Dr. Applebaum told me,“The greatest danger of television is that it presents a world to childrenthat 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 aperson in an automobile doesn’t immediately find a parking2 place on the very first try?” “Cometo 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 backinto 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 aparking place when and where they want it. Can you imagine the trauma when they discoverthat in real life you can drive around a block for three hours and still not find a place to putyour car?”

　　“ I never thought of it but it’s true . What else do they show on television which gives adistorted4 picture of the real world?” “Have you noticed that whenever a character walks out ofa restaurant or office building or apartment and says to the doorman,‘Get me a taxi, ’the taxiimmediately arrives? Millions of children are under the impression5 that all a doorman has todo is blow his whistle and a taxi will be there. I have never seen a show where the doormanhas said, ‘ I’m sorry. I can’t get you a taxi. You better take the bus. ’” “Of course , ”I said.“Inever knew before what bothered me about those TV action programs, but now I do. There isalways a yellow taxi waiting off screen. ” “Now, ”said Applebaum,“ have you ever said to a taxidriver,‘ 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 taxidriver 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 anhour through a rain-swept street trying to keep up with a carful of hoods. And the worst thing isthat the kids believe it. ”

　　閱讀自測

　　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.

　　參考答案

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

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

　　參考譯文

　　電視誤區(qū)

　　海因里希· 阿普爾鮑姆博士最近完成了一項有關電視對兒童造成的影響的研究。在 他的研究中, 他對暴力問題并不感興趣, 他所關心的是電視怎樣給孩子造成一種現(xiàn)實錯覺。

　　阿普爾鮑姆博士告訴我:“ 電視帶來的最大危害是它向孩子們展現(xiàn)了一個并不存在的 世界, 并且挑起他們難以實現(xiàn)的期望。”

　　“ 我不明白, 博士, ”我說。 “ 那么, 舉個例子來說吧。你有沒有在電視上看到過一個人開著車, 找不到停車的地方? ” “ 仔細想想, ”我說,“ 我沒見過那種情況。” “ 不僅總有空著的車位, 而且司機都用不著把車倒進去。無論什么時候, 當電視中的人 需要一個停車位的時候, 總會有兩個可用。電視正引導著孩子們去相信這樣的事情——— 他 們長大后, 無論什么時候, 也無論在哪里, 只要需要, 他們總能找到停車的地方。而現(xiàn)實生 活中, 孩子們?yōu)檎覀€停車位駕車繞著街區(qū)轉悠了三個小時, 最后仍沒有找著一個可以停車 的地方, 你能想象此刻他們所受到的傷害嗎? ” “ 我從沒有想過, 但確有其事。電視上還展現(xiàn)了什么歪曲現(xiàn)實的畫面? ”

　　“ 你有沒有發(fā)現(xiàn), 無論什么時候, 一個人走出飯店、辦公樓或公寓, 對門衛(wèi)說‘ 給我叫輛 車’, 立刻就有輛出租車過來? 成千上萬的孩子就有了這樣一種印象: 門衛(wèi)只要吹聲口哨,馬 上就會有輛出租車開過來。我從沒聽過電視上的門衛(wèi)說,‘ 對不起, 沒有出租車, 您請坐 公交車吧。’”

　　“ 當然, ”我說,“ 我以前從沒發(fā)現(xiàn)那些電視動作片有什么令人緊張的, 現(xiàn)在我明白了。 那是因為總有輛黃色出租車等在熒屏之外。”

　　“ 那么, ”阿普爾鮑姆博士說, “ 你有沒有對出租車司機說過‘ 跟著剛才那輛車, 別跟 丟了’? ” “ 沒有。”

　　“ 如果你那樣說, 司機可能會讓你打消那個念頭。沒有誰愿意跟蹤另一輛車, 因為那意 味著他將卷入某種麻煩。但是在電視上似乎每個司機都樂于以90 英里的時速, 行駛在雨 水沖刷過的街道上, 跟蹤滿滿一車的打手。最糟糕的是孩子們卻相信這樣的事。”

　　閱讀導釋

　　1. 這個詞的意思是“ 關心, 擔憂”, 常用于詞組be concerned with 中, 意思是“ 有關系, 涉 及”。concern 的用法很多, 常用的詞組有: as concerns ( 關于) ; so / as far as . . . be concerned ( 關于, 至于) ;concern oneself in / with sth. ( 關心, 掛念, 擔心) 。

　　2. 注意, 這里的park 不是作“公園”解, 而是“停車”的意思。下文出現(xiàn)的parking spot 意思 是“ 可停放一輛汽車的空間”, 即通常說的“ 車位”。有些商場前立有標志: 請勿停車! ( No parking, please! ) 停車場一般用parking lot 或car park 表示, 而違章停車傳票就是 parking ticket。

　　3. 這個詞在這里的意思是“ 可以找到的, 可用的”。

　　4. 這個詞意為“扭曲的, 歪曲的”。

　　5. 這里作“ 印象, 感覺”解。和under 搭配的詞組很多, 如: under the pressure ( 在壓力之下) ; underdiscussion ( 在討論之中) 。