VOA慢速英语: “灰姑娘”对于孩子们来说不仅仅是一部电影那么简单

'Cinderella' Is More Than Just a Movie for Kids

“灰姑娘”对孩子们来说不仅仅是一部电影那么简单。

Years ago, the American writer Kurt Vonnegut often said there was one story that would always make a million dollars: Cinderella.

多年前，美国作家Kurt Vonnegut经常说灰姑娘的故事是值100万美元的。

In Hollywood and in today’s economy, it is more like $70 million and that is just a start.

不管是在好莱坞还是今天的经济社会，它更像是值7000万美元，而且这仅仅是一个开始。

“Cinderella” made that amount in ticket sales when it opened last weekend. But the merchandising deals linked to the movie are also hugely valuable.

上周末灰姑娘电影票的销售就达到了那个数字。但是与之相关的商品交易也有巨大的价值。

The respected British actor and moviemaker Kenneth Branagh directed “Cinderella.” It stars Lily James as Ella and Academy Award winner CateBlanchett as her evil step mother.

德高望重的英国作家导演Kenneth Branagh执导“灰姑娘”这部电影。Lily James演灰姑娘Ella，奥斯卡金像奖得主CateBlanchett演她邪恶的继母。

Reviews of the movie were mixed. Steven Rea of The Philadelphia Inquirer called the film “a winning re-do.” Richard Corliss of Time magazine wrote that “Disney finally got Cinderella right.” Other critics were not as happy with the film. Sara Stewart of the New York Post suggested the story-telling lacks substance. She wrote, “this Cinderella is all dressed up with nowhere very interesting to go.”

对电影的评论褒贬不一。费城问询者报的Steven Rea称这部电影为“a winning re-do”时代杂志的Richard Corliss写到“迪士尼终于把灰姑娘位置放对了”其他的评论家们对电影并不买帐。纽约邮报的记者Sara Stewart表示故事缺乏物质基础。她写到，“电影中的灰姑娘一直穿的整整齐齐的，故事非常无趣。”

So the artistic success of the film is open to debate. What is clear, however, is the movie’s business success. It is a hit in the theaters but it is also a hit in retail. And Disney widened its usual market for “Cinderella” products.

因此，电影在艺术上是不是成功有待讨论，然而在商业上的成功是显而易见的。不管是对影院还是零售它都是一个重磅。迪士尼也为灰姑娘附属产品拓宽了市场。

There are products connected to the Disney film targeted not only at little girls, but women, too. For example, the famous shoe designer Jimmy Choo partnered with Disney to create a version of Cinderella’s “glass slippers” or shoes. You can buy them for about $5,000. At that price, you would not want to lose one at the ball, even if that is the way you get your prince. Several other shoemakers also accepted Disney deals to design versions of the famous footwear.

与迪士尼电影相关的一些产品的目标客户不仅是小女孩，也包括稍微年长的女性。举个例子，著名的鞋子设计者Jimmy Choo与迪士尼合作设计了一款灰姑娘的“水晶鞋”你可以花5000美元买到。那个价格，即使那是你得到你王子的一种方法，你也不会想丢一只鞋子在舞会。几家其它著名的鞋类制造商也与迪士尼签订了协议。

The makeup company MAC quickly sold all its products with official links to “Cinderella.” But lucky buyers were soon selling the products on the online marketplace eBay for many times the original price.

电影“灰姑娘”的官方指定合作伙伴化妆品公司MAC很快就卖掉所有与之相关的商品。但是买到的幸运儿很快在网上购物平台eBay上以原价的许多倍在销售。

HSN is a popular television and online retailer of jewelry, clothing and objects for the home. The marketer is now an exclusive seller of “Cinderella” products.

HSN是一家著名的电视与网上珠宝，服饰和家居用品的销售商。现在是灰姑娘产品的独家销售。

So, is there anything left for the children, those people we think of as the traditional audience for the age-old fairytale? Yes, you can find toys and other children’s products at the American retailer JC Penney. Of course, you can also visit a Disney store.

所以留给孩子们的是什么?他们才是古老童话的传统观众。是的，你可以在美国零售商JC Penney公司找到玩具和其它孩子们的产品。当然你也可以去参观迪士尼的商店。

Disney also produced an animated version of “Cinderella.” It came out in 1950 and is considered a classic. Which do you think the Disney company does best: live action or animated films? Post your thoughts in the comments section.

迪士尼也导演了一部动画版的“灰姑娘”。它在1950年出版，就被认为是一个经典。你觉得迪士尼公司做的最好的是什么：实景真人电影还是动画版的?在评论栏写出你的想法。

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Words in This Story

merchandising – n. the activity of selling products that are related tosomething (such as a television show, movie, or sports team) in order tomake more money

retail – n. the business of selling things directly to customers for their ownuse

ball – n. a large formal party for dancing

original – n. a document, film, painting, etc., which is created by someoneand from which a copy or translation is made