In on a secret? That's dramatic irony - Christopher Warner

你也知道秘密？這就是戲劇性諷刺 - Christopher Warner

Translator: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

譯者: Geoff Chen 審譯者: Coco Shen

What do horror movies and comedies have in common?

恐怖片和喜劇有什麼共同點？

The two genres might seem totally different,

這兩種類型的作品看來完全不同，

but the reason they're both so popular

但它們都受人歡迎的原因

is perhaps because what they have in common:

也許是來自於它們的共同點：

their use of dramatic irony.

它們都擅用戲劇性諷刺。

First, let's clarify.

首先，讓我們認清

There are three types of irony out there.

諷刺的三種類型

Situational irony is when you expect one thing,

情境性諷刺發生在你的期待

but get the opposite.

和你遇見的事情相反的時候。

Verbal irony is when someone says something,

言辭性諷刺則是一個人說話的表面意義，

but truly means the opposite.

和他真正要表達的東西相反。

Dramatic irony, though,

現在，

is what we will be looking at right now.

讓我們來看看戲劇性諷刺是什麼。

Dramatic irony is when the audience

戲劇性諷刺發生在觀眾

seems to know more about an event,

比電影、戲劇、或書中的角色

a situation,

知道更多關於

or a conversation

某個事件、

than the characters in the movie,

某種情況、

on the show,

或對話

or in the book do.

的時候。

The audience is in on a secret

觀眾處於一個劇中角色

that the characters have missed.

並未知曉的秘密中。

This is a great story-telling device

這是一個在文本中讓人激動

that creates tremendous emotion within that text.

的一種厲害的說故事的方法。

Think about it for a moment.

試著想像，

How does it feel when, in a horror film,

在一部恐怖電影中，

you know that the scary villain is hiding

你知道可怕的惡棍躲在

behind that door in the darkened room.

漆黑房間的那扇門後，

The music becomes eerie,

音樂變得怪異，

the lighting creates complete shadows,

燈光創造出一塊黝黑陰影，

this has to be bad for the hero!

這對英雄帶來多麼艱巨的挑戰！

Of course, though, that hero must enter the room

當然啦，這英雄必須進入房間

to find the villain.

找到那惡棍，

You feel tremendous tension and the suspense

你感到巨大的張力和懸念，

of knowing that someone will jump out and be scary,

你知道一個可怕的傢伙會跳出來，

but you just don't know when.

但你就是不知道會是什麼時候。

That tension is dramatic irony:

這種緊張關係即為戲劇性諷刺：

you know something more than the characters in the film.

你比電影中的人物知道更多的事。

Now, take the typical comedy.

現在，讓我們看看典型的喜劇，

There will probably be some type of "misunderstanding".

可能會有某種類型的「誤會」，

Again, we know more of what is going on

同樣地，我們比劇中角色

than the characters do.

知道更多的事情正在發生。

Picture two characters making a plan

想像兩個角色為他們室友

for a birthday surprise for their roommate

計劃一個生日的驚喜

while that roommate overhears

而他們的室友聽到了

the entire conversation from the hallway.

走廊上的整個對話，

From there, confusion and misunderstanding occur,

從那裡開始，發生了某種混淆、誤解、

and the tension builds.

和張力。

This isn't the same tension as the horror film

這和恐怖電影中的張力不同，

since it is probably pretty funny

因為這可能挺滑稽的，

as the character tries to figure out the whos and the whats,

因為劇中人物試著找出誰發生了什麼事，

but it serves as a great example

但它可以作為一個好例子，

of the tension and suspense of dramatic irony.

用來解釋張力和懸念的戲劇諷刺。

This tension or suspense in both genres

存在於兩種類型文本的張力或懸念

drives the story and keeps the plot progressing.

驅使故事的發展，保持情節推移。

The audience wants, no, needs,

觀眾們想要，不，觀眾們需要

to see the tension of the dramatic irony broken

看到的戲劇諷刺的張力被戳破

either by the scary person jumping out of the shadows

要麼被從陰影中跳出來的的可怕的人

or by someone finally revealing someone's true identity

或由某人最後揭示某人的真實身份

and clearing up the confusion.

和澄清誤解。

So, when you feel like you are in on a secret,

所以，當你覺得你知道主角所不知道的事，

that is dramatic irony,

這就是戲劇性諷刺，

a hallmark of all the great writers,

一個所有偉大作家的共同特點

from Shakespeare to Hitchcock.

從莎士比亞到希區考克。