【課文】
No one can avoid being influenced by advertisements. Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose the things we wants, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us. In their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product, advertisers have made a close study of human nature and have classified all our little weaknesses.
Advertisers discovered years ago that all of us love to get something for nothing. An advertisement which begins with the magic word free can rarely go wrong. These days, advertisers not only offer free samples, but free cars, free houses, and free trips round the world as well. They devise hundreds of competitions which will enable us to win huge sums of money. Radio and television have made it possible for advertisers to capture the attention of millions of people in this way.
During a radio programme, a company of biscuit manufacturers once asked listeners to bake biscuits and send them to their factory. They offered to pay $10 a pound for the biggest biscuit baked by a listener. The response to this competition was tremendous. Before long, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the factory. One lady brought in a biscuit on a wheelbarrow. It weighted nearly 500 pounds. A little later, a man came along with a biscuit which occupied the whole boot of his car. All the biscuits that were sent were carefully weighed. The largest was 713 pounds. It seemed certain that this would win the prize. But just before the competition closed, a lorry arrived at the factory with a truly colossal biscuit which weighed 2,400 pounds. It had been baked by a college student who had used over 1,000 pounds of flour, 800 pounds of sugar, 200 pounds of fat, and 400 pounds of various other ingredients. It was so heavy that a crane had to be used to remove it from the lorry. The manufacturers had to pay more money than they had anticipated. For they bought the biscuit from the student for $24,000.
【課文翻譯】
沒有人能避免受廣告的影響。盡管我們可以自夸自己的鑒賞力如何敏銳，但我們已經(jīng)無法獨(dú)立自主地選購自己所需的東西了。這是因?yàn)閺V告在我們身上施加著一種潛移默化的影響。做廣告的人在力圖勸說我們買下這種產(chǎn)品或那種產(chǎn)品之前，已經(jīng)仔細(xì)地研究了人的本性，并把人的弱點(diǎn)進(jìn)行了分類。
做廣告的人們多年前就發(fā)現(xiàn)我們大家都喜歡免費(fèi)得到東西。凡是用“免費(fèi)”這個(gè)神奇的詞開頭的廣告很少會(huì)失敗的。目前，做廣告的人不僅提供免費(fèi)樣品，而且還提供免費(fèi)汽車，免費(fèi)住房，免費(fèi)周游世界。他們?cè)O(shè)計(jì)數(shù)以百計(jì)的競(jìng)賽，競(jìng)賽中有人可贏得巨額獎(jiǎng)金。之聲、電視使做廣告的人可以用這種手段吸引成百萬人的注意力。
有，在之聲播放的節(jié)目里，一個(gè)生產(chǎn)餅干的公司請(qǐng)聽眾烘制餅干送到他們的工廠去。他們?cè)敢庖悦堪?0美元的價(jià)錢買下由聽眾烘制的大的餅干。這次競(jìng)賽在聽眾中引起極其熱烈的反響。不久，形狀各異，大小不一的餅干陸續(xù)送到工廠。一位女士用手推車運(yùn)來一個(gè)餅干，重達(dá) 500磅左右。相隔不一會(huì)兒，一個(gè)男子也帶來一個(gè)大餅干，那個(gè)餅干把汽車的行李箱擠得滿滿的。凡送來的餅干都仔細(xì)地稱量。重的一個(gè)達(dá) 713磅，看來這個(gè)餅干獲獎(jiǎng)無疑了。但就在競(jìng)賽截止時(shí)間將到之際，一輛卡車駛進(jìn)了工廠，運(yùn)來了一個(gè)特大無比、重達(dá)2,400磅的餅干。它是由一個(gè)大學(xué)生烘制的，用去1,000多磅的面粉、800磅食糖、200磅動(dòng)物脂肪及 400磅其他各種原料。餅干份量太重了，用了一臺(tái)起重機(jī)才把它從卡車上卸下。餅干公司不得不付出比他們預(yù)計(jì)多得多的錢，因?yàn)闉橘I下那學(xué)生烘制的餅干他們支付了24,000美元。
【生詞和短語】
influence n. 影響
pride n. 驕傲
taste n. 鑒賞力
exert v. 施加
subtle adj. 微妙的
advertiser n. 廣告人
classify v. 分類
magic adj. 有奇妙作用的
sample n. 樣品
devise v. 設(shè)計(jì)，想出
capture v. 吸引
manufacturer n. 制造商
wheelbarrow n. 獨(dú)輪手推車
boot n. 行李箱
ingredient n. 配料
cranen n. 起重機(jī)，鶴
anticipate v. 預(yù)期
【知識(shí)點(diǎn)】
詞匯
【taste】
例句：
1. It appeared that he had a taste for music.
看來他對(duì)音樂還有一定的鑒賞力。
2. My Heart Goes On is to my taste.
《我心依舊》很合我的品味。
【exert】
英英：put to use
例句：
1. He likes to exert his authority.
他喜歡行使自己的權(quán)力。
2. If you exert all your strength you can move that rock.
如果你把所有的勁都使出來，你就能移動(dòng)那塊石頭了。
3. It will inevitably exert widespread and far-reaching impact on Chinese and global economies in the new century.
它必將對(duì)新世紀(jì)的中國經(jīng)濟(jì)和世界經(jīng)濟(jì)產(chǎn)生廣泛和深遠(yuǎn)的影響。
【subtle】
例句：
1. Jimmy was a subtle worker in gold and silver.
吉米是一個(gè)技藝精湛的金銀匠。
2. Short of such radicalism, we must approach the task in a more subtle manner.
缺乏這樣的激進(jìn)做法，我們就必須以比較微妙的方式來解決問題。
【devise】
英英：come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
例句：
1. We must devise a scheme for earning money during the vacation.
我們必須想出在假期中賺錢的計(jì)畫。
2. And researchers are vying with one another to be the first to devise an effective vaccine.
研究人員相互競(jìng)爭，他們都想成為研制出有效疫苗的第一人。
3. He also set up a "food studio", where cooks devise new recipes in response to local trends.
他還給廚師們?cè)O(shè)立了“食品工作室”，旨在發(fā)明新配方來響應(yīng)當(dāng)?shù)亓餍汹厔?shì)。
【capture】
英英： attract; cause to be enamored
例句：
1. We convert him, we capture his inner mind, we reshape him.
我們要改造他，爭取他的內(nèi)心，使他脫胎換骨。
2. Your hypnotic eyes will capture the hearts of those who interest you.
你迷人的眼神能俘獲那些你感興趣的人的心。
3. His literary talent captured large quantities of audience, making him the missionary of name when he was 20.
他以自己文才俘獲了大批的聽眾，也使他在20歲時(shí)就成了一名聞名的傳教士。
搭配
【exert a influence on】
【human nature】
【get something for nothing】
【go wrong】
【capture the attention】
No one can avoid being influenced by advertisements. Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose the things we wants, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us. In their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product, advertisers have made a close study of human nature and have classified all our little weaknesses.
Advertisers discovered years ago that all of us love to get something for nothing. An advertisement which begins with the magic word free can rarely go wrong. These days, advertisers not only offer free samples, but free cars, free houses, and free trips round the world as well. They devise hundreds of competitions which will enable us to win huge sums of money. Radio and television have made it possible for advertisers to capture the attention of millions of people in this way.
During a radio programme, a company of biscuit manufacturers once asked listeners to bake biscuits and send them to their factory. They offered to pay $10 a pound for the biggest biscuit baked by a listener. The response to this competition was tremendous. Before long, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the factory. One lady brought in a biscuit on a wheelbarrow. It weighted nearly 500 pounds. A little later, a man came along with a biscuit which occupied the whole boot of his car. All the biscuits that were sent were carefully weighed. The largest was 713 pounds. It seemed certain that this would win the prize. But just before the competition closed, a lorry arrived at the factory with a truly colossal biscuit which weighed 2,400 pounds. It had been baked by a college student who had used over 1,000 pounds of flour, 800 pounds of sugar, 200 pounds of fat, and 400 pounds of various other ingredients. It was so heavy that a crane had to be used to remove it from the lorry. The manufacturers had to pay more money than they had anticipated. For they bought the biscuit from the student for $24,000.
【課文翻譯】
沒有人能避免受廣告的影響。盡管我們可以自夸自己的鑒賞力如何敏銳，但我們已經(jīng)無法獨(dú)立自主地選購自己所需的東西了。這是因?yàn)閺V告在我們身上施加著一種潛移默化的影響。做廣告的人在力圖勸說我們買下這種產(chǎn)品或那種產(chǎn)品之前，已經(jīng)仔細(xì)地研究了人的本性，并把人的弱點(diǎn)進(jìn)行了分類。
做廣告的人們多年前就發(fā)現(xiàn)我們大家都喜歡免費(fèi)得到東西。凡是用“免費(fèi)”這個(gè)神奇的詞開頭的廣告很少會(huì)失敗的。目前，做廣告的人不僅提供免費(fèi)樣品，而且還提供免費(fèi)汽車，免費(fèi)住房，免費(fèi)周游世界。他們?cè)O(shè)計(jì)數(shù)以百計(jì)的競(jìng)賽，競(jìng)賽中有人可贏得巨額獎(jiǎng)金。之聲、電視使做廣告的人可以用這種手段吸引成百萬人的注意力。
有，在之聲播放的節(jié)目里，一個(gè)生產(chǎn)餅干的公司請(qǐng)聽眾烘制餅干送到他們的工廠去。他們?cè)敢庖悦堪?0美元的價(jià)錢買下由聽眾烘制的大的餅干。這次競(jìng)賽在聽眾中引起極其熱烈的反響。不久，形狀各異，大小不一的餅干陸續(xù)送到工廠。一位女士用手推車運(yùn)來一個(gè)餅干，重達(dá) 500磅左右。相隔不一會(huì)兒，一個(gè)男子也帶來一個(gè)大餅干，那個(gè)餅干把汽車的行李箱擠得滿滿的。凡送來的餅干都仔細(xì)地稱量。重的一個(gè)達(dá) 713磅，看來這個(gè)餅干獲獎(jiǎng)無疑了。但就在競(jìng)賽截止時(shí)間將到之際，一輛卡車駛進(jìn)了工廠，運(yùn)來了一個(gè)特大無比、重達(dá)2,400磅的餅干。它是由一個(gè)大學(xué)生烘制的，用去1,000多磅的面粉、800磅食糖、200磅動(dòng)物脂肪及 400磅其他各種原料。餅干份量太重了，用了一臺(tái)起重機(jī)才把它從卡車上卸下。餅干公司不得不付出比他們預(yù)計(jì)多得多的錢，因?yàn)闉橘I下那學(xué)生烘制的餅干他們支付了24,000美元。
【生詞和短語】
influence n. 影響
pride n. 驕傲
taste n. 鑒賞力
exert v. 施加
subtle adj. 微妙的
advertiser n. 廣告人
classify v. 分類
magic adj. 有奇妙作用的
sample n. 樣品
devise v. 設(shè)計(jì)，想出
capture v. 吸引
manufacturer n. 制造商
wheelbarrow n. 獨(dú)輪手推車
boot n. 行李箱
ingredient n. 配料
cranen n. 起重機(jī)，鶴
anticipate v. 預(yù)期
【知識(shí)點(diǎn)】
詞匯
【taste】
例句：
1. It appeared that he had a taste for music.
看來他對(duì)音樂還有一定的鑒賞力。
2. My Heart Goes On is to my taste.
《我心依舊》很合我的品味。
【exert】
英英：put to use
例句：
1. He likes to exert his authority.
他喜歡行使自己的權(quán)力。
2. If you exert all your strength you can move that rock.
如果你把所有的勁都使出來，你就能移動(dòng)那塊石頭了。
3. It will inevitably exert widespread and far-reaching impact on Chinese and global economies in the new century.
它必將對(duì)新世紀(jì)的中國經(jīng)濟(jì)和世界經(jīng)濟(jì)產(chǎn)生廣泛和深遠(yuǎn)的影響。
【subtle】
例句：
1. Jimmy was a subtle worker in gold and silver.
吉米是一個(gè)技藝精湛的金銀匠。
2. Short of such radicalism, we must approach the task in a more subtle manner.
缺乏這樣的激進(jìn)做法，我們就必須以比較微妙的方式來解決問題。
【devise】
英英：come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
例句：
1. We must devise a scheme for earning money during the vacation.
我們必須想出在假期中賺錢的計(jì)畫。
2. And researchers are vying with one another to be the first to devise an effective vaccine.
研究人員相互競(jìng)爭，他們都想成為研制出有效疫苗的第一人。
3. He also set up a "food studio", where cooks devise new recipes in response to local trends.
他還給廚師們?cè)O(shè)立了“食品工作室”，旨在發(fā)明新配方來響應(yīng)當(dāng)?shù)亓餍汹厔?shì)。
【capture】
英英： attract; cause to be enamored
例句：
1. We convert him, we capture his inner mind, we reshape him.
我們要改造他，爭取他的內(nèi)心，使他脫胎換骨。
2. Your hypnotic eyes will capture the hearts of those who interest you.
你迷人的眼神能俘獲那些你感興趣的人的心。
3. His literary talent captured large quantities of audience, making him the missionary of name when he was 20.
他以自己文才俘獲了大批的聽眾，也使他在20歲時(shí)就成了一名聞名的傳教士。
搭配
【exert a influence on】
【human nature】
【get something for nothing】
【go wrong】
【capture the attention】