It used to be the default plot for space sci-fi movies–aliens invading Earth and soldiers shooting them with laser guns.

外星人入侵地球，地球勇士用镭射枪回击，这曾是科幻电影的标配情节。

But in the past few years, there has been a growing appetite for what’s called “serious sci-fi”, where little is based on sheer imagination and more is about how human beings interact with the universe.

不过最近几年，观众越来越喜欢所谓的“严肃科幻片”，这类科幻片很少建立在纯粹的想象上，更多地是在讲述人类与宇宙间的互动。

Examples of this new trend include the Oscar-winning Gravity (2013) and last year’s blockbuster Interstellar, as well as the latest Ridley Scott movie The Martian, which comes to China on Nov 25.

这股新潮流的代表作包括奥斯卡获奖影片《地心引力》（2013）、去年上映的大片《星际穿越》、以及雷德利斯科特的最新作品——《火星救援》。该片于11月25日在中国上映。

After being hit by a nasty sandstorm on Mars, astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead and is left behind by his fellow crewmembers. With the next mission scheduled to arrive in four years, Watney has to come up with ways to grow food and create water on Mars while trying to contact NASA. He also manages to scavenge resources to produce energy to keep the rover working.

宇航员马克茠祬尼（马特达蒙饰）和同伴在火星上遭遇了严重的沙尘暴，同伴误认为他已丧命，于是将他一个人留在了火星。下一次火星任务将在四年后执行。在此期间，沃特尼必须想办法在火星上生产食物和水，并与美国太空总署取得联系。他还要设法收集能源维持探测车的运行。

The tricks Watney uses–including growing potatoes in human feces and creating water by burning oxygen and hydrogen–are actually plausible in a real Mars environment. In fact, NASA experts consulted on the movie to make it as real as possible.

电影中，沃特尼所使用的许多技能在真实的火星环境中也是可行的，例如，用粪便种植土豆；通过燃烧氧气和氢气制造水。事实上，美国太空总署的专家为本片提供了专业咨询，让情节尽可能真实。

As The Washington Post commented, The Martian is “more ‘sci’ than ‘fi’”.

正如《华盛顿邮报》的评论：“《火星救援》比‘幻想’更‘科学’。”

The movie livens up its science-heavy plot with a dose of humor and humanity. Though he spends hundreds of days in isolation on a hostile planet, Watney manages to stay optimistic and light-hearted. “Mars will come to fear my botany powers,” he jokes.

本片加入了大量的幽默和人性化元素来调剂沉闷的科学情节。虽然沃特尼在恶劣的环境中独自生活了几百天，但他依然保持着乐观、积极的心态。他还开玩笑说：“火星将会畏惧我的植物力量。”

“What’s so stirring about the film is that, before and after everything else, it truly is about being human, which means... being fueled by a volatile mixture of wisdom, endearing arrogance, beguiling folly and, when the situation demands it, a kind of courage that knows no planetary bounds,” commented The Wall Street Journal.

《华尔街日报》评论道：“这部电影最振奋人心的地方在于，它是真的在讲述人，也就是说……影片充满智慧，萌人的傲慢和逗趣的蠢萌，以及当情节需要时，一种知晓行星无界限的勇气。”

Given the fact that Scott’s previous films, including Alien (《异形》) (1979) and Blade Runner (《银翼杀手》) (1982), are all filled with fear and despair, The Martian is a big change for him. “This time, the dystopian maestro sees hope in our stars,” wrote Variety.

鉴于斯科特此前的作品，如《异形》（1979）和《银翼杀手》（1982），都带有恐惧和绝望的色彩，《火星救援》对他来说是一个很大的改变。《综艺》杂志评论说：“这一次，反乌托邦的艺术大师终于在行星中看到了希望。”