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211.The stubborn studio executive
第211课 固执的电影公司经理
There was once a stubborn studio executive. He thought everyone's ideas were subordinate to his. Had it not been for a stroke of good luck, his career would have already subsided. He worked for a subsidiary of Global Pictures, a company that met stringent standards in the movie business. They made stunning action movies. Many stunts appeared in these stylized portraits of a by-gone heroic age. Audiences were stunned at the quality of the filmmaking. The executive had submitted great projects to his superiors, like the one about the hunt for two old submarines submerged under the ocean.
从前有个固执的电影公司经理。他认为每个人的想法都不如他的想法。要不是因为交了一次好运，他的事业早就落入低谷了。他在环球影业的一个分公司工作，这是一家符合电影行业严格标准的公司。他们制作了精彩的动作影片。许多特技镜头出现在这些对过去英雄时代程式化的描述之中，观众对影片制作的质量大为惊叹。经理把庞大的拍摄计划提交上司，诸如有关搜寻两艘沉没洋底的旧潜艇的题材。
Then he did something stupid. He began subsidizing a film for an avant-garde group. He could do so as the subsidy was small. Perhaps his office had become too stuffy and he suffered from lack of fresh air. This was a sure way to kill his career.
后来他做了点愚蠢的事情。他开始资助拍摄一部先锋派的影片。他可以这样做，因为资助不多。或许他的办公室变得太沉闷，他呼吸不到新鲜空气。这必定会毁掉他的事业。
The plot of the movie involved a chemist who sublimates compounds. He took strips of paper exposed to dangerous chemicals and striped each one with a different color. This somehow represented the subjection of intellectuals to drones. The intended theme: submission of the intellect to inferior beings is impossible. In subsequent drafts, the script became even worse. This plot is ludicrous, of course. Thankfully, an executive at the parent company stumbled across the script when it was in the preproduction phase. People wondered how an executive with such a sturdy career could gamble on such a ridiculous script. After this incident, the stubborn executive went back to making action films. Had it not been for his higher-up, he certainly would not be working in the film industry today.
这部电影的情节涉及一位纯化化合物的化学家。他让纸条接触危险的化合物，然后在每个纸条上涂上不同颜色的条纹。这样做从某种角度代表了知识分子不如雄蜂的含意。计划中的主题是：知识分子不可能不如低级动物。接下来的数稿，剧本变得更为糟糕。当然，情节是荒唐可笑的。幸亏在准备阶段母公司的一位经理偶然看到了这个剧本。人们纳闷，一位经理拥有如此巩固的事业，竟然会在这么荒唐的剧本上下赌注。这件事过后，这位固执的经理重操旧业，去拍摄动作电影。多亏了他的那位上司，否则他现在肯定不会在电影行业干了。
