【課文】
In democratic countries any efforts to restrict the freedom of the press are rightly condemned. However, this freedom can easily be abused. Stories about people often attract far more public attention than political events. Though we may enjoy reading about the lives of others, it is extremely doubtful whether we would equally enjoy reading about ourselves. Acting on the contention that facts are sacred, reporters can cause untold suffering to individuals by publishing details about their private lives. Newspapers exert such tremendous influence that they can not only bring about major changes to the lives of ordinary people but can even overthrow a government.
The story of a poor family that acquired fame and fortune overnight, dramatically illustrates the power of the press. The family lived in Aberdeen, a small town of 23,000 inhabitants in South Dakota. As the parents had five children, life was a perpetual struggle against poverty. They were expecting their sixth child and faced with even more pressing economic problems. If they had only had one more child, the fact would have passed unnoticed. They would have continued to struggle against economic odds and would have lived in obscurity. But they suddenly became the parents of quintuplets, four girls and a boy, an event which radically changed their lives. The day after the birth of the five children, an aeroplane arrived in Aberdeen bringing sixty reporters and photographers.
The rise to fame was swift. Television cameras and newspapers carried the news to everyone in the country. Newspapers and magazines offered the family huge sums for the exclusive rights to publish stories and photographs. Gifts poured in not only from unknown people, but from baby food and soap manufacturers who wished to advertise their products. The old farmhouse the family lived in was to be replaced by a new $500,000 home. Reporters kept pressing for interviews so lawyers had to be employed to act as spokes-men for the family at press conferences. While the five babies were still quietly sleeping in oxygen tents in a hospital nursery, their parents were paying the price for fame. It would never again be possible for them to lead normal lives. They had become the victims of commercialization, for their names had acquired a market value. Instead of being five new family members, these children had immediately become a commodity.
【課文翻譯】
在民主國(guó)家里，任何限制新聞自由的企圖都理所當(dāng)然地受到譴責(zé)。然而，這種自由很容易被濫用。常人軼事往往比政治事件更能引起公眾注意。我們都喜歡看關(guān)于別人生活的報(bào)道，但是否同樣喜歡看關(guān)于自己生活的報(bào)道，就很難說(shuō)了。記者按事實(shí)至上的論點(diǎn)行事，發(fā)表有關(guān)別人生活的細(xì)節(jié)，有時(shí)會(huì)給當(dāng)事人造成極大的痛苦。新聞具有巨大的威力。它們不僅可以給尋常人家的生活帶來(lái)重大的變化，甚至還能*一個(gè)政府。
下面這戶窮人一夜之間出名發(fā)財(cái)?shù)墓适聭騽⌒缘卣f(shuō)明了新聞報(bào)道威力。這戶人家住在南達(dá)科他州一個(gè)人口為23，000 的小鎮(zhèn)上，鎮(zhèn)名為阿拜丁。家里已有5個(gè)孩子，全家人常年在貧困中掙扎。第6個(gè)孩子即將問(wèn)世，他們面臨著更為嚴(yán)峻的經(jīng)濟(jì)問(wèn)題。如果他們只添了1個(gè)孩子，這件事本來(lái)就不會(huì)引起任何人的注意。這家人會(huì)繼續(xù)為克服經(jīng)濟(jì)上的拮據(jù)而奮斗，并默默無(wú)聞地活下去。但是他們出人意料生了個(gè)五胞胎，4女1男。這事使他們的生活發(fā)生了根本的變化。五胞胎降生第二天，一架飛機(jī)飛抵阿拜丁，隨機(jī)帶來(lái)60名記者與攝影師。
這一家迅速出了名。電視攝像機(jī)和報(bào)紙把消息傳送到全國(guó)。報(bào)紙、雜志出高價(jià)向他們購(gòu)買(mǎi)文字、圖片的報(bào)道權(quán)。不但素昧平生的人寄來(lái)了大量的禮物，而且嬰兒食品、嬰兒肥皂制造廠商為了替自己產(chǎn)品做廣告也寄來(lái)了大量的禮物。這家人住的舊家舍將由一座價(jià)值50萬(wàn)美元的新住宅所取代。由于記者紛紛要求會(huì)見(jiàn)，他們不得不請(qǐng)了律師充當(dāng)他們家的發(fā)言人舉行記者招待會(huì)。眼下，五胞胎還靜靜地躺在醫(yī)院嬰兒室的氧氣帳里，他們的父母卻為這名聲付出了代價(jià)，他們?cè)僖矡o(wú)法過(guò)正常的生活。他們成了商業(yè)化的受害者，因?yàn)樗麄兊拿志哂辛耸袌?chǎng)價(jià)值。這些孩子立即成了商品，而不是5個(gè)新的家庭成員。
【詞匯】
democrat n. 民主的
restrict v. 限制
abuse v. 濫用
contention n. 論點(diǎn)
untold adj. 數(shù)不盡的，無(wú)限的
perpetual adj. 永久的
quintuplet n. 五胞胎之一
obscurity n. 默默無(wú)聞
radically adv. 徹底地，完全地
exclusive adj. 獨(dú)占的，的
nursery n. 育嬰室，保育室
commercialization n. 商品化
commodity n. 商品
【重點(diǎn)詞匯講解】
【restrict】
英英：place under restrictions; limit access to
例句：
1. In return, the banks have to restrict pay for top officials.
作為交換，銀行必須限制高級(jí)官員的薪水。
2. Only if we restrict ourselves can the conversation be conducted; friendly chat depends on the well self-control.
我們唯有約束自己，對(duì)話才可能進(jìn)行;友好的交談依賴于良好的自我克制得以產(chǎn)生。
3. You do not have to restrict yourself to writing only about things that you have experienced personally, but it helps.
你并不一定非要寫(xiě)你自己親身經(jīng)歷的事情，但如果你寫(xiě)自己親身經(jīng)歷的事情會(huì)對(duì)你寫(xiě)詩(shī)有所幫助。
【untold】
例句：
1. Why, untold thousands of persons had a hand in every cup of coffee the loggers drink!
哎呀，忘了說(shuō)了，在伐木工喝的每杯咖啡背后，也有成千上萬(wàn)的人的勞作!
2. I am a cheerful girl, like friends. I am also very humorous, we will bring untold joy.
我是一個(gè)開(kāi)朗的女孩，特別喜歡交朋友。我也很幽默，會(huì)給大家?guī)?lái)數(shù)不清的歡樂(lè)。
【perpetual】
例句：
1. Do you believe in perpetual love in this secular world?
在這個(gè)世俗的世界你還相信有天長(zhǎng)地久的愛(ài)情嗎?
2. Indeed, on the atomic scale, perpetual motion is a reality.
的確，從原子尺度看，永恒的運(yùn)動(dòng)是一個(gè)確實(shí)存在的事實(shí)。
【obscurity】
例句：
1. You may be serving in obscurity in some small place, feeling unknown and unappreciated.
你可能在一個(gè)小地方默默奉獻(xiàn)，無(wú)人知道無(wú)人賞識(shí)。
2. Through the spread on Internet, Furong jj became famous in a night from obscurity.
通過(guò)網(wǎng)絡(luò)傳播，芙蓉jj一夜之間從(陰暗，不分明，身份低微)到家喻戶曉。
【radically】
例句：
1. If these ideas were really taken seriously, they would change education radically.
如果這些方案得到真真正正地落實(shí)，那么教育界將發(fā)生根本性的變化。
2. Like many other parts of the media industry, publishing is being radically reshaped by the growth of the internet.
與傳媒業(yè)的許多其他分支一樣，伴隨著互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的成長(zhǎng)，出版業(yè)的形態(tài)經(jīng)歷著重大變革。
【exclusive】
例句：
1. The nuclear club is getting less exclusive by the day.
核俱樂(lè)部的門(mén)檻一天比一天低。
2. But a news agency can retain exclusive use of its product so long as it has a commercial value.
但是只要該產(chǎn)品有一定的商業(yè)價(jià)值，新聞單位可以阻止他人使用自家的新聞出版物。
【常用表達(dá)】
【bring about】引起，導(dǎo)致
【in obscurity】默默無(wú)聞
【rise to fame】名聲大振
In democratic countries any efforts to restrict the freedom of the press are rightly condemned. However, this freedom can easily be abused. Stories about people often attract far more public attention than political events. Though we may enjoy reading about the lives of others, it is extremely doubtful whether we would equally enjoy reading about ourselves. Acting on the contention that facts are sacred, reporters can cause untold suffering to individuals by publishing details about their private lives. Newspapers exert such tremendous influence that they can not only bring about major changes to the lives of ordinary people but can even overthrow a government.
The story of a poor family that acquired fame and fortune overnight, dramatically illustrates the power of the press. The family lived in Aberdeen, a small town of 23,000 inhabitants in South Dakota. As the parents had five children, life was a perpetual struggle against poverty. They were expecting their sixth child and faced with even more pressing economic problems. If they had only had one more child, the fact would have passed unnoticed. They would have continued to struggle against economic odds and would have lived in obscurity. But they suddenly became the parents of quintuplets, four girls and a boy, an event which radically changed their lives. The day after the birth of the five children, an aeroplane arrived in Aberdeen bringing sixty reporters and photographers.
The rise to fame was swift. Television cameras and newspapers carried the news to everyone in the country. Newspapers and magazines offered the family huge sums for the exclusive rights to publish stories and photographs. Gifts poured in not only from unknown people, but from baby food and soap manufacturers who wished to advertise their products. The old farmhouse the family lived in was to be replaced by a new $500,000 home. Reporters kept pressing for interviews so lawyers had to be employed to act as spokes-men for the family at press conferences. While the five babies were still quietly sleeping in oxygen tents in a hospital nursery, their parents were paying the price for fame. It would never again be possible for them to lead normal lives. They had become the victims of commercialization, for their names had acquired a market value. Instead of being five new family members, these children had immediately become a commodity.
【課文翻譯】
在民主國(guó)家里，任何限制新聞自由的企圖都理所當(dāng)然地受到譴責(zé)。然而，這種自由很容易被濫用。常人軼事往往比政治事件更能引起公眾注意。我們都喜歡看關(guān)于別人生活的報(bào)道，但是否同樣喜歡看關(guān)于自己生活的報(bào)道，就很難說(shuō)了。記者按事實(shí)至上的論點(diǎn)行事，發(fā)表有關(guān)別人生活的細(xì)節(jié)，有時(shí)會(huì)給當(dāng)事人造成極大的痛苦。新聞具有巨大的威力。它們不僅可以給尋常人家的生活帶來(lái)重大的變化，甚至還能*一個(gè)政府。
下面這戶窮人一夜之間出名發(fā)財(cái)?shù)墓适聭騽⌒缘卣f(shuō)明了新聞報(bào)道威力。這戶人家住在南達(dá)科他州一個(gè)人口為23，000 的小鎮(zhèn)上，鎮(zhèn)名為阿拜丁。家里已有5個(gè)孩子，全家人常年在貧困中掙扎。第6個(gè)孩子即將問(wèn)世，他們面臨著更為嚴(yán)峻的經(jīng)濟(jì)問(wèn)題。如果他們只添了1個(gè)孩子，這件事本來(lái)就不會(huì)引起任何人的注意。這家人會(huì)繼續(xù)為克服經(jīng)濟(jì)上的拮據(jù)而奮斗，并默默無(wú)聞地活下去。但是他們出人意料生了個(gè)五胞胎，4女1男。這事使他們的生活發(fā)生了根本的變化。五胞胎降生第二天，一架飛機(jī)飛抵阿拜丁，隨機(jī)帶來(lái)60名記者與攝影師。
這一家迅速出了名。電視攝像機(jī)和報(bào)紙把消息傳送到全國(guó)。報(bào)紙、雜志出高價(jià)向他們購(gòu)買(mǎi)文字、圖片的報(bào)道權(quán)。不但素昧平生的人寄來(lái)了大量的禮物，而且嬰兒食品、嬰兒肥皂制造廠商為了替自己產(chǎn)品做廣告也寄來(lái)了大量的禮物。這家人住的舊家舍將由一座價(jià)值50萬(wàn)美元的新住宅所取代。由于記者紛紛要求會(huì)見(jiàn)，他們不得不請(qǐng)了律師充當(dāng)他們家的發(fā)言人舉行記者招待會(huì)。眼下，五胞胎還靜靜地躺在醫(yī)院嬰兒室的氧氣帳里，他們的父母卻為這名聲付出了代價(jià)，他們?cè)僖矡o(wú)法過(guò)正常的生活。他們成了商業(yè)化的受害者，因?yàn)樗麄兊拿志哂辛耸袌?chǎng)價(jià)值。這些孩子立即成了商品，而不是5個(gè)新的家庭成員。
【詞匯】
democrat n. 民主的
restrict v. 限制
abuse v. 濫用
contention n. 論點(diǎn)
untold adj. 數(shù)不盡的，無(wú)限的
perpetual adj. 永久的
quintuplet n. 五胞胎之一
obscurity n. 默默無(wú)聞
radically adv. 徹底地，完全地
exclusive adj. 獨(dú)占的，的
nursery n. 育嬰室，保育室
commercialization n. 商品化
commodity n. 商品
【重點(diǎn)詞匯講解】
【restrict】
英英：place under restrictions; limit access to
例句：
1. In return, the banks have to restrict pay for top officials.
作為交換，銀行必須限制高級(jí)官員的薪水。
2. Only if we restrict ourselves can the conversation be conducted; friendly chat depends on the well self-control.
我們唯有約束自己，對(duì)話才可能進(jìn)行;友好的交談依賴于良好的自我克制得以產(chǎn)生。
3. You do not have to restrict yourself to writing only about things that you have experienced personally, but it helps.
你并不一定非要寫(xiě)你自己親身經(jīng)歷的事情，但如果你寫(xiě)自己親身經(jīng)歷的事情會(huì)對(duì)你寫(xiě)詩(shī)有所幫助。
【untold】
例句：
1. Why, untold thousands of persons had a hand in every cup of coffee the loggers drink!
哎呀，忘了說(shuō)了，在伐木工喝的每杯咖啡背后，也有成千上萬(wàn)的人的勞作!
2. I am a cheerful girl, like friends. I am also very humorous, we will bring untold joy.
我是一個(gè)開(kāi)朗的女孩，特別喜歡交朋友。我也很幽默，會(huì)給大家?guī)?lái)數(shù)不清的歡樂(lè)。
【perpetual】
例句：
1. Do you believe in perpetual love in this secular world?
在這個(gè)世俗的世界你還相信有天長(zhǎng)地久的愛(ài)情嗎?
2. Indeed, on the atomic scale, perpetual motion is a reality.
的確，從原子尺度看，永恒的運(yùn)動(dòng)是一個(gè)確實(shí)存在的事實(shí)。
【obscurity】
例句：
1. You may be serving in obscurity in some small place, feeling unknown and unappreciated.
你可能在一個(gè)小地方默默奉獻(xiàn)，無(wú)人知道無(wú)人賞識(shí)。
2. Through the spread on Internet, Furong jj became famous in a night from obscurity.
通過(guò)網(wǎng)絡(luò)傳播，芙蓉jj一夜之間從(陰暗，不分明，身份低微)到家喻戶曉。
【radically】
例句：
1. If these ideas were really taken seriously, they would change education radically.
如果這些方案得到真真正正地落實(shí)，那么教育界將發(fā)生根本性的變化。
2. Like many other parts of the media industry, publishing is being radically reshaped by the growth of the internet.
與傳媒業(yè)的許多其他分支一樣，伴隨著互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的成長(zhǎng)，出版業(yè)的形態(tài)經(jīng)歷著重大變革。
【exclusive】
例句：
1. The nuclear club is getting less exclusive by the day.
核俱樂(lè)部的門(mén)檻一天比一天低。
2. But a news agency can retain exclusive use of its product so long as it has a commercial value.
但是只要該產(chǎn)品有一定的商業(yè)價(jià)值，新聞單位可以阻止他人使用自家的新聞出版物。
【常用表達(dá)】
【bring about】引起，導(dǎo)致
【in obscurity】默默無(wú)聞
【rise to fame】名聲大振