Cast
Zachary Gordon...Greg Heffley
Robert Capron...Rowley Jefferson
Rachael Harris...Susan Heffley
Steve Zahn...Frank Heffley
Devon Bostick...Rodrick Heffley
Chloe Moretz...Angie Steadman
Laine MacNeil...Patty Ferrell
刚升上初中的格雷虽然个子矮小,但他天性爱玩,满脑子鬼主意,希望自己有朝一日成为校园风云人物。不过格雷很快发现十几岁实在是一段很难熬的时光——父母要求多,哥哥欺负人,弟弟惹麻烦,学校里的漂亮女生眼高于顶,高大的男生则横行霸道……他常常聪明反被聪明误,闯祸犯错一箩筐,只能又羡又妒地看着“呆呆傻傻”的好朋友罗利阴差阳错地大受同学欢迎……
这部电影改编自美国作家杰夫·金尼(Jeff Kinney)的同名作品。这本图文并茂的日记体小说风趣幽默地向世人展现了当代儿童的真实生活以及情感世界,是继《哈利·波特》之后最受欢迎的儿童读物之一,自出版以来连续获得多项图书大奖,已被翻译成25种语言,更被不少美国高校用作大学课本。本期“口语角”为大家带来电影的精彩选段以及作者访谈,感兴趣的同学不妨去书店找找新世纪出版社引进的《小屁孩日记》(1-6册)哦,说不定你也能写出一本属于自己的“小屁孩日记”呢!
故事一开始……
Greg: Okay, first of all, let me get something straight. This is a journal, not a diary. Yeah, I know what it says on the cover, but when my mom went out to buy this thing, I
specifically told her not to buy one that said “diary” on it. This just proves Mom doesn’t understand anything about kids my age. The only reason I agreed to write in this thing is because when I’m rich and famous, I’ll have better things to do than answer people’s stupid questions all day long. 
Mom got me this thing so I could write down my feelings about starting middle school, but I’m gonna be fine. It’s my best friend, Rowley Jefferson, I’m worried about. He’s definitely not middle school ready. He’s not quite clear on the concept of growing up.
But anyway, this is about me, not Rowley. I always figured they’d make a movie about my life, but I didn’t think they’d start the story here. Because, seriously, who wants to see a movie about a kid who’s stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons[傻子]?
格雷:好吧,首先我要声明,这是一本日志,不是日记。没错,我知道封面上写的是“日记”,但妈妈去买这玩意时,我特地叮嘱她不要买写着“日记”两个字的。这充分证明了妈妈根本不了解我这个年纪的孩子。我愿意写日志的原因只有一个——等我将来名成利就了,便无需整天忙于回答人们的愚蠢问题。
妈妈给我这个本子,让我记下升读中学的感受,但我不会有问题的。我倒是担心我的好朋友罗利·杰斐逊。他根本没准备好上中学。他压根不明白何谓“长大”。
但不管怎样,故事的主角是我,不是罗利。我早就知道会有人把我的生平事迹拍成电影,却没想到故事会从这里开始。因为,说真的,一个小屁孩身陷中学、与一群呆瓜为伍——谁会愿意看这样一部电影呢?
口语锦囊
“journal”和“diary”都是“日记,日志”的意思,但前者多见于文学作品,后者侧重于日常生活方面的记录。一般认为女生的日记更常用“diary”,例如:
I kept a journal during my visit to China. (我在访问中国期间坚持写日志。)
Have you been reading my diary again? (你又在看我的日记吗?)
体育课上,老师将大个子的学生和小个子的学生分成两组进行追逐赛,眼看着形势逐渐一面倒,格雷和罗利悄悄躲了起来……
Rowley: Think they saw us?
Greg: No way. They were focused on getting that kid with the limp[跛行]. We’ll hide here for the rest of the class, because I’m not playing that game. It’s not fair! He’s got all the Neanderthals on the same team! It’s barbaric[野蛮的]!
Angie: It’s completely barbaric. This place is an intellectual wasteland. But, you know, it’s nice to meet someone more interested in his mind than his body.
Rowley: You girls get to jump rope. What are you doing hiding?
Angie: Avoiding the pain. It all starts in middle school, you know? You’re not a kid anymore. The coddling[溺爱,娇惯] has stopped. Kids are now separated by intelligence. The weak are picked on. And girls you’ve known since kindergarten won’t even talk to you anymore.
Greg: Okay, well, sounds like you got it all figured out, so go back to your book.
Angie: This place is a glorified[美其名的] holding pen[候宰栏]. It’s where adults put you as you make that awkward[笨拙的,尴尬的] transition between child and teenager, so they don’t even have to look at you. Hi, I’m Angie. 
Greg: Great story. We’re gonna go now.
Rowley: Why? This is a good spot.
Angie: It’s a perfect spot. I survived all of the sixth grade here, and I would enjoy some like-minded company to get me through the seventh.
Greg: Is that the whistle? I think l hear the whistle. We need to go.
Rowley: Why are we leaving? We could get killed out here in the open!
Greg: Put your shirt on. They’ll think we’re on their team. Besides, getting crushed is better than being seen with that freak job[(一类)产品]. Trust me – you can’t recover from social suicide.
Rowley: I never talked to a girl that long before.
罗利:他们会看到我们吗?
格雷:不可能。他们只顾着抓那个瘸脚的孩子。下课之前我们就躲在这里,我不玩了,这不公平!他把所有的野人都分在同一组!太野蛮了!
安吉:野蛮得很。这里是智慧的废墟。不过,你知道,能遇见重视头脑胜于身体的同志总是一件好事。
罗利:你们女生在跳绳呢,干嘛要躲起来?
安吉:为了逃离痛苦。知道吗,一切都是从中学开始的。你不再是孩子,大人不再宠你。孩子们按智力高低分成三六九等,弱者受尽欺凌。你打幼儿园就认识的手帕交也不再跟你说话了。
格雷:好吧,喔,听起来你似乎把一切都看透了,那就继续看书吧。
安吉:这地方简直就是经过美化的候宰栏。在你从小孩艰难过渡为青少年时,大人把你搁在这儿就不必费心看管了。嗨,我是安吉。
格雷:这个故事真棒。我们该走了。
罗利:为什么?这地方多好啊。
安吉:这地方再好不过了。我在这里熬过了整个六年级,也很乐意找一些志趣相投的同伴陪我度过七年级。
格雷:那是口哨声吗?我好像听到口哨声。我们得走了。
罗利:我们为啥要走?我们在外面会被干掉的!
格雷:把上衣穿上,他们会以为我们和他们是一组的。再说,被整总比被人看见跟那个怪胎在一起要好。相信我——在人际关系上自取灭亡是死路一条。
罗利:我还没试过和一个女生聊那么久呢。
口语锦囊
“Neanderthal”本义为“尼安德特人的”(尼安德特人是石器时代生活在欧洲的原始人),现在一般引申开来用作名词,在非正式语境中表示幽默的语气,意思是“粗野的人”。
这个选段中同时出现了“intellectual”和“intelligence”,前者的名词形式为“intellect”,后者的形容词形式为“intelligent”。这两组词虽然意思相近,但在具体用法上还是有一定区别的。例如形容他人时,“intelligent”是指其聪明、头脑灵敏,而“intellectual”则指其智力高、受过良好教育。
另外,“pick on”是非正式用语,表示“选择……作为受罚的对象”,例如:
Why are you always picking on me? (你为什么老是跟我过不去?)
格雷在执行安全巡逻任务时闯了祸,却被人误认作罗利。无辜的罗利因此被罚,格雷有点内疚……
Greg: Hey, how’s it going?
Rowley: Well, I was pretty upset about being suspended[暂停参加] from Safety Patrol. But then I just started drawing a bunch of Zoo-Wee Mamas and I felt better. Look, I put you in this week’s cartoon, and you even get to say, “Zoo-Wee Mama!”
Greg: Wow, that’s really…nice. So listen, it’s kind of funny, you know, the whole Safety Patrol thing.
Rowley: Yeah?
Greg: Ready for the funny part? Well, I’m the one who terrorized[吓唬] those kids!
Rowley: …What?
Greg: Yeah. And I think we can both learn some valuable lessons from this, like, I should be more careful what I do in front of Mrs. Irvine’s house. And you, well, you should be more careful who you lend your coat to.
Rowley: You know what, Greg? You’re not a good friend.
Greg: Whoa, how could you even say that? I’m a great friend.
Rowley: If you were a great friend, you would have told Mr. Winsky the truth.
Greg: Okay, one thing, you can’t get mad about just...
Rowley: You only care about yourself. You hated my cartoon. You made fun of my clothes. You disrespected Joshie. You broke my hand, and you didn’t even seem sorry!
Greg: That broken hand was the best thing that ever happened to you!
Rowley: Don’t call me. Don’t come by my house. We’re done.
格雷:嘿,你还好吧?
罗利:哦,被安全巡逻队停职这件事让我挺难受的。不过,后来我画了一堆“哎呀我的妈”,心情好多了。瞧。我把你也画进这个星期的漫画了,你还能说:“哎呀我的妈!”
格雷:哇,真是……棒极了。你听我说,这件事还挺逗的,你知道,安全巡逻这事情。
罗利:怎么啦?
格雷:准备听最搞笑的地方了吗?噢,吓唬那些孩子的人其实是我!
罗利:……什么?
格雷:就是这样。我想我们都可以从中得到些宝贵经验,比如我路过欧文太太家门时要小心行事。至于你嘛,哦,你把雨衣借人时要小心选择对象。
罗利:你知道吗,格雷?你真不够哥们。
格雷:哇哦,你怎么能这么说呢?我最讲义气了。
罗利:如果你真的讲义气,就应该把真相告诉温斯基先生。
格雷:好吧,一来,你不能就因为这样生气……
罗利:你只顾自己,讨厌我的漫画,取笑我的衣服,还看不起乔希。你弄断了我的胳膊,却一点歉意都没有!
格雷:断胳膊可是你的人生头等好事呢!
罗利:再也别给我打电话,也别来我家玩了。我们到此为止了。
口语锦囊
这段对话语音清晰,语言简单,在不长的篇幅里出现了明显的感情变化,是role-play的好材料哦!先跟读模仿直至熟练,然后和你的搭档表演出来吧,注意体会角色的情绪高低和心理状况如何影响其语音语调。
Patty: Oh, my God! Rowley Jefferson ate...
Greg: I ate the cheese! Yeah, I ate it. And you know what, people? I just did you all a huge favor. I ate the cheese to show you all how stupid this whole school is. The wrong friends? The wrong lunch table? The wrong butt[(俚)屁股]? It’s all meaningless, just like this cheese. I know it. You all know it. So come on! Everyone else who’s sick of it step forward and join me!
Patty: Cheese Touch! Greg Heffley has the Cheese Touch!
(The kids all run away.)
Angie: Not bad, Heffley. Not bad at all.
Greg: So you want to come over after school and…play?
Rowley: Yeah. Okay.
帕蒂:天啊!罗利·杰斐逊吃了……
格雷:我吃了奶酪!没错,就是我。但是你们知道吗?我可帮了你们一个大忙。我把这片奶酪吃了,是为了告诉大家这个学校有多少蠢事。交错了朋友?坐错了午餐桌?屁股的问题?这些都是毫无意义的事情,就像这片奶酪一样。我明白这一点,你们都明白这一点。来吧!所有受够了这些蠢事的人都站出来,加入我的队伍吧!
帕蒂:奶酪魔咒!格雷·郝夫利中了奶酪魔咒!
(孩子们全溜了。)
安吉:干得漂亮,郝夫利,相当不错。
格雷:那,放学后过来一起……玩吗?
罗利:好啊。当然。
口语锦囊
听完本期的原声材料,你是否有所触动呢?你的学校或者年级是否也有一些不成文的“规矩”?你是随大流、不入流还是非主流?你也像格雷这样为人际关系而苦恼吗?结合下一篇作者访谈,和你的搭档交流一下感受吧/article/spoken/yingyukouyu/201012/3621.html。