英美电影赏析系列(一)---《马利和我》赏析

英美电影赏析系列（一）---〈〈马利和我》赏析

英文电影确实不失为英语学习者学习英语的最佳选择，因为电影不仅可以为我们提供语言学习必不可少的真实语境，而且英文电影本身所具有的生动的音频、视频效果及多彩的文化背景更能增加学习效果。然而，笔者在日常教学中发现，同学们虽然爱看英文电影，但往往只是浅尝辄止，甚至一部电影看过后仅仅通过汉语字幕了解大体情节而已，并没有真正深入了解影片中体现出的文化涵义，也没有吸取其中的语言养分。因此，笔者打算撰写一系列英美电影赏析专稿，以便同学们在日后欣赏相关影片时，能够真切体会其中的文化涵义和语言魅力。

Movie Story:

Marley & Me is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel. John Grogan is thrilled when fellow journalist Jenny marries him and agrees to move from the cold of Michigan to the warmth of Florida for her. But when Jenny's maternal instincts begin to cry out, John's convinced by his friend, Sebastian, to simply give her something else to take care of, and so John surprises his wife with a Golden Labrador puppy and surprises himself as well, when the mischievous dog ends up driving much of his work in Marley & Me.

Cultural Exploration:

The Grogans in this movie is a typical example of traditional American nuclear family, is a term used to define a family group consisting of a pair of

adults and their children. There are differences in definition among

observers; some definitions allow only biological children that are full-blood

siblings, while others allow for a stepparent and any mix of dependent

children including stepchildren and adopted children. Nuclear family is in

contrast to the larger extended family, which is created at birth and establishes

ties across generations. Those generations, the extended family of aunts,

uncles, grandparents and cousins, can hold significant emotional and

economic roles for the nuclear family.

Over time, the traditional structure has had to adapt to very influential changes, including divorce and the introduction of single-parent families,

teenage pregnancy and unwed mothers, homosexuality and same-sex

marriage, and increased interest in adoption. Social movements such as the

feminist movement and stay-at-home dad have contributed to the creation of

alternative family forms, generating new controversy and concern for the

American family.

2. Dogs as pets:

Dogs are considered mans best friend for a reason. Research has shown that dog owners have more active lifestyles, lower blood pressure, and are

less likely to get sick than their dogless counterparts. One study has even

shown that people who engaged in petting sessions received a boost in mood-

enhancing hormones such as serotonin and oxytocin. Although these benefits

come with the cost of food and veterinary （兽医的）bills, many are more than