unreality of tv

　　dr. heinrich applebaum recently completed a study on the effects of television on children. in his case, though, he wasn’t concerned1 with violence , but how television gives children a false sense of reality.

　　dr. applebaum told me,“the greatest danger of television is that it presents a world to children that doesn’t exist, and raises expectations that can never be fulfilled. ” “ i don’t understand, doctor, ”i said. “well, let me cite one example. have you ever seen a television show where a person in an automobile doesn’t immediately find a parking2 place on the very first try?” “come to think of it, ”i said,“i haven’t. ”

　　“not only is there always a parking spot available3 but the driver doesn’t even have to back into it. there are two parking spaces available whenever someone in a tv show needs one . children are being led to believe that when they grow up they will always be able to find a parking place when and where they want it. can you imagine the trauma when they discover that in real life you can drive around a block for three hours and still not find a place to put your car?”

　　“ i never thought of it but it’s true . what else do they show on television which gives a distorted4 picture of the real world?” “have you noticed that whenever a character walks out of a restaurant or office building or apartment and says to the doorman,‘get me a taxi, ’the taxi immediately arrives? millions of children are under the impression5 that all a doorman has to do is blow his whistle and a taxi will be there. i have never seen a show where the doorman has said, ‘ i’m sorry. i can’t get you a taxi. you better take the bus. ’” “of course , ”i said.“i never knew before what bothered me about those tv action programs, but now i do. there is always a yellow taxi waiting off screen. ” “now, ”said applebaum,“ have you ever said to a taxi driver,‘ follow that car and don’t lose him’?”

　　“not really. ” “well, if you had, the driver would have told you to blow it out your ear. no taxi driver is in a mood to follow another car because that means he ’s going to get involved.

　　but on tv every cabdriver looks as if he ’d like nothing better to do than to drive 90 miles an hour through a rain-swept street trying to keep up with a carful of hoods. and the worst thing is that the kids believe it. ”

　　阅读自测

　　Ⅰ. fill in the blanks with the following phrases : ( be concerned with, as far as . . . concerned, parking lot, on the first try, under the impression)

　　1. driving around for almost an hour, i finally found a_________ .

　　2. the study _________the effect of financial crisis on international trade .

　　3._________ , jazz is a kind of classic music.

　　4. i find the place_________ .

　　5. many of us are _________that a man with an ugly face is a bad guy.

　　Ⅱ. question : list two examples to illustrate the unreality of tv.

　　参考答案

　　Ⅰ. 1. parking lot 2. is concerned with 3 . as far as i am concerned 4. on the first try 5. under the impression

　　Ⅱ. 1. whenever and wherever you want a parking place , you can find it. 2. whenever you walk out of a restaurant, the doorman could find you a taxi.

　参考译文

　　电视误区

　　海 因里希· 阿普尔鲍姆博士最近完成了一项有关电视对儿童造成的影响的研究。在 他的研究中, 他对暴力问题并不感兴趣, 他所关心的是电视怎样给孩子造成一种现实错觉。

　　阿普尔鲍姆博士告诉我:“ 电视带来的最大危害是它向孩子们展现了一个并不存在的 世界, 并且挑起他们难以实现的期望。”

　　“ 我不明白, 博士, ”我说。 “ 那么, 举个例子来说吧。你有没有在电视上看到过一个人开着车, 找不到停车的地方? ” “ 仔细想想, ”我说,“ 我没见过那种情况。” “ 不仅总有空着的车位, 而且司机都用不着把车倒进去。无论什么时候, 当电视中的人 需要一个停车位的时候, 总会有两个可用。电视正引导着孩子们去相信这样的事情——— 他 们长大后, 无论什么时候, 也无论在哪里, 只要需要, 他们总能找到停车的地方。而现实生 活中, 孩子们为找个停车位驾车绕着街区转悠了三个小时, 最后仍没有找着一个可以停车 的地方, 你能想象此刻他们所受到的伤害吗? ” “ 我从没有想过, 但确有其事。电视上还展现了什么歪曲现实的画面? ”

　　“ 你有没有发现, 无论什么时候, 一个人走出饭店、办公楼或公寓, 对门卫说‘ 给我叫辆 车’, 立刻就有辆出租车过来? 成千上万的孩子就有了这样一种印象: 门卫只要吹声口哨,马 上就会有辆出租车开过来。我从没听过电视上的门卫说,‘ 对不起, 没有出租车, 您请坐 公交车吧。’”

　　“ 当然, ”我说,“ 我以前从没发现那些电视动作片有什么令人紧张的, 现在我明白了。 那是因为总有辆黄色出租车等在荧屏之外。”

　　“ 那么, ”阿普尔鲍姆博士说, “ 你有没有对出租车司机说过‘ 跟着刚才那辆车, 别跟 丢了’? ” “ 没有。”

　　“ 如果你那样说, 司机可能会让你打消那个念头。没有谁愿意跟踪另一辆车, 因为那意 味着他将卷入某种麻烦。但是在电视上似乎每个司机都乐于以90 英里的时速, 行驶在雨 水冲刷过的街道上, 跟踪满满一车的打手。最糟糕的是孩子们却相信这样的事。”

　　阅读导评

　　电视的发明无疑是人类历史上的一大进步, 它让我们更多更快地了解到世界各地已经 发生和正在发生的事情。然而, 人们在充分享受它的同时, 一些不良后果也接踵而至。人 们过分地追求利润, 这已经使电视在很多时候成了一种误导大众的工具, 受影响最严重的 当属处于启蒙阶段的孩子。

　　阅读导释

　　1. 这个词的意思是“ 关心, 担忧”, 常用于词组be concerned with 中, 意思是“ 有关系, 涉 及”。concern 的用法很多, 常用的词组有: as concerns ( 关于) ; so / as far as . . . be concerned ( 关于, 至于) ; concern oneself in / with sth. ( 关心, 挂念, 担心) 。

　　2. 注意, 这里的park 不是作“公园”解, 而是“停车”的意思。下文出现的parking spot 意思 是“ 可停放一辆汽车的空间”, 即通常说的“ 车位”。有些商场前立有标志: 请勿停车! ( no parking, please! ) 停车场一般用parking lot 或car park 表示, 而违章停车传票就是 parking ticket。

　　3. 这个词在这里的意思是“ 可以找到的, 可用的”。

　　4. 这个词意为“扭曲的, 歪曲的”。

　　5. 这里作“ 印象, 感觉”解。和under 搭配的词组很多, 如: under the pressure ( 在压力之下) ; under discussion ( 在讨论之中) 。