Part 1 Somebody So Different 与众不同的大明星
She was born Barbara Joan Streisand on April 24, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York. Her father died when she was 15 months old. Her childhood was a distinctly unhappy one. She once said her only toy was a hot-water bottle she dressed in doll's clothes.
After her mother remarried, she experienced conflicts with her stepfather. He once told her she could not have any ice cream because she was too ugly. She was not popular with other children, either. But she was an excellent student, consistently ranking to the top 10 of her class. When she was 13, she recorded two songs. She once worked as a cashier in a Chinese restaurant and as a receptionist in an ad agency.
She changed the spelling of her first name – from Barbara to Barbra – for her nightclub debut. She gained initial public notice with her performance as Miss Marmelstein in the musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale. On opening night she received a standing ovation. She released her debut recording the following year. It proved immensely popular and was awarded the Grammy for Album of the Year. She was 21.
Around the same time she appeared in the stage version of Funny girl, which quickly became a huge success. She was 25 when she appeared in the film version, which was also a box-office triumph. The salary and contractual agreements she received for her next movie, Hello, Dolly, made her the highest-paid performer in films at the time.
She was famously self-absorbed, "Barbra's favorite subject is Barbra," an intimate has observed. According to Streisand, her aloofness and reserve stem from a basic shyness, "Around people I don't know, I'm totally at a loss," she once said. Her perfectionism has alienated some co-workers. Her well-known disinclination for live performances began when she forgot the words to several songs during a concert appearance.
She was the first woman to write, produce, direct, and star in a mainstream Hollywood film: Yentl. She has won two Academy Awards, one in 1976 as the composer of the Best Original Song (“Evergreen”). The other was in a rare tie for the Best Actress (1968), along with Katharine Hepburn. She won for Funny Girl. She has also won a Tony, several Grammys, and handful of Emmys and Golden Globes, one of the very few performers to do so.
1942年4月24日，Barbara Joan Streisand出生于纽约布鲁克林。她父亲在她15个月大的时候就去世了。她的童年毫无乐趣可言。Barbra曾说，她小时候唯一的玩具就是被她套上洋娃娃衣服的一个热水瓶。她母亲再婚后，她和继父之间经常发生冲突，有一次她的继父告诉她，她不能吃冰淇淋，因为她长的太丑了。她在其他孩子中间也不受欢迎。不过，她却是一个优秀的学生，在班上的成绩总是名列前茅。Barbra13岁的时候，灌制了两首歌曲，她曾在一家中国餐馆当过收银员，也在广告代理公司当过接待员。
为了她在夜总会的首场演出，她把名字的拼法从Barbara 变成Barbra。她以《我可以用批发价卖给你》这出音乐剧中的“Miss Marmelstein”这个角色，引起了公众的注意。在首演的那个晚上，全场观众为她起立鼓掌。第二年，她发行了她的首张唱片。这张专辑大受欢迎，为她赢得了格莱美年度最佳唱片的奖项。当时她只有21岁。
大约在同一时期，她也在舞台剧版的《妙女郎》中演出，这出戏好评如潮。演出电影版的《妙女郎》时，她也只有25岁，而这部电影的票房大获全胜。她在下一部电影《我爱红娘》中获得的酬劳使她成为当时电影届片酬最高的艺人。
她强烈的自我意识也是众所周知的。她的一位密友说：“Barbra最喜欢的话题就是Barbra。” 据她本人说，她的冷漠和自我隐藏来自于自己害羞的本性，她曾经说：“和不相识的人相处，我简直就是不知所措。”她的完美主义也使她和一些合作者关系疏远。Barbra对现场表演的厌恶也是有名的，这是因为她在一次现场演唱会上忘记了几首歌的歌词。
Barbra是第一位在好莱坞主流电影 Yentl 中自编、自导、自演的女性。她曾两次获得奥斯卡金像奖，一次是1976年电影《常青树》的最佳原著音乐奖。另外一次是1968她以影片《俏女郎》和Katharine Hepburn共同获得最佳女主角奖。她也曾获得过一个电影安东尼奖，数个格莱美奖，和好几个艾美奖和金球奖，是享有这么多殊荣的极少数演员中的一位。
Dialogue script 对话原文
Jane: Do you know who Sammo Hung is?
Peter: Of course. He is now in his fifties. And he started out studying aerobics, singing, dancing and martial arts at age of nine, and has starred in 140 kung fu movies. He has also become an independent producer and director.
Jane: You know only one aspect of him. Do you know what he would do in the kitchen?
Peter: I have no idea. Come on! Tell me.
Jane: In the kitchen, with his wife by his side he still puts on quite a dinnertime show.
Peter: What does he do there?
Jane: Imagine a chef chopping vegetables on fast forward. Picture a man making a stir-fry, tossing the mixture up in the air, and then catching it, every last bit, in his work. And his culinary motto is "Enjoy the moment."
讲解：
1. 对话中Jane 告诉了Peter Sammo Hung在厨房里是如何表现的。那么大家知道谁是Sammo Hung吗？给大家一点提示，他是一位非常著名的香港影星、武术指导及导演，是当年著名的“七小福”中最重要的成员之一。胖胖的身材，却很灵巧，主演过《龙父虎子》等影片，现在也在好莱坞发展。他就是洪金宝，在电影中他是很能打的一个人，他在美国拍过一个系列剧，叫做《过江龙》，英文名称是Martial Law，他在里面扮演了一个智勇双全的警察。
2. 其实在厨房里他也是一把好手。洪金宝今年已经50多岁了，Now he is in his fifties. 那么如果说某人已经多少岁但是没有具体的年龄就可以用in one's + 十进位的数字的复数来表示，例如：She is in her sixties. 她已经60多岁了，但具体是六十几也不知道。注意一定要用数字的复数。
3. 洪金宝9岁的时候就开始学习健美、唱歌、跳舞和武术。他出演过140部功夫电影并成为独立的制片人和导演。真的是不简单。这里说一下start out这个词组，是“启程，出发”的意思，可以是start out on something，例如：We started out on a 20-mile walk. 我们开始走一段20英里长的路程。What time did you start out? 你们是几点钟动身的？
4. 那么在对话中start out这个词组表示的是“开始，迈出最初的几步”，例如：He started out in business in 1958. 他1958年开始经商。也可以是start out to do something，Cathy is starting out to write a novel. Cathy正要动笔开始写一部小说。对话中的studying aerobics, singing, dancing and martial arts at age of nine 是作为start out这个动作的伴随状语。
5. 但是洪金宝并不光是一个武打高手，在厨房里也能一显身手，做出一系列的“惊险”动作。他切菜的速度非常快，就像在放快镜头一样。on fast forward，就是放快镜头的意思。炒菜的时候把炒锅里面的东西抛向空中，然后再用炒锅接住，而且一点都不会漏掉。make a stir-fry，表示“炒菜”，stir-fry也可以单独做动词。mixture这里指炒菜的时候炒锅里面的东西，有青菜、油、调料什么的。
6. 洪金宝烹调的座右铭是“Enjoy the moment.”，享受每一刻。享受每一刻，就是享受生活，其实这不仅仅是烹调时应有的心态，也应该是他在演艺圈和生活中的心态。
Part 2 Martial Arts Legend 功夫传奇
Dialogue script 对话原文
Tom: By the way, who is this Jackie Chan?
Susan: Jackie Chan is a very famous movie star in Hong Kong. His Chinese name is Cheng Long.
Tom: Ha, I know Cheng Long a lot, he has made 40 movies since 1976. And at the time he was promoted as the new Bruce Lee. But I didn't know his English name.
Susan: OK. Then tell me what else do you know.
Tom: Some movie stars measure their worth by how many millions of dollars they made. Do you know how Jackie Chan measures his worth?
Susan: He measures his worth by how many of his bones he has fractured while executing his film, incredible stunts. By the way, can you count the breaks?
Tom: Sure. His skull, his eyes, his nose, three times, his jaws, his shoulder, his chest, two fingers, a knee. As he said, "Everything from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet!"
Susan: Indeed you know much about him.
Tom: This is because he is movie-action incarnate or action-star extraordinaire around the world.
讲解：
1. 在这段对话中Tom和 Susan在谈论有关Jackie Chan的话题。Jackie Chan也就是我们大家所熟知的成龙在华人娱乐圈中享有很高的声誉，在美国好莱坞也是一位知名的亚洲武打明星，深受全世界观众的喜爱。但是，这一切也是要付出巨大代价的。
2. 成龙最出众的地方就是拍摄惊险镜头时很少用替身，都是自己亲自上阵，所以现在全身上下大大小小的伤口不计其数。从1976年开始，他已经出演了40多部片子，在那个时候大家都推崇他为新生代李小龙，也就是Bruce Lee，在美国也是享有很高的知名度。promote在这里是“宣传”的意思，They planned a publicity campaign to promote her new book. 他们为推销她的新书策划了一场宣传活动。
3. Tom说一些影星用赚了多少美元来衡量自己的价值，但是成龙却与众不同，他用在拍摄影片中的惊险特技时摔断的骨头的数量来衡量。fracture，表示“破碎，打碎的动作或过程”，对话中专门指“骨折”，既可以做名词，也可以做动词，比如：He had several injuries, including three fractures. 他多处受伤，其中三处是骨折。
4. 上面的例句中fracture是做名词，再举个fracture做动词的例子，Her leg fractured in two places. 她的腿有两处骨折。He fell and fractured his upper arm. 他跌了跤，造成了上臂骨折。成龙浑身上下都是伤，他的头骨、眼眶、鼻子骨折三次，下巴、肩膀、胸、两根手指和一侧膝盖都曾经骨折过。用他自己的话说，就是“Everything from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet!”，从头顶到脚底都断过。
5. 看来成龙也有很好的幽默感，更让人感动的是他的敬业精神，这就是为什么他会成为动作片的化身或者是一位非凡的国际动作影星。... movie-action incarnate or action-star extraordinaire around the world. extraordinaire 是后置形容词，也就是说要放在名词的后面，表示“异常的，特别的，非凡的”。
Part 3 Idols and Fans 追星族
Dialogue script 1 对话原文 1
Helen: If you ask some young people to list ten people they admire most, what list do you think they would come up with?
Andy: Not heroes or heroines, I believe.
Helen: They would name people who are celebrated for their wealth and glamour rather than their achievements and moral strength of character.
Andy: Exactly. They seem to be quite fascinated by movie and television celebrities, fashion models, professional athletes, and even comic book and cartoon characters.
Helen: They somewhat become legendary and mythic.
Andy: It is the media that make those people so publicized that they become culture icons.
讲解：
1. 对话中Helen和Andy在讨论偶像的问题。如果让现在的年轻人列出十个他们最崇拜的人，谁会榜上有名呢？Andy猜肯定不是那些英雄人物，而多半会是那些富豪和明星。come up with something，找到，提出答案或办法等等，以前我们也说过这个词组，例如：They came up with a cure for the disease. 他们找到了治疗这种疾病的办法。
2. 这里的celebrate可不是庆祝的意思，它组成的词组， be celebrated for something，意思是“著名的，驰名的”，例如：Burgundy is celebrated for its fine wines. 勃艮第以盛产葡萄美酒而驰名。
3. Andy说这些年轻人会为那些影视明星，模特，职业运动员甚至卡通书和卡通人物着迷。be fascinated by something，某人为某事某物而着迷，例如：They were fascinated by the toys in the shop.他们被店里的玩具吸引住了。
4. Helen也同意Andy的说法。Andy还认为是媒体的宣传让这些人变成了文化偶像。不管怎么说，娱乐圈还是给我们带来了无穷的乐趣，关键是人们怎么看待它和利用它。
Dialogue script 2 对话原文 2
Leo: Well, Tracy, how do you like Michael Jackson?
Tracy: Oh, his songs are excellent! I really enjoyed them. But I do like Latin music and I think Ricky Martin is great!
Leo: Me too, everything is wonderful, especially the lovely voice.
Tracy: Oh, I agree, that beautiful voice, and it makes you forget everything.
Leo: And an attractive face. Just like mine.
Tracy: You are pulling my leg. But he's hot and sexy for sure.
Leo: You bet! I don't know why so many people criticize him.
Tracy: Oh, well, a lot of people do, but I think I like him a lot.
Leo: I've already listened to his new songs. Very well produced, I should say.
Tracy: Yeah, they are terrific.
讲解：
1. 这是一段关于拉丁歌手Ricky Martin的对话。Tracy是Ricky Martin的忠实歌迷，Leo跟她也是志同道合，他觉得Ricky Martin简直是无可挑剔，特别是那美妙的嗓音。Tracy也觉得听到Ricky Martin的声音能让人忘记所有的一切。
2. Leo又加上了一条，那就是Ricky Martin还有一张帅气的脸，像Leo的脸一样。Tracy说，你一定是在开玩笑吧，You're pulling my leg. 这个句子表示“你在跟我开玩笑。”，还可以说You're kidding me. 或者更简单，You're kidding. 都表示同样的意思。
3. Tracy觉得Ricky Martin很性感。Leo表示同意，You bet！这也是在口语当中很常用的表达方式，还可以说You can say that again. 表示“你说的没错。”Leo不明白为什么还会有那么多人批评他。
4. 虽然有很多人批评Ricky Martin，但是Tracy还是很喜欢他。Leo已经听了Ricky 的新歌，觉得专辑做的不错，他说，very well produced，省略了主语和谓语，完整的应该是They're very well produced.
Dialogue script 3 对话原文 3
Andy: I hear Madonna has released a new album.
Sarah: Yes, that's her eighth album. It is called "Music".
Andy: What an interesting name!
Sarah: She both sings and dances in it.
Andy: Oh, yeah, she's quite a dancer.
Sarah: She also has a unique voice.
Andy: That's true. But it's said she has developed a new way of using her voice in this new album.
Sarah: Right, in the song dedicated to her four-year-old daughter, Madonna strips her often over-mixed vocals to a rawer, more personal sound.
Andy: That must be quite fascinating to hear.
讲解：
1. 这段对话说的是美国歌坛女王Madonna。Andy听说Madonna最近刚刚出了一张新专辑。Madonn has released a new album. “发行专辑”，这里用的是release这个词。这已经是Madonna 的第八张专辑了，名字是“Music”。Madonna能歌善舞，可以说是美国歌坛的常青树。
2. Andy觉得她的舞跳的尤其好，他说She's quite a dancer. quite a 或者quite some这个表达在口语中很常用，特别是在美式英语当中，用来表示“某人或某物不同寻常”。例如：It must be quite some car. 那辆车可不比寻常。 再比如：We had quite a party. 我们开了一个非常棒的派对。
3. Sarah说Madonna还有一副独特的美妙歌喉。unique在口语当中表示“不寻常的，别具一格的”，例如：There is a rather unique little restaurant around the street corner. 街角那有一家别具一格的餐馆。
4. 在新专辑中Madonna还尝试了一种新的发声方法，develop a new way of doing something，表示“发现做某事的新的方法”。
5. Madonna在献给她的女儿的新歌中就用了这种新的方法，嗓音比较清新和自然。这里的dedicate something to someone表示“把自己的书或音乐作品等献给某人”，例如：She dedicated her first book to her mother. 她把自己的第一本书献给了母亲。
