*注：本文摘自1月20日《英國衞報》
Why is the world so obsessed with the new pictures of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston?
為什麼全世界都對布拉德·皮特和珍妮弗·安妮斯頓的新照片如此痴迷?
1. No one will remember anything from this year’s film awards season. The winning movies will fade from memory, like so many before them. The winning actors will, within the next half-decade, become the subject of pub quiz questions. No one will remember anything, with one exception: the photo of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston reuniting at last.
今年的電影頒獎季沒什麼記憶點。那些獲獎電影和之前的很多電影一樣，慢慢就會淡出人們的記憶。那些獲獎的演員呢，在未來五年內，也會成為酒吧問答遊戲的主題。除了布拉德·皮特和詹妮弗·安妮斯頓終於又同框的照片之外，沒有人會長久的記住任何事情。
這張照片是在週日美國演員工會獎頒獎典禮上拍攝的，他們倆看起來很開心。他們曾是美國讓人豔羨的明星夫婦，照片裏面，他們看起來很高興能夠見到對方。照片是在走廊裏面拍攝的，周圍都是喧鬧的陌生人，但是，他們眼中只有彼此。
3. Look at it in the context of other photos taken that evening – one shows Pitt, alone andrapt, watching Aniston’s acceptance speech on a backstage monitor; another captures him holding on to Aniston’s hand as she walks away – and it becomes almost unbearably lovely. It is like they never split up. They even have the same haircut. It is wonderful.
我們來把這張照片和那天晚上的其他照片結合起來看。其中一張照片是皮特全神貫注地在後台監視器上看安妮斯頓發表獲獎感言；另一張則是安妮斯頓緊緊抓住皮特的手的照片，這一幕真的甜死了，好像他們從來沒有分開過一樣。他們的髮型甚至都是一樣的，太奇妙了！
4. Who knows what life would be like now if Pitt and Aniston had never split up. We would have been spared a billion “poor Jen” magazine covers for certain, but maybe the ripple effect of their happiness would have spread outwards. Maybe the American mood would have been sobuoyantthat Trump would never have reached office. Maybe Brexit would not have happened. Maybe in this universe David Bowie is still alive. We will never know.
如果皮特和安妮斯頓沒有分手，那現在該是什麼樣呢？誰都不知道。如果他們從來沒有分開，那麼，那無數的雜誌封面上就不會有“可憐的珍”了，取而代之的肯定是她的幸福和美滿。如果他們從未分開，那麼美國人可能就會一直情緒高漲，而特朗普也就不會登上總統的寶座了，可能英國就不會脱歐了，也可能大衞·鮑伊也不會去世。誰知道呢。
5. What makes this even more charming is that both Pitt and Aniston won SAG awards: Pitt for his study of detached cool in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Aniston for her career-best work on the Apple TV+ programme The Morning Show. At the time this photograph was taken, they were equals in every way. They are at the top of their game, and they reached that point at exactly the same time.
更有意思的是，皮特和安妮斯頓都獲得了美國演員工會獎：皮特是因為在《好萊塢往事》中的出色表現，而安妮斯頓則是因為在Apple TV+的電視連續劇《早間秀》中的精彩表演。在拍攝這張照片的時候，他們簡直是天作之合。他們倆都處於事業的巔峯，而且是同時到達事業巔峯的哦。
6. The question remains whether or not Pitt and Aniston willcapitaliseon this photograph and remarry. Because, from a public relations perspective, they absolutely should. If Pitt wins at the Oscars next month, his acceptance speech should consist of him getting down on bended knee in front of the world and saying: “Jen, I’ve been a fool. Please take me back.” Then Aniston would rush down the aisle,mascara streaked downher face, to accept. Then they would kiss and Aniston would become pregnant immediately and have a baby right there on stage – and then we will finally be happy.
問題的關鍵是皮特和安妮斯頓是否會藉此復婚。因為，從公關的角度來看，他們應該復婚。如果皮特能夠在下個月的奧斯卡頒獎典禮上獲獎，那麼，他的獲獎感言應該是當着全世界人的面單膝跪下，説：“珍，我之前真的太傻了，請再愛我一次。”安妮斯頓會接受求婚。她會衝過紅毯，睫毛膏混着眼淚從她的臉頰上留下來。然後，他們會接吻，安妮斯頓很快就會懷孕，生下孩子。之後，我們所有人就會開心幸福了。
7. Alternatively, it is just a picture of two winners celebrating briefly at an awards show.
事實上，這不過是兩個人在頒獎典禮上慶祝獲獎的照片罷了。
篇章結構
P1：觀眾因為安妮斯頓和皮特同框而瘋狂。
P2—P3：照片上的兩人都很開心，引人遐想。
P4：假設皮特和安妮斯頓沒有分開，那麼一切都會很不一樣。
P5：觀眾有這樣的假設的原因：他們兩個實在是太配了。
P6：假設他們複合的場景。
P7：打破假象，這不過就是一張照片罷了。
重點單詞
brim with洋溢着；充滿着
brim over with 滿溢；充滿
【例句】
Why are my eyes always brimming with tears?
為什麼我的眼裏常含淚水？
officious/ ə 'f ɪʃə s/ adj. 過分殷勤的;愛管閒事的;愛顯示權力的
【例句】
I moved because I can't put up with that officious landlady any longer.
我搬家是因為我再也受不了那個好管閒事的女房東了。
rapt/ræpt/ adj. 全神貫注的；入迷的
【例句】
She sat with rapt expression reading her book.
她坐着全神貫注地看書。
buoyant/'bɒɪənt/ adj. 有浮力的；輕快的；上漲的
【例句】
We were in a buoyant mood after winning our match.
我們贏了比賽,心情很振奮。
capitalise/'kæpitəlaiz/ vt. 用大寫字母寫或印刷；將(某事物)轉作資本、用作資本或資本化
【例句】
We capitalised our assets to avoid bankruptcy.
我們把資產轉作資金以避免破產。
mascara/mæ'skɑːrə/ n. 染眉毛油；染睫毛膏vt. 在…上塗染眉毛膏
【例句】
Tears had smudged her mascara.
她的睫毛膏被淚水弄糊了。
streak down降臨；跌下來
【例句】
We used to watch the stars that fell, too, and see them streak down.
我們還常常看那些掉下來的星星，看着它們劃出一道亮光落下去。
- THE END -
堅持就會有收穫！