(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
I'm Barbara Klein. And I’m Steve Ember with PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English. Today we tell about the film star Elizabeth Taylor. She made over sixty films during her long career in Hollywood. She was famous for her striking beauty, violet eyes and shining black hair. Taylor was equally known for her complex private life and eight marriages. Beginning in the nineteen eighties, she also raised millions of dollars to support AIDS research.
"Without you, Antony, this is not a world I want to live in, much less conquer. Because for me, there would be no love anywhere. Do you want me to die with you? I will. Or do you want me to live with you? Whatever you choose."
That was Elizabeth Taylor playing the queen of Egypt in the nineteen sixty-three movie "Cleopatra." She earned over one million dollars for her work in this movie. At the time, this was the most money ever paid to an actor for a single film. It was also one of the most costly movies ever made. “Cleopatra" was a larger-than-life movie for a larger-than-life actress.
Elizabeth Rosemund Taylor was born in nineteen thirty-two to American parents living in London. Her father Francis was an art dealer. Her mother Sara had worked as a stage actress before her marriage. The Taylors left England in nineteen thirty-nine and moved to southern California. Elizabeth's beauty soon caught the attention of movie studio officials.
She made her first movie, "There's One Born Every Minute," at the age of ten. This was followed a year later by "Lassie Come Home." But it was the nineteen forty-four film, "National Velvet" that made her a star.
Twelve-year-old Elizabeth Taylor starred as Velvet Brown, a girl living in a village in England. She saves a horse and trains him for an important race, which she wins.
During the nineteen forties Elizabeth Taylor played many roles in movies about families. Not all child actors in Hollywood were successful later playing adult roles. But Taylor easily went from playing children to playing teenagers and adults. In nineteen fifty, she played the bride in the popular film "Father of the Bride."
That was also the year of her first marriage, to the wealthy businessman Conrad "Nicky" Hilton. But their marriage ended in divorce the next year. Speaking after her first divorce, Taylor reportedly said that she had been able to fit in the clothing of a sexy woman since she was fourteen years old. She said her troubles started because she had a woman's body and a child's emotions.
Elizabeth Taylor would quickly become as famous for her private life as she was for her acting career. The media often wrote about her many marriages and love affairs. In nineteen fifty-two she married the British actor Michael Wilding, with whom she had two sons.
Five years later they divorced, and she married the film producer Mike Todd. The couple had one daughter, Liza. Mike Todd died in nineteen fifty-eight in a plane crash. One of his close friends was the singer Eddie Fisher. He was married to a good friend of Elizabeth Taylor, the popular actress Debbie Reynolds. Eddie Fisher left his wife in order to marry Elizabeth Taylor. Many people were shocked and angered by this behavior.
Elizabeth Taylor once said that during the first part of her career, she did not make a huge effort as an actress. She said this changed in nineteen fifty-one with the movie "A Place in the Sun." It tells a tragic story about a young man and his relationship with two women. Here is a famous scene with her co-star, Montgomery Clift.
"I am the happiest person in the world."
"The second happiest."
"Oh, Angela, if I could only tell you how much I love you, if I could only tell you all."
"Tell Mama, tell Mama all."
Critics praised Elizabeth Taylor for the depth she brought to this movie. She expressed both innocence and intense sensuality. She began to receive wide praise for her fine and expressive acting. And, she began to receive richer, more interesting roles.
One of these was in the movie "Giant" with Rock Hudson and James Dean. It tells the story of a wealthy cattle rancher in Texas and his family.
"I guess you're about the best looking gal we've seen around here in a long time, I think. Prettiest I think I've seen down here."
"Why thank you, Jett. That's a very nice compliment. And I'm going to tell my husband I've met with your approval."
The movie was a big success. James Dean did not live to see the movie completed. He died in a car accident in nineteen fifty-five before the movie was released the next year. Elizabeth Taylor received Academy Award nominations for several films she made starting in the late nineteen fifties. The first was for the nineteen fifty-seven movie "Raintree County."
The next year she starred in a film version of the Tennessee Williams play, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." She plays a beautiful wife who is having marriage troubles. Her alcoholic husband is played by Paul Newman. Many critics consider this one of her best movies.
"Oh Brick! How long does this have to go on, this punishment? Haven't I served my term? Can't I apply for a pardon?"
"Lately, that finishing school voice of yours sounds like you was running upstairs to tell someone the house is on fire."
"Is it any wonder? You know what I feel like? I feel all the time like a cat on a hot tin roof."
"Then jump off the roof, Maggie, jump off it. Now cats jump off roofs and they land uninjured. Do it. Jump."
"Jump where! Into what?"
Taylor's third Academy Award nomination was for another movie based on a Tennessee Williams play called "Suddenly Last Summer."
In nineteen sixty, it was her turn to win. She received her first Academy Award for her work in "Butterfield 8". Her second Academy Award for acting came six years later for her role in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" She starred in this movie opposite her husband at the time, the Welsh actor Richard Burton.
"In fact, he was sort of a flop. A great big, fat flop."
"Stop it, Martha."
"I hope that was an empty bottle, George. You can't afford to waste good liquor. Not on your salary. Not on an associate professor's salary."
The movie was based on a play by Edward Albee. For this role, Elizabeth Taylor gained a great deal of weight in order to look the part of the aging wife of a college professor. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" received great praise. But it was Taylor's first movie with Burton that had made history.
"Cleopatra" received a great deal of attention for bringing together Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Both stars were married to other people at the time. But they began a widely publicized love affair while filming the movie. Burton and Taylor would eventually marry and divorce each other twice. They made many movies together and led a life of extreme fame and wealth.
Taylor later said she remained madly in love with Burton for his entire life. She said she would have married him a third time had he not died unexpectedly in nineteen eighty-four.
Elizabeth Taylor's last two marriages also ended in divorce. She was married to Senator John Warner of Virginia and, later, to a builder named Larry Fortensky.
Throughout her life, Elizabeth Taylor faced many health problems. She nearly died twice of pneumonia. She had back, hip, heart and weight problems. In the nineteen eighties, she battled drug and alcohol abuse. She entered a medical center for treatment and was very open with the public about her struggles.
She spent much of her time working on her charity and business projects. She gave her name to several hugely successful perfumes.
In nineteen eighty-five, she helped create amFAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research. She did this during a period when many people believed those infected with the disease were immoral and few recognized its danger. Reports say she helped raise over a hundred million dollars for AIDS research and patients. In nineteen ninety-one she started the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. The organization helps people around the world who are living with AIDS.
Elizabeth Taylor died of heart failure in two thousand eleven at the age of seventy-nine. AIDS researcher Mathilde Krim told USA Today that the actress was always known for her beauty, success and jewelry. But she said Elizabeth Taylor was also a woman of extreme intelligence, independence, courage and a deep concern for others.
重点解析
1.complex 复杂的
This project involves a lot of complex technical problems.
这个方案牵涉到许多复杂的技术问题。
2.costly 代价高的
Choices made today may be costly or impossible to reverse in the future.
今天所做出的选择可能是高代价的，或者在未来是不可逆转的。
3.affair 风流韵事
She is having an affair with her Japanese teacher on the sly.
她和她的日文老师偷偷有了恋情。
4.Elizabeth Taylor received Academy Award nominations for several films she made starting in the late nineteen fifties.
nomination提名
They say he's certain to get a nomination for best supporting actor.
他们说他肯定会获得最佳男配角奖的提名。
5. You can't afford to waste good liquor.
afford买得起
The arts should be available to more people at prices they can afford.
艺术品应该以人们支付得起的价格提供给更多人。
6.She did this during a period when many people believed those infected with the disease were immoral and few recognized its danger.
infected with 染上
In the present outbreak, more than half of those infected with the virus have died.
在此次禽流感暴发期间，感染病毒的患者有半数以上死亡。
参考译文
我是芭芭拉·克莱恩。我是史蒂夫·恩贝尔。这里是VOA慢速英语栏目《美国人物志》。今天我们将讲述电影明星伊丽莎白·泰勒的故事。在其好莱坞职业生涯中，她拍摄了六十多部电影。她惊人的美貌、紫罗兰般的眼睛和闪耀的黑发，为人所赞叹。泰勒复杂的私生活和八次婚姻也同样为人乐道。自1980年代起，她筹集数百万美元以支持艾滋研究。
“安东尼，我不想生活在没有你的世界里。因为对我来说，没有你，就没有爱。
你想让我随你去死么？我会的。或者说，你想让我和你生活在一起么？如你所选。”
在这部1963年的电影《埃及妖后》中，伊丽莎白·泰勒扮演埃及的女王。拍摄这部电影，她的酬劳超过一百万美元。那时，这是单部电影能够支付给演员的最高片酬。这也是有史以来成本最高的电影之一。《埃及妖后》是一部由具传奇色彩的女演员所拍摄的具传奇色彩的电影。
1932年，伊丽莎白·泰勒出生于伦敦，她的父母均是美国人。他的父亲弗朗西斯是一名艺术商。她的母亲萨拉婚前曾是一名舞台演员。1939年，泰勒离开伦敦前往南加利福尼亚。伊丽莎白的美貌很快便抓住了电影工作室官员的注意。十岁时，她便拍摄了第一部电影《每分钟出生一个孩子》。接着第二年拍摄了电影《灵犬莱西》。但1944年的电影《玉女神驹》才使她成为明星。12岁的伊丽莎白·泰勒担任主角Velvet Brown，一名生活在英格兰村庄的小女孩。她救了一匹马并训练它参加一场重要的比赛，最后她赢得了这场比赛。1940年代，伊丽莎白·泰勒出演多部关于家庭的电影。不是所有好莱坞童星成年后都能成功跻身成年演员。但是泰勒轻易从饰演儿童过渡到青少年演员再到饰演成年。1950年，她在流行电影《岳父大人》中扮演新娘。同年，迎来她的首次婚姻。她嫁给了一名富有的商人小康拉德。但是他们的婚姻第二年就结束了。
据称，第一次离婚后泰勒称自14岁起，她就一直适合穿性感女人的衣着。她说，她有着女人的身材以及孩子般的情感，因此她的麻烦也随之而来。很快，伊丽莎白·泰勒的私生活和她的演艺事业一样出名。媒体常写一些有关她婚姻的风流韵事。1952年，她再婚了，这次是嫁给英国演员迈克尔·怀尔丁，并有了两个儿子。五年后，他们离婚了，她又嫁给了电影制片人迈克·托德。这对夫妻有一个女儿—莉莎。1958年，迈克·托德死于空难。他的密友之一是歌手艾迪·费舍。他和伊丽莎白·泰勒的一位好友—知名女演员黛比·雷诺斯结婚。为了娶伊丽莎白·泰勒，艾迪·费舍离开了他的妻子。许多人都感到震惊且气愤。
伊丽莎白·泰勒曾说，在她事业的上半部分，作为一名女演员，她并未做出巨大的努力。她说1951年的电影《郎心如铁》改变了这一切。电影讲述了一名年轻人和两名女性之间的悲剧。以下是泰勒和联合主演蒙哥马利·克利夫特之间的著名场景。
“我是世界上最快乐的人”。
“是第二快乐的人。”
安吉拉，如果我能够告诉你我有多么爱你，如果我只能告诉你这一切。”
“告诉我吧，告诉我吧。”
影评人称赞伊丽莎白·泰勒为这部电影投入的深度，她表现出了那种天真无邪和热情的感性。由于她精致且极具表现力的演出，她开始收获了大量称赞。并且她开始接到更加丰富且有趣的角色。其中一部是和洛克·哈德森以及詹姆斯·迪恩出演的电影《巨人传》。电影讲述了德克萨斯州一个富有牧场主和他家人之间的故事。
“我猜你将是我在这里见过的最好看的姑娘。是我在这里所见过的最漂亮的那一个。”
“为什么说谢谢呢，杰特。这是非常好的赞美。我要去告诉我的丈夫，我赞同你的赞美。”
这部电影取得巨大成功。詹姆斯·迪恩却没能活到这部电影上映。1955年，在这部电影上映前，他死于一场车祸。1950年代，伊丽莎白·泰勒获得多次奥斯卡金像奖提名。第一次是电影《雨树县》。第二年，她开始出演田纳西·威廉斯戏剧的电影版《朱门巧妇》。电影中，她扮演遭遇婚姻问题的美丽妻子。她的酒鬼丈夫由保罗·纽曼饰演。许多影评人认为这是她最好的作品之一。
“布里克！这种惩罚还要持续多久？还没够么？我就不能请求原谅么？”
“近来，你在女子精修学校似乎是要爬上楼告诉别人这个房子着火了。”
“还有盼望么？你知道我的感觉么？我觉得就像是一只猫一直站在炙热的铁皮屋顶上。”然后跳下屋顶，玛姬，跳下去吧。猫跳下了屋顶，它们没有受伤。跳吧。”
“跳到哪！跳到哪里？”
泰勒的第三个奥斯卡提名也是一部改编自田纳西·威廉斯戏剧的电影《夏日痴魂》。1960年，是她转向成功的一年，因电影《巴特菲尔德八号》，她获得第一个奥斯卡奖。她的第二座奥斯卡奖是六年后出演电影《灵欲春宵》。电影中，饰演她丈夫的是威尔士演员理查德·伯顿。
“事实上，他有点失败。巨大的失败。”
别说了，玛莎。
“我希望那是一个空瓶子，乔治。你可支付不起好酒的钱。别指望你的薪水，不要指望副教授的薪水。”
这部电影改编自爱德华·阿尔比的作品。伊丽莎白·泰勒增重出演这个角色，只为看上去像是一名大学教授的妻子。《灵欲春宵》获得极大褒奖。但正是泰勒首次和伯顿担当的电影创造了历史。《埃及艳后》收获的巨大关注将伊丽莎白·泰勒和理查德·伯顿联系在了一起。两位明星那时都有家室。但是在电影拍摄期间，他们开始了一场公开的婚外情。最终伯顿和泰勒彼此结离两次。他们一起拍摄了很多电影，赢得了一生的荣誉和财富。之后，泰勒说道她仍疯狂地爱着伯顿。她说如果1984年，他没有死于那场意外，她还会和他结第三次婚。伊丽莎白·泰勒的最后两次婚姻同样以离婚收场。她嫁给了弗吉尼亚州参议员约翰·沃纳，之后有嫁给建筑工人拉里·福滕斯基。
纵观泰勒的一生，伊丽莎白·泰勒面临着很多健康问题。她两次几乎死于肺炎。她的背部、臀部、心脏和体重都有问题。1980年代，她在与药物和酗酒作斗争。她进入医疗中心进行治疗，也向公众公开了她与疾病的斗争。她将大量时间花在了她的慈善机构和商业项目上。她以自己的名字命名了几款非常成功的香水。
1985年，她帮助创立美国艾滋病研究基金（amFAR）。那时很多人都认为那些感染艾滋病的人都是不道德的并且仅极少数人意识到它的危险性，而在这个时期，她创立基金会。报道称，她帮助为艾滋研究和艾滋病人筹集了一百多万美元。1991年，她开设了伊丽莎白·泰勒艾滋病基金会。这个组织帮助世界各地艾滋病人和家庭。2011年，79岁的伊丽莎白·泰勒死于心力衰竭。艾滋病研究人员Mathilde Krim告诉《今日美国》，一直以来，女演员都是因其美貌、成功和珠宝出名。
但是她说，伊丽莎白·泰勒同时也是一名非常聪慧、独立、有勇气且深深关切他人的女性。
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