CALVIN: So, are you pretty well settled¹ in your new place?
TOM: I still have to buy a washing machine and dryer².
But otherwise I've pretty much finished moving.
CALVIN: Does your building have cable³ TV?
TOM: I'm not sure. I didn't check yet.
CALVIN: Huh? How can you move into a building if you don't check?
You don't want to live somewhere where it's hard to get cable.
TOM: Why? I'm not a big TV fan. I watch very little.
CALVIN: Well, I agree. Regular TV is lousy. I don't watch it either.
But cable TV is excellent. Didn't you have it at your old place?
TOM: My girlfriend had it hooked⁴ up for about three months.
But I rarely⁵ watched it. I was too busy.
CALVIN: What do you do for news?
TOM: I read the newspaper. That's much better than cable TV.
CALVIN: I don't agree. I think it's better in some ways.
But CNN is great. With CNN, you have fast news coverage⁶, and images too.
And you can watch it while you're eating breakfast.
TOM: Yes, I've watched CNN before. But I still like the newspaper better.
CALVIN: Larry King Live is my favorite talk show.
I think shows like his are excellent ways to hear different opinions about world events.
TOM: So maybe I will get cable hooked up. Just to watch CNN, I mean.
CALVIN: But that's not all you have with cable.
There are a lot of things you can get. Do you like MTV?
TOM: No, not at all. I don't care about that.
I like Beavis and Butthead. They're hilarious⁷.
But I never watch music videos. They dry up your brain.
CALVIN: How about the Discovery channel?
TOM: Yes, I forgot about Discovery.
I have to agree that's an excellent channel.
And maybe, for the first time in history, it's a channel that does some good in the world.
CALVIN: What do you mean?
TOM: I mean, usually TV channels are only good for advertising⁸ products.
In other words, they are good for making money.
But the Discovery channel does a lot to show people how the environment is being destroyed.
CALVIN: Yes, it does. I agree.
TOM: I think the Discovery channel makes people think about protecting the environment.
That is a great service to the future of the world.
CALVIN: So you see: cable TV can be important.
TOM: Yes, I suppose.

凯文：你的新家都安顿好了吗？
汤姆：我还要买洗衣机和干洗机
但除此而外差不多都安顿好了。
凯文：你家有有线电视吗？
汤姆：不确定，我没检查过呢。
凯文：什么？你没检查过就搬进去了呢？
你不会想住在申请不到有线电视的地方吧？
汤姆：为什么？我不是电视迷，我很少看电视。
凯文：没错！无线电视台的节目都很逊，我也不太看。
不过有线电视台就不错，你以前住的地方没有有线电视吗？
汤姆：我女朋友装了三个月。
但是我很少看，我太忙了。
凯文：那你怎么知道新闻？
汤姆：我看报纸，那比看电视还好。
凯文：我不认同。我想某方面的确比较好。
但是美国有线新闻网很不错， 随时有最新的新闻报导和画面。
而且你还可以边吃早餐边看新闻。
汤姆：我以前看过，不过我还是觉得看报纸比较好。
凯文：赖瑞.金直播是我最喜欢的脱口秀。
看他如何呈现世界大事的不同观点是很过瘾的事。
汤姆：那或许我会装有线电视，我的意见是只看美国有线新闻网。
凯文：但还不只这样。
你还可以收看很多节目。你喜欢音乐电视吗？
汤姆：绝不，我才不看咧！
我喜欢它的卡通《瘪四与大头蛋》，好有趣喔。
但是我绝不看音乐电视，那会榨干你的脑袋。
凯文：那么探索台呢？
汤姆：是的，我忘了还有探索台。
我必须承认那是很棒的频道。
而且很可能是有史以来首个对世界有所贡献的节目。
凯文：什么意思？
汤姆：我的意思是，通常电视频道只对商品宣传有利。
换言之是营利导向。
但是探索台频道做了很多节目，告诉人们环境正在遭到破坏。
凯文：的确是。我同意。
汤姆：我觉得探索台频道让人们意识到要保护环境。
这对世界的未来有极大的贡献。
凯文：所以你看，有线电台也颇重要的。
汤姆：我想是的。