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从《黑神话： 悟空》看中国游戏行业("Black Myth: Wukong" is a hit. Will China produce more?)
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你扮演孙悟空（也就是美猴王），挥舞着金箍棒（传说中重达八吨的棍子），与二郎神（有三只眼睛的战神）对峙。
双语精读
"Black Myth: Wukong" is a hit. Will China produce more?
《黑神话：悟空》之后，中国会制造更多爆款游戏吗？
You are thrust into the heat of battle-a clash so violent it has "disturbed heaven and Earth" and "alarmed both demons and gods". Playing as Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King, you wield the jin gu bang (a fabled staff weighing eight tonnes) and face down Erlang, a three-eyed warrior-god.
你被卷入了激烈的战斗中——这场战斗如此激烈，以至于“震撼了天地”，“惊动了鬼神”。你扮演孙悟空（也就是美猴王），挥舞着金箍棒（传说中重达八吨的棍子），与二郎神（有三只眼睛的战神）对峙。
"Journey to the West" has been adapted many times: it is the most famous novel in Chinese literature and among the country's most successful cultural exports. But "Black Myth: Wukong", released on August 20th, is special.
《西游记》已被多次改编：这是中国文学中最著名的小说，也是中国最成功的文化输出之一。但在8月20日发布的《黑神话：悟空》却很特别。
The video game is the first blockbuster release from a Chinese studio. In industry lingo, "Black Myth" is a "AAA" game-a label that denotes big budgets and high production values.
这个视频游戏是第一款由中国工作室发布的重磅巨作。用行业术语说，《黑神话》是一款3A游戏——这个标签意味着高预算和高水准制作。
Many Chinese have bemoaned their country's inability to produce a video game as thrilling as "Grand Theft Auto" or "World of Warcraft". They are hoping "Black Myth" marks the arrival of a new player in the AAA arena.
许多中国人都曾为自己的国家无法制作出像《侠盗猎车手》或《魔兽世界》那样令人兴奋的视频游戏而感到惋惜。他们希望《黑神话：悟空》标志着在3A游戏领域出现了一个新玩家。
Why has China been so late to log on? One reason is that the country has been focused on winning the mobile game war. China made four of the ten highest-grossing mobile games of 2023, including the top entry, "Honour of Kings".
为什么中国进入游戏领域这么晚？一个原因是中国一直专注于赢得手游战争。2023年十大最赚钱的手游中，有四款是中国制作的，包括排名第一的《王者荣耀》。
Mobile games "monetise much faster", explains one game producer in China, which counts against designers who want to spend time and money on something more expansive.
中国的一位游戏制作人解释道，手游“变现速度快得多”，这对那些想在规模更大的游戏上投入时间和资金的设计师来说是不利条件。
Perhaps the biggest reason for the lag is that Chinese gamers are not in the habit of paying to play. China is richer now, but with the rise of mobile games-which are typically free-to-play and make their money from selling in-game benefits-the habit has stuck.
也许滞后的最大原因是中国玩家没有付费玩游戏的习惯。中国现在更富裕了，但随着手游的兴起——这些游戏通常是免费玩的，通过出售游戏内的福利来赚钱——这种习惯继续存留。
Some Chinese netizens were nonplussed when the pricing for "Black Myth" was announced at 268 yuan ($38). GameScience, the maker of "Black Myth", based in Hangzhou, is hoping to reboot that attitude.
当《黑神话：悟空》的定价公布为268元（合38美元）时，一些中国网民惊呆了。《黑神话》的制造商游戏科学公司（总部位于杭州）希望重塑这种态度。
Feng Ji, its boss, abides by the motto "Move oneself first, then find alignment with the market." GameScience studied the best titles and historical material to create a game world that would feel true to "Journey to the West".
游戏科学的老板冯骥遵循着这样的座右铭：“先打动自己，再与市场对齐。”游戏科学公司研究了最好的书和历史材料，以创造一个观感与《西游记》高度相似的游戏世界。
The game's success proves the viability of blockbuster games in China and encourages other developers to think big. Mr Feng asserts that "There will be more Chinese games that can vie with those overseas."
《黑神话》的成功证明了大制作游戏在中国的可行性，并鼓励了其他开发者要敢想敢做。冯骥断言：“将会有更多的中国游戏能够与海外游戏相媲美。”
That will come as good news to those who like to monkey around on gaming consoles.
对于那些喜欢玩游戏机的人来说，这是个好消息。
词汇预习
release [高考]
美[rɪˈliːs] | 英[rɪˈliːs]
n. 释放；让渡；发行 vt. 释放；让与；准予发表；发射
typically [高考]
美[ˈtɪpɪkli] | 英[ˈtɪpɪkli]
adv. 典型地；代表性地；通常，一般；不出所料地
inability [高考]
美[ˌɪnəˈbɪləti] | 英[ˌɪnəˈbɪləti]
n. 无能；无力
arrival [高考]
美[əˈraɪvl] | 英[əˈraɪvl]
n. 到达；达到；到达者；新生儿
battle [高考]
美[ˈbætl] | 英[ˈbætl]
n. 战斗；争斗 v. 与 ... 作战；与 ... 竞争
entry [高考]
美[ˈentri] | 英[ˈentri]
n. 进入；进入权；入口；条目
violent [高考]
美[ˈvaɪələnt] | 英[ˈvaɪələnt]
adj. 猛烈的；强烈的；暴力的；极端的
motto [高考]
美[ˈmɑːtoʊ] | 英[ˈmɒtəʊ]
n. 座右铭；箴言
log [高考]
美[lɔːɡ] | 英[lɒɡ]
n. 原木；圆木；(航海、飞行)日志；(船)计程仪 v. 伐木；记入(日志)
arena [高考]
美[əˈriːnə] | 英[əˈriːnə]
n. 竞技场
mobile [高考]
美[ˈmoʊbl] | 英[ˈməʊbaɪl]
adj. 移动的；易变的；活动的 n. [美]汽车；可动雕塑；悬挂饰物；活动物体
would [高考]
美[wʊd , wəd] | 英[wʊd , wəd]
aux. 将；可能；大概；总会；愿意；will的过去式
lag [四级]
美[læɡ] | 英[læɡ]
v. 落后；减退；缓慢进行 n. 落后；时间间隔
bang [四级]
美[bæŋ] | 英[bæŋ]
n. 巨响；重击；刘海 v. 重击；大声敲；剪成刘海；突然巨响 adv. 正好地；准确地
thrust [四级]
美[θrʌst] | 英[θrʌst]
v. 刺；插入；推挤 n. 刺；推力；要旨
clash [四级]
美[klæʃ] | 英[klæʃ]
n. 冲突；抵触；撞击声 vt. 使…发出撞击声 vi. 引起冲突
true to [四级]
美 | 英
忠实于；信赖
alignment [六级]
美[əˈlaɪnmənt] | 英[əˈlaɪnmənt]
n. 调整成直线；准线；调整；直线性 n. 结盟
wield [六级]
美[wiːld] | 英[wiːld]
v. 行使；施加(影响)；使用(武器等)；挥舞
log on [六级]
美[lɔɡ ɑn] | 英[lɔɡ ɔn]
开始工作
expansive [专八]
美[ɪkˈspænsɪv] | 英[ɪkˈspænsɪv]
adj. 易膨胀的；广阔的；滔滔不绝的；健谈的
vie [专八]
美[vaɪ] | 英[vaɪ]
v. 竞争
warrior [考研]
美[ˈwɔːriər] | 英[ˈwɒriə(r)]
n. 勇士；战士；武士
viability [托福]
美[ˌvaɪə'bɪlətɪ] | 英[ˌvaɪə'bɪlətɪ]
n. 生存能力；发育能力；可行性
重点讲解
“Black Myth: Wukong” is a hit. Will China produce more?
《黑神话：悟空》之后，中国会制造更多爆款游戏吗？
wield v. 挥舞；操（某种工具）
【例】to wield the sword 挥舞宝剑
to wield power/influence 行使权力/施加影响力
【拓展】unwieldy adj. 笨重的；尾大不掉的
【例】an unwieldy multinational 庞大且不灵活的跨国公司
You are thrust into the heat of battle—a clash so violent it has “disturbed heaven and Earth” and “alarmed both demons and gods”. Playing as Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King, you wield the jin gu bang (a fabled staff weighing eight tonnes) and face down Erlang, a three-eyed warrior-god.
你被卷入了激烈的战斗中——这场战斗如此激烈，以至于“震撼了天地”，“惊动了鬼神”。你扮演孙悟空（也就是美猴王），挥舞着金箍棒（传说中重达八吨的棍子），与二郎神（有三只眼睛的战神）对峙。
wield v. 挥舞；操（某种工具）
【例】to wield the sword 挥舞宝剑
to wield power/influence 行使权力/施加影响力
【拓展】unwieldy adj. 笨重的；尾大不掉的
【例】an unwieldy multinational 庞大且不灵活的跨国公司
“Journey to the West” has been adapted many times: it is the most famous novel in Chinese literature and among the country’s most successful cultural exports. But “Black Myth: Wukong”, released on August 20th, is special.
《西游记》已被多次改编：这是中国文学中最著名的小说，也是中国最成功的文化输出之一。但在8月20日发布的《黑神话：悟空》却很特别。
blockbuster n. 巨型炸弹；重磅之作；大制作
【例】a blockbuster film 大制作电影；大片
a blockbuster product 引起轰动的产品
The video game is the first blockbuster release from a Chinese studio. In industry lingo, “Black Myth” is a “AAA” game—a label that denotes big budgets and high production values.
这个视频游戏是第一款由中国工作室发布的重磅巨作。用行业术语说，《黑神话》是一款3A游戏——这个标签意味着高预算和高水准制作。
blockbuster n. 巨型炸弹；重磅之作；大制作
【例】a blockbuster film 大制作电影；大片
a blockbuster product 引起轰动的产品
Many Chinese have bemoaned their country’s inability to produce a video game as thrilling as “Grand Theft Auto” or “World of Warcraft”. They are hoping “Black Myth” marks the arrival of a new player in the AAA arena.
许多中国人都曾为自己的国家无法制作出像《侠盗猎车手》或《魔兽世界》那样令人兴奋的视频游戏而感到惋惜。他们希望《黑神话：悟空》标志着在3A游戏领域出现了一个新玩家。
thrilling adj. 令人震颤的；令人兴奋的；刺激的
【例】The roller-coaster ride is thrilling.
坐过山车好刺激。
【拓展】thrill n./v. 震颤感/使非常兴奋
thrilled adj. 非常兴奋的；非常激动的
player n. 玩家；参与者；竞争者
【例】The company has emerged as a major player in the market.
那家公司已崭露头角，成为市场上的主要竞争者。
team player 擅长团队合作的人
【拓展】a game changer 改变游戏规则的人；颠覆者
Why has China been so late to log on? One reason is that the country has been focused on winning the mobile game war. China made four of the ten highest-grossing mobile games of 2023, including the top entry, “Honour of Kings”.
为什么中国进入游戏领域这么晚？一个原因是中国一直专注于赢得手游战争。2023年十大最赚钱的手游中，有四款是中国制作的，包括排名第一的《王者荣耀》。
gross v. & adj.
1. 作动词：总共赚得；总共收入
【例】The movie grossed four million.
这部电影获得400万总票房收入。
2. 作形容词：总的；恶心的
【例】gross income 税前总收入
gross domestic product 国民生产总值（GDP）
The food looks gross. 这食物看起来好恶心。
count against 对......而言是不利条件
【例】His height may count against him in the game of balance.
在这个平衡游戏中，他个子太高可能是一个劣势。
【近义词】work against 对......不利
be a disadvantage to sb 是某人的劣势
Mobile games “monetise much faster”, explains one game producer in China, which counts against designers who want to spend time and money on something more expansive.
中国的一位游戏制作人解释道，手游“变现速度快得多”，这对那些想在规模更大的游戏上投入时间和资金的设计师来说是不利条件。
gross v. & adj.
1. 作动词：总共赚得；总共收入
【例】The movie grossed four million.
这部电影获得400万总票房收入。
2. 作形容词：总的；恶心的
【例】gross income 税前总收入
gross domestic product 国民生产总值（GDP）
The food looks gross. 这食物看起来好恶心。
count against 对......而言是不利条件
【例】His height may count against him in the game of balance.
在这个平衡游戏中，他个子太高可能是一个劣势。
【近义词】work against 对......不利
be a disadvantage to sb 是某人的劣势
Perhaps the biggest reason for the lag is that Chinese gamers are not in the habit of paying to play. China is richer now, but with the rise of mobile games—which are typically free-to-play and make their money from selling in-game benefits—the habit has stuck.
也许滞后的最大原因是中国玩家没有付费玩游戏的习惯。中国现在更富裕了，但随着手游的兴起——这些游戏通常是免费玩的，通过出售游戏内的福利来赚钱——这种习惯继续存留。
lag v. & n.
1. 作动词：落后；滞后
【例】He lagged behind the rest of the team during the hike.
在徒步时，他落后在其他队员后面。
【搭配】to lag/fall behind the schedule 进度落后
to lag behind the competitors in sth 在某方面落后于竞争对手
2. 作名词：滞后；延迟
【例】There is a lag of about two seconds between the audio and the video.
声音和画面之间有大约2秒的延迟。
【搭配】jet lag 飞行时差
reboot v. 重新启动
【例】to reboot the computer 重启电脑
The studio decided to reboot the popular TV series with a new cast.
工作室决定用新的演员阵容重拍这个受欢迎的电视剧。
【近义词】restart v. 重新启动
Some Chinese netizens were nonplussed when the pricing for “Black Myth” was announced at 268 yuan ($38). GameScience, the maker of “Black Myth”, based in Hangzhou, is hoping to reboot that attitude.
当《黑神话：悟空》的定价公布为268元（合38美元）时，一些中国网民惊呆了。《黑神话》的制造商游戏科学公司（总部位于杭州）希望重塑这种态度。
lag v. & n.
1. 作动词：落后；滞后
【例】He lagged behind the rest of the team during the hike.
在徒步时，他落后在其他队员后面。
【搭配】to lag/fall behind the schedule 进度落后
to lag behind the competitors in sth 在某方面落后于竞争对手
2. 作名词：滞后；延迟
【例】There is a lag of about two seconds between the audio and the video.
声音和画面之间有大约2秒的延迟。
【搭配】jet lag 飞行时差
reboot v. 重新启动
【例】to reboot the computer 重启电脑
The studio decided to reboot the popular TV series with a new cast.
工作室决定用新的演员阵容重拍这个受欢迎的电视剧。
【近义词】restart v. 重新启动
Feng Ji, its boss, abides by the motto “Move oneself first, then find alignment with the market.” GameScience studied the best titles and historical material to create a game world that would feel true to “Journey to the West”.
游戏科学的老板冯骥遵循着这样的座右铭：“先打动自己，再与市场对齐。”游戏科学公司研究了最好的书和历史材料，以创造一个观感与《西游记》高度相似的游戏世界。
abide by 遵守；遵循
【例】to abide by the law 遵守法律
to abide by the rules 遵守规定
to abide by one’s commitment/words 遵守诺言
【近义词】adhere to 遵守；遵从
【拓展】law-abiding adj. 遵纪守法的
viability n. 可行性
【例】the commercial viability of the product
这一产品的商业可行性
the long-term viability of fossil fuels
长期使用化石燃料的可行性
【拓展】viable adj. 可行的；有望成功的
【近义词】feasible adj. 可行的
feasibility n. 可行性
vie with 与......竞争
【例】The men vie with each other for her attention.
男人们互相竞争，只为博得她的青睐。
【近义词】compete with 与......竞争
rival sb 与某人竞争
The game’s success proves the viability of blockbuster games in China and encourages other developers to think big. Mr Feng asserts that “There will be more Chinese games that can vie with those overseas.”
《黑神话》的成功证明了大制作游戏在中国的可行性，并鼓励了其他开发者要敢想敢做。冯骥断言：“将会有更多的中国游戏能够与海外游戏相媲美。”
abide by 遵守；遵循
【例】to abide by the law 遵守法律
to abide by the rules 遵守规定
to abide by one’s commitment/words 遵守诺言
【近义词】adhere to 遵守；遵从
【拓展】law-abiding adj. 遵纪守法的
viability n. 可行性
【例】the commercial viability of the product
这一产品的商业可行性
the long-term viability of fossil fuels
长期使用化石燃料的可行性
【拓展】viable adj. 可行的；有望成功的
【近义词】feasible adj. 可行的
feasibility n. 可行性
vie with 与......竞争
【例】The men vie with each other for her attention.
男人们互相竞争，只为博得她的青睐。
【近义词】compete with 与......竞争
rival sb 与某人竞争
That will come as good news to those who like to monkey around on gaming consoles.
对于那些喜欢玩游戏机的人来说，这是个好消息。
monkey around 玩闹；胡闹
【例】The kids were just monkeying around, throwing things at each other.
孩子们在玩闹，朝对方扔东西。
【拓展】monkey with sth 摆弄某物
【例】Don’t monkey with my guitar.
别捣鼓我的吉他。
课后练习
What makes "Black Myth: Wukong" particularly notable?
A. It is the first video game adaptation of "Journey to the West".
B. It is the first video game produced entirely by a Chinese studio.
C. It is the first game to feature the character Sun Wukong.
D. It is the first AAA game created by a Chinese studio.
Why has China been late to produce a AAA video game?
A. Because mobile games are more lucrative.
B. Because Chinese game designers lack creativity.
C. Because there is no market for AAA games in China.
D. Because Chinese government has banned AAA games.
What has been the habit of Chinese players?
A. Paying upfront for high-quality games.
B. Preferring to play console games.
C. Avoiding video games altogether.
D. Playing mobile games for free.
What does Feng Ji believe is the key to creating successful games?
A. Following market trends.
B. Creating high-quality content.
C. Learning from overseas games.
D. Marketing the game extensively.