---
url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-3/45-the-power-of-the-press.md
description: 新概念英语第三册：The Power of the Press。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。
---

# 45 · 新闻报道的威力

### 第1段

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 were 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 spokesmen 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.

中文理解：在民主国家，任何限制新闻自由的做法，都会受到理所当然的谴责。然而，这份自由也很容易被滥用。有关个人的报道，往往比政治事件更能吸引公众。我们或许喜欢读别人的生活故事，可如果被写进报道的是自己，还能不能同样开心，就很值得怀疑了。记者抱着“事实神圣不可侵犯”的信念，披露他人的私生活细节，可能给当事人带来难以言说的痛苦。报纸的影响力如此巨大，不仅能彻底改变普通人的生活，甚至可以推翻一个政府。
一个穷苦家庭一夜间名利双收的故事，鲜明地说明了新闻报道的力量。这个家庭住在南达科他州的阿伯丁小城，那里有23,000名居民。夫妻俩已经有五个孩子，日子始终在与贫困搏斗。如今他们正等着第六个孩子出生，经济压力更加迫切。如果只是再添一个孩子，这件事本不会引起任何注意，他们仍会默默无闻地为生计苦撑。可结果却是一胎生下了五胞胎，四个女孩、一个男孩，这一下彻底改变了全家的命运。孩子出生的第二天，一架飞机便把六十名记者和摄影师送到了阿伯丁。
这个家庭迅速出了名。电视和报纸把消息传遍全国，报刊杂志愿意支付巨款，购买他们故事和照片的独家发表权。礼物源源不断，不仅来自素不相识的人，也来自想借机宣传产品的婴儿食品和肥皂厂家。他们原本住的旧农舍，将被一座价值五十万美元的新房子取代。记者们不停追着采访，一家人只好雇请律师，在新闻发布会上替他们发言。五个婴儿还在医院育婴室的氧气帐里安睡时，父母已经开始付出成名的代价。他们再也无法过正常生活，姓名一旦有了市场价值，人就成了商业化的受害者。这些孩子还来不及只是家里新添的五个成员，就已经被当成了商品。

* **freedom of the press**：新闻自由；press 在此指新闻媒体，不是打印机。

* **can easily be abused**：很容易被滥用；be abused 说权利或权力遭不当使用，保留被动关系。

* **public attention**：公众关注；attract / receive public attention，搭配动词而非只背 attention。

* **private lives**：私人生活；respect / intrude into / publish details about private lives，注意动词立场。

* **bring about**：导致；促成；常用于较明显的变化，不是拿来物品。

* **acquired fame and fortune**：获得名声与财富；把名与利并列，注意它们不保证幸福。

* **a perpetual struggle against poverty**：长期与贫困抗争；a struggle against + 困境，perpetual 强调难以停歇。

* **would have passed unnoticed**：原本不会引起注意；would have done 是与过去事实不同的设想，不是后来真的无人注意。

* **radically changed their lives**：彻底改变了他们的生活；radically 指根本程度，后面应给实际变化支撑。

* **The rise to fame**：成名的过程；名词 rise to fame 与动词 rose to fame 连起来记。

* **the exclusive rights to**：……的独家权利；rights to do；exclusive 限定其他人没有同样授权。

* **poured in**：纷纷涌来；主语常为大量到来的东西，不一定是液体。

* **pressing for interviews**：不断要求采访；press for + 要求，不是 physically press someone。

* **act as**：充当；担任；不必表示假扮，也可是真正履行职责。

* **at press conferences**：在新闻发布会上；speak at a conference，具体活动地点常用 at。

* **paying the price for**：为……付出代价；本课是名声的隐性代价，不限金钱。

* **lead normal lives**：过正常生活；lead / live a life，复数对象可用 lives。

* **a market value**：市场价值；acquire / have a market value，区分情感与商业价值。

#### 原文注释 · In democratic countries any efforts to restrict the freedom of the press are rightly condemned.

注释：①restrict = keep within limits, control。②equally = in the same way, just as much。③contention = assertion, argument。④untold = indescribable。

#### 原文注释 · The story of a poor family that acquired fame and fortune overnight, dramatically illustrates the power of the press.

注释：①acquired = got, gained。②perpetual struggle = continual fight。③in obscurity = in a state of not being famous or well known。

\[语法符号讲解] \[1]该同位语中包含一个which 引导的定语从句，此处为额外细分，故同位语符号打在点句号左边，而定语从句的括号打在点句号的右边。

#### 原文注释 · The rise to fame was swift.

注释：①exclusive rights = rights only available to a certain person。

#### Summary 摘要

Immediately the news got out, a plane arrived with reporters and photographers. The family's rise to fame was swift and soon the media had told the whole country. Newspapers and magazines offered huge sums of money for exclusive rights to the story, while gifts poured in from baby products manufacturers. The family's old farmhouse was replaced by a new home, while lawyers were employed as spokesmen. The parents paid the price for fame: they would never again lead normal lives. (80 words)

#### Composition 作文

\[1]There is a well-known expression in English to describe rising from poverty to a state of being very rich or wealthy: it's called going "from rags to riches". It doesn't usually mean that a person has been living in rags and then becomes extremely rich. The expression is not quite right to describe what happened to John, but not far wrong.

\[2]John's life had been very ordinary and certainly lacked excitement. He was 25 years old, but he didn't takepart in any sport, he didn't have a girlfriend and he didn't drive a car. Instead he went everywhere on his bicycle. In fact he led a pretty boring life, but he was happy.

\[3]Then one day a friend suggested he do the football pools. (In England this is a way of winning a lot of money. If your predictions correspond to real football scores, you can win lots of money.) John did the football pools and won a million pounds. He went mad with the money. He bought a new car and a big house.And then he met a girl and married her. It was all too quick. Very soon they started arguing and soon they got a divorce. Now John is alone again, and living in his big house as a sad millionaire.

\[4]The lesson of the story is this: never listen to the advice of a friend. If John had never done the football pools, he would never have become a sad millionaire. On the other hand, he is now able to give a lot of money to charity—to help people less fortunate than himself. (271 words)

## 学完这一课

用 Though we enjoy…, it is doubtful whether… 揭示一个态度矛盾。

[Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-3/review) · [三册选择地图](/new-concept/)

*译文依据整理稿，由本站按中文表达重新校订；解析据吴应时、何景霖整理资料及首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第155—158页，2022年2月第3版。*