英式英语独霸幻想世界 - 英语听力

[00:00.00]If you used your imagination to create a fantasy world,
[00:04.13]what accent would the characters speak in?
[00:06.42]This month sees the return of the successful American television series, Game of Thrones.
[00:13.52]Set in a fantasy world of mythical castles and charming princesses,
[00:18.76]it is notable that all of the characters speak in British accents.
[00:22.71]British actors have long portrayed sneering villains or brutish baddies in Hollywood films.
[00:28.17]From Dr Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs to the Sherriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,
[00:35.60]the hero can be American but his rival often speaks with an elegant British accent whilst curling his lip.
[00:42.54]Now the same British accent is casting a spell over fantasy worlds too.
[00:46.48]From The Lord of the Rings to The Hobbit,
[00:49.85]Brits are frequently the stars of these film fantasy yarns.
[00:53.78]Fantasy fiction is conjured up from old history books and folklore.
[00:57.49]So some people say that, as some of the English language is rooted in the medieval era,
[01:02.14]it carries a tradition and culture suited to the genre.
[01:06.85]Historical screen sagas include bewitching British accents too.
[01:10.34]This flight of fancy goes unchallenged even when they are set in ancient Rome or Greece.
[01:16.70]So a British accent often works its magic for these historical or fantasy tales
[01:21.51]as it provides an enchanting link to the past for modern audiences.
[01:25.66]After all, would the triumph of the Harry Potter films have been such a fairytale success
[01:29.44]if he had spoken with an American accent?