节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-11-29
难易度:Low
关键字:compete, hang on, outstanding, impress, episode, audition
I hope you had a great break.
Welcome back.
Why does Chris Hemsworth love acting so much?
Well, he says, "I love the adventure that comes with this work, the travel and
all that, but also the craft, the story-telling.
From a kid, I remember enjoying certain books and getting swept away in movies."
So there's your answer.
OK. Let's learn about how Hemsworth became a part of the Star Trek story on line
16.
Chris Hemsworth - Hollywood's Latest Superhero.
He spent a lot of time knocking on doors trying to get parts.
Then he got a part in the 2009 film Star Trek playing James T. Kirk's father.
The role was not big, but his outstanding performance earned him many fans.
Then he tried out for the part of Marvel Comics' hero Thor.
He didn't impress the director at first and didn't think he got the part.
But he was asked to return an audition a second time and landed the role.
All right.
So Chris Hemsworth got started doing a drama show in Australia, and then he
joined Dancing with the Stars.
And he and his dancing partner, they actually lasted, or hung on, for seven
rounds.
OK, but he didn't win the show.
And after his time on the show, he decided to try his luck in Hollywood.
Now that was our last sentence.
"To try your luck at something" means you're going to try and see if you can
succeed.
Most actors try their luck to get important and exciting roles.
So he moved to Hollywood instead of just staying in Australia to see what he
could get.
Now it's important to realize, friends, that he moved to Hollywood before he
actually had an acting career there.
He spent a lot of time there knocking on doors trying to get parts.
OK. We're going to look at this phrase, knocking on doors.
This is both a literal phrase and an idiom.
That's right.
Now usually you think if you're knocking on doors, that means you want to go
through a door,
and you need someone to let you in so you'll use your fist and knock on the
door.
But that's not quite what he was doing.
Well, he probably was.
Maybe.
He probably was actually physically knocking on the doors.
But this idiom, to knock on doors, means you are asking people for the
opportunity to do something.
You're looking for someone to help you move forward in what you're looking for.
So it is very similar because you said when you knock, you need someone to open
the door for you.
That's what this is.
He's asking people to help get his career started.
Right. So if he's looking to get an acting career, maybe knocking on doors means
he's making phone calls,
or maybe even using the Internet to try and get people's attention to try and
get acting parts.
That's right.
And "parts," another word we've been using is "roles," trying to get into the
business.
Well, then he got a part in the 2009 film Star Trek.
Now he played James T. Kirk's father.
It was not a very big part, but a... very important one.
That's right. Friends, if you've seen that most recent film Star Trek,
then you might remember at the very beginning of the movie, James T. Kirk's
father is flying a spaceship.
It's a small role, like Kaylah said, but actually it was well-known and a very
well done part.
That's right.
It's a very important part of the movie.
It's the beginning of the story and explains your main character.
Now he played the father in that part.
So friends, you should go back, watch Star Trek, and like: There's Thor.
Exactly, but his hair was much shorter in that part.
That's true.
Well, he got this role.
And the role was not big, but his outstanding performance earned him many fans.
So when we say something is "outstanding," it's a really good thing.
What was it?
Exactly.
Something that is outstanding means it's very excellent, or it's very obviously
better than other things around them.
OK. So we're not saying that other actors weren't great.
We're saying he was so good at it that people recognized him.
So even though it wasn't very big, people liked him.
And they looked up: Who was that man?
Well, it was a great opportunity for him.
Yes, it was, definitely.
And so people got to see him play this part, realize: Wow! Chris Hemsworth, this
is actually a really good actor.
And a lot of movie directors noticed that too.
That's right.
Well, this building a fan base for him gave him some confidence so he tried out
for the part of Marvel Comics' hero Thor.
Right. That's exactly what we know he as now.
That's what his most popular part is.
He played Thor now in two films.
He didn't impress the director at first, and he didn't think he got the part.
OK, to impress.
When you go... when you go, you want to impress a director when you want to get
a part in their movie.
"To impress" means to cause someone to admire or respect you because of
something that you have said or done.
So when you go trying to get a part in a movie, you want the director to be:
Hmm, I'm so impressed with them.
Maybe if you are talking to someone who is a native English speaker,
they will be impressed by your English because your pronunciation is great
because you listen to Studio Classroom.
Exactly. Everyone wants to try and impress people sometimes to try and get some
respect, especially if you are auditioning for a part.
If you "audition," that means you are showing people how well you can act or how
well you can do something in order to try and get that part.
OK. So when he first went out for it, he didn't impress, didn't think he got it.
But he was asked to return an audition a second time.
This is always good.
In theater, we call this a callback.
That means they ask you to come back and audition again.
You want to audition twice.
Usually that means you are being considered for the role.
Now Kaylah, you are an actress, you know what it's like to receive a callback.
They usually give you different things to act to see your abilities, right?
That's right.
And it's... as you said, an audition is a short performance.
You don't have very long to make an impression to impress the director, so you
have to be very good.
And as we all know, Chris was very good.
Yes. And he landed the role in that film.
If you land the role, that means you got it.
You... you got something that you were really trying to get.
That's right.
Now we know him as Thor.
We're going to look at where his career takes off from here after we visit the
Chat Room.
(Music).
I'm sorry, sir, but we don't allow this kind of sales activity.
This is a public library.
I'm sorry.
Thanks, anyway.
Woo.
What was that about?
Well, that guy is a door-to-door salesman.
And he wanted to demonstrate how well his vacuum cleaner worked.
You know, Ken, we just don't allow that kind of activity here in the library.
Plus, we already have a perfectly good vacuum cleaner.
So he just goes around showing his vacuum cleaner to people?
That's right.
Door-to-door salespeople usually knock on doors and visit people from house to
house.
I kind of feel sorry for them, though, because they have to pound the pavement
all day.
Pound the pavement?
What do you mean?
Oh, yes. That's a great idiom to know.
Why don't we go to Studio Classroom Teacher Pam for an explanation.
OK.
Pavement is the hard surface of a paved road.
So when you "pound the pavement," you're walking through the streets.
Door-to-door salespeople have to pound the pavement to paddle their products.
Job seekers often pound the pavement and knock on doors to look for a job.
Hmm, interesting.
So that's pound the pavement.
What about "hit the pavement"?
Does that have the same meaning?
Good question.
Pounding the pavement and hitting the pavement can mean the same thing.
But hitting the pavement sounds more active and voluntary.
For example, when I get off work today, I'm going to put on my running shoes and
hit the pavement.
So it can mean going jogging on the street?
Yes. Or workers might decide to hit the pavement and demand higher pay.
Oh, so they go on strike?
That's right.
Hitting the pavement is often done with motivation whereas pounding the pavement
sounds more like a chore or a labor.
Very interesting.
Well, I should go hit the books now.
OK, you do that, Ken.
(Chinese).
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
And time really flies.
Don't forget to come back tomorrow for more Language Tips.
Thank you, Michelle.
After Hemsworth played the role of George Kirk in the movie Star Trek, a
character that incidentally was killed off in the first five minutes of the
film,
it would be nine long months before Hemsworth next acting job.
Not knowing when his next paycheck would come, Hemsworth paid the rent by
babysitting his manager's kids.
Can you believe it?
Before he was defending humanity from evil, Thor the Thunder God was a
babysitter.
OK, everyone.
Come back for more about Hollywood's latest superhero Chris Hemsworth tomorrow.
Until then, as always, have a great day.