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新視野大學(xué)英語讀寫教程第四冊unit9-a Section A Make Euro Disney More European

所屬教程:新視野大學(xué)英語讀寫教程第四冊

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Make Euro Disney More European

Does Mickey Mouse have a beard?

No.

Does this mean that French men seeking work with the Disney organization must shave off their moustaches too?

It depends.

A labor inspector took the Disney organization to court this week, contending that the company's dress and appearance code — which bans moustaches, beards, excess weight, short skirts and fancy stockings — offends individual liberty and violates French labor law.

The case is an illustration of some of the delicate cultural issues the company faces as it gets ready to open its theme park 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Paris in five months' time.

The Disney management, which is assembling what it calls a "cast" of 12,000 to run the theme park, argues that all employees, from bottle washers to the president, are similar to actors who have to obey rules about appearance. Anyway, a company spokesman says, no one has yet put his moustache before a job. As one new "cast member" put it: "You must believe in what you are doing, or you would have a terrible time here."

But what do people think of Euro Disney? People everywhere are wondering whether Europeans would like the American recreation.

For all its concern about foreign cultural invasion and its defense against the pollution of the French language by English words, France's Socialist government has been untroubled about putting such a huge American symbol on the doorstep of the capital and has been more concerned about its social effect. It made an extraordinary series of tax and financial concessions to attract the theme park here rather than let it go to sunny Spain.

The theme park itself will be only part of a giant complex of housing, office, and resort developments stretching far into the next century, including movie and television production facilities. As part of its deal with the Disney organization, the government is laying on and paying for new highways, an extension of Paris's regional express railway and even a direct connection for the high speed TGV railway to the Channel Tunnel. The TGV station is being built in front of the main entrance of Euro Disneyland, and is scheduled to come into service in 1994.

If Euro Disneyland succeeds — where theme parks already in France have so far failed — a second and even a third park is likely to be built by the end of the century. Financial experts say that Euro Disneyland, the first phase of which is costing an estimated $3.6 billion, is essential to Disney's overall fortunes, which have been hit by competition and declining attendance in the United States.

French intellectuals have not found many kind things to say about the project. The kids, however, will probably never notice. Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Peter Pan, and Pinocchio all come from European fairy tales or stories and are as familiar to children here as they are in the United States. To a French child Mickey is French. To an Italian kid he is Italian.

The Disney management is stressing this tradition in an apparent response to suggestions that it is culturally insensitive. Although the concept of the theme park is closely based on the original Magic Kingdom in California and Walt Disney World in Florida, "Euro Disneyland will be unique in a manner appropriate to its European home," the company says. "The legends and fairy tales which come from Europe figure prominently in the creative development of the theme park." Officials point out, for example, that Sleeping Beauty's castle, the central feature of the theme park, is based not on Hollywood, as some might think, but on the illustrations in a medieval European book. Also, a 360-degree movie, based on the adventures of Jules Verne, features well-known European actors.

Asked to describe other aspects of the effort to make the park more European, a spokesman mentioned that direction signs in the theme park will be in French as well as English, and that some performers will chat in French, Spanish and English. "The challenge is telling things people already know — and at the same time making it different," the spokesman said.

On the other hand, this effort is not being taken too far. Another Disney spokesman said earlier that the aim of the theme park is to provide a basically American experience for those who seek it. In this way, he said, people who might otherwise have contemplated a vacation in the United States will be happy to stay on this side of the Atlantic.

The Disney organization does seem to focus a bit too much on hair. "Main Street, USA", the heart of Euro Disneyland, it promises, will feature an old time "Harmony Barber Shop" to deal with "messy hair and hairy chins" — and perhaps even offending mustaches. One difference from California or Florida: Parts of Main Street and waiting areas to get into the attractions will be covered over as a concession to Paris's rainy weather.

Euro Disneyland's short distance to Paris is a definite attraction. Anyone tiring of American or fake European culture can reach the Louvre art museum by express railway in less than an hour — from Minnie Mouse to Mona Lisa in a flash.

Communications figured largely in the Disney organization's decision to site its fourth theme park near Paris. The site is within a two-hour flight of 320 million Europeans. The opening of Eastern Europe is another prize for the company, which thinks that millions of people will put Disneyland at the top of a list of places to visit on their first trip to Western Europe.

 

 

    使歐洲迪斯尼樂園更歐洲化
    米老鼠有胡須嗎?
    沒有。
    這是不是說法國人要想在迪斯尼工作就必須剃掉胡子才行?
    這得看情況了。
    一位勞工問題督察員本周將迪斯尼公司告上了法庭,他聲稱公司的著裝規(guī)定--不準(zhǔn)蓄胡須,不準(zhǔn)體重超標(biāo),不準(zhǔn)穿超短裙和花哨的襪子--侵犯了個人自由,也違反了法國的勞工法。
    迪斯尼公司正準(zhǔn)備五個月后在巴黎以東20英里(32公里)的地方修建一個主題公園,而這一案子正說明了公司面臨的一些文化方面的棘手問題。
    迪斯尼管理層正在為這一主題公園組織一支他們稱為"演職人員"的12,000人的隊伍。 管理方說所有的雇員,從刷瓶工到總裁,他們的工作都類似于演員,都得服從關(guān)于儀表的規(guī)定。 公司發(fā)言人說,不管怎樣,至今還沒有人把胡子看得比工作還重要。 正如一個新來的"演職人員"所說: "你必須相信你這份工作的意義,不然的話日子不好過。"
    然而人們怎樣看待歐洲迪斯尼樂園? 各處的人們想知道歐洲人是否會歡迎美國式的消遣活動。
    盡管對外國文化的入侵感到不安,盡管要保護(hù)法語不受英語的污染,法國的社會黨政府對將這么龐大的美國文化的象征放在首都門口卻并不擔(dān)憂,而是更多地關(guān)心其社會效果。 為了將這一主題公園留在這里,而不是建在充滿陽光的西班牙,法國政府做出了稅收和財政方面的一系列重大讓步。
    主題公園本身只不過是這一巨大綜合項目的一部分。綜合項目包括住房、辦公樓,以及將一直延續(xù)到下一世紀(jì)、包括影視拍攝設(shè)施在內(nèi)的度假勝地開發(fā)。 作為與迪斯尼公司合作協(xié)議的一部分,政府正在鋪設(shè)新的公路并支付建設(shè)款項,它是巴黎地區(qū)快速軌道交通的延伸,甚至可直接連接到通往英吉利海峽隧道的高速電氣鐵路(TGV)。 歐洲迪斯尼樂園的正門前正在建設(shè)高速電氣鐵路火車站,預(yù)定于1994年交付使用。
    如果歐洲迪斯尼樂園獲得成功--迄今為止在法國開設(shè)的主題公園都不成功--到本世紀(jì)末很可能會再建第二甚至第三個主題公園。 歐洲迪斯尼樂園的第一期工程預(yù)計將花費36億美元,財政專家說這一項目對迪斯尼的總體財富非常重要。迪斯尼在美國已遭遇到了競爭,游客量正在下降。
    法國的知識分子們對這個項目并無好感,然而孩子們卻不管這些。 睡美人、白雪公主、彼得·潘和匹諾曹都是歐洲童話故事里的人物,這里的孩子對他們的熟悉程度絲毫不亞于美國的孩子。 在法國孩子眼里,米老鼠是法國人;在意大利孩子眼里,米老鼠是意大利人。
    迪斯尼管理層強(qiáng)調(diào)這一傳統(tǒng),顯然這是對有人暗示迪斯尼管理層在文化傳統(tǒng)方面麻木不仁的回應(yīng)。 盡管主題公園這一概念是以加利福尼亞州的奇妙王國和佛羅里達(dá)州的沃爾特·迪斯尼世界為基礎(chǔ)的,但"歐洲迪斯尼樂園將具有歐洲的獨特風(fēng)格,"公司說。 "主題公園的創(chuàng)造性發(fā)揮突出地表現(xiàn)了歐洲的傳說和童話故事," 公司的行政人員指出,例如,睡美人的城堡這個主題公園的中心建筑不是像一些人所想的那樣根據(jù)好萊塢的作品創(chuàng)造的,而是根據(jù)一本歐洲中世紀(jì)的書中的插圖建造的。 同樣,根據(jù)儒勒·凡爾納所寫的冒險故事拍攝的360度環(huán)形電影是由著名的歐洲演員主演的。
    當(dāng)問及還有什么其他措施來使主題公園更歐洲化時,一位發(fā)言人提到,公園的指示牌會既用英語,也用法語,一些表演者會以法語、西班牙語和英語表演。 這位發(fā)言人說:"難的是要將人們已熟知的事說得讓它聽起來不同。"
    而另一方面,主題公園也不會過分歐洲化。 迪斯尼的另一位發(fā)言人早些時候說主題公園的目的就是為那些追求美式生活的人帶來基本上是美國式的體驗。 他說,這樣,那些本已考慮去美國度假的人就會高興地留在大西洋的此岸了。
    迪斯尼公司似乎對須發(fā)特別在意。 它稱將在歐洲迪斯尼樂園的中心"美國大馬路"建一個舊時的"和諧理發(fā)店"來處理"亂糟糟的頭發(fā)和胡子拉碴的下巴",也許還要管管唇上髭須。 這一樂園與加利福尼亞州和佛羅里達(dá)州的樂園有一個不同之處:這條"美國大馬路"的部分地區(qū),以及入內(nèi)游玩的等候區(qū)將會有遮棚,以對付巴黎的多雨季節(jié)。
    歐洲迪斯尼樂園距巴黎不遠(yuǎn),這肯定頗具吸引力。 任何人厭倦了那里的美式或仿冒的歐式文化了,就可乘快速列車,不到一小時就可到達(dá)羅浮宮,一瞬間就從米尼老鼠身邊來到了蒙娜·麗莎面前。
    交通因素在迪斯尼公司做出將其第四個主題公園選址于巴黎附近這一決定中起了重要作用。 這一地址距3億2,000萬歐洲人不超過兩小時飛行距離。 東歐的開放對迪斯尼來說又是一大收獲,他們認(rèn)為幾百萬人將會把迪斯尼樂園作為其首次西歐之旅的首選之地。
 

 

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