You have probably enjoyed watching a film on the silver screen at some point, but how often have you gone in the past year? Across the world, the number of people going to movie theaters has decreased significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading many people to worry about the future of movie theaters. These public venues were once an inseparable part of the cinema industry, but in the 21st century, that may be changing.
The first movie theater opened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1905. It was very different from the theaters we know today. The first films were only 15 or 20 minutes long and used lights to cast shadows of the film onto white sheets. These silent, black-and-white films continued to amaze crowds for over 20 years.
In 1927, “The Jazz Singer” was the first full-length film with spoken dialogue and a soundtrack to hit the theaters. It marked the end of silent films and the rise of “talkies.” After a few decades, especially in the 1950s, movies filmed in color were popularized as they became more affordable to produce. By the 1960s, almost every medium-sized city in the US had its own movie theater. The theater became a place for young people to gather and for families to spend an evening on the weekends.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock 照片：Shutterstock提供
Over the next 50 years, people around the world shared the cultural ex perience of the modern movie theater. People sat in crowded theaters surrounded by strangers while they laughed and cried at the stories on the screen. It was a way to share entertainment among friends and the broader community. However, due to social and technological changes, this kind of public entertainment experience is on the decline. In the future, “going to the movies” may become an act of 20th-century nostalgia.
某個時刻，你可能喜歡在大銀幕上觀看電影，但是在過去這一年中，你多久去看一次呢？在世界各地，由於新冠疫情的關係，去電影院的人數顯著地下降了，這讓許多人擔心電影院的未來。這些公共場所曾經是電影產業不可分割的一部分，但在二十一世紀，這個狀況可能正在改變。
首座電影院於1905年在賓夕法尼亞州的匹茲堡開業。它與我們現今所知道的電影院大不相同。最初的電影只有十五或二十分鐘長，且是使用燈光將影片的陰影投射到白色的布上。這些無聲的黑白電影持續驚豔觀眾長達二十多年之久。
在1927年，《爵士歌手》是第一部在電影院上映、標準片長且有口語對話及配樂的電影。這部電影標誌著無聲電影的結束以及「有聲電影」的興起。在幾十年後，尤其是在1950年代，彩色電影開始普及，因為人們愈來愈能負擔其製作成本。到了1960年代，美國境內幾乎每個中等規模的城市都有自己的電影院。電影院成為年輕人聚集的地方，也成為家庭在週末共度傍晚時光的場所。
在接下來的五十年，世界各地的人都有了現代電影的文化體驗。人們坐在擁擠的電影院裡，身邊圍繞著陌生人，同時對銀幕上的故事又笑又哭。這是一種與朋友以及更廣泛群體共享娛樂的一種方式。然而，由於社會和科技的變化，這種公眾娛樂體驗正漸漸衰退。在未來，「到電影院看電影」可能會成為二十世紀的懷舊行為。
What Did You Learn?
Fill in the blank with the information contained in the passage about the history of the film industry in order of time.（填空）
The History of the Film Industry -- Time Development
1900s: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, became home to the first movie theater. The first films were shorter, silent, and in __(a)__, but people still found them amazing.
1920s: People started to enjoy __(b)__, which were the opposite of silent films.
1950s: Movies shot in __(c)__ became popular.
1960s: Even more people hung out with friends and families at movie theaters as more were built in almost all __(d)__ cities in the US.
參考答案
(a) black and white (b) talkies (c) color (d) middle-sized
Word in Use
1. evolution n. 演進，發展
The evolution of technology became faster after the invention of the Internet.
網路發明後，科技的演進變得更加迅速。
2. decrease vi. 下降，減少
The number of newborn babies in the country is decreasing annually.
該國家的新生兒人數正逐年下降。
3. significantly adv. 顯著地
The new technique improved manufacturing productivity significantly.
這項新技術顯著地提升了製造業生產率。
4. venue n.（公共活動的）場所／地點
Andy informed me of the change of venue for our teacher appreciation banquet.
安迪通知我謝師宴改地點了。
5. inseparable a.（事物）不可分開的
Exercise and a balanced diet are inseparable elements when it comes to losing weight.
運動和均衡的飲食是減重不可分割的要素。
Practical Phrases
1. at some point 在某個時刻
Most of the time, Jeff loves staying in a group, but at some point he will go off for some quiet time by himself.
多數時候，傑夫喜歡待在人群中，但他最終會在某個時刻離開以便有段一個人的安靜時光。
2. be different from. . . 與……不同，不同於……
“Pentatonix,” a band which uses no musical instruments, is refreshingly different from everyone else.
「五聲音階」是一個不使用樂器的樂團，與其他樂團截然不同。
3. in color （電影、照片等）彩色
in black and white （電影、照片等）黑白
Peter made two copies of the photo, one in color and the other in black and white.
彼得把這張照片複印兩份，一張印彩色，另一張印黑白。
4. be surrounded by... 被……所圍繞／包圍
The singer is always surrounded by excited fans when he performs in public places.
這名歌手在公共場所表演時總是被興奮的粉絲們包圍。
聽文章朗讀及講解: https://ivy.pse.is/455bfu
本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw
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