Royal gala performances
皇家盛典
The army and the monarchy are box-office moneyspinners
軍隊和君主政體成為票房“搖錢樹”
（1）IF THE secret of success in the cinema is to anticipate the popular mood, Thailand's film industry should be feeling pretty chuffed[1]. It seems to have foreseen, even before last September's royally endorsed[2] military coup, that the army and the monarchy were about to move into the centre of the action.
假如電影業(yè)的成功秘訣就是投大眾所好，那么泰國電影業(yè)一定會感到高興。軍隊和君主政體會成為主要拍攝題材，這一點泰國電影業(yè)甚至在去年9月那場王室授意發(fā)動的軍事政變之前就已料到。
（2）The bloodless putsch[3], toppling an elected prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, delighted many Bangkok residents, who turned out in droves to have their photographs taken beaming beside the soldiers on the streets. Less than two months later, the film industry scored a surprise hit with “Khao Chon Kai”, a teenage comedy that trumped the latest James Bond escapade[4], “Casino Royale”, at the box-office. Then in January “The Legend of King Naresuan” set a new record for the Thai box-office, taking 120m baht （$3.4m） in its first four days, despite a shortage of prints of the film and, at three hours, a gruelling[5] running time.
這場政變兵不血刃地將民選總理他信?西那瓦（Thaksin Shinawatra）趕下了臺，許多曼谷市民為之歡欣鼓舞，三五成群走上街頭，喜笑顏開地同政變士兵合影。政變后兩個月不到，青少年喜劇片《Khao Chon Kai》的票房就超過詹姆斯?邦德系列片新推出的《皇家*》（Casino Royale），創(chuàng)造了泰國電影的一個奇跡。今年1月，《納瑞宣國王傳》（The Legend of King Naresuan）雖然拷貝短缺，而且3個小時的片長也很考驗人的耐性，但公映頭四天仍以1.2億泰銖（340萬美元）刷新泰國票房紀錄。
The Naresuan trilogy, whose second episode opens on February 15th, took four years to make and is, at 700m baht, the most expensive film ever made in Thailand. （3）Foreign films may dominate multiplex schedules, but there's nothing like a local blockbuster to pack the house. Thailand's cinema industry is forecast to expand by 10% this year to 5.5 billion baht, according to Kasikorn Research Centre, a securities firm.
納瑞宣三部曲拍攝耗時四年，共投資7億泰銖，是泰國有史以來制作費用最為昂貴的電影，其中第二部將于2月15日上映。雖然泰國各大電*線仍以播映外國電影為主，但只有泰國本土大片才能獲得場場爆滿的票房成績。據(jù)Kasikorn研究中心（一家資產(chǎn)管理公司）預(yù)測，今年泰國電影業(yè)收入將增長10%，達到55億泰銖。
What unites the two very different cinematic hits—a slapstick[6] comedy and a 16th-century swashbuckler[7]—is their gung-ho patriotism . “Khao Chon Kai” is set in an army boot-camp, where, amid much hilarity[8], young male recruits become battle-ready soldiers. Men in uniform are in cinematic vogue. “First Flight”, another nationalistic drama about Thailand's first air-force pilots, will be screened at the Cannes film festival this year.
一部是鬧哄哄的喜劇片，一部描寫的是16世紀一位飛揚跋扈的國王，兩部題材截然不同的熱片共通之處在于都宣揚了愛國主義。《Khao Chon Kai》以一個新兵訓練營為背景，片中年輕的新兵一邊嬉笑打鬧，一邊枕戈待旦。穿軍裝的男人特別對觀眾的口味?！妒状物w行》（First Flight）也是一部愛國主義電影，講述的是泰國第一批空軍飛行員的故事。本片將在今年戛納電影節(jié)上展映。
“Naresuan”, directed by Chatrichalerm Yukol, himself a member of the royal family, is an even more overt appeal to national unity after the recent upheavals. Its hero is a revered warrior-king—played by an army captain—who repels the occupying Burmese army and restores national pride.（4）The film-makers pull no punches[9] about their intent: the invitation to the première boasts that the film is “aimed at promoting the feelings of patriotism and gratefulness to the motherland” among Thais. The junta must be delighted.
納瑞宣三部曲由王室成員Chatrichalerm Yukol執(zhí)導，該片等于是自去年那場政變后較為公開地呼吁民族團結(jié)。影片塑造的英雄是一位英勇無敵、深受愛戴的國王（扮演者是一名陸軍上尉），他趕走了入侵的緬甸軍隊，重新樹立了民族自豪感。制片商的意圖再明顯不過——在影片首映的宣傳廣告上，他們夸贊該片“旨在激發(fā)泰國人民的愛國主義情感和對祖國的感激之情”。（泰國）軍政府（聽了這個）肯定很高興。
[NOTES]
1. chuffed adj. pred [作表語] ~ （about/at sth） （Brit infml 口） very pleased 愉快: look/feel chuffed 看起來[感到]很愉快 * She was chuffed at/about getting a pay rise. 她因獲加薪而洋洋得意.
2. endorse v. [Tn] 1 write one's name on the back of （esp a cheque） 在（尤指支票）的背面簽字; 背書. 2 （a） write comments, etc in or on the back of （a document） 在（文件）的背面寫評論; 批注（公文）. （b） （Brit） record details of a motoring offence in （a driving licence） 在（駕駛執(zhí)照上）記錄違章事項: He's had his licence endorsed for dangerous driving. 他的駕駛執(zhí)照上載有危險駕駛記錄. 3 give one's （official） approval or support to （a claim, statement, etc） （正式）贊同或支持（某要求、 言論等）: I am afraid I can't endorse your opinion of the government's record. 很抱歉, 你對政府功過的看法本人不敢茍同. 4 say in an advertisement that one uses and approves of （a product） 在廣告上說本人使用并贊許（某產(chǎn)品）: Well-known sportsmen can earn large sums of money from manufacturers by endorsing clothes and equipment. 運動員在廣告中替廠家宣傳運動服裝和器械, 可獲得巨額報酬.
3. putsch n. attempt to overthrow a governmentby force; political revolution 以武力*政府的企圖; 武裝起義; 造反; 政治革命.
4. escapade n. daring, mischievous or adventurous act; prank 大膽的、 頑皮的或冒險的行為; 惡作劇: a foolish, childish, boyish, etc escapade 愚蠢的、 幼稚的、 男孩子的惡作劇.
5. grueling adj. 折磨人的, 使人精疲力盡的
6. slapstick n. [U] comedy based on simple visual jokes, eg hitting people, falling over, etc 打鬧?。ǘ啻螋[等簡單滑稽動作）: [attrib 作定語] slapstick comedy 打鬧喜劇.
7. swashbuckler n.恃強凌弱者
8. hilarity n. [U] loud laughter; great amusement 歡笑; 狂歡: The announcement was greeted with much hilarity and mirth. 這一項宣布引起了熱烈的歡呼聲.
9. pull one's punches （usu negative 通常用於否定式） （infml 口） attack （sb） less vigorously than one is able to 不全力攻擊（某人）（留有余地）: He certainly didn't pull any punches when it came to criticizing the work. 他批評這項工作時可絕不留情.
皇家盛典
The army and the monarchy are box-office moneyspinners
軍隊和君主政體成為票房“搖錢樹”
（1）IF THE secret of success in the cinema is to anticipate the popular mood, Thailand's film industry should be feeling pretty chuffed[1]. It seems to have foreseen, even before last September's royally endorsed[2] military coup, that the army and the monarchy were about to move into the centre of the action.
假如電影業(yè)的成功秘訣就是投大眾所好，那么泰國電影業(yè)一定會感到高興。軍隊和君主政體會成為主要拍攝題材，這一點泰國電影業(yè)甚至在去年9月那場王室授意發(fā)動的軍事政變之前就已料到。
（2）The bloodless putsch[3], toppling an elected prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, delighted many Bangkok residents, who turned out in droves to have their photographs taken beaming beside the soldiers on the streets. Less than two months later, the film industry scored a surprise hit with “Khao Chon Kai”, a teenage comedy that trumped the latest James Bond escapade[4], “Casino Royale”, at the box-office. Then in January “The Legend of King Naresuan” set a new record for the Thai box-office, taking 120m baht （$3.4m） in its first four days, despite a shortage of prints of the film and, at three hours, a gruelling[5] running time.
這場政變兵不血刃地將民選總理他信?西那瓦（Thaksin Shinawatra）趕下了臺，許多曼谷市民為之歡欣鼓舞，三五成群走上街頭，喜笑顏開地同政變士兵合影。政變后兩個月不到，青少年喜劇片《Khao Chon Kai》的票房就超過詹姆斯?邦德系列片新推出的《皇家*》（Casino Royale），創(chuàng)造了泰國電影的一個奇跡。今年1月，《納瑞宣國王傳》（The Legend of King Naresuan）雖然拷貝短缺，而且3個小時的片長也很考驗人的耐性，但公映頭四天仍以1.2億泰銖（340萬美元）刷新泰國票房紀錄。
The Naresuan trilogy, whose second episode opens on February 15th, took four years to make and is, at 700m baht, the most expensive film ever made in Thailand. （3）Foreign films may dominate multiplex schedules, but there's nothing like a local blockbuster to pack the house. Thailand's cinema industry is forecast to expand by 10% this year to 5.5 billion baht, according to Kasikorn Research Centre, a securities firm.
納瑞宣三部曲拍攝耗時四年，共投資7億泰銖，是泰國有史以來制作費用最為昂貴的電影，其中第二部將于2月15日上映。雖然泰國各大電*線仍以播映外國電影為主，但只有泰國本土大片才能獲得場場爆滿的票房成績。據(jù)Kasikorn研究中心（一家資產(chǎn)管理公司）預(yù)測，今年泰國電影業(yè)收入將增長10%，達到55億泰銖。
What unites the two very different cinematic hits—a slapstick[6] comedy and a 16th-century swashbuckler[7]—is their gung-ho patriotism . “Khao Chon Kai” is set in an army boot-camp, where, amid much hilarity[8], young male recruits become battle-ready soldiers. Men in uniform are in cinematic vogue. “First Flight”, another nationalistic drama about Thailand's first air-force pilots, will be screened at the Cannes film festival this year.
一部是鬧哄哄的喜劇片，一部描寫的是16世紀一位飛揚跋扈的國王，兩部題材截然不同的熱片共通之處在于都宣揚了愛國主義。《Khao Chon Kai》以一個新兵訓練營為背景，片中年輕的新兵一邊嬉笑打鬧，一邊枕戈待旦。穿軍裝的男人特別對觀眾的口味?！妒状物w行》（First Flight）也是一部愛國主義電影，講述的是泰國第一批空軍飛行員的故事。本片將在今年戛納電影節(jié)上展映。
“Naresuan”, directed by Chatrichalerm Yukol, himself a member of the royal family, is an even more overt appeal to national unity after the recent upheavals. Its hero is a revered warrior-king—played by an army captain—who repels the occupying Burmese army and restores national pride.（4）The film-makers pull no punches[9] about their intent: the invitation to the première boasts that the film is “aimed at promoting the feelings of patriotism and gratefulness to the motherland” among Thais. The junta must be delighted.
納瑞宣三部曲由王室成員Chatrichalerm Yukol執(zhí)導，該片等于是自去年那場政變后較為公開地呼吁民族團結(jié)。影片塑造的英雄是一位英勇無敵、深受愛戴的國王（扮演者是一名陸軍上尉），他趕走了入侵的緬甸軍隊，重新樹立了民族自豪感。制片商的意圖再明顯不過——在影片首映的宣傳廣告上，他們夸贊該片“旨在激發(fā)泰國人民的愛國主義情感和對祖國的感激之情”。（泰國）軍政府（聽了這個）肯定很高興。
[NOTES]
1. chuffed adj. pred [作表語] ~ （about/at sth） （Brit infml 口） very pleased 愉快: look/feel chuffed 看起來[感到]很愉快 * She was chuffed at/about getting a pay rise. 她因獲加薪而洋洋得意.
2. endorse v. [Tn] 1 write one's name on the back of （esp a cheque） 在（尤指支票）的背面簽字; 背書. 2 （a） write comments, etc in or on the back of （a document） 在（文件）的背面寫評論; 批注（公文）. （b） （Brit） record details of a motoring offence in （a driving licence） 在（駕駛執(zhí)照上）記錄違章事項: He's had his licence endorsed for dangerous driving. 他的駕駛執(zhí)照上載有危險駕駛記錄. 3 give one's （official） approval or support to （a claim, statement, etc） （正式）贊同或支持（某要求、 言論等）: I am afraid I can't endorse your opinion of the government's record. 很抱歉, 你對政府功過的看法本人不敢茍同. 4 say in an advertisement that one uses and approves of （a product） 在廣告上說本人使用并贊許（某產(chǎn)品）: Well-known sportsmen can earn large sums of money from manufacturers by endorsing clothes and equipment. 運動員在廣告中替廠家宣傳運動服裝和器械, 可獲得巨額報酬.
3. putsch n. attempt to overthrow a governmentby force; political revolution 以武力*政府的企圖; 武裝起義; 造反; 政治革命.
4. escapade n. daring, mischievous or adventurous act; prank 大膽的、 頑皮的或冒險的行為; 惡作劇: a foolish, childish, boyish, etc escapade 愚蠢的、 幼稚的、 男孩子的惡作劇.
5. grueling adj. 折磨人的, 使人精疲力盡的
6. slapstick n. [U] comedy based on simple visual jokes, eg hitting people, falling over, etc 打鬧?。ǘ啻螋[等簡單滑稽動作）: [attrib 作定語] slapstick comedy 打鬧喜劇.
7. swashbuckler n.恃強凌弱者
8. hilarity n. [U] loud laughter; great amusement 歡笑; 狂歡: The announcement was greeted with much hilarity and mirth. 這一項宣布引起了熱烈的歡呼聲.
9. pull one's punches （usu negative 通常用於否定式） （infml 口） attack （sb） less vigorously than one is able to 不全力攻擊（某人）（留有余地）: He certainly didn't pull any punches when it came to criticizing the work. 他批評這項工作時可絕不留情.