奧斯卡頒獎禮面臨收視滑坡

Producers for Sunday's Oscars ceremony will be hoping that the show does not lose its status as the second most-watched TV event in the US behind the Super Bowl, after a strong showing by the Grammys.

今年的奧斯卡頒獎典禮於當地時間上週日舉行，在格萊美頒獎典禮大出風頭之後，製片商們希望奧斯卡頒獎禮不會失去僅次於美國橄欖球超級盃大賽的全美收視率第二的寶座。

The world's top film honours are in jeopardy of losing their status if the show can't lure more than 40 million viewers, which could be difficult.

如果無法吸引到超過4千萬名觀衆，這場全球頂級電影頒獎典禮會失去昔日的榮光，而想吸引這麼多觀衆非常困難。

Producers have brought back popular host Billy Crystal for laughs, but the best solution for a lively TV awards programme, sponsors at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences say, is a group of surprise winners or ones who give genuinely emotional or rousing acceptance speeches.

製片商已經請回了受歡迎的主持人比利•克里斯托來爲大家帶來笑聲，但美國電影藝術與科學學院的贊助商們表示，對於一個現場直播的電視頒獎節目來說，最好的辦法是有一些出人意料的獎項得主，或者是一些能發表真誠感人或引發贊同的獲獎感言的得主。

"Be memorable, and you will be remembered," co-producer Don Mischer told nominees at a recent luncheon.

製片人之一唐•米斯徹最近在一次午宴上告訴提名者：“有讓人印象深刻的表現，你就會被大家牢記。”

It is hard to forget 73-year-old Jack Palance doing one-arm push-ups on the Oscar stage after winning best supporting actor for 1991's "City Slickers," or more recently the heartfelt speech by writers Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova of best song winner "Falling Slowly" from 2007 film, "Once."

人們很難忘記73歲的傑克•帕蘭斯憑藉1991年的影片《城市鄉巴佬》獲得最佳男配角後，在奧斯卡舞臺上做單臂俯臥撐的情景；或者幾年前作曲者格蘭•漢薩德和瑪可塔•伊爾格洛娃憑藉2007年的影片《曾經》中的歌曲《緩緩下墜》獲得奧斯卡最佳原創歌曲獎時，發表的感人肺腑的獲獎感言。

The Oscars need a few surprises because silent movie romance "The Artist," while critically lauded, has generated only around $30 million (£19 million) at US and Canadian box offices, and the Oscars generally enjoy larger TV audiences when popular hits like "Avatar" are in the hunt for best movie.

奧斯卡需要一些驚喜。儘管無聲愛情電影《藝術家》受到評論家的讚譽，但在美國和加拿大僅收穫了大約三千萬美元（1900萬英鎊）票房。而只有當諸如《阿凡達》這種受人歡迎的熱門影片參與角逐時，纔會有更多觀衆收看奧斯卡頒獎禮。

The show annually is the second most-watched program on US TV behind professional football's Super Bowl, but this year's Grammy Awards, music's top honours, lured 40 million viewers the night after Whitney Houston's death and could easily surpass the Oscars.

奧斯卡頒獎典禮每年都在美國電視節目排行榜中名列第二，排在第一的是職業橄欖球賽事“超級碗”。但今年的樂壇最高獎格萊美頒獎典禮前一天，惠特尼•休斯頓去世，導致這場頒獎典禮吸引了4千名觀衆，輕易就能趕超奧斯卡頒獎典禮的收視率。

Oscar producers also hope a return of popular comedian Crystal as host of the programme for the ninth time will lure viewers. He has not been emcee of the show since 2004 when it drew roughly 44 million viewers and box office smash "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" was the big winner.

奧斯卡製片人還希望，請回喜劇紅星克里斯托做主持人會吸引觀衆，這也是克里斯托第九次擔任主持人。自2004年來他就沒有擔任過奧斯卡主持，那一年的奧斯卡頒獎典禮有大約4400萬人觀看，當年的最大贏家是熱賣影片《指環王3:王者歸來》。