The new king of the Chinese box office is an adorably ugly, demonic child fighting off monsters. In less than two weeks since its release, “Ne Zha 2,” an animated film based loosely on Chinese mythology and a famous 16th century novel, has become the highest-grossing movie ever in China, with more than $1.3 billion in ticket sales. It is also the first film not made by a Hollywood studio to cross that mark.
The blockbuster delivered a rare dose of good news for the Chinese film industry, which is struggling with anemic ticket sales and a slumping economy. The few films that break through the malaise are no longer Hollywood titles, but domestic features teeming with patriotic messaging or rooted in traditional Chinese culture or folklore.
“Ne Zha 2” is a sequel to what had been the highest-grossing animated film in China. In the 2019 original, Nezha is born as the reincarnation of a demon with supernatural powers, but destined to live only three years. He fights back against his fate and saves his village. In the sequel, Nezha revisits a similar theme. He challenges the political order and authority governing gods and demons, fighting the Dragon King of the Four Seas and other creatures.
“ ‘Ne Zha 2’ is the rare movie that hits all the marks,” said Raymond Zhou, an independent Chinese film critic. “It targets all demographics, and has successfully won over all of them.” The movie has pulled in $1.2 billion in ticket sales since its release on Jan. 29, at the start of the Chinese New Year holiday, according to Maoyan, a Chinese entertainment data provider. Its haul is already more than double the highest-grossing movie of 2024. The film, distributed by CMC Pictures, will be released in North America on Friday.
China Daily, a state-run newspaper, said in an opinion essay that “Ne Zha 2” symbolizes the country’s “growing cultural confidence.” It called it evidence that China’s entertainment industry is telling its own stories instead of relying on Western studios to make movies based on Chinese folklore, citing “Mulan” from Walt Disney Studios as an example. “ ‘Ne Zha 2’ reclaims the storytelling mantle, proving that no one can narrate China’s myths better than China itself,” the essay stated. Traditional Chinese culture has also inspired breakthroughs in other forms of entertainment. In video games, Black Myth: Wukong, based on a classic 16th century Chinese novel called “Journey to the West,” was an instant hit when it came out last year.
节选自The New York Times
The new king of the Chinese box office is an adorably ugly, demonic child fighting off monsters. In less than two weeks since its release, “Ne Zha 2,” an animated film based loosely on Chinese mythology and a famous 16th century novel, has become the highest-grossing movie ever in China, with more than $1.3 billion in ticket sales. It is also the first film not made by a Hollywood studio to cross that mark.
box office 售票处；票房收入
demonic adj. 恶魔的；魔鬼般的；魔鬼似的
animated adj. 用动画形式制作的；动画（片）的
译文：中国新的票房之王是一个长得丑萌，恶魔般的打怪小孩。上映还不到两周，动画电影《哪吒2》票房已突破13亿美元（超100亿人民币），创下中国影史票房纪录。它大致取材于中国神话和一部16世纪的著名小说。它也是第一部达到这一里程碑的非好莱坞电影。
The blockbuster delivered a rare dose of good news for the Chinese film industry, which is struggling with anemic ticket sales and a slumping economy. The few films that break through the malaise are no longer Hollywood titles, but domestic features teeming with patriotic messaging or rooted in traditional Chinese culture or folklore.
blockbuster n. 一鸣惊人的事物；（尤指）非常成功的书（或电影）
slump v. （价格、价值、数量等）骤降，猛跌，锐减
malaise n. （影响某个情况或某群人的）难以捉摸的问题，无法描述的问题
teem with 充满，遍布，到处都是（移动着的人、动物等）
译文：这部大片为中国电影业带来了一点难得的好消息，该行业正在票房不佳和经济低迷中苦苦挣扎。为数不多的突破困境的电影不再是好莱坞电影，而是充满爱国主义信息或植根于中国传统文化或民间传说的国产电影。
“Ne Zha 2” is a sequel to what had been the highest-grossing animated film in China. In the 2019 original, Nezha is born as the reincarnation of a demon with supernatural powers, but destined to live only three years. He fights back against his fate and saves his village. In the sequel, Nezha revisits a similar theme. He challenges the political order and authority governing gods and demons, fighting the Dragon King of the Four Seas and other creatures.
sequel n. （书、电影等的）续篇，续集
reincarnation n. 转世轮回；转世化身
demon n. 恶魔；魔鬼
supernatural adj. 超自然的；神奇的
destined adj. 注定……
译文：《哪吒2》是中国票房最高的动画电影的续集。在于2019年上映的前作里，哪吒是一个拥有超自然力量的魔丸转世，但注定只能在世上活三年。他反抗命运并拯救了自己的村庄。续集重温了类似的主题。他挑战统治神仙和妖怪的天庭秩序和权威，与四海龙王和其他神话生物战斗。
“ ‘Ne Zha 2’ is the rare movie that hits all the marks,” said Raymond Zhou, an independent Chinese film critic. “It targets all demographics, and has successfully won over all of them.” The movie has pulled in $1.2 billion in ticket sales since its release on Jan. 29, at the start of the Chinese New Year holiday, according to Maoyan, a Chinese entertainment data provider. Its haul is already more than double the highest-grossing movie of 2024. The film, distributed by CMC Pictures, will be released in North America on Friday.
demographics n. （具有某种特征的）一群人，群体
haul n. 很高的得分
译文：“《哪吒2》是一部罕见的取得全面成功的电影，”中国的独立电影评论家周黎明说。“它的目标受众是全体观众，并成功赢得了所有人的心。”据中国娱乐数据提供商猫眼，这部电影自1月29日的春节假期开始时上映以来，票房收入已达到90.1亿元，这已经是2024年票房最高的电影的两倍多。这部由华人影业发行的电影将于周五在北美上映。
China Daily, a state-run newspaper, said in an opinion essay that “Ne Zha 2” symbolizes the country’s “growing cultural confidence.” It called it evidence that China’s entertainment industry is telling its own stories instead of relying on Western studios to make movies based on Chinese folklore, citing “Mulan” from Walt Disney Studios as an example. “ ‘Ne Zha 2’ reclaims the storytelling mantle, proving that no one can narrate China’s myths better than China itself,” the essay stated. Traditional Chinese culture has also inspired breakthroughs in other forms of entertainment. In video games, Black Myth: Wukong, based on a classic 16th century Chinese novel called “Journey to the West,” was an instant hit when it came out last year.
folklore n. 民间传统；民俗；民间传说
reclaim v. 取回；拿回；要求归还
mantle n. （可继承的）责任，职责，衣钵
hit n. 巨大成功
It called it evidence that China’s entertainment industry is telling its own stories instead of relying on Western studios to make movies based on Chinese folklore, citing “Mulan” from Walt Disney Studios as an example.
句子主干为“It called it evidence”，“that China’s entertainment industry is telling its own stories ...”为that引导的同位语从句，解释evidence的具体内容；“citing ‘Mulan’ from Walt Disney Studios as an example”为分词短语作状语，补充说明主句观点，通过举例进一步解释。
译文：中国官方英文报纸《中国日报》在一篇评论文章中说，《哪吒2》是中国“日益增强的文化自信”的象征。这也证明了中国的影视行业正在讲好自己的故事，而不是依赖西方的影视公司制作基于中国民俗故事的电影，例如迪士尼公司制作的《花木兰》。“《哪吒2》重新承担起讲故事的重任，证明了没有人比中国自己更能讲述中国的神话了，”文章指出。中国传统文化也激发了其他娱乐形式的突破。在电子游戏领域，改编自16世纪的中国经典小说《西游记》的《黑神话：悟空》游戏去年一推出即大获成功。
1. In less than two weeks since its release, “Ne Zha 2,” an animated film based loosely on Chinese mythology and a famous 16th century novel, ______________ (become) the highest-grossing movie ever in China, with more than $1.3 billion in ticket sales.
2. The few films that break through the malaise are no longer Hollywood titles, but domestic features teeming _______ patriotic messaging or rooted in traditional Chinese culture or folklore.
3. He challenges the political order and authority ___________ (govern) gods and demons, fighting the Dragon King of the Four Seas and other creatures.
4. The movie has pulled in $1.2 billion in ticket sales since its release on Jan. 29, at the start of the Chinese New Year holiday, according to Maoyan, a Chinese entertainment data ___________ (provide).
5. It called it evidence ___________ China’s entertainment industry is telling its own stories instead of __________ (rely) on Western studios to make movies based on Chinese folklore, citing “Mulan” from Walt Disney Studios as an example.
1. has become
2. with
3. governing
4. provider
5. that; relying
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