简单就是成功:小黄人的魅力

2016-07-15 09:25
时代英语·高二 2016年3期
关键词:周边产品黄人神偷

When it comes to film, people usually favor good over evil, focus on the protagonist and ignore the supporting characters. But when it comes to the Minions, these conventions go right out the window.

对于电影,观众一般都会喜欢好人,厌恶坏人;关注主角,忽视配角。但对于小黄人,这一定律就抛到了九霄云外。

Originally comedic background characters in the Despicable Me franchise, these yellow pill-shaped screwballs have totally stolen the show and turned into a pervasive meme.

小黄人原本只是《神偷奶爸》系列电影中的喜剧背景人物,然而这些外形酷似黄色胶囊的怪人们已经抢尽了主角的风头,并且已经成为流行文化元素。

In summer of 2015, the characters debuted in their own self-titled movie in theaters abroad, having the second biggest opening weekend of all time for an animated film, according to USA Today. McDonalds has been including Minion toys with kids meals in some regions, causing loyal fans to flock to the restaurant to collect them all. Related video games, apparel, toys and other merchandise are sweeping the world.

2015年夏天,小黄人在海外剧院从以他们自己的名字命名的电影中作为主角出道。根据《今日美国》的报道,电影《小黄人》首映周末取得的票房成绩,在所有动画电影中高居第二。一些地区的麦当劳也在儿童套餐中加入了小黄人玩偶,造成铁杆粉丝们蜂拥而至去收集所有的玩偶。周边产品电子游戏、衣服、玩具和其他产品等也风靡全球。

So, what makes the banana-loving Minions a big hit? For many, the appeal is obviously their cuteness. Their simple, graphic nature can easily transcend cultures and age groups. “Even children can draw them,” Los Angeles Times reporter Rebecca Keegan wrote. Thousands of examples of fan-made Minion art, from fingernails to Halloween costumes, are visible on global social media platforms.

那么,是什么让这些热爱香蕉的小黄人成为大明星呢?对于很多人来说,“萌”是小黄人最显著的吸引力。他们简单的图形属性的外表轻易地跨越了文化和年龄族群间的障碍。“甚至孩子们都可以把他们画出来,”《洛杉矶时报》的记者里贝卡·基根写道。全球的社交媒体平台上,充斥着成千上万粉丝自制的小黄人艺术品,从美甲到万圣节服饰,无一不有。

However, theres more to the phenomenon than just cuteness. US entertainment website HitFix explains that their way of communicating makes the creatures infectious as well. They largely speak in nonsense words peppered with the occasional recognizable terms like “potato”. But it seems everyone can understand them through their exaggerated movements and expressions.

然而,小黄人的成功背后绝不仅仅只有卖萌。美国娱乐网站HitFix解释道,小黄人们的沟通方式同样让他们具有感染力。他们通常讲的都是一些没有意义的词汇,偶尔可以识别出“potato”这样的字眼。但是通过他们夸张的动作和表情,几乎每个人都可以理解他们的意思。

They desire nothing more than to serve their most despicable master, Felonious Gru. And this evil characteristic strikes a chord with humans.

小黄人们别无他求,只是为了服务于他们最卑鄙的主人,极恶的格鲁。而这个反面角色却引人共鸣。

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