又中又英｜laughing all the way to the bank

laughing all the way to the bank

Hollywood has produced two blockbuster movies this summer that have made Tinseltown laugh all the way to the bank. The two movies are Barbie and Oppenheimer. I have no intention of seeing Barbie. It’s a silly movie based on Barbie fashion dolls. The movie is about Barbie going to the real world where she experiences life among humans. Blockbuster movies are Hollywood movies with big stars that cost a lot to produce and are often very popular. Tinseltown is a slang word for Hollywood which critics describe as a beautiful place on the surface but is harsh and ugly underneath.

To laugh all the way to the bank means to be earning a lot of money easily. The producers of Barbie are laughing all the way to the bank because the movie is very popular in the US. Many young girls grew up with Barbie dolls. The other blockbuster movie is Oppenheimer. It’s about J. Robert Oppenheimer, an American nuclear physicist who led a team to create a nuclear bomb. The US used two nuclear weapons created by Oppenheimer to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 during World War ll. Japan surrendered after the bombings. Oppenheimer was nicknamed “father of the atomic bomb”.

Barbie has made more money than Oppenheimer so far although Oppenheimer is a more meaningful movie. Wall Street experts say Barbie’s success will likely be just a flash in the pan for Mattel, the multinational toy manufacturer that created Barbie dolls. A flash in the pan describes something or someone that enjoys sudden but brief success that won’t happen again. Analysts say the movie’s success will mean more Barbie toy sales for Mattel, but it won’t last long.

今个夏天荷里活制作了两出卖座电影（blockbuster movies），令这浮华城（Tinseltown）可轻松发大财（laugh all the way to the bank）。这两套电影就是《Barbie芭比》与《奥本海默》。我没有意图要看《Barbie芭比》，它是一出建基于芭比时装公仔的傻电影。电影是关于芭比去了真实世界，在人类中间经历人生。Blockbuster movies是成本高昂、由巨星主演的电影，通常都会很受欢迎。Tinseltown是荷里活的俚语别名，影评人会形容它为花花世界，外表浮华艳丽，实则内里艰苦丑陋。

To laugh all the way to the bank是指轻松赚很多的钱。《Barbie芭比》的制作人现在都轻松发大财（laughing all the way to the bank）因为电影在美国非常受欢迎。许多少女成长是玩着芭比公仔大的。另一出卖座电影（blockbuster movie）是《奥本海默》。它是关于朱利叶斯‧罗拔‧奥本海默，一位美国核物理学家，引领了一个团队去制作核弹。于二次世界大战期间，美国用了两个由奥本海默研制的核武器，在一九四五年轰炸广岛和长崎。日本受到原子弹轰炸后便投降。奥本海默被称为「原子弹之父」。

直至目前为止，《Barbie芭比》的票房比《奥本海默》要高，赚更多的钱，虽然《奥本海默》是一出更有意义的电影。华尔街专家们指，《Barbie芭比》的成功，对于创造芭比公仔的跨国玩具制造商美泰儿来说，很可能只是昙花一现（a flash in the pan）。A flash in the pan是用来指某事或某人享受了突然而短暂的成功，但转瞬即逝，不会再现。有分析指，电影的成功意味着美泰儿有跟高的芭比玩具销售额，但却难以持久。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻