电影和好莱坞。对于不少人来说，这二者的联系就如同刀和叉一般。全世界都想看好莱坞的电影。这些电影制作费用最高却也最能赚钱。它们举足轻重，甚至一谈到“外国”电影，人们就会认为这些电影都来自于美国。
But in reality, many of the world’s nations make fine movies. France’s Cannes Film Festival, held each May, is where international movies get all the attention. The 70th Cannes Film Festival, held from May 17 to 28, hosted movies from France, Germany, China and the UK, but also the works of directors from smaller, poorer nations in Africa and Asia – as well as from the US.
但事实上，世界上许多国家都制作出了好电影。每年五月举行的法国戛纳电影节将全世界的目光都汇聚到了国际电影上。今年5月17日-28日举行的第70届戛纳电影节就展映了来自法国、德国、中国以及英国的电影，还有来自非洲和亚洲其他不那么发达的小国家的导演作品 —— 以及美国电影作品。
But is Cannes just a smaller version of Hollywood’s Oscar Awards? Not at all. For a start, this is a 10-day event, not a single evening. And although there are stars there, Cannes is more than just an opportunity to gaze at beautiful people.
但戛纳电影节就是个缩小版的好莱坞奥斯卡奖颁奖礼吗？并非如此。首先，这是场为期10天的盛会，而不仅仅是一个晚上。尽管现场群星璀璨，但戛纳电影节不仅仅是个围观美女帅哥的机会。
Like at the Oscars, awards are handed out. But Cannes is more
和奥斯卡颁奖礼一样，电影节上会颁发奖项。但比起各种花哨的奖项，戛纳电影更多地与电影文化有关。
Each year, for ten days, movies are first and foremost art – things that are valued for more than just how much money they will make for the actors and film studios. The films that win awards there tend to be different to the mainstream Hollywood variety. Often, they’re very focused on the day-to-day lives of ordinary people. They’re dramas of the joys and sorrows, pleasures and pains of everyday existence. Many have a political theme. For example, last year, English director Ken Loach won the top prize for his film I, Daniel Blake. It is a passionate and angry story
每年，电影在这10天中都是最首要的艺术 —— 它们的价值不仅在于能为演员和电影制片方挣多少钱。电影节的获奖电影多与好莱坞主流电影不同。它们时常关注普通人的日常生活，是关于日常生活中的欢乐与悲伤、愉悦与痛苦的戏剧艺术。许多电影都有着政治主题。比如，英国导演肯·洛奇去年凭其电影《我是布莱克》获得了电影节的最高奖项。这是个充满激情与愤怒的故事，讲述了一名失业男子和与政府官僚体制的斗争。
People often see this quality of Cannes as a reflection of the intellectualism of French culture. It’s said that the French are more prepared to take ideas seriously, to make time for matters that seem to be a little distant from ordinary life. That may or may not be true – after all, we all reflect on life – but there’s no doubt that at Cannes each year, popcorn and glamour take the back seat to the appreciation of cinema as food for the soul.
人们经常将戛纳电影节这一品质视作法国文化中理智主义的一种反映。法国人据说更容易认真对待各种想法，为似乎和日常生活不相关的事情腾出时间。这点未必正确 —— 毕竟，我们所有人都会思考人生 —— 但毫无疑问的是，每年的戛纳电影节上，爆米花与浮华都要让位于电影鉴赏，作为灵魂的食粮。
And according to the BBC, there is “a historical romance to Cannes”. It’s the place where the legendary stars were seen, whether that was Elizabeth Taylor or Grace Kelly. “It holds a special place in the imagination of movie lovers everywhere – and that makes it very hard for other festivals to compete. Cannes is part of the mythology of cinema,” wrote the BBC.
而据BBC报道，戛纳电影节有种“历史性的浪漫”。那是个见证传奇影星之地，不论是伊丽莎白·泰勒还是格蕾丝·凯利。“在世界各地影迷的想象中，它占据着特殊的位置 —— 令其他电影节都难以与之匹敌。戛纳电影节是影院神话的一部分，”BBC写道。
