20100816 The Many Sides of Matt Damon (1)

The Many Sides of Matt Damon

This hollywood star is more than just a good actor

Matt Damon is a poster child for success with a life that includes hit movies, a beautiful wife and three daughters, and many well-known celebrity friends. Yet for all of his success, Damon hasn't let fame go to his head, and those who know him insist he's one of Hollywood's nice guys.

The young man

Matthew Damon was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1970 to a stockbroker father and a college professor mother. When Damon was 10, he met Ben Affleck, who lived down the street, and they became best friends. While attending prep school, Damon got his start in acting by performing in several plays. Later, he attended Harvard University for three years but dropped out to pursue acting seriously.

The new celebrity

Damon headed to Hollywood and soon began landing small to moderate-sized roles, but nothing brought him much attention. Then he and Affleck finished a screenplay Damon had begun at Harvard, which was made into the movie Good Will Hunting. The film won the men an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and earned Damon praise and recognition for his acting performance. The film proved to be the door opener Damon needed to get better film roles.

go to somebody's head 衝昏了頭/過度自負或驕傲

eg: Fame and wealth went to his head, and the singer became arrogant and self-absorbed.

=> 名望和財富讓這位歌手過度驕傲，他變得傲慢和自私。

eg: Even though Frank is tremendously successful, he hasn't let his success go to his head.

=> 即使Frank是極其成功，他還沒有讓他的成功衝昏了頭。

drop out 輟學/退學

dropout n. 輟學者/退學者

eg: David dropped out of school when he was only 16.

=> David才16歲就輟學了。

eg: Patricia dropped out of college in order to take care of her mother.

=> Patricia為了要照顧媽媽只好退學了。

door opener 開啟機會之門的事件

eg: The band's television performance was a door opener for their success.

=> 這個樂團電視上的演出，為他們展開了成功的契機。

poster child 海報孩子

=> a very good example of something

go to somebody's head 衝昏了頭過度自信或驕傲

=> become prideful 高傲的

stockbroker n. 股票(或證券)經紀人

=> a person who buy/sells stocks for people

prep school 私立而且收費高的/專為使學生能進入著名大學而辦的特種中學

drop out 輟學;退學

=> leave school before you get your degree

screenplay 電影劇本

//== Chat room ==//

screenplay 電影劇本

screenwriter 電影劇本作家/電影編劇

the big screen 電影大銀幕

eg: What's playing on the big screen?

=> 電影院在放映什麼電影?

silver screen 銀幕

=> 早期電影院的螢幕為銀色的，螢幕也稱silver screen

//== Grammar on the Go ==//

Yet for all of his success, Damon hasn't let fame go to his head...

Yet for all..., subject + has not...

=> Even though the situation make a person act a certain way, the subject actually is doing the opposite

eg: Yet for all the hospital trips she has made, Karen has never once complained.

eg: Yet for all the money he has lost in gambling, Nick has never learned his lesson.