影片对白

Curtis: A girl like you can get hurt out there if you ain't got somebody protecting you. Now, I'm here to do that for you, baby. But you got to believe me. You got to trust in me. I ain't gonna disappoint you.

Deena: Come on, Effie? What do you say?

C.C.: Come on, Effie.

Effie: Well, Mr...

Curtis: Curtis Taylor, Jr.

Effie: Curtis Taylor, Jr., our manager, says we're singing behind Mr. Jimmy Early tonight!

Deena: Oh, baby, I love you!

Lorrell: This business sure has got a lot of ups and downs!

Host: Are you ready for the Thunder Man? Now, he's all the way down in the basement, and he ain't coming up unless he can hear you!

Marty: Let's hit it, boys. Showtime.

Jimmy: Hey, Marty, I said no mayonnaise, man. How many times I got to tell you? No mayonnaise on the chicken sandwich!

Marty: We got bigger problems, baby. I warned you to lay off the women that you work with. There's plenty other ladies out there.

Jimmy: Well, who got time to go out and find them, Marty? I'm always working, baby.

Marty: Yeah, 'cause Marty always keeps you working.

Jimmy: Hell, yeah. That's why I keep letting you give me the wrong sandwich. Let's go get this money now. Is everything set?

Marty: Yeah, Jimmy's down with the two girls.

Curtis: This is a group. It's either three or nothing.

Jimmy: Hey, man, who is this guy?

Curtis: My clients always work together.

Jimmy: I know you. Didn't you sell me my Cadillac?

Curtis: Yeah, yeah. In addition to my management company, I have a Cadillac dealership on Woodward Avenue.

Jimmy: Yeah, well, my kitty needs a tune-up. And Jimmy only works with two, baby.

Marty: Sorry, brother, it's two or nothing.

Jimmy: Those the girls right there? I think three is gonna work out just fine. Ladies! Ladies. Ladies, thank you so much. You're saving Jimmy's life. Thank you so much, ladies. I'm at your feet. You see that? I'm at your feet, baby. Thank you so much. And I'd do anything for y'all. Anything. You hear what I'm saying? Anything. Exactly what would you like Jimmy to do for you, baby?

妙语佳句，活学活用

1. Let's hit it

这一句就相当于汉语中的"走吧"，意思是"let's go, or let's do it"。Hit 是一个老美很喜欢用的词，表示"开始去做某事"。例如摇滚乐团的主唱常会看看吉他手， 键盘手， 贝斯手准备好了没， 如果大家都准备好了的话， 他就会大喊一声："Let's hit it."

2. Lay off

这里的意思是"解雇"，例如：When they lost the contract, they had to lay off a hundred workers.
这个表达法最初用来指"暂时性的解雇"，在经济萧条的时期，公司会暂时性地解雇一些员工，等情况好转之后再聘用回来。但90年代后随着经济规模的缩小，这个片语转指"永久性的解雇"。

3. Work out

Work out 在这里指"suitable and go smoothly, prove effective or successful"，例如：I wonder if their marriage will work out.

4. Be at someone's feet

这个片语也写作sit at someone's feet，意思是"Be enchanted or fascinated by someone"，当用来指被女性的魅力折服时，有点像汉语中的"拜倒在……的石榴裙下"，例如： Dozens of boys are at her feet.

文化面面观

The Dreams and The Supremes：追梦女郎与 The Supremes 合唱团


The Dreams

这样的一个励志故事是以60年代在美国流行乐坛盛及一时的女子三重唱组合-The Supremes作为蓝本而改编的。片中蒂娜的形象，正是灵魂歌后黛安娜罗丝的写照。其实在电影拍摄之前人们就对故事的发展耳熟能详。这得益于1981年开始在百老汇演出的同名舞台剧《追梦女郎》。该片在当时创造了连续演出1522场的佳绩，获得了13项东尼奖(美国戏剧界最高奖)的提名，并最终获得其中的六项奖项。

The basic plot of Dreamgirls is derived from the history of The Supremes, a girl-group from Detroit, Michigan, which was Motown's most successful group act during the 1960s. Effie White is a doppelg?nger for Florence Ballard, original lead singer of the Supremes; the character's vocal stylings and personality are based upon Aretha Franklin and Etta James. Diana Ross, who became the central focus of the Supremes and later left the group to pursue a solo career and a brief venture into films, is here adapted into the character of Deena Jones. Supremes member Mary Wilson is represented by Lorrell Robinson. Curtis Taylor, Jr., represents Berry Gordy, Jr., the founder of Motown, who pushed the Supremes towards pop success and became romantically involved with Ross. James "Thunder" Early is depicted as a cross between James Brown, Little Richard, Marvin Gaye, and Jackie Wilson. C. C. White is a collective representative for The Supremes' songwriters, who included the Holland-Dozier-Holland team and Smokey Robinson. Michelle Morris is representative of Cindy Birdsong, Florence Ballard's replacement in The Supremes, which was renamed "Diana Ross & the Supremes" at the time of that line-up change.


The Supremes

Dreamgirls is most dissimilar from The Supremes' story in its second act, which ends with Effie finding success as a solo performer. In real life, Florence Ballard's solo career was unsuccessful and the singer sank into poverty, depression, and alcoholism, dying of cardiac arrest at the age of thirty-two in 1976, just after her career had been revived. The play also shows inspiration from the 1976 feature film Sparkle, which itself was inspired by The Supremes' story.

Michael Bennett, Henry Krieger, Tom Eyen, and the Dreamgirls producers denied and downplayed the connections between the musical's plot and the Supremes' life story, hoping to avoid legal issues from Motown Records and Diana Ross. Mary Wilson loved Dreamgirls, and even named her first autobiography, Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme, after it. Diana Ross, however, was reportedly angered by the musical, and expressed her dislike of it in the media. Though the Deena character mirrors Diana Ross, Sheryl Lee Ralph stands to the fact that she was not trying to imitate Ross, but portrayed Deena in a similar yet distinct style.

在改编的电影剧本中三个女主人公都走到的事业的最高点，这与现实存在着较大的差距。实际上，就唱功而言，灵魂歌后黛安娜罗丝并不是三人中最好的，但最终她却是三人中最成功的一个。成就超级巨星不仅需要完美的嗓音，同样也要具备有抢眼的外形。现实是现实的，也是值得人思考的。　

考考你

用今日所学将下面的句子译成英语。

1. 因为没有新的订单，他们被解雇了。

2. 我认为这个计划行不通。

3. 比尔为他导师的魅力折服有三年的时间，但渐渐地他的梦想破灭、离开了大学。


Dreamgirls《追梦女郎》（精讲之一）考考你 参考答案

1. 乔治对他的新萨克斯风爱不释手。
George is mad about his new saxophone.

2. 明晚的集会标志着比赛的开始。
A rally tomorrow night will kick off the campaign.

3. 别为玛丽的烦心事沮丧。
Don't let Mary's troubles get you down.