Battle for top spot

何航

根据奇幻史诗《冰与火之歌》改编而成的美剧《权力的游戏》成为许多美剧迷的“心头好”，该剧第四季不仅仅视觉上更加炫丽，剧情走向也牵动着许多观众的心。

Honestly speaking, Game of Thrones, HBO’s epic fantasy drama, is one of those shows I don’t even feel qualified to critique, because everyone involved seems to be functioning at a higher level than I can understand.
实话实说，HBO魔幻史诗剧《权力的游戏》，，是一部我自认没有资格予以置评的剧集，因为剧中每个角色的表现都是超高水平发挥，超出了我的理解范围。

But as a fan of the US television series, I just can’t find another show that’s as wide in scope, addictive and tantalizing as Game of Thrones.
但作为一个美剧迷，我至今还没有找到一部比《权利的游戏》场面更壮阔，更吸引观众、扣人心弦的美剧。
Fantasy is probably the toughest genre to make, to sell and to sustain. If you create, as novelist George R.R. Martin has, a world in which there are not only dragons and monsters but people of more than seven kingdoms and their complicated relationships, you cannot afford too many missteps.
魔幻剧或许是最难制作、最难销售也最难保持水准的一类剧集。如果你想像小说家乔治•马丁一样，创作一个不仅有神龙、怪物，还有七国臣民，以及复杂人物关系的世界，那么你就不允许有太多差池。
Yet, every season of Game of Thrones proves stronger than the last. Back for its fourth season on April 6, one thing that’ will be exciting to see, again, is just how many plates it can keep spinning at the same time.
然而，《权力的游戏》一季比一季更震撼。该剧第四季于4月6日正式回归，而令观众喜闻乐见的是，该剧再一次证明了其兼顾大局且游刃有余的实力。
As one storyline is concluded, another grows from its end and begins anew. And all this is going on while about 30 other characters are hanging in the background. So, it can be a little tough to follow at times. But it’s also what makes you want to keep watching.
一个故事情节告终，另一个故事又随之诞生，从而开启新篇章。所有这一切循环往复，幕后有大约30个其他人物角色的命运悬念未决。因此，有时追剧可能稍显困难。但这也正是你追剧的动力。
In addition to the densely packed plotlines, there’s also an impressive amount of violence. Major characters are killed off with regularity — nobody is safe. (In fact, the slogan for season four is “All men must die”.) But behind the blood, it’s the sociopolitical elements of Westeros — the fictional world in which the story takes place — that help captivate viewers.
除了纷繁复杂的故事情节之外，该剧还有大量令人印象深刻的暴力场面。随着剧情发展，主角们一个个被杀害——无人能保全。（事实上，第四季的宣传语是“无人幸免”）。但血腥背后，故事虚构的维斯特落的社会政治成为吸引观众眼球的要素。
Characters are constantly scheming to gain more power in this world, and the way these plans unfold, or collapse, creates a sense of suspense, intrigue and drama. The range of themes, love and death, vengeance and loyalty, power and submission, greed and generosity, resonates with the modern world and gives Game of Thrones relevance and depth.
故事里的人物一直费尽心机争夺权力，而这些计划实施或败露的过程也营造出悬念丛生、阴谋不断的戏剧效果。爱情和死亡、复仇和忠诚、权力和顺从、贪婪和慷慨，这些故事主题与现实世界不谋而合，使得《权力的游戏》这部剧更贴近人心，也更有深度。
The characters, the writing, the sets and camera work, and the fantasy world itself, all of them areenough to make Game of Thrones one of the best TV shows on air.
人物角色、剧本、布景、摄影技巧，以及这个虚幻的世界本身，这一切就足以让《权力的游戏》成为最热剧集之一。
As for the rest, who am I to judge? Just sit back and enjoy this ingenious creation.
至于其它方面，还需要我来评价吗？你只需要坐下来，享受这部制作精良的剧集就好。