys to choose from, and everyone's dead drunk on the

day of the wedding.