Movies in the Comfort of Your Own Car|窝在车上疯电影


by Daniel Howard

Once the height of movie-going comfort, drive-in theaters have an uncertain future.

  There was a time before video, even before television, when going to the movies was a big deal. Yet for some people, it was almost impossible. Families with small children often weren't welcome in movie theaters because they feared kids would be noisy. Also, couples wanted more privacy while watching movies. Many small towns didn't even have a theater. This all changed when the drive-in theater was born.


  Drive-in theaters are outdoor venues where people can watch films in their cars, and they are commonly located in large open areas away from town and city centers. Sound for the movies comes from either the speakers built by the drive-ins to hang on the car window or are broadcast over the radio. Since the audiences are in their own cars, adults can attend with their children and not have to worry about disrupting others. Drive-ins were also popular spots for young lovers who wanted some privacy on their dates. However, the popularity of drive-ins for dates, along with sometimes risqué movies, eventually gave them a bad reputation.


  The drive-in theater was invented in the 1930s in America. Drive-ins hit the peak of their popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, when there were over 4,000 of them in America alone. Over time, as a result of more home entertainment options, drive-in theaters struggled to stay afloat, and by 2013, there were only 357 drive-ins in America. However, they aren't dead yet because thanks to inexpensive projectors and micro-radio broadcasting equipment, DIY drive-ins are now possible. People are setting up small drive-in theaters in parking lots and fields, usually to show small-budget, independent films. Drive-in theaters are not likely to be as popular as they once were in the mid-20th century, but they do have a future as an alternative movie experience.


窝在车上疯电影

汽车电影院曾经是最舒适的看电影享受,但如今却前途未卜。

  曾经有一段时间,早在录像带甚至是电视机问世之前,去电影院看电影可说是一件大事。然而,对某些人来说,这几乎是不可能的。家里有幼童的家庭往往不受电影院欢迎,因为他们担心小孩子会吵闹。此外,有些夫妻或情侣在看电影时也想要更多的隐私。许多小镇甚至连一家电影院都没有。而这一切在汽车电影院诞生之后全都改变了。


  汽车电影院的场所是在户外,人们可以在自己的车内观看电影,而它们通常都位于远离城镇和市中心的大型露天场所。电影播放的声音不是来自汽车电影院所架设好、挂在车窗上的喇叭,就是透过收音机来播放。由于观众都待在自己的车上,因此大人可以带着孩子来看电影,而不必担心打扰到别人。汽车电影院也是年轻情侣想要在约会时拥有一些隐私的好去处。然而,汽车电影院因为适合约会与不时会播放情色影片而受到欢迎,但最终却带给它们不好的名声。


  汽车电影院是在 1930 年代发明于美国。它们在 1950 1960 年代最受欢迎,当时光是美国就有四千多家汽车电影院。随着时间流逝,汽车电影院却因为人们有了更多的家庭娱乐设施可供选择而得努力在夹缝中求生存,到了 2013 年,美国的汽车电影院只剩三百五十七家。然而,它们尚未完全消失,多亏有廉价的投影机和微型无线电广播设备,现今的自助式汽车电影院才有可能存在。人们会在停车场和操场上设立小规模的汽车电影院,播放的通常是预算不高的独立制片电影。虽然汽车电影院不太可能再像二十世纪中期一样受欢迎,但它们作为非传统的电影体验方式确实会有一片天。

 

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Movies in the Comfort of Your Own Car|窝在车上疯电影

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