People still love this “tale as old as time”
美女與野獸 不朽童話依然是大家的最愛
Beauty and the Beast is considered one of the oldest myths around. The tale is believed to date back to Rome in the second century. Through the ages, many cultures developed their own versions of the story. Tales like Beauty and the Beast can be found in places like China, Africa, Europe and India.
The first printed story appeared in France in 1740. It told of a beautiful girl and a cursed prince. Sixteen years later, another writer changed the story, making it more suitable for children. Shen then released it in England under the title Beauty and the Beast. The story was translated into many languages across Europe. This is the version that most people are familiar with today.
The story was made into a French movie in 1948. the Broadway musical version opened in 1994. Then, in 2017, Disney made it into a movie with live actors. But perhaps none are as beloved as Disney's 1991 animated version of Beauty and the Beast.
Language Lab
beast n.
/ˈbiːst/
an animal
- The king became ill, and his actions looked more like a beast than a normal human.
especially : a wild animal that is large, dangerous, or unusual
- The farmer decided to hunt down the beast because it wall killing all the sheep.
an animal, especially a large or dangerous four-footed one
- Some kind of beast came by in the night, and it left some very large footprints.
cursed adj.
/ˈkɚsəd/
affected by a curse that causes bad things to happen
- A prince who was cursed.
- People were afraid of going into the old castle because it was believed to be cursed.
to curse v.
to say offensive words to (someone)
- The man was so angry that he started cursing at everybody.
motif n. （文學、藝術作品的）主題，中心思想
/moʊˈtiːf/
something (such as an important idea or subject) that is repeated throughout a book, story, etc.
release v.
to allow (a person or animal) to leave a jail, cage, prison, etc. : to set (someone or something) free
- After the war was over, the prisoners were released.
to make (something) available to the public
- The singer will release her new album this summer.
to stop holding (someone or something)
- Press and hold this button, and then, wait for my signal to release it.
animated adj.
full of life and energy
- The teacher is always very animated in order to capture his students' attention.
inanimate adj.
not living : not capable of life
- The magician was able to make inanimate objects suddenly move around on their own.
