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The past few years have been particularly busy for Daniel Wu.
吴彦祖(Daniel Wu)过去几年一直特别忙。
The Hong Kong-based actor, who has more than 60 films under his belt, has starred in a string of hits that include 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' and 'Overheard 2.' (Sequels to both are due for release this year.) He also found roles in a pair of American movies--2012's 'The Man With the Iron Fists' with Russell Crowe, and last year's science-fiction suspense drama 'Europa Report.'
这位在香港打拼、已经拍了60多部电影的演员在一系列卖座影片中担纲主角，包括《单身男女》(Don't Go Breaking My Heart)和《窃听风云2》(Overheard 2)。（这两部影片的续集将在今年上映。）他还参演了两部美国电影，分别是2012年罗素・克罗(Russell Crowe)主演的《铁拳男子》(The Man With the Iron Fists)和去年上映的科幻悬疑片《欧罗巴报告》(Europa Report)。
In his latest film, the thriller 'Control,' Mr. Wu plays an insurance salesman under the deadly grip of a mysterious blackmailer. The film, which had a run in China late last year, will open in Hong Kong on Jan. 16.
在他最新主演的惊悚片《控制》(Control)中，吴彦祖扮演一个被神秘人物要挟不得不铤而走险的保险推销员。这部影片去年年底在中国内地上映后十分叫座，1月16日将登陆香港院线。
'Control' is a collaboration between Diversion Pictures, the company he set up with business partner Stephen Fung, and several other production houses, including mainland China studio Huayi Brothers Media Corp. With Diversion, which struck a multi-picture deal with Huayi, Mr. Wu hopes to widen China's movie industry beyond the well-worn genres of romantic dramas and martial-arts epics.
《控制》由突围电影制片公司(Diversion Pictures，简称：突围电影)与内地华谊兄弟传媒股份有限公司(Huayi Brothers Media Corp.，简称：华谊兄弟)和其他几家制作公司联合出品。突围电影是吴彦祖与商业伙伴冯德伦(Stephen Fung)共同成立的电影制作公司，与华谊兄弟签订了多部影片的合作协议，吴彦祖希望通过该公司拓宽中国电影业的视野，不再囿于老套的浪漫爱情片和武打片。
The 3-D two-parter 'Tai Chi Zero' and 'Tai Chi Hero,' both halves directed by Mr. Fung and released in 2012, attempted to shake up the martial-arts genre with rock music and 'street-fighter-esque' CGI.
2012年上映的由冯德伦执导的3D影片《太极1：从零开始》(Tai Chi Zero)和《太极2：英雄崛起》(Tai Chi Hero)就试图用摇滚乐和“街霸”等元素来颠覆传统的武打类型片。
'We're just tired of what we see going wrong with the industry,' Mr. Wu says. 'We want to have a little bit of influence and just do things differently.'
吴彦祖说：我们厌倦了这个行业的一些问题，希望发挥一点影响力，做点不一样的事。
The 39-year-old California-born actor spoke with the Journal about going from outsider to insider in Hong Kong, the challenges of working in the U.S., and his 7-month-old daughter. Edited excerpts:
39岁的吴彦祖出生在加拿大。他跟《华尔街日报》记者谈到了自己在香港从一个“外人”变成“自己人”的经历，谈到他在美国拍片时遇到的挑战，还有他七个月大的女儿。下面是编辑过的采访片段：
How does 'Control' fit into your career?
问：你是怎么接拍《控制》这部戏的？
The thing that attracted me to the script was that it's film noir. I've always been attracted to those kinds of films and never really got a chance to [do one]. We decided to produce it because we felt that this genre hasn't been done much in Asia, and that's exactly what the concept of our company is--to do stuff differently from everyone else.
答：这是一部黑色电影，我在看剧本的时候就被这点吸引住了。我一直对这种类型的电影着迷，但从没有机会出演。我们决定制作这部电影，因为我们觉得这种类型片在亚洲还不多，这也正是我们公司的理念所在──做跟别人不一样的东西。
Why is that important to you?
问：为什么这对你很重要？
What we're really tired of is, once one genre hits--like 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'--[then] for 10 years everyone is doing period martial-arts movies and trying to chase that dream. First of all, that doesn't measure success. Secondly, you're constantly chasing a ghost. You eventually end up killing the genre, and I think a healthy industry is one that has many different types of genres, like the [U.S.]. I think that the problem with Asia right now--the industry is sort of just starting in China as a commercial industry--is that no one understands what commercial film is really about.
答：我们很厌倦盲目跟风，比方说《卧虎藏龙》(Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)成功了，紧接着十年大家都来拍古装武打片，都想复制这个成功。首先，这不是成功的标准，其次，你是在追一个虚无的东西，最终会断送这种类型片。我认为，一个健康的电影产业要有很多不同的类型片，就像美国那样。我觉得现在亚洲电影的问题是，没人真正了解商业电影到底是什么。中国商业电影也才刚起步。
Even now?
问：现在依然如此？
Yes, I still think so. And what they're judging it off of is their very short history of successes and then trying to chase those down. I think that's a really terrible way to lead an industry. You have a billion-person audience [in China], and there are going to be different tastes. There's plenty of room to hit niche audiences, and I think that's fine.
答：我是这么认为的。他们只看到短暂的利益，然后就一路拍下去。我觉得这是一种很差劲的发展方式，中国有10亿观众，会有不同的口味，有很多机会可以抓住某一部分观众，这样就可以了。
So what's your strategy?
问：那么你的策略是什么？
What we did with 'Tai Chi Zero' and 'Tai Chi Hero' was break down the martial-arts genre and make it younger, hipper and kind of cooler for the younger kids. We're not trying to satisfy 5-year-olds to 80-year-olds. We're trying to satisfy a certain market. [Film companies] should start branching out. That's what Diversion wants to do and that's why 'Control' came to our hands to produce. I think we're going to keep going in that direction, trying to do newer, fresher stuff for Chinese audiences.
答：我们对《太极1从零开始》和《太极2英雄崛起》采取的策略是打破武术片的固定模式，让它更年轻、更潮、更酷，符合年轻孩子们的口味。我们并非试图满足从5岁到80岁的所有年龄群体。我们迎合的是一个特定的市场。电影公司应当开始细分。这是突围电影公司希望做到的，也是《控制》这部影片让我们来制作的原因。我觉得我们会继续朝这个方向前行，努力为中国观众制作更加新鲜新奇的内容。
Does the Hong Kong film industry view you as an outsider because you're American?
问：鉴于你的美籍身份，香港电影行业是否将你视为“外人”？
I think I felt that way probably midway through my career, but that's what I'm really grateful for--being here today I still think is a miracle. This kid--who didn't know how to act, who didn't know how to speak Cantonese--was given a chance. I am so grateful and indebted to this Hong Kong industry for giving me everything that I have today.
答：我觉得可能在我职业生涯中期有这种感觉，但我对此真的心怀感激──我仍觉得今天能来到这里是个奇迹。这个不懂表演、不会说粤语的孩子得到了一个机会。我非常感谢香港电影行业给了我现在所拥有的一切。
When did you feel like you were an insider?
问：你是什么时候觉得自己成了“自己人”的？
I would say by the eighth, ninth, 10th year, I finally felt like I was part of the family--at least that's how I was treated. Even going to China they think of me as a Hong Kong actor. I really feel that Hong Kong is my home, and Hong Kong is my identity as an actor.
我觉得是在第八年到第10年的时候，我终于觉得自己成为这个大家庭的一员──至少那是我所受到的待遇。甚至去中国内地时，他们也认为我是香港演员。我真的觉得香港是我的家，也是我作为演员的标签。
Are you able to position yourself as a bridge between China and Hollywood?
问：你能否让自己成为连接中国和好莱坞的桥梁？
In some ways our Diversion Pictures is meant to be a bridge. [Huayi Brothers] also wants us to be exploring co-productions with America and China. The reason they chose us is because, obviously, our English is very good and we were both educated in the West, but we understand the Chinese film industry. There's been a lot of frustration with Hollywood producers trying to maneuver around the Chinese system and vice versa.
答：在某种意义上，我们的突围影业希望成为桥梁。华谊兄弟也希望我们探索美中合作制片。他们选择我们的一个明显原因是，我们的英文都很好，而且都曾接受过西方教育，但同时我们也了解中国电影行业。好莱坞制片公司试图适应中国的体系时遇到过很多挫折，反过来也是一样。
You've expressed an interest in pursuing more work in the U.S. Why?
问：你曾经表示有兴趣在美国拍摄更多影片。为什么？
After working on 'Europa' I found it incredibly freeing to speak English in a film, so it kind of sparked an interest in me as an artist to improve my acting. But I understand Hollywood still hasn't--how do you say it?--moved on in terms of how they view Asian-Americans or Asians in general--or Asian males, particularly. I really dislike the fact that Asian males are constantly emasculated, whether it's American TV or films. You see it all the time, and it's so weird that they don't see sexuality in Asian men.
答：出演了《欧罗巴报告》之后，我发现在影片中说英语极其自在，在某种程度上激发了我作为演员提升表演功力的兴趣。但我深知，好莱坞看待亚裔美国人或整体的亚洲人的眼光并没有什么改变，尤其是亚洲男性。我真的很讨厌亚洲男性角色总显得柔弱的事实，无论是美国的电视还是电影都是如此。你总能看到这样的情形，他们看不到亚洲男性的男子气概，这太奇怪了。
So what are the prospects?
问：未来的前景如何呢？
I think there are a lot more opportunities now. It's changing, especially with TV.
答：我觉得现在有更多的机会。情形正在变化，尤其是电视方面。
In many ways, American television is more innovative and edgier than movies. Would you consider doing it?
问：在很多方面，美国电视行业比电影更具创新性、更先进。你会考虑拍电视吗？
I've been thinking about that, too. I think television has definitely opened up a lot, and I would consider that as well. The good drama now is on TV. American movies are all 'X-Men' and 'Iron Man'--all these big, giant tent-pole movies. I understand what's happening, because mature audiences don't have time to go to the movie theater. They'd rather pull up a show and watch it whenever they want, and that's going along with how the industry is changing in general and how people are consuming media.
答：我也在考虑这方面。我觉得电视肯定是开放了很多，我也会考虑拍电视。现在的好剧本都是电视剧本。美国电影全都是《X战警》(X-Men)和《钢铁侠》(Iron Men)这种成系列的大片。我明白是怎么回事，因为成熟的观众没时间去电影院。他们宁愿找一个电视节目，不管什么时候想看就能看，与这种情况同时出现的是整个行业正在发生的变化，以及人们现在消费媒体的方式。
You turn 40 this year. Is that a milestone or just a number?
问：你今年就40岁了。这是个里程碑还是仅仅只是个数字？
Just a number--having my kid was a milestone. Things like that really change you.
答：仅仅是个数字──我的孩子出生才是里程碑。那样的事情才会真正让你改变。
