每日英語跟讀 Ep.K462: Apple Feels the Sting From an Oscar Slap

Apple has a Will Smith problem.

蘋果有個威爾史密斯的麻煩。

Smith is the star of “Emancipation,” a film set during the Civil War era that Apple envisioned as a surefire Oscar contender when it wrapped filming earlier this year. But that was before Smith strode onto the stage at the Academy Awards in March and slapped comedian Chris Rock, who had made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

史密斯是「解放」（暫譯）的主角，這部設定於南北戰爭期間的電影今年初拍攝殺青時，蘋果視為奧斯卡必勝參賽者，但那是在3月的奧斯卡頒獎典禮前。史密斯在典禮時走上舞台，掌摑喜劇演員克里斯洛克，因為他開了史密斯妻子、潔達蘋姬史密斯的玩笑。

Will Smith, who also won best actor that night, has since surrendered his membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and has been banned from attending any Academy-related events, including the Oscar telecast, for the next decade.

威爾史密斯那晚贏得最佳男主角獎，那之後他退回美國影藝學院會員資格，且被禁止未來十年參加所有學院相關活動，包括奧斯卡獎。

Now Apple finds itself left with a $120 million unreleased awards-style movie featuring a star no longer welcome at the biggest award show of them all and a big question: Can the film, even if it succeeds artistically, overcome the baggage that now accompanies Smith?

現在蘋果發現，它花1.2億美元拍攝這部符合奧斯卡得獎風格的未上映電影，片中明星在這個最大獎項會場卻已不再受歡迎。一個很大問題是：即使在藝術上成功了，這部電影如今能夠克服史密斯帶來的包袱嗎？

According to three people involved with the film who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the company’s planning, there have been discussions inside Apple to release “Emancipation” by the end of the year, which would make it eligible for awards consideration. Variety reported in May, however, that the film’s release would be pushed into 2023.

要求匿名談論蘋果公司計畫的三名參與電影人士說，蘋果內部曾討論在今年底前上映「解放」，好讓電影符合獎項考慮資格。然而，「綜藝」雜誌5月報導，電影上映可能推遲到2023年。

When asked for this article how and when it planned to release “Emancipation,” Apple declined to comment.

當被問到計畫如何及何時上映「解放」時，蘋果拒絕置評。

“Emancipation,” directed by Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”) and with a script by William Collage, is based on the true story of a slave known as “Whipped Peter,”who joined the Union Army while still in the South.

「解放」由「震撼教育」導演安東尼法奎執導，編劇為比爾克爾吉，根據一名叫做「鞭傷彼得」的奴隸，在南方加入聯邦軍的真實故事改編。

Apple set up a general audience test screening of “Emancipation” in Chicago earlier this year, according to three people with knowledge of the event who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to discuss it publicly. They said it generated an overwhelmingly positive reaction, specifically for Smith’s performance, which one of the people called “volcanic.” Audience members, during the after-screening feedback, said they were not turned off by Smith’s recent public behavior.

根據三名知曉活動、但不被允許公開談論此事而匿名的人士表示，蘋果今年初在芝加哥進行一場針對一般大眾的「解放」試映。他們說，電影得到驚人的正面反應，特別是史密斯的演技，有人形容為「有如火山爆發」。在試映結束後的觀眾回饋中，有人說他們不會因為史密斯最近的公開行為而討厭他。

Smith largely disappeared from public view following the Oscars. But in July, he released a video on his YouTube channel in which he said he was “deeply remorseful” for his behavior and apologized directly to Rock and his family.

奧斯卡獎典禮後，史密斯幾乎自公眾目光中消失。但他7月在自己的YouTube頻道上傳一段影片，表示對自己的行為「深感悔恨」，並直接向洛克及其家人道歉。