Cate the Great 凯特女王
No role is too difficult for leading lady Cate Blanchett
没有什麽角色难得倒女主角凯特布兰琪
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Oscar winner Cate Blanchett knows what it's like to be a queen. After all, Blanchett's powerful performance in 1998 in the movie Elizabeth catapulted the Australian actress to international stardom. In that film, she portrayed Queen Elizabeth I, one of England's most famous monarchs. Blanchett successfully reprised that famous role last fall in Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
Blanchett not only plays royal roles but reigns as queen of the big screen as well. A true chameleon when it comes to acting, Blanchett has proved she can master almost any role. Parts ranging from musician Bob Dylan to the mysterious leading lady in the latest Indiana Jones film have displayed her talent. With 32 released films under her belt in just over a decade, Blanchett is one of the world's most sought-after actresses.
Born near Melbourne in May 1969, Blanchett was often shy as a child. But she possessed an extroverted side as well and developed an early interest in performing. Blanchett recalls being deeply impressed by a magician at a birthday party she attended when she was six years old. From that time on, she dreamed of becoming a performer.
奥斯卡得主凯特布兰琪知道扮演女王是什麽滋味。毕竟，布兰琪於一九九八年在电影《伊莉莎白》中的精湛演出让她这位澳洲女星跃升为国际明星。她在片中饰演女王伊莉莎白一世，英国最着名的君主之一。在去年秋天的《伊莉莎白：辉煌年代》中，布兰琪再次成功诠释这个知名角色。
布兰琪不仅「扮演」女王的角色，也以影后之姿驾驭影坛。提到演戏，布兰琪是名符其实的百变女王，她的表现也证明她几乎能演好所有角色。从音乐家鲍伯?迪伦到《印第安那琼斯》系列电影近作中神秘莫测的女主角，每个角色都展现了她的演艺天分。布兰琪在短短十多年就创下演绎三十二部电影的佳绩，是全球最炙手可热的女演员之一。
布兰琪於一九六九年五月生於墨尔本近郊，孩童时期的她经常是羞怯腼腆的，但她也有外向的一面，并且很早就对表演产生兴趣。布兰琪忆及六岁时曾在一场生日派对上看到一位魔术师的表演而相当震撼，从此便梦想成为表演工作者。
Word Bank
monarch (n)君主
Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live in England's famous Buckingham Palace.
reprise (v)重唱；重演
The cast of the musical reprised the theme song for the last act of the show.
reign (v)统治；驾驭
Emperor Kang Xi reigned over China for 61 years.
under one's belt (idiom)拥有（经验或技能）
Linda has more than twenty-five years of teaching experience under her belt.
extroverted (adj)外向的
Brett is very extroverted, so he has no problem talking to strangers.
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catapult (v)（用弹射器等）猛力投射
chameleon (n)变色龙；善变的人
Chat Room
daydream：白日梦
to dream up something：凭空想象一件事
dream of something：梦想，幻想；否定句：wouldn't dream of：连想都不敢想
dream on：不可能实现
catapult
(n)弹弓；(v)弹出，射出；be catapulted to something：一下子进入某种状态
1 In the crush, the driver was catapulted through the window.
车祸时，这名驾驶被弹出窗外。
2 With the success this novel, the writer was catapulted to fame.
由于这本小说的成功，这个作家一下子突然成名。
reprise
1 He was to play the professor, reprising the role he'd done years ago.
他饰演教授一角，重新演出两年前演过的角色。
2 The actor agreed to reprise the role in the sequels.
这个演员同意在接下来的续集中再次演出这个角色。
reign
与rain发音一样；统治，这里指称霸或有极大的优势
1 The Beatles reigned the pop music world during the 60's.
披头士在60年代称霸整个流行乐坛。
2 Michael Jordan used to reign as the number one basketball player in NBA.
迈克尔乔丹曾是称霸篮坛第一把交椅的球员。
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As a teenager, Blanchett served as her high school's drama captain and acted in many productions. After graduation, she left Australia to travel and ended up in Egypt. Her good looks attracted attention, and she was asked to appear in a local film. It seemed that no matter how far Blanchett traveled, she couldn't escape acting.
Blanchett returned home to study drama at Australia's esteemed National Institute of Dramatic Art. She graduated in 1992 and began her career at the Sydney Theatre Company, the country's largest theater group. Critics loved Blanchett, rewarding her outstanding performances with multiple acting awards.
Before long, she began work on several Australian TV shows and movies. Unlike many other performers, stardom for Blanchett came within two years of her first Hollywood feature film, 1997's Paradise Road. After that, she won an envied role opposite Ralph Fiennes in Oscar and Lucinda, which was based on an award-winning Australian novel. That role led to Elizabeth, which gave Blanchett her first of several Academy Award nominations. Her first Oscar win came in 2005 for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator.
青少女时期的布兰琪担任高中话剧社社长，并参与许多戏剧演出。毕业後，她离开澳洲四处旅行，最後来到埃及。她的美貌引人注目，使她获邀在当地一部电影中露脸。无论布兰琪走到天涯海角，似乎都与演戏脱不了关系。
布兰琪返回家乡後，在澳洲声誉卓着的「国立戏剧艺术学院」修习戏剧。她一九九二年毕业後便加入澳洲最大的剧团「雪梨戏剧公司」展开演艺事业。剧评家非常欣赏布兰琪，先後颁予多座演技奖项来表扬她出色的演出。
不久後，她开始参与多部澳洲电视节目和电影演出。不同於许多表演者的是，在主演第一部好莱坞剧情片即一九九七年的《火线浮生录》之後短短两年内，布兰琪的星途便已展开。之後她赢得一个令人羡慕的角色，也就是在改编自澳洲得奖小说的《奥斯卡与露辛达》一片中与雷夫?费恩斯演对手戏，进而获得演出《伊莉莎白》的机会，也因《伊》片首度获得奥斯卡提名。多次入围奥斯卡的她於二００五年以在《神鬼玩家》中饰演凯萨琳?赫本赢得第一座小金人。
Word Bank
production (n)制片；制作
My sister wants to try out for the lead role in our school's production of The King and I.
esteemed (pp)受尊敬的
The esteemed author was greeted with a parade when he returned to his hometown.
outstanding (adj)杰出的；优秀的
My aunt is an outstanding cook. She opened her own restaurant last year.
portrayal (n)饰演；演绎
Orlando Bloom is well-known for his portrayal of an elf in the Lord of the Rings movies.
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feature film (n)剧情片
nomination (n)提名
Chat Room
good looks：(n)好看的长相
good-looking：(adj)
You are good-looking：你长得很好看
You look good.：你的气色很好。
You look good in that color.：你穿这颜色衣服很好看。
production
1 The Warner Brothers latest production was a great success.
华纳电影公司最近推出的这部电影相当成功。
2 The movie was a groundbreaking animated movie production.
这部电影是一部划时代的动画电影作品。
3 Production of the album took over two years.
这个专辑的制作耗时超过2年。
esteemed
受尊敬的，地位崇高的
1 She was an esteemed author in her time.
她是当代相当受到尊敬的作者。
2 He's an esteemed pioneer in the world of medicine.
他在医药界是受人景仰的先锋。
portrayal
1 The actress successful portrayal of the pop singer won her several awards.
这个女演员成功扮演这个流行女歌手让她赢得了好几个奖项。
2 His portrayal of the general was realistic.
他扮演这位将军扮演得相当逼真。
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Returning to her roots
The Elizabeth sequel and the highly anticipated fourth Indiana Jones film find Blanchett at the height of her career. She has, however, recently stepped away from Hollywood to take on a new role closer to home.
Blanchett and her playwright husband, Andrew Upton, moved back to their native Australia last year. This past January, the couple became the artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company, where Blanchett's career began. Together, they oversee three stages, 12 actors, an education department and over a dozen productions a year.
Blanchett and her husband felt compelled to return to Sydney, along with their three children. After living all over the world, she says, "something really hit us in the gut. It's just a feeling about what home is."
Fans of Blanchett's films shouldn't despair, however. She can still be found on the big screen this year. After Indiana Jones, she'll star in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, an unusual story about a man who ages backward.
With Blanchett's talent and passion for acting, it's likely that she will grace the stage and screen for many years to come.
落叶归根
布兰琪演出《伊莉莎白》续集及备受外界期待的《印第安那琼斯》第四集之时，已达演艺事业如日中天之际，但近来她已淡出好莱坞，回到家乡附近扮演一个全新的角色。
布兰琪和剧作家夫婿安德鲁?奥普顿於去年搬回他们生长的澳洲。今年一月，夫妇俩担任「雪梨戏剧公司」（也就是布兰琪发迹之处）的艺术总监。他们合力督导三座舞台、十二名演员、一个教育部门和每年十多部戏剧作品。
布兰琪和她丈夫觉得非带着三个孩子回到雪梨不可。她说，住遍世界各地之後，「我们内心真正体会到一件事，也就是什麽是家。」
但布兰琪的影迷不必失望，今年仍可以在大银幕上见到她的芳踪。继《印第安那琼斯》之後，她还会主演《班杰明的奇幻情缘》，描述一个愈变愈年轻的男子的奇妙故事。
布兰琪在演戏方面才华洋溢、热情蓬勃，料将在未来许多年继续为舞台及银幕增添光彩。
Word Bank
artistic (adj)艺术的；艺术家的
Jessie has great artistic ability. Look how beautifully she drew these flowers!
oversee (v)监督；管理
My boss asked me to oversee several important projects while he was on vacation.
compelled (pp)受驱使或催逼的
Ling felt compelled to give money to the homeless man she passed on the way to work.
despair (v)绝望；丧志
I began to despair when I realized that someone had stolen my purse.
grace (v)使…增添光采
Beautiful furniture and fine paintings grace my grandparent's living room.
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playwright (n)剧作家
gut (n)情感反应或感受
Chat Room
step away：离开
step aside：辞职或被替换，取代
step down：从一个高的职位下台
step in：介入仲裁
oversee
过去式oversaw，过去分词overseen
1 He was the sales manager who oversaw the sales department.
他以前是业务经理管理业务部门。
2 Nancy was appointed to oversee the transaction of property.
Nancy被指派监督产权转移过程。
compelled
feel compelled to do something：感到必须去做某事；compelling(adj)引人入胜的
1 I felt compelled to apologize to him.
我觉得我必须向他致歉。
2 He felt compelled to tell his supervisor about the incident.
他觉得一定要告诉上司这个事件。
3 a compelling story
一个引人入胜的故事
despair
(v/n)
1 He didn't despair even during the most difficult times.
在最困难的时候他都没有绝望。
2 Don't despair! We'll find a way to solve this problem.
别绝望，我们会找到解决的方法的。
3 She was trapped in despair after the breakup with her boyfriend.
和男友分手之后，她被绝望的情绪所困。
