[Washington Post] The new Canon: the best films of the 2000s
The new Canon: the best films of the 2000s
This list advances the modest proposal that, when it comes to the Canon, we expand our notions of permanence and connoisseurship to include films that are worthy of appreciation - even veneration - despite being so recent. (As for rankings, this collection is unnumbered, reflecting a loose, intuitive collection rather than a strict hierachy.) No one is a prophet in their own hometown; sometimes we need reminding that many of the films we’re seeing right now are genuinely timeless.
“Spirited Away” (2001)
Japanese anime director Hayao Miyazaki seems unable to make anything but masterpieces; still, this epic tale of a young girl separated from her parents and thrust into a magical world stands as his greatest - not only for its transporting visuals but also for its bracing sense of adventure, terror, resilience and heroism. Full of whimsy, fantasy and childlike wonder - elements that would otherwise feel overbearing or unforgivably ersatz - Miyazaki’s vision is also earthy and profound, even at its most allegorical.
- Canon:(n) [‘kænən] 標準; 教規, a standard, rule, or principle, or set of these, that are believed by a group of people to be right and good. back
He had to read a canon of accepted literary texts. 他不得不阅读一系列公认的经典文学作品.
- modest:(a) [‘mɒdɪst] 謙虛的, someone who is modest does not want to talk about their abilities or achievements. back
You’re too modest! You’ve been a huge help to us. 你太谦虚了! 你帮了我们大忙呢.
- notion:(n) [‘nəʊʃ(ə)n] 概念; 見解; an idea, belief, or opinion. back
She had no notion what he meant. 她根本不明白他是什么意思.
The traditional notion of marriage goes back thousands of years. 传统的婚姻观念可追溯到几千年以前.
- permanence:(n) [‘pɜːmənəns] 持久; 永久, the state of lasting for a long time or for all time in the future. back
We no longer talk of the permanence of marriage. 如今, 再没有人说婚姻要天长地久了.
- connoisseurship:(n) [,kɔnə’sə:ʃip] 鑒賞力, love of or taste for fine objects of art. back
From at least the Song Dynasty onward, Chinese scholar’s rocks were an important object of Chinese material culture and aesthetic connoiseurship. 自宋朝以来, 甚或更早之前, 文人石一直是中国物质文化与美学鉴赏中不可或缺的重要元素.
As its name suggests, the page is meant to be more about taste than price - a chance to show connoisseuship. 顧名思義, 這個頁面更多的是關於品味而不是價格 - 它是一個展示鑒賞力的機會.
- veneration:(n) [venə’reɪʃ(ə)n] 尊敬; 崇拜; a feeling of profound respect for someone or something. back
This statue is an object of religious veneration. 这座塑像是宗教崇拜的对象.
A morality that included both pacifism and a veneration of the natural world. 一個包含了和平主義和對自然主義的崇拜的道德標準.
- despite:(prep.) [dɪ’spaɪt] 儘管, 不管, used to say that something happens or is true even though something else might have prevented it. back
Despite all our efforts to save the school, the authorities decided to close it. 尽管我们竭力想保住这所学校, 当局还是决定把它关闭.
- unnumbered:(a) [ʌn’nʌmbəd] 未編號的, not having a number. back
She moved six spaces and landed on an unnumbered square. 她空去6格, 停在未编号的方格里.
- loose:(a) [luːs] 散漫的, not firmly fastened in place. back
This tooth feels very loose. 这颗牙感觉松动得厉害.
- intuitive:(a) [ɪn’tjuːɪtɪv] 直覺的, an intuitive idea is based on a feeling rather than on knowledge or facts. back
He seemed to have an intuitive awareness of how I felt. 他好像凭直觉就知道我的感受.
- strict:(a) [strɪkt] 精確的, exact and correct, often in a way that seems unreasonable. back
It’s not quite pease in the strictest sense of the word, rather the absence of war. 严格说来, 这并不是真正的和平, 只是没有战争罢了.
- prophet:(n) [‘prɒfɪt] 預言家, 先知, a person who claims to know what will happen in the future. back
The pity is that you are not a prophet. 可惜你不能未卜先知.
To a new mother, a woman with a child a few months older than yours is a prophet. 對於一位新媽媽來說, 一位女性的孩子如果比自己孩子大上幾個月, 這位女性就像是他的先知.
- genuinely:(adv) [‘dʒenjuinli] 真誠地, Genuine refers to things such as emotions that are real and not pretended. back
The must genuinely like one another, and work well together. 他们必须真诚地喜欢对方誒并且能一起有效地工作.
He was genuinely surprised. 他着实吃了一惊.
- masterpiece:(n) [‘mɑːstəpiːs] 傑作, a work of art, a piece of writing or music etc that is of very high quality or that is the best that a particular artist, wirter etc has produced. back
This book is his masterpiece. 这本书是他的杰作.
- epic:(a) [‘epɪk] 長篇敘事性小說(電影, 詩歌), a book, poem, or film that tells a long story about brave actions and exciting events. back
And we want to tell an epic story. 我们想讲一个史诗般的故事.
- thrust:(v) [θrʌst] 猛推, 用力推, to push something somewhere roughly. back
He thrust me roughtly towards the door. 他粗暴地把我推到门口.
- transport:(v) [træn’spɔːt; trɑːn-] 讓人激動, 使身歷其境, to make sb feel that they are in a different place, time or situation. back
The book transports you to another world. 这本书会把你带到另一个世界.
- bracing:(a) [‘breɪsɪŋ] 令人心曠神怡的, bracing air or weather is cold and makes you feel very awake and healthy. back
a bracing walk. 舒心惬意的散步.
- terror:(n) [‘terə] 可怕的事, an event or situation that makes people feel extremely frightened, esepecially because they think they may die. back
Death holds no terrors for me. 死亡吓不倒我.
- resilience:(n) 適應力;快速恢復的能力, the ability of people or things to feel better quickly after sth unpleasant, such as shock, injury, etc. [rɪ’zɪlɪəns] back
She has shown great resilience to stress. 她对压力表现出了极大的适应能力.
- heroism:(n) [‘herəʊɪz(ə)m 勇敢的事蹟, 英雄氣概, very great courage. back
He received a medal for his heroism. 他由于英勇而获得一枚奖章.
- whimsy:(n) [‘wɪmzɪ] 異想天開, 古怪想法(篇好笑的) a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that is unusual, strange, and often amusing. back
Americans have a strong taste for slapstick in various forms, and substitute riposte and banter for irony or whimsy, which they tend not to understand. 美国人对各种形式的闹剧非常感兴趣，用机敏的回答和玩笑来代替他们所不懂的讽刺和诙谐.
The film combines whimsy and tragedy in equal measure. 這部電影同等程度上結合了奇思妙想和悲劇色彩.
- fantasy:(n) [‘fæntəsɪ; -zɪ] 幻想, an exciting and unusual experience or situation you imagine happening to you, but which will probably never happen. back
Young children sometimes can’t distinguish between fantasy and reality. 小孩子有时不能区分幻想与现实.
- wonder:(n) [‘wʌndə] 驚奇, someting that makes you feel surprise and admiration. back
the Seven Wonders of the World. 世界七大奇观.
- overbearing:(a) [əʊvə’beərɪŋ] 飛揚跋扈的, always trying to control other people without considering their wishes or feelings. back
Do not be to overbearing at the outset, otherwise you will not have any followers. 不要一开始就搞专制, 否则你不会有任何追随者.
- unforgivably:(adv) 不可饒恕地 back
Unless policymakers blunder unforgivably - by letting “systemic” institutions fail or by keeping monetary policy too tight - there is no need for today’s misery to turn into a new Depression. 除非政策制定者犯了不可原谅的错误—让系统的体制衰退或者过分收紧货币政策—没必要让现今的不幸变成一个新的经济大萧条
- ersatz:(a) [‘ɜːsæts; ‘eə-] 代用的, 人造的, artificial, and not as good as the real thing. back
It tasted more like ersatz coffee to me. 我觉得它的味道更像代用咖啡.
- earthy:(a) [‘ɜːθɪ] 樸實的, back
She is a very physical young woman, earthy, and very intense. 她是个很粗犷的年轻女子, 快人快语, 非常热情.
- profound:(a) [prə’faʊnd] 意義深遠的, showing great knowledge and understanding. back
The article implies profound meaning. 那篇文章的含义很深.
- allegorical:(a) [,ælɪ’gɒrɪk(ə)l] 寓言的, an allegorical story, poem, or painting uses allegory. back
That would be one literarily allegorical way to think of it. 那将是一种文学而富有寓意的思考它的方式.