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美国国家公共电台 NPR How To Watch 'Westworld' Even If You've Never Seen An Episode

时间:2018-04-24 03:24:32

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AILSA CHANG, HOST:

There's a lot of great stuff on TV right now, which is awesome1 but also exhausting. We have reviewed or featured at least 13 TV shows this year alone, which is like 129 hours of assigned viewing. And we're not even counting the Olympics. No one has time for that. But no one wants to be left out of the cultural conversation either. So we're going to spend the next few minutes telling you exactly what you need to know about a show to sound not clueless at a dinner party. Think of this as a TV cheat sheet. We're going to start today with HBO's "Westworld."

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "WESTWORLD")

JAMES MARSDEN: (As Teddy Flood) We've ridden 10 miles and all we've seen is blood. Is this really what you want?

EVAN RACHEL WOOD: (As Dolores Abernathy) It's us or them.

CHANG: The show comes back Sunday for its second season. And here to help us are David Chen and Joanna Robinson. They host the podcast Decoding2 Westworld, which recaps and breaks down each and every episode. Hey guys.

JOANNA ROBINSON: Hi.

DAVID CHEN: Hello.

CHANG: This should probably be obvious by now, but just to underline, there will be spoilers ahead, people. With that out of the way, let's start with just, like, a Cliff Notes (ph), bare-bones synopsis3 here. What is this show about? Can someone please tell me?

CHEN: Yeah, sure. "Westworld" takes place in a futuristic amusement park called Westworld where the ultra-rich are able to interact with androids called hosts and basically indulge their wildest fantasies, whether it's going on an adventure or visiting a brothel. The robots are - what they experience - you know, they experience horrors because they are shot and killed and tortured based on the whims4 of the guests.

CHANG: So people pay to go into this park to live out fantasies, and most of the fantasies getting played out are about realizing our basest desires, our most vicious needs and wants. That's what people want to do in this park.

CHEN: Yeah. It's like an extreme version of Vegas with robots.

CHANG: Wow.

ROBINSON: There are some family-friendly sections of the park. You know, you could take your kids to go, like, horseback riding or whatever in the countryside.

CHANG: While your dad goes to rob a bank.

ROBINSON: Exactly. Exactly.

CHEN: (Laughter) Yeah, that's right.

ROBINSON: It's fun for the whole family, Ailsa, so...

CHANG: That's great.

CHEN: And so at the very end of the first season what we find out is that Dr. Ford5, played by Anthony Hopkins, who's one of the co-founders of the park, he has decided6 to set the hosts free against the humans.

ROBINSON: The way I like to think about it is because this is a Michael Crichton story - and this predates "Jurassic Park." And so I always think of the robots as the dinosaurs7 and the guests as the guests to the park.

CHEN: Yeah.

ROBINSON: At the end of Season 1 the fences are down, the dinosaurs are out and the guests are in trouble.

CHANG: Part of what we're trying to do here is to keep people in the conversation even if they have not caught up at all on a show. Let's just picture I'm at a party. Everyone is talking about "Westworld." I am nodding like I'm following the conversation.

ROBINSON: (Laughter).

CHANG: What are some informed questions I can just kind of casually8 toss in there so I'm not feeling totally lame9?

ROBINSON: One question you could ask that would be deeply safe...

CHANG: (Laughter).

ROBINSON: ...And not show your ignorance is, which side are you on, the robots or the humans? Because there really is no correct answer to that one, and it could spark a philosophical10 conversation about artificial intelligence.

CHEN: One of the things that the show does really well I think is question, what is it that makes a human human? Like, what is it that separates us from AI, or what is it that separates us from the robots? What is the definition of consciousness? At what point does a robot consciousness become a human consciousness or so human-like that there's no distinction between them?

CHANG: That's getting super deep.

ROBINSON: Yeah, David's going deep at the cocktail11 party. I like it so much.

(LAUGHTER)

CHANG: So another thing that you see a lot - I'm thinking particularly on social media - are memes or catchphrases. You know, like, inside jokes for people in the know. Are there any notable "Westworld" quotes that I might come across out there?

CHEN: I think one of the most notable ones is an expression that one of the characters in the show, Bernard - the audience and him have assumed that he is a human this entire time for most of the first season. But one of the other characters finds schematics of the Bernard robot and presents it to him. And when he looks at it, he says, that doesn't look like anything to me. And that's a saying that I've seen in memes. It's kind of a way to say like, I will reject anything that conflicts with my programming or my understanding of the world. Anytime you see a news story you disagree with, just that doesn't look like anything to me, and you'll be referencing "Westworld."

CHANG: And what about the lovers and haters? Like, what's the line that divides people who are crazy about the show and people who totally despise it?

ROBINSON: I think it depends how much you like twists and turns in your TV shows. If you get into fan theories, if you don't mind sort of letting go and going along for the ride, "Westworld" is a great show for you. If you get a little agitated12 if you don't know what's going on at any given time, "Westworld" doesn't always give you the clarity you might desire.

CHANG: Well, this is actually kind of whetting13 my appetite. I might just do it. David Chen and Joanna Robinson - you can find their podcast at decodingwestworld.com. Thank you guys both so much.

CHEN: Thank you.

ROBINSON: Thanks for having us.

(SOUNDBITE OF RAMIN DJAWADI'S "MAIN TITLE THEME")


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 awesome CyCzdV     
adj.令人惊叹的,难得吓人的,很好的
参考例句:
  • The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
  • That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.
2 decoding b888b2fd35f4dd1fafb025cc18212418     
n.译码,解码v.译(码),解(码)( decode的现在分词 );分析及译解电子信号
参考例句:
  • We cannot add any other memory to this system without further decoding. 如果不增加译码,就不能使系统的存贮容量有任何扩展。 来自辞典例句
  • Examples using the 8250 will be presented in hardware section to clarify full-decoding schemes. 在硬件一节中有应用说明全译码方案8250的例子。 来自辞典例句
3 synopsis 3FDyY     
n.提要,梗概
参考例句:
  • The synopsis of the book is very good.这本书的梗概非常好。
  • I heard there wasn't a script.They only had a synopsis.我听说是没有剧本的。他们只有一个大纲。
4 WHIMS ecf1f9fe569e0760fc10bec24b97c043     
虚妄,禅病
参考例句:
  • The mate observed regretfully that he could not account for that young fellow's whims. 那位伙伴很遗憾地说他不能说出那年轻人产生怪念头的原因。
  • The rest she had for food and her own whims. 剩下的钱她用来吃饭和买一些自己喜欢的东西。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
5 Ford KiIxx     
n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过
参考例句:
  • They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上,所以我们只能涉水过河。
  • If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪,必须极度小心。
6 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
7 dinosaurs 87f9c39b9e3f358174d58a584c2727b4     
n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 );守旧落伍的人,过时落后的东西
参考例句:
  • The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 casually UwBzvw     
adv.漠不关心地,无动于衷地,不负责任地
参考例句:
  • She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。
  • I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。
9 lame r9gzj     
adj.跛的,(辩解、论据等)无说服力的
参考例句:
  • The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
  • I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。
10 philosophical rN5xh     
adj.哲学家的,哲学上的,达观的
参考例句:
  • The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
  • She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。
11 cocktail Jw8zNt     
n.鸡尾酒;餐前开胃小吃;混合物
参考例句:
  • We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
  • At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上,人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。
12 agitated dzgzc2     
adj.被鼓动的,不安的
参考例句:
  • His answers were all mixed up,so agitated was he.他是那样心神不定,回答全乱了。
  • She was agitated because her train was an hour late.她乘坐的火车晚点一个小时,她十分焦虑。
13 whetting f6a66a8dcf99bf5eef3a41a09e9f6c3b     
v.(在石头上)磨(刀、斧等)( whet的现在分词 );引起,刺激(食欲、欲望、兴趣等)
参考例句:
  • A battle is coming; the two armies are whetting their swords. 两兵就要交战了,双方都在磨刀霍霍地备战。 来自互联网
  • The smell is really whetting my appetite. 这味道真吊胃口。 来自互联网

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