外刊学习：《复仇者联盟》4：对漫威超级英雄恰到好处的送别

今日导读

近日上映的《复仇者联盟 4：终局之战》是漫威电影宇宙的第 22 部影片。全世界的漫威影迷在这部电影上映前都对它翘首以盼，甚至还有死忠粉在上映之前拿剧情下赌注。回顾漫威电影的这十几年，主角如何从钢铁侠，一步步变成现在一系列深入人心的超级英雄的呢？这一部《复仇者联盟 4：终局之战》的看点又在哪？让我们跟着 Lala 一起来看看《华盛顿邮报》的这篇报道。

新闻原文

‘Avengers: Endgame’ a fitting send-off for Marvel’s superheroes

 The Washington Post

If there’s a single phrase that sums up the guiding principle of the Marvel Cinematic Universe—the interdependent series of superhero movies that, with the arrival of this week’s "Avengers: Endgame, " now numbers 22 films—it’s this: Hold that thought.

To be sure, as the MCU has evolved, growing into an epic that can be, at times, confusing, a through line has coalesced around a group of inanimate objects: six powerful Infinity Stones whose scattered locations have shifted from planet to planet and from person to person, like a cosmic shell game, as the movies came and went.

It’s helpful, before going to see "Endgame, " to cast your mind back to the contradictory feelings of that final scene. The new movie, which focuses on the efforts of Captain America and the remaining Avengers to implement a do-over feels at once sad and deeply satisfying, complicated and surprisingly comic. If many of us have grown up with the MCU, the films themselves have also grown more complex, like a fine wine.

In a sense, “Endgame” is an example of the MCU cannibalizing itself, but it has always done so. And it does so here in a fresh way that is closer to homage than lazy appropriation.

As high as the stakes are in "Endgame, " it is also a very funny movie. The humor of the story has to do with surprising ways in which the lives of certain characters have changed.

If “Infinity War” was about failure, “Endgame” is, ironically, all about acceptance and moving on. After 11 long years, the Infinity Saga is finally, fulfillingly over. There is no post-credit scene. But oh, what a going-away party these old friends have thrown for themselves.

带着问题看讲解

《复仇者联盟：终局之战》有哪些看点？

在看《复仇者联盟：终局之战》之前，作者有什么样的建议？

电影里的 post-credit scene 指的是什么？

新闻正文

‘Avengers: Endgame’ a fitting send-off for Marvel’s superheroes

《复仇者联盟：终局之战》是对漫威超级英雄的一个恰到好处的送别

If there’s a single phrase that sums up the guiding principle of the Marvel Cinematic Universe—the interdependent series of superhero movies that, with the arrival of this week’s “Avengers: Endgame,” now numbers 22 films—it’s this: Hold that thought.

如果用一个短语来总结漫威电影宇宙的指导原则的话，就是这个：记住这些。漫威电影宇宙由一系列相互关联的超级英雄电影组成，算上本周上映的《复仇者联盟：终局之战》的话，一共有 22 部了。

To be sure, as the MCU has evolved, growing into an epic that can be, at times, confusing, a through line has coalesced around a group of inanimate objects: six powerful Infinity Stones whose scattered locations have shifted from planet to planet and from person to person, like a cosmicshell game, as the movies came and went.

可以肯定的是，随着漫威电影宇宙的发展，它发展为了一部史诗，虽然这部史诗有的时候可能会令人困惑，但是其中还是有一条由一组无生命的物件串起的故事线：随着一部部电影的上映，六颗的强大的无限宝石，散落在宇宙各个角落，从一个星球流落到另外一个星球，被一个又一个人抢夺，就像宇宙贝壳的收藏游戏。

It’s helpful, before going to see “Endgame,” to cast your mind back to the contradictory feelings of that final scene. The new movie, which focuses on the efforts of Captain America and the remaining Avengers to implement a do-overfeels at once sad and deeply satisfying, complicated and surprisingly comic. If many of us have grown up with the MCU, the films themselves have also grown more complex, like a fine wine.

在去看《复仇者联盟：终局之战》之前，回想一下上一部的最后一幕带给你的矛盾感受会颇有裨益。这部新片主要讲述了美国队长和其他还活着的复仇者们背水一战的故事。（回想了复联 3，这部电影）能让你在忧伤的同时感到深深的满足，五味杂陈的同时又出其不意地令人开怀大笑。如果说，我们当中的很多人都是在漫威电影宇宙的陪伴下成长起来的，漫威的各大电影自身其实也发展得越来越错综复杂，宛如一瓶佳酿。

In a sense, “Endgame” is an example of the MCU cannibalizingitself, but it has always done so. And it does so here in a fresh way that is closer to homage than lazy appropriation.

从某种意义上来说，《复仇者联盟：终局之战》是漫威电影宇宙“自我迭代”的一个例子，但“自我迭代”已是漫威电影宇宙的常事。漫威在《复仇者联盟：终局之战》里的迭代是一种全新的方式，比起（对以往情节）简单粗暴的简单挪用更像是致敬。

As high as the stakes are in “Endgame,” it is also a very funny movie. The humor of the story has to do with surprising ways in which the lives of certain characters have changed.

尽管《复仇者联盟：终局之战》里的赌注如此之大，它还是一部非常有幽默感的电影。某些角色的生活变化如此出乎意料，令人忍俊不禁。

If “Infinity War” was about failure, “Endgame” is, ironically, all about acceptance and moving on. After 11 long years, the Infinity Saga is finally, fulfillingly over. There is no post-credit scene. But oh, what a going-away party these old friends have thrown for themselves.

如果说，《复仇者联盟：无限战争》关乎失败，那么具有讽刺意味的是，《复仇者联盟：终局之战》关乎着接受现实并开始新的生活。经历了漫长的 11 年，《复仇者联盟》系列终于圆满地谢幕，片尾没有彩蛋。但是啊，这些老朋友是给自己开了一场怎样的欢送会啊！

重点词汇

endgame
/ˈendɡeɪm/
n. 最后阶段，结束阶段
e.g.
例句：The political endgame is getting closer.

send-off
/ˈsend ɔːf/
n. 为某人送别，送行而举办的欢送会
e.g.
英文释义：an occasion when people come together to say goodbye to someone who is leaving
例句：My friends gave me a send-off I will never forget!

sum up
总结，概括
e.g.
例句：To sum up, this paper is …
口语表达：wrap up
wrap up 例句：To wrap up, we have learned …

interdependent
/ˌɪntərdɪˈpendənt/
adj. 互相关联的，互相依存的
e.g.
词根词缀：inter-（在…之间）；dependent（依赖）
例句：We live in an increasingly interdependent world.

hold that thought
记住…（以便之后可能会派上用场）
e.g.
英文释义：used for telling someone to remember an idea or thought that has just been mentioned, especially because it will be useful later

epic
/ˈepɪk/
n. 史诗；（史诗般的）电影或书籍

coalesce
/ˌkoʊəˈles/
v. 联合，合并
e.g.
例句：The two factions coalesced in order to fight a common enemy.

scattered
/ˈskætərd/
adj. 分散的；散布的
e.g.
例句：Books were scattered around her room.

cosmic
/ˈkɑːzmɪk/
adj. 宇宙的；巨大无比的
e.g.
搭配短语：cosmic law; cosmic order

contradictory
/ˌkɑːntrəˈdɪktəri/
adj. 对立的；相互矛盾的
e.g.
派生词：contradiction (n.)

do-over
/ˈduˌoʊvɚ/
n.（在尝试失败之后的）新的尝试或新的机会
e.g.
例句：He requested a do-over.

cannibalize
/ˈkænɪbəlaɪz/
v.（商业）竞争，蚕食
e.g.
相关词汇：cannibal（n. 食同类者）
搭配短语：cannibalize each other
搭配短语：cannibalize oneself

homage
/ˈhɑːmɪdʒ/
n. 崇敬，敬意
e.g.
搭配短语：pay homage to sb./sth.
搭配短语：pay homage to them for their achievements

appropriation
/əˌproʊpriˈeɪʃn/
n. 挪用，盗用
e.g.
词性拓展：appropriate（v. 挪用）
搭配短语：appropriate funds

stake
/steɪk/
n. 赌注；风险

saga
/ˈsɑːɡə/
n. 萨迦；长篇故事；系列
e.g.
文化补充：来自古代北欧地区的古诺斯语，最开始的时候指主要来自挪威或者冰岛等北欧国家的长篇冒险传奇故事

post-credit
/poʊst ˈkredɪt/
adj. 片尾的
e.g.
词根词缀：post-（…之后的）
派生词：post-war（adj. 战后的）
相关词汇：credit（n. 电影、电视或广播节目的演职人员名单）

补充词汇知识

fitting
adj. 恰到好处的，恰当的

phrase
n. 短语，词组

number
v. 总计，共计

to be sure
的确，毫无疑问
同义词：surely

evolve
v. 逐步发展、逐渐形成

grow into
成长为、发展为

through line
书籍或电影里的一条故事主线

shift
v. 移动、转移

come and go
来来去去

cast your mind back (to sth.)
想想过去发生的某些事情

comic
adj.好笑的
近义词：funny

implement
v. 实施（某个计划）

In a sense
从某种意义上来说

in a fresh way
用一种全新的方式

as
conj. 尽管
例句：Young as he is, he has written some novels.

have to do with
与什么有关

going-away party
欢送会、送别派对

长难句解析

If there’s a single phrase that sums up the guiding principle of the Marvel Cinematic Universe—the interdependent series of superhero movies that, with the arrival of this week’s “Avengers: Endgame,” now numbers 22 films—it’s this: Hold that thought.

如果用一个短语来总结漫威电影宇宙的指导原则的话，就是这个：记住这些。漫威电影宇宙由一系列相互关联的超级英雄电影组成，算上本周上映的《复仇者联盟：终局之战》的话，一共有 22 部了。

主句为 If there’s a single phrase that sums up the guiding principle of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s this: Hold that thought. 主句中包含由 that 引导的定语从句。破折号中的是插入语，插入语中也包含插入语，插入语的主干为：the interdependent series of superhero now numbers 22 films，插入语中的插入语为 with the arrival of this week’s “Avengers: Endgame,”.

学习资源

开头歌曲：The Avengers by Alan Silvestri

推荐的查音标网站：

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com（牛津学习者词典）

拓展阅读

漫威宇宙

漫威电影宇宙是一个虚拟的世界，它是由漫威影业基于漫威漫画中的角色制作的系列电影所创造出来。

2008 年，在《钢铁侠》系列第一部电影的片尾，神盾局局长找到钢铁侠托尼·史塔克，邀请他加入复仇者联盟，正式拉开了漫威电影宇宙的序幕。

此后的 11 年里，漫威影业又制作了 22 部电影。亚马逊旗下网站 IMDb 最新数据显示，此前已上映的 21 部电影总票房已超过 185 亿美金，创造了史无前例的记录。

漫威宇宙背后的游戏规则

在可以考证的媒体记载中，电影宇宙这个概念最晚在 2006 年的时候就已经出现。作为一种特殊的，并且尚无人能够复制的电影产品，漫威电影宇宙至少在如下几个方面与此前的电影形成差异。

首先，漫威电影宇宙有一个完整而连贯的剧情。这个剧情并不是简单地用多部电影分别介绍每一个超级英雄，再将他们收拢到复仇者联盟当中，而是用共同的故事线索将不同的英雄故事有机地串联起来。从 2011 年的《雷神》开始，一条关于无限宝石的线索开始串联起所有的电影，并最终在《复仇者联盟 3》和《复仇者联盟 4》中展开了以无限宝石为核心的，灭霸和超级英雄之间的精彩故事。

其次，漫威电影宇宙有着极其严格的品控，生产出的电影几乎都能确保在相当的水准线之上。从 2014 年的《蚁人》之后，这一趋势就越来越明显。

第三，漫威电影宇宙还强调每一个英雄人物的人设。一直以来，漫威都将塑造超级英雄的人物形象放在第一位，比如，大家熟悉的钢铁侠和美国队长都是成功的案例，一个是多金热爱冒险的花花公子，另一个则是善良且充满正义感的美国式英雄。确立了一个具有魅力的超级英雄形象，就如同确立了一个新时代的偶像，能够源源不断地将粉丝吸引过来。