VOA常速英语:Five Leading Men Vie for Best Actor Oscar

at a crossroads处于关键时刻；在紧要关头
例句：We are standing at an important crossroads in the history of Europe.
我们正处于欧洲历史上一个重要的转折点。

2. After a boating accident, his wife is in a coma and is to be taken off life support.

take off拿走, 取下; 去掉
例句：Last night's strong wind nearly took the roof off!
昨夜的大风差一点把屋顶刮掉了。

3. As if that is not enough, he finds out that before the accident his wife was cheating on him.

find out发现, 看穿, 揭发, 找出;查明
例句：The manager had found him out and was going to sack him.
经理发觉了他的不轨行为, 打算炒他鱿鱼。
cheat on对…不忠实
例句：It is rumored that he cheats on his wife.
据传他对他老婆不忠。

4. He appears lost as he tries to make sense of what is happening to him.

make sense of理解
例句：Can you make sense of what this writer is saying?
你能了解这个作家在讲什么吗?
happen to发生在…身上
例句：An odd thing happened to him this morning.
他今天早晨遇到一件怪事。

5. However, his performance as Matt King is reminiscent of Ryan Bingham, the driven businessman dealing with loneliness and middle age that Clooney played in Jason Reitman’s 2009 drama Up in The Air.

deal with惠顾; 与…交易, 和…做买卖,关于
例句：We have dealt with that firm for many years.
我们与那家公司有多年的生意往来。

6. Dujardin could reap the Oscar unless voters opt for the more wholesome and down to earth character of Los Angeles gardener Carlos Calindo, played by Mexican actor Demian Bichir in the drama A Better Life.

opt for选择
例句：These are the clothes which you can opt for.
这些是可供你选择的衣服。
down to earth务实地, 现实地
例句：He is the everyday down to earth kind of person, I like to cooperate with him.
他是一个脚踏实地的人, 我愿意与他合作。

7. Pitt gives a solid performance as the man who employs unorthodox methods to build a baseball team headed for the play-offs.

head for朝…进发; 引向好〔坏〕结果
例句：It looks as if the firm is heading for another record year.
看来今年公司又要创纪录。

8. But the deck could be stacked against him. There's also Gary Oldman, who towers over Pitt in a fine-tuned performance as super spy "Smiley" in the thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

tower over高出, 超出, (喻)胜过
例句：The tall building towers over all the others.
这高楼高出其他所有的建筑。