The world's second-largest economy has never produced its own version of Pokémon or Buzz Lightyear. Could the solution be a bean-curd-based riff on Pinocchio?
为全球第二大经济体，中国从未创作出自己的"宠物小精灵"（Pokemon）或者"巴斯光年"（Buzz Lightyear）。一个以"匹诺曹"（Pinocchio）为原型的豆腐人动画电影能够实现突破吗？
Cue 'Tofu Boy,' a $5 million film slated for fall 2014 release, whose makers hope the character whets the world's appetite for Chinese animation.
我说的正是《豆腐男孩》（Tofu Boy），一部耗资500万美元、预定于2014年秋上演的动画电影，其创作人员希望这个动画形象能够激起世人对中国动画的兴趣。
'We're creating Chinese-themed content with international resonance,' says Kevin Geiger, a Walt Disney Animation veteran who now heads a Beijing-based start-up studio, Magic Dumpling Entertainment. 'Tofu Boy' is 'inspired by but not based on' the Pinocchio story, he says. 'A good little boy who's a bit mischievous is something every parent in the world can relate to.'
"我们正在创作具有国际影响的以中国为主题的内容，"凯文•盖格（Kevin Geiger）称。盖格原为迪斯尼动画（Walt Disney Animation）资深动画总监，如今管理着总部设在北京的初创动画公司──魔力饺子（北京）国际文化传媒有限公司（Magic Dumpling Entertainment）。他说，《豆腐男孩》的灵感来源于《匹诺曹》的故事，但并非以后者为蓝本，每个家长都能联想得到这样一个略微有些调皮但也乖巧的小男孩（形象）。
He and his partners, director Sun Lijun, scriptwriter Yan Yi and chief creative officer Feng Wen, began work on 'Tofu Boy' in 2009 and now share digital sketches on their iPads with coffee-shop patrons, solicit plot feedback from neighborhood kids, and grill distributors who claim to know local moviegoers best.
盖格和他的合作伙伴们──导演孙立军、编剧闫毅以及创意总监冯文──于2009年开始创作《豆腐男孩》，现在他们经常用iPad向咖啡馆的顾客展示数字草图，就故事情节向社区的儿童以及声称最了解当地观影人群的烤串商贩征求反馈。
'We're trying to give Chinese audiences a sense of ownership,' Mr. Geiger says. 'They're so tired of period pieces, but people are reluctant to do something modern because it sometimes bumps up against the censors. It's safer to do something set in the past. But Pixar tells movies about now. 'Toy Story' is set today.'Wall-E' is set in the future. Why can't Chinese animation be the same? If we can create content that Chinese feel they own, but that also has an international-quality story and design, then it can do well overseas.'
盖格说，"我们正努力带给中国观众一种主人感，他们已经非常厌倦了历史剧，但是大家都不愿意去创作当代作品，因为有时候它会在审查阶段遇到障碍。因此，创作时代背景设定在以往的作品更为安全。但是，皮克斯动画（Pixar）会讲述当代的故事，例如《玩具总动员》（Toy Story）的背景就设在当代，《机器人总动员》（Wall-E）的背景则设在未来。中国的动画为什么就不能这么做呢？如果我们能创作出中国人觉得属于自己的作品，而且它的故事和设计又具有国际水准，那么它就能在海外获得不俗反响。"
First it must resonate with Chinese audiences. Mr. Sun, the head of the animation department at the Beijing Film Academy and director of the animated movie 'Legend of a Rabbit,' helped play up Tofu Boy's culturally Chinese aspects. 'His notes always incorporate something traditional,' Mr. Yan says.
首先，它必须能让中国观众产生共鸣。影片的导演、北京电影学院（Beijing Film Academy）动画学院院长及动画电影《兔侠传奇》（Legend of a Rabbit）的导演孙立军帮助提升了《豆腐男孩》的中国文化元素。盖格说，"他的评论总是体现出一些传统的东西。"
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