A. 推薦幾部適合學英語口語的好電影
25部口語練習電影 ¬
1阿甘正傳 「FORREST GUMP」 主演：Tom Hanks 湯姆 漢克斯
2電子情書 「YOU』VE GOT MAIL」 主演：Tom Hanks 湯姆 漢克斯 Meg Ryan 梅格 瑞安
3居家男人 「THE FAMILY MAN」 主演：Nicolas Cage 尼科拉斯 凱奇 Tea Leoni 蒂 里奧尼
4公主日記I.II. 「THE PRINCESS DIARIES I II」 主演：Julie Andrews 朱麗 安德魯斯 Anne Hatthaway 安妮 哈德威
5逃跑的新娘 「THE RUNAWAY BRIDE」 主演：Juliet Roberts 朱麗葉 羅伯斯 Richard Gere 理查 基爾
6新岳父大人 「FATHER OF THE BRIDE」 主演：Steve Martin 斯蒂夫 馬丁 Diane Keaton 戴安 基頓
7BJ單身日記 「BRIDGET JONES』 DIARY I II」 主演：Renee Zellweger 雷尼 奇維格 Hugh Grant 休 格蘭特
8奔騰年代 「SEA BISCUIT」 主演：Toby McQuaire 托比 邁奎爾
9蒙娜麗莎的微笑 「Mona Lisa』s Smile」 主演：Julia Roberts朱麗葉 羅伯斯 Julia Stiles 朱麗亞 斯蒂爾斯 Kristen Dunst 克里斯滕 等斯特
10甜心先生 「Jerry Maguaire」 主演：Tom Cruise 湯姆 克魯斯 Renee Zelleweger 雷尼 奇維格
11熱血強人 「Remember the Titans」 主演：Danzel Washington 丹澤爾 華盛頓
12鐵血教練 「Coach Carter」 主演： Samuel Jackson薩姆爾 傑克遜
13重建人生 「Life As a House」 主演：Kevin Cline 凱文 克萊恩 Kristin Scott Thomas 克里斯丁 斯科特 托馬斯 Hayden Christensen 海登 克里斯滕森
14海上鋼琴師 「The Legend of 1900」 主演：Tim Roth 蒂姆 羅斯
15大話王 「Liar Liar」 主演：Jim Carrie 金 凱利
16單身插班生 「About a Boy」 主演：Hugn Grant 修 格蘭特
17風流奇男子 「Alfie」 主演： Jude Law 裘德 洛
18妙手情真 「Patch Adams」 主演： Robin Williams 羅賓 威廉斯
19變人 「Bicentennial Man」 主演： Robin Williams 羅賓 威廉斯
20貓屎先生 「As good as it gets」 主演：Jack NIckelson 傑克 尼科爾森 Helen Hunt 海倫 亨特
21完美男人 「The Perfect Man」 主演： Hilary Duff 希拉里 薘芙 Chris Noth 克里斯 諾斯
22婚禮男友 「The Wedding Date」 主演：Debra Messing 戴博拉 梅西 Dermot Mulroney 德莫特 麥隆尼
23男人百分百 「What Women Want」 主演：Mel Gibson 梅爾 吉普森 Helen Hunt 海倫 亨特
24老爸向前沖/冒牌老爸 「Big Daddy」 主演：Adam Sandler 亞當 桑德勒
25大魚 「Big Fish」 主演：Evan McGregor 伊萬 麥克格
B. 推薦幾部練習英語口語最好的原聲電影
1、 阿甘正傳2、 畢業生3、 情歸巴黎4、 網上情緣（電子情書）5、 漂亮女人（風月俏佳人）6、 女人香（聞香識女人）7、 西雅圖不眠之夜（緣分的天空）8、 泰坦尼克號9、 人鬼情未了（生死第六感）10、 湯姆歷險記11、 我最好朋友的婚禮12、 新娘百分百（諾丁山）13、 四個婚禮一個葬禮14、 旅行冒險記15、 哈里遇到塞麗16、 親親小媽（繼母）17、 謊言大師（大話王）18、 勇敢的心19、 墨西哥人（危險情人）20、 白宮奇緣21、 真假總統22、 六天七日23、 空軍一號24、 旺達魚25、 母女情深26、 羅馬假日27、 美麗人生28、 獅子王（1 2 3）29、 仙履奇緣30、 音樂之聲31、 簡愛32、 怪物史萊克33、 蝴蝶夢34、 風中奇緣1-235、 拜見岳父大人1 236、 美女與野獸 1 237、 雷霆救兵38、 飛越瘋人院39、 米奇之分派群星會40、 小鹿斑比41、 斯密斯夫婦42、 鯊魚黑幫43、 黑暗中的舞者44、 侏羅紀公園1 2 345、 四眼天雞46、 穿越時空愛上你47、 克萊默夫婦48、 我的巨型希臘婚禮49、 一夜風流50、 費城故事51、 迪斯尼動畫片第一部52、 美麗心靈53、 魂斷藍橋54、 卡薩布萊卡55、 迪斯尼動畫片第二部56、 王子復仇記57、 亂世佳人（飄）58、 律政俏佳人59、 阿拉丁和大盜之王60、 茶花女61、 雙城計62、 美人計63、 白雪公主64、 辛德勒的名單65、 傲慢與偏見66、 出水芙蓉67、 公主日記68、 天方夜譚69、 花木蘭70、 海底總動員71、 冰河世紀72、 綠野仙蹤73、 呼嘯山莊74、 哈里波特75、 生死時速76、 愛國者77、 角鬥士78、 芝加哥79、 初戀50次80、 不可饒恕81、 雨人82、 廊橋遺夢83、 美國派84、 海上鋼琴師85、 本能86、 鋼琴別戀87、 蒙娜麗莎的微笑88、 美人魚89、 變相怪傑90、 大力士91、 佐羅 2 92、 鬼馬小精靈93、 冷山94、 蟻哥正傳95、 窈窕淑女96、 天堂電影院97、 美國麗98、 阿拉伯的勞倫斯99、 保鏢100、 逃跑新娘101、 美國往事102、 紅磨坊103、 教父104、 沙翁情史105、 與狼共舞106、 走出非洲107、 肖申克的救贖108、 永不妥協109、 冒牌天神110、 這個殺手不太冷111、 沉默的羔羊112、 真實的謊言113、 壯志凌雲114、 空中監獄115、 燃情歲月116、 天使之城117、 鋼琴師118、 雲中漫步119、 白宮群英120、 灰姑娘121、 小雞快跑122、 修女也瘋狂123、 泰山124、 美國天使125、 七宗罪126、 熊的傳說127、 加菲貓128、 香草的天空129、 殺人三步曲130、 指環王131、 蝴蝶效應132、 富貴貓133、 蟲蟲特工隊134、 英國病人135、 教室別戀136、 曼哈頓女傭137、 珍珠港138、 魔鬼代言人139、 超人特工隊140、 黑客帝國141、 特洛伊142、 埃及艷後143、 霹靂嬌娃
C. 口語介紹一部電影或演員
「Forrest Gump」 is a definitive American movie. In its dialogues, humorous wits are shined by the teeth and flipped(輕彈；彈投) through tongues, especially from Forrest, who is with a marginal IQ, but leads a very charmed life. Rhetoric, as the main carrier of language, is very important in humors』 designs in 「Forrest Gump」. In this movie, much main rhetoric is used in the dialogues, like anti-climax, comparison, hyperbole(誇張法), pun, transfer and irony, which carry millions of Forrest Gump』s style humors to us. In the following, the article will discuss how humors are represented through applications of other rhetoric in the dialogue of 「Forrest Gump」.
marginal: Barely within a lower standard or limit of quality.
rhetoric: The art or study of using language effectively and persuasively.
1. Anticlimax and humor
In 「American Traditional Dictionary」, anticlimax is defined as 「A sudden descent in speaking or writing from the impressive or significant to the ludicrous or inconsequential, or an instance of it」. Anticlimax is a most popular carrier of humor in movies, because it is easy to be understood by the audiences and effectively brings them surprises and humors. In 「Forrest Gump」, Forrest always uses anticlimax to catch audiences』 attention and interesting, and then he 「fools」 them with unexpected ends. Forrest is not only a stupid with a small IQ, but a master of language with great humor and wit. He fools people, who treat him as a fool.
Example 1
Forrest: Now the really good thing about meeting the President of the United States is the food.
Here is a classic anticlimax humor. In the dialogue, Forrest uses some descriptive words, 「 really」, 「of the United States」, to show us what a good thing he will share with us.
In front of the word of 「good」, he adds emphasized word- 「really」, which makes us believe that the thing he will mention is absolutely good for Forrest.
Meanwhile, in common people』s opinion, President is a big guy in the country. Especially when it is formally modified by 「of the United States」, it is naturally to tell people 「Attention, please. Ladies and Gentlemen. There must be something very, very important to be said by Forrest」. So we focus our attentions on what Forrest will say in the following. But for our surprise, the answer is 「the food」. It is absolutely out of our expectation, and forms an anticlimax humor.
modify: 修飾，限制；更改，修改
The same type of dialogue by Forrest appears again in this movie. In Vietnam, Forrest says, 「The good thing about Vietnam is there was always some place to go」.
As we all know, Vietnam is a nightmare for most Americans, which affects almost one generation. It hurts Americans much, so that many Americans are afraid to mention it, even today. But in Forrest』s opinion, there is a good thing about Vietnam, which puzzles us and pushes us to the curiousness, 「what does he consider as the good thing in the Vietnam – the American heart-broken land. The end is simple and with some kind of stupid, which makes us feel humorous.
Example 2
Bubba: …… My given name is Benjamin Beauford Blue. People call me Bubba, ……
Forrest: My name』s Forrest Gump. People call me Forrest Gump.
This is dialogue between Bubba and Forrest in their first meeting. As conventions, they should introce themselves. For Bubba, he has a very long formal name (I think the screenwriter designs this long name deliberately). So it is certainly shortened by people in daily life, and it is also easily accepted by us. After hearing Bubba』s introction, we may have thought Forrest would use his famous introction to shine himself- 「 My name』s Forrest. Forrest Gump. But the screenwriter(劇作家) escapes from the conventional pattern. He thinks the answer as a real low-IQ, 「 Bubba said the complete name firstly and then told me the shorten name. I shall answer it in the same form, which will be polite.」 So in the movie, Forrest firstly introces his whole name – Forrest Gump. And then he shall tell us the name, which people call him formally. We also eagerly want to know, 「How do people call Forrest Gump? Is it 『Forrest』 or else?」 But even Forrest himself doesn』t know it. After hard-thinking, he tells Bubba the exact same one, which make us funny.
Example 3
Forrest: Now because I』d been a football star and a war hero and a national celebrity and shrimping boat captain and a college graate, the city of Greenbow, Alabama decided to get together and offered me a fine job. ……
Forrest succeeds finally. He is a football star so that he is an idol（偶像） of Americans, who are crazy about the American football. He survives from Vietnam with a medal so that he wins fames in the political society. He can play ping-pong like a maniac, and visits China as one member of the All-American Ping Pong Team, which is the first American social group comes to China after 1949 and carrying famous Ping Pong Diplomacy. So he becomes a national celebrity after getting home and makes TV program with John Leon (the spirit of Beatles). Of course, Forrest also creates lots of amazing experiences, which shock the whole nation, like discovering Watergate scandals. Above all, He is one of millionaires, who are loved by American people so much. In a word, he catches Americans』 eyes from almost every class. And he can be described in one simple sentence, 「 Forrest is a famous, wealthy and ecated man」. Without doubt, he is an ideal candidate to the President of United State.
Forrest is so famous and important that the city of Greenbow, Alabama should get together and consider all things seriously. And then the government 「offered me a fine job」. What』s the fine job? Everybody is expecting the answer eagerly. We should think, 「 Maybe President is a bit of difficult for Forrest. Congressman is right, who needn』t to consider all things」 But the government gives Forrest a more difficult job, an absolute technical job- gardener, far from our expectation.
2．Comparison and Humor
In real life, comparison always lies here and there. People like to compare one item to another in order to make things clear or express something special. In movies, comparison is always magnified artistically, and it sometimes turns into sharply contrasting. In this way, some humors appear.
Example 1
Doctor: …… But his back is as crooked as politician. ……
Here is a very short and clear comparison. I guess some China people don』t really understand the comparison and know what the humor is in this sentence. The reason lies in the background knowledge about Americans』 political opinions.
Only from this simple sentence, we can glimpse Americans』 typical opinion on politicians. They feel contempt for this kind of 「political animals」 because they think politicians always lie in public and not feel a thing. They usually waste money from taxpayers and do nothing. And some of them like to chase girls or make one another scandals. They are not normal people, and not moral people at the same time. So the doctor comparing Forrest』s back to politician』s twisting in the morality, just tells us Forrest』s back isn』t very strait. He makes one American humor, vivid and ethical.
Example 2
Mrs. Gump: Remember what I told you Forrest. You』re no different than anybody else is. Did you hear what I said, Forrest? You are the same as everybody else. You are no different.
Mr. Hillcock (the principal): Your boy』s different, Mrs.Gump. His IQ is 75.
Mrs. Gump: Well, we』re all different, Mr. Hillcock.
Here are two comparisons in dialogues. In first plot, Mrs. Gump emphasizes to Forrest he is exactly as same as everybody else. He is normal and not stupid. She specially emphasizes the last sentence – You are no different. As soon as her voice ends, the director changes to another plot, and the principal tells Mrs. Gump seriously 「 You boy is different」. Then he further tells Mrs. Gump a cruel fact –「His IQ』s 75」, to testify that Forrest is a real stupid. This forms a very sharply contrasting. It is so sharply that we can』t feel a little funny
Instead, we feel very sorry for Forrest』s mama because it is not easy to be accepted by a mother when others tell her that her child is a stupid. Some of them maybe react it strongly, sad or mad. But for Mrs. Gump, she answers it wittily. 「 We』re all different」, implying 「My son might be a bit on the slow side. It』s just a little different. And it』s normal because we』re all different in the world. So my son is going to get the same opportunity to go to school as everyone else.」
She is a great mother with great humorous sophism.（詭辯）
Example 3
Lt. Dan: …… If you』re ever a shrimp（一種蝦） boat captain, that』s the day I』m an astronaut（宇航員）.
Forrest meets Lieutenant Dan in New York City when he gets home from China. They go to a bar to celebrate New Year. Forrest tells Lt. Dan he will keep promise with Bubba, so he will buy one shrimping boat as soon as he has some money. Lt. Dan doesn』t believe that, because he knows Forrest is a fool, who isn』t able to do any business by himself. Yes, he gets the Congress Medal, but Dan thinks it is a stupid thing what Goddamn（該死的） American government does to make a fool out of himself. He doesn』t really look down Forrest, but he really doesn』t believe he can do something. Meanwhile, he maybe considers he shall be the real backbone （支柱、骨幹）of America who ought to receive the Congress Medal. And only the men like him are the hope of America. But he is nothing now, even no legs. How could he chase his dream? He gets nothing from government but alms and neglect. He resents the government who rubbishes him and has some envy to Forrest because he gets honor he dreams for.
So when Forrest says he will be the captain, he shouts to the crowds and says to Forrest bitterly 「if you』re ever a shrimp boat captain, that』s the day I』m an astronaut.」 Please remember the time when the story happened – about in the early of 1970』s. It is shortly after the first astronaut- Neil Armstrong lands the moon. At that time, to be an astronaut is an unrealized dream for almost all mankind. How does it come to a legless? Lt. Dan uses two positions to compare in order to tell Forrest, 「 Don』t be silly, you will never be a captain.」 But he selects a humorous and ironical way to express it.
3．Hyperbole and Humor
In 「American Traditional Dictionary」, hyperbole is defined as 「A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, as in 『I could sleep for a year』 or 『This book weighs a ton.』」 For Chinese people, humility is good virtue, and we think American is too simple and childish. Why? One important reason is that many Americans usually describe things or express feelings in some exaggerated ways. Sometimes, the exaggerations are far from the common sense and make some kind of humors. In 「Forrest Gump」, the hero-Forrest Gump is an honest braggadocio, who adds a lot of humorous color to the dialogues.
Forrest: Hello. My name is Forrest. Forrest Gump. You wanna chocolate? I could eat about a million and a half of these. My mama always said, 「 Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you』re going to get.」 Those must be comfortable shoes. I bet you could walk all day in shoes like that and not feel a thing. I wish I had shoes like that.
The dialogue is at the beginning of the movie. Forrest sits on a bus bench and talks to a strange nurse. Forrest boasts he can eat about a million and half of chocolates. It is a typical American exaggeration, obvious and humorous. Of course, it is very easy for us to know that no one is able to eat so many chocolates as a human, maybe God will. Here Forrest overstates it in one billion of times, through which and with the tone of speaking, we will easily find Forrest is not in normal IQ.
In the following sentences, Forrest』s speech reveals some simple life philosophy. And at the last of his first important speech, Forrest, as other Americans, begins to flatter the nurse by her shoes and he uses another exaggeration- and not feels a thing.
Only from these words, Forrest shows us he is not a common people. He is something.
4．Pun and Humor
John Dryden describes the pun as 「 to torture a poor word in tens of thousands of ways」. And in 「Collinth English Dictionary」, pun is 「the use of words or phrases to exploit ambiguities and innuendoes(暗諷、影射) in their meaning, usually for humorous effect.」
ambiguity: Doubtfulness or uncertainty as regards interpretation:
含糊不清；不明確解釋有疑問或不確定
Pun is the main carrier in humors, which are printed in texts. Puns usually need the receivers to chewing it over and over and finding something funny. So it』s not easy for audiences to tell the pun and feel humorous when they enjoy one movie just for one time. However, puns still are often used in movies with some simple forms.
Forrest: What』s going on?
Student: Coons are trying to get into school.
Forrest: Coons? Well, raccoons try to get on our back porch, mama, just chases them of with a broom.
Here is a very simple and interesting Meaning Pun used in the dialogue. The screenwriter uses a homograph（同形異義字）- coon, which has two meanings. One is 「A carnivorous（食肉類的） North American mammal（哺乳動物） having grayish-brown fur, black mask like facial markings, and a black-ringed bushy（濃密的） tail」. The meaning is what Forrest thinks. Another is 「Used as a disparaging term for a Black person」, like the word of nigger. Here the student intends to tell Forrest that two niggers try to enroll in the college.
disparaging: 蔑視的, 毀謗的, 輕視的
coon: [動]浣熊, 無可救葯者, <蔑>黑人
nigger: <美>被歧視者, 黑鬼(對黑人的蔑稱)
In American history, the state of Alabama is one of the most serious states, which imposing the social separation of races. And the University of Alabama is the last college forbidding the Black registering in. We also can be certain that many people in this college, or even in the whole state, are not friendly to the Black. So the student picks an insulting word referring to the Black students. But for Forrest, he has no opinion of race discrimination. He thinks it is normal for the Black to enter the college and study with them. But it won』t cause so many people, even the Governor, the Commander and so many reporters, to attention it. It must be coons (animals) trying to get into the school, which surely is a big interesting thing for Forrest. But he also doesn』t understand why the small animals will cause so many big figures to the college. He thinks his mama and a broom are much enough to chase them off. The screenwriter uses a pun building a simple and pure Forrest』s image.
5．Irony and Humor
Irony is 「An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning」, usually for humorous or rhetorical effect. Ironies are widely used in the movies』 dialogues. You should have the capacity of good sense of humor and knowledge in American cultures.
Forrest: I only caught five
Boat Salesman: A couple more and you can have yourself a cocktail. ……
Although Bubba tells Forrest everything about shrimping, but Forrest still finds that shrimping is tough. One day, he only catches five after a-whole-day hard working. The boat salesman just makes a joke to Forrest in order to cheer him up. Meanwhile, he also tells Forrest a fact that Forrest catches too few.
There is also a background about the shrimp cocktail. Shrimp cocktail is a mixture of small pieces of shrimp, served cold and eaten at the beginning of a meal. It is usually an appetizer. So the number of shrimps that are used in the shrimp cocktail is not big. Several are enough. Here the boat salesman just uses the cocktail to make fun of the number of shrimps Forrest catches.
6．Transfer and Humor
Transfer is to convey or cause to pass from one place, person, or thing to another. In dialogues, talkers usually convey one topic to another one, or change from one focus to another. Especially when the question is too sharp or not convenient to answer. Sometimes one talker is deliberate to transfer the topic in order to avoid hurting another talker. The transfer in dialogues often causes some unexpected effects, like humor.
Officer: Private Gump
Forrest: Yes, sir
Officer: As you were. I have your discharge papers. Your service is up, son.
Forrest: Does this mean, I can』t play ping pong no more?
Officer: For the army it does.
In this dialogue, the officer sends the discharge papers to Forrest and tells him his service in army is over. But for Forrest, the first response is he can』t play ping pong any more. He makes us a surprise and fun because there is no directly connection between playing ping pong and ending service in the army. It is according to Forrest』s intelligent level, which makes him think everything straightly.
For the officer, he certainly knows Forrest is not high in his IQ. And he doesn』t answer the question directly, like 「 No, my son. You can continue to play ping pong. But blah, blah, blah.」 He answers the Forrest』s stupid question from another angle. Only by a few words, the officer explains the thing clearly, even for Forrest.
blah: Dull and uninteresting
Conclusion
Of course, the humors of movie are represented not only in the dialogues, but also in the design of plots or actors』 body languages. this is banner
In 「Forrest Gump」, the screenwriter and director hide lots of humors in the designation of plots. For example, Forrest rubs elbows with many famous personalities over the last half of the century including Elvis Presley, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. And he also involves in many big events in the history of America, like Vietnam War, Ping Pong』s Diplomacy and Watergate Scandal.
As to body languages, we have to mention a great master, – Charlie Chaplin. You would find it difficult not to laugh at his early films. Of course, Tom Hanks is also a good actor, who surely acts a gifted fool perfectly through his eyes, expression and his actions. We can find lots of humors in his acts.
Totally, the humor is a very distinguished characteristic in American Movies. It is usually represented to audiences by dialogues, plots and actors』 body languages. Especially in dialogues, humors are vivid and witty through applying some rhetoric.
I will end my paper by some integrated words from 「Forrest Gump」: Hello. My name』s Forrest, Forrest Gump. I might be a bit on the slow side. But my mama says 「stupid is as stupid does」. I have no ideas to be famous and just want to be me. But for no particular reason, I』d been a football star and a war hero and a national celebrity and shrimping boat captain and a college graate. My mama always said, 「Life is a box of chocolates. You never know what you』re going to get.」 I just do the best with what God gave me, and you?
D. 適合英語學習的電影
怪獸電力公司——Monsters Inc；推薦理由：小朋友學英語口語首選影片，內容有大量的方言和口音，小朋友可以進行學習，劇情也十分有趣
玩具總動員——Toy Story；推薦理由：相信不少家長或多或少聽說過玩具總動員吧，這可是十分經典的動畫電影，在學習過程中，能讓孩子學到不同的英語短語內容。
瘋狂動物城——Zootopia；推薦理由：前兩年的瘋狂動物城可是十分火熱，裡面的歌曲Try Everything也非常好聽，劇情引人入勝，家長可與孩子進行觀看，從而引出問題的思考。
冰雪奇緣——Frozen；推薦理由：要說是兒童學習英語口語電影怎麼能少了冰雪奇緣呢，裡面的英語對話很有意思而且聽起來很自然，十分適合英語聽力訓練。
瘋狂原始人——The Croods；推薦理由：一部可以學到純正美式英語口語的好電影，劇情跌宕起伏，既清晰又自然，可以用作英語口語練習材料。