VOA慢速英語: “灰姑娘”對于孩子們來說不僅僅是一部電影那么簡單

'Cinderella' Is More Than Just a Movie for Kids

“灰姑娘”對孩子們來說不僅僅是一部電影那么簡單。

Years ago, the American writer Kurt Vonnegut often said there was one story that would always make a million dollars: Cinderella.

多年前，美國作家Kurt Vonnegut經(jīng)常說灰姑娘的故事是值100萬美元的。

In Hollywood and in today’s economy, it is more like $70 million and that is just a start.

不管是在好萊塢還是今天的經(jīng)濟社會，它更像是值7000萬美元，而且這僅僅是一個開始。

“Cinderella” made that amount in ticket sales when it opened last weekend. But the merchandising deals linked to the movie are also hugely valuable.

上周末灰姑娘電影票的銷售就達到了那個數(shù)字。但是與之相關(guān)的商品交易也有巨大的價值。

The respected British actor and moviemaker Kenneth Branagh directed “Cinderella.” It stars Lily James as Ella and Academy Award winner CateBlanchett as her evil step mother.

德高望重的英國作家導演Kenneth Branagh執(zhí)導“灰姑娘”這部電影。Lily James演灰姑娘Ella，奧斯卡金像獎得主CateBlanchett演她邪惡的繼母。

Reviews of the movie were mixed. Steven Rea of The Philadelphia Inquirer called the film “a winning re-do.” Richard Corliss of Time magazine wrote that “Disney finally got Cinderella right.” Other critics were not as happy with the film. Sara Stewart of the New York Post suggested the story-telling lacks substance. She wrote, “this Cinderella is all dressed up with nowhere very interesting to go.”

對電影的評論褒貶不一。費城問詢者報的Steven Rea稱這部電影為“a winning re-do”時代雜志的Richard Corliss寫到“迪士尼終于把灰姑娘位置放對了”其他的評論家們對電影并不買帳。紐約郵報的記者Sara Stewart表示故事缺乏物質(zhì)基礎(chǔ)。她寫到，“電影中的灰姑娘一直穿的整整齊齊的，故事非常無趣。”

So the artistic success of the film is open to debate. What is clear, however, is the movie’s business success. It is a hit in the theaters but it is also a hit in retail. And Disney widened its usual market for “Cinderella” products.

因此，電影在藝術(shù)上是不是成功有待討論，然而在商業(yè)上的成功是顯而易見的。不管是對影院還是零售它都是一個重磅。迪士尼也為灰姑娘附屬產(chǎn)品拓寬了市場。

There are products connected to the Disney film targeted not only at little girls, but women, too. For example, the famous shoe designer Jimmy Choo partnered with Disney to create a version of Cinderella’s “glass slippers” or shoes. You can buy them for about $5,000. At that price, you would not want to lose one at the ball, even if that is the way you get your prince. Several other shoemakers also accepted Disney deals to design versions of the famous footwear.

與迪士尼電影相關(guān)的一些產(chǎn)品的目標客戶不僅是小女孩，也包括稍微年長的女性。舉個例子，著名的鞋子設(shè)計者Jimmy Choo與迪士尼合作設(shè)計了一款灰姑娘的“水晶鞋”你可以花5000美元買到。那個價格，即使那是你得到你王子的一種方法，你也不會想丟一只鞋子在舞會。幾家其它著名的鞋類制造商也與迪士尼簽訂了協(xié)議。

The makeup company MAC quickly sold all its products with official links to “Cinderella.” But lucky buyers were soon selling the products on the online marketplace eBay for many times the original price.

電影“灰姑娘”的官方指定合作伙伴化妝品公司MAC很快就賣掉所有與之相關(guān)的商品。但是買到的幸運兒很快在網(wǎng)上購物平臺eBay上以原價的許多倍在銷售。

HSN is a popular television and online retailer of jewelry, clothing and objects for the home. The marketer is now an exclusive seller of “Cinderella” products.

HSN是一家著名的電視與網(wǎng)上珠寶，服飾和家居用品的銷售商?，F(xiàn)在是灰姑娘產(chǎn)品的獨家銷售。

So, is there anything left for the children, those people we think of as the traditional audience for the age-old fairytale? Yes, you can find toys and other children’s products at the American retailer JC Penney. Of course, you can also visit a Disney store.

所以留給孩子們的是什么?他們才是古老童話的傳統(tǒng)觀眾。是的，你可以在美國零售商JC Penney公司找到玩具和其它孩子們的產(chǎn)品。當然你也可以去參觀迪士尼的商店。

Disney also produced an animated version of “Cinderella.” It came out in 1950 and is considered a classic. Which do you think the Disney company does best: live action or animated films? Post your thoughts in the comments section.

迪士尼也導演了一部動畫版的“灰姑娘”。它在1950年出版，就被認為是一個經(jīng)典。你覺得迪士尼公司做的最好的是什么：實景真人電影還是動畫版的?在評論欄寫出你的想法。

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Words in This Story

merchandising – n. the activity of selling products that are related tosomething (such as a television show, movie, or sports team) in order tomake more money

retail – n. the business of selling things directly to customers for their ownuse

ball – n. a large formal party for dancing

original – n. a document, film, painting, etc., which is created by someoneand from which a copy or translation is made