灯光熄灭了半年之久的各处放映厅，终于熬过了“至暗时刻”，迎来重启首周。No popcorn, staggered seating, mandatory masks and movie reruns – going back to the theater in China offers a drastically different experience in the coronavirus era, but that's not keeping eager film buffs away.
The world's second-largest film market seems to have passed its darkest moment as China has seen over half of its movie theaters reopen following a six-month coronavirus-induced hiatus.
全国各地的影院也呈现一片复苏的景象。
据票房追踪平台“灯塔”的数据统计，截至7月28日，全国超5800家影院开门迎客，影院复工率达53.7%。
对于千万影院从业者来说，他们在疫情“寒冬”中的执着与坚守没有被辜负，总算等来了大银幕再次亮起的时刻。
近日，CGTN记者走访了重新开业的北京英皇电影城，与那里的影院从业者和影迷们聊了聊。
More than 5,800 theaters across the country have resumed screenings by July 28, accounting for about 53.7 percent of the nationwide total, with some 416,600 screenings arranged during the reopening week, according to Lighthouse, a box office tracker and data platform.
But stringent measures are in place to protect both spectators and staff. Tickets can only be bought online and moviegoers need to keep distance between each other inside the theaters.
Food and drinks are a no-no, and most of what's showing is neither the latest release nor the most recent blockbuster. But the incomplete affair is still pulling in long-starved fans.
Moviegoers take photos at the Emperor Cinema after movie theaters reopen in Beijing, China. /CGTN“昨天（影院开门第一天），我们有四到五场电影都是满场的”，英皇电影城北京店店长李洁告诉CGTN记者。“很多观众在被‘压抑’了半年之后，迫切地想到影院来看场电影。”Li Jie, the manager of Emperor Cinema in Beijing, told CGTN that the crowd has been sizeable since the complex reopened. On the first day, available tickets were all out for at least four screenings."The audience, who has experienced half a year of depression, is eager to watch a movie in the theater."Li Jie, the manager of Emperor Cinema in Beijing, says that on the first day, available tickets are all sold out for at least four screenings. /CGTN7月25日，停业了半年的北京英皇电影城迎来了开门营业的第一天。影院开门似乎是一瞬间的事，但李洁表示，从停业那刻起，他们就已经开始为复工的这一天做准备了。“利用这半年的停业时间，我们对整个影院做了全面的消杀”，她说。从实行网络无接触式购票，到设置一米线并进行场次通风工作……影城严格遵循防疫要求指南的各项规定，为安全有序恢复营业做足了准备。So far, over 100 movie theaters in Beijing have welcomed back cinephiles after authorities gave the green light for venues in the capital's low-risk zones to open starting July 24.Li said they received the "good news" about 10 days in advance but preparations for the big day had started about half a year ago. "During the half-year closure, we cleaned all carpets, rinsed the pipes and filters of the central air-conditioning, and disinfected the entire theater."Since it resumed operations on July 25, her cinema, much like others nationwide, has implemented a raft of anti-epidemic measures, including disinfection and temperature checks. The attendance per screening has been limited to 30 percent of the theater's capacity, while the number of films shown per venue has been halved.A cinema has implemented anti-epidemic measures including disinfection and temperature checks, in Beijing, China. /CGTN据李洁介绍，北京英皇电影城是1月24日被通知“暂停营业”的。面对突如其来的停摆，李洁表示，就像是“整个行业被按下了暂停键”。“停业的半年间，（影院）每个月的租金至少要上百万”，李洁说。没有了票房收入，却还要承担巨额租金——过去的半年对所有影院从业者来说，无疑是漫长又艰难的。The restrictions have affected the box office.The revenue from ticket sales in the first week of reopening stood at 109 million yuan (15.6 million U.S. dollars), down 92.2 percent from a year ago and was roughly equal to a single day's earnings during the same period last year.In some places, ticket sales haven't been enough to cover the theater's expenses.But for operators, who made virtually no money since the beginning of 2020 while having to deal with operating costs, resumption is a positive sign that ushers in more possibilities.
Many said that they realize the value of a simple trip to the movie theater. /CGTN在影院从业者迎来行业重启的时候 ，广大影迷们也终于找回了他们曾经的生活方式。不过，伴随着社交隔离、禁止饮食等一系列观影新规，去电影院看电影这样一件在疫情发生之前再寻常不过的事，似乎也变成了一种全新的体验。边吃爆米花边与身边人轻声耳语的电影院时光，也成了“后疫情时代”的一种奢望。尽管如此，重回电影院的那份快乐，对很多人来说，已足够弥补其他遗憾。The tough reopening rules, though slowing the recovery pace for cinemas, didn't turn the audience away."The last time I bought a movie ticket was on December 20, last year. I haven't been to the movies for more than half a year," Yu Du, a college student, told CGTN.
It might sound like a cliché, but there is truth to the saying, "you don't know the value of something until you've lost it."The closure of cinemas as a precautionary measure against the spread of the coronavirus in January has made Yu, and countless others, realize the value of a simple trip to the movie theater.“经历这半年之后，我会更加珍惜看电影（这件事）”，影迷于笃说。“它（观影）是生命中不可缺少的一部分，如果没有它，生活会丧失掉很多色彩。”
"It is an indispensable part of my life. Without it, life will lose a lot of its colors.”Like Yu, many movie fans CGTN interviewed said that when they heard of the reopening news they felt like their life was back.Many said that the full movie theater experience cannot be replaced by streaming stuff online, owing to better equipment and ambiance.“观影是生活的一部分”，另一位影迷张诚说。他表示，因疫情而无法去电影院观影的这段日子，就好像生活中少了一位惺惺相惜的伙伴。"If you watch a movie at home by yourself, the ambiance is different as you can't see other spectators laughing and crying at the same time," said Zhang Cheng, a civil servant.The months during which cinemas were shut down felt as if he had lost an old friend. He went to the cinema as soon as possible after reopening."I hope to find my friend back," he said.
As more theaters reopen, big discounts are on offer to attract viewers back. /CGTN然而，经历了半年“空窗期”的电影院，想要恢复往日的熙熙攘攘，也并不容易。With the rapidly increasing number of viewers, the single-day total box office hit 35.2 million yuan (5.04 million U.S. dollars) by July 26, roughly 10 times the figure on day 1, according to a report released by Maoyan, a Chinese online ticketing platform.据李洁介绍，为了吸引更多影迷前来，影院在复工初期将票价进行了一定程度的下调。As more theaters reopen, big discounts are on offer to attract virus-weary viewers back."We strategically cut ticket prices in the early stage of rescreening," said Li, the cinema manager, adding that the tickets for the laser-based IMAX screenings, which were previously priced between 90 to 180 yuan (about 13 to 26 U.S. dollars), are now selling for 45 yuan. Membership fees are much lower with free tickets thrown in as an extra perk.Posters for the films "1917," "Harry Potter," and "Interstellar," among the upcoming list.此外，影院在电影排期上也下了一番功夫——力求“以新片为主，复映影片为辅”，为观众带来他们最为期待的影片，包括《1917》、《哈利·波特与魔法石》和《星际穿越》等等。According to Li, the screening lineup mainly features new titles, including "Dolittle" and "Bloodshot" – the first new Hollywood productions that hit the market on July 24 – and "A First Farewell," which was first released on the reopening day of July 20. This is supplemented by re-screening films.The upcoming list will include highly-anticipated works such as British war film "1917," as well as old fan favorites like the "Harry Potter" franchise and "Interstellar.""With cinemas offering low prices and high market demand, recovery will happen at a faster rate," reads the Maoyan report. Li and her colleagues are looking forward to the "viewing peak."Posters for the film "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"“当初谁也没想到，（影院）一停就停了半年之久”，李洁对CGTN记者说。她表示，影院复工不仅仅代表着行业重启，更意味着一次“重生”。而疫情重创后，“重生”能否顺利，也还需要各方努力。需要人人以一颗敬畏之心，恪守种种防疫要求，共渡难关，在审慎前行中迎来黎明与曙光。"In the beginning, no one ever thought the closure would last half a year," said the manager, adding that being back in service feels like "a reboot for every filmmaker.""It's a restart, even a rebirth."
推荐阅读：
好久不见，十分想念！
走过漫漫“求生路”的电影院，要开放了吗？