In July 1996, two British brothers drove across American highways.

1996年7月，来自英国的两位兄弟驾车行驶在美国的高速公路上。

Christopher was moving to Los Angeles, and his brother Jonathan came along.

克里斯托弗正搬家前往洛杉矶，弟弟乔纳森与他结伴同行。

During the long drive, Jonathan shared an idea for a short story.

漫长的行驶途中，乔纳森聊起了一个短篇小说的故事构想。

It was about a man who lost his wife and his short-term memory.

故事讲的是一个失去妻子、又丧失短期记忆的男人。

The man relied on notes, tattoos, and Polaroid photos to survive.

男人依靠纸条、纹身和拍立得照片活下去。

Christopher was immediately fascinated and wanted to turn it into a movie.

克里斯托弗立刻被深深吸引，想要把它拍成一部电影。

Jonathan agreed to write the short story while Christopher wrote the screenplay.

乔纳森决定写成短篇小说，克里斯托弗则动手撰写电影剧本。

Christopher wondered how to put the audience inside the man's confused mind.

克里斯托弗思考，如何把观众带进那个男人混乱的脑海里。

He realized, "The only way to tell the story is backwards."

他领悟到：“讲这个故事的唯一方法，就是倒叙。”

The color scenes move backwards, while the black-and-white scenes move forward.

彩色场景一路向过去倒流，而黑白场景则按时间正序向前推进。

No major studio would pay for such a strange, puzzling script.

没有一家大制片厂愿意为这个离奇又烧脑的剧本出钱。

Next time, a brave independent producer gambles on a twenty-five-day shoot.

下一集，一位勇敢的独立制片人把赌注押在一场为期二十五天的拍摄上。