Mobiles at the movies 在電影院裡玩手機

你每次去電影院期待看到什麼？新上映的大片？或是坐你旁邊的人邊看電影邊玩兒手機？本期《隨身英語》探討為什麼現代人在影院裡都不肯放下手機。你覺得在電影院裡使用手機應該被禁止嗎？

課文內容

詞匯: Behaviour 行為、舉止

Something I enjoy doing most in my leisure time is going to the cinema – the movies – to watch a great film. It’s two hours of relaxation and escapism from real life. But when I kick-back in my seat to enjoy the film and tuck into my box of popcorn, I’m often irritated by seeing someone next to me texting on their mobile phone or worse still, talking to someone.

It’s no surprise that a proposal by a US cinema chain to let people use their phones during some film screenings was met with such outrage, that the company had to withdraw the idea. People said it was ‘the worst idea ever’! Surely, going to watch the latest blockbuster is just that – watching not dual-screening. And if you’re out with a friend it seems very antisocial or just rude. I certainly get distracted by the click-click on someone’s mobile keyboard as they text and the glow of the bright small phone screen – why aren’t they concentrating on the big screen?!

But with the availability of streaming films at home and cheap DVDs, cinemas are struggling to keep their customers. Some places now offer comfortable seats with complimentary snacks and drinks so maybe trying to attract a younger audience by allowing the use of mobile phones is the way forward? A survey in 2012 found that a majority of 18-to-34-year-olds believed using social media while watching a movie would add to their experience.

Sociologist, Julie Albright, says “Millennials have become very good at multi-tasking so they think nothing of looking at their phone while doing other sorts of things including consuming films and television and other media.”

However, not every young person wants to multi-task at the movies. Many of us still get annoyed by the theatre staff who appear not to do anything about it. Of course, we could ask the offenders to turn their phones off but as Adam Aron, head of AMC Entertainment, said in Variety magazine, “when you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don’t ruin the movie, they hear ‘please cut off your left arm above the elbow’.” Clearly this is not what I would like to see but if you are tempted to use your mobile phone in the cinema that I’m at, please don’t sit next to me! What do you think is the right thing to do?

詞匯表

relaxation 放松
escapism （通過幻想、閱讀等方式）逃避現實
kick back 休息，放松
irritated 惱火的，被惹怒的
outrage 義憤，憤慨
dual-screening 雙屏同享
antisocial 不合群的，另人反感的
struggling 苦苦掙紮的，艱難奮鬥的
millennials 千禧世代 (常指1980-2000間出生的人)
consuming （尤指大量的）看，消耗，使用
offenders 造成問題的人，違規者
tempted 想做（某事）

測驗與練習

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

1. How popular was an idea by a US cinema chain to allow people to use their mobile phones during some films?

2. What are cinemas trying to compete with for business?

3. True or false? 18-to-34-year-olds think watching a film through social media platforms is the best way to experience it.

4. What phrase is used in the article to describe the screen where films are shown in the cinema?

5. Who is supposed to be good at multi-tasking at the movies?

2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. I got so _________ by the loud music my neighbour plays that I went round to see him and complain.

relaxed irritated tempted irritating

2. Teenagers in the town are being targeted by police after complaints from residents about __________ behaviour.

social-anti antisocially anti-good antisocial

3. Some experts say that __________ large quantities of alcohol throughout pregnancy can result in lifelong learning disabilities for the child.

struggling consuming tempting relaxing

4. I’m _________ to buy one of those new smartphones as my existing mobile is so out-of-date.

tempting temptation tempted tempts

5. I can’t wait to go on holiday, __________ and forget about work.

escapism kick back relaxation kick off

答案

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

1. How popular was an idea by a US cinema chain to allow people to use their mobile phones during some films?
Not very popular. The company had to withdraw the idea.

2. What are cinemas trying to compete with for business?
Streaming films at home and cheap DVDs.

3. True or false? 18-to-34-year-olds think watching a film through social media platforms is the best way to experience it.
False. The article actually said ‘a survey in 2012 found that a majority of 18-to-34-year-olds believed using social media while watching a movie would add to their experience.’

4. What phrase is used in the article to describe the screen where films are shown in the cinema?
The big screen.

5. Who is supposed to be good at multi-tasking at the movies?
Sociologist, Julie Albright, says “Millennials have become very good at multi-tasking”.

2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. I got so irritated by the loud music my neighbour plays that I went round to see him and complain.

2. Teenagers in the town are being targeted by police after complaints from residents about anti-social behaviour.

3. Some experts say that consuming large quantities of alcohol throughout pregnancy can result in lifelong learning disabilities for the child.

4. I’m tempted to buy one of those new smartphones as my existing mobile is so out-of-date.

5. I can’t wait to go on holiday, kick back and forget about work.