Passage Twenty-seven (Analysis and Interpretation¹ of the News)

   The newspaper must provide for the reader the facts, unalloyed, unslanted, objectively selected facts. But in these days of complex news it must provide more; it must supply interpretation, the meaning of the facts. This is the most important assignment confronting American journalism²—to make clear to the reader the problems of the day, to make international news as understandable as community news, to recognize that there is no longer any such thing (with the possible exception of such scribbling³ as society and club news) as “local” news, because any event in the international area has a local reaction in manpower draft, in economic strain, in terms, indeed, of our very way of life.

   There is in journalism a widespread view that when you embark⁴ on interpretation, you are entering choppy and dangerous waters, the swirling⁵ tides of opinion. This is nonsense.

   The opponents of interpretation insist that the writer and the editor shall confine himself to the “facts”. This insistence⁶ raises two questions: What are the facts? And: Are the bare facts enough?

   As to the first query⁷. Consider how a so-called “factual” story cones⁸ about. The reporter collects, say, fifty facts; out of these fifty, his space allotment being necessarily restricted, he selects the ten, which he considers most important. This is Judgment⁹ Number One. Then he or his editor decides which of these ten facts shall constitute the lead of the piece (This is important decision because many readers do not proceed beyond the first paragraph.) This is Judgment Number Two. Then the night editor determines whether the article shall be presented on page one, where it has a large impact, or on page twenty-four, where it has little. Judgment Number Three.

   Thus, in the presentation of a so-called “factual” or “objective” story, at least three judgments¹⁰ are involved. And they are judgments not at all unlike those involved in interpretation, in which reporter and editor, calling upon their general background, and their “news neutralism,” arrive at a conclusion as to the significance of the news.

   The two areas of judgment, presentation of the news and its interpretation, are both objective rather then subjective¹¹ processes—as objective, that is, as any human being can be. (Note in passing: even though complete objectivity can never be achieved, nevertheless the ideal must always be the beacon¹² on the murky¹³ news channels.) Of an editor is intent on slanting¹⁴ the news, he can do it in other ways and more effectively than by interpretation. He can do it by the selection of those facts that prop¹⁵ up his particular plea. Or he can do it by the pay he gives a story—promoting it to page one or demoting it to page thirty.

 

1.       The title that best expresses the ideas of this passage is

[A]. Interpreting the News.                  [B]. Choosing Facts.

[C]. Subjective versus¹⁶ Objective Processes.     [D]. Everything Counts.

2.       Why does the writer of an article select ten out of 50 available facts?

[A]. Space is limited.              [B]. His editor is prejudiced.

[C]. The subject is not important.     [D]. He is entering choppy and dangerous.

3.       What is the least effective way of “slanting” news/

[A]. Interpretation.                [B]. His editor is prejudiced.

[C]. Placement.                   [D]. Concentration.

4.       Why should the lead sentence present the most important fact?

[A]. It will influence the reader to continue.

[B]. It will be the best way to write.

[C]. Some readers do not read beyond the first paragraph.

[D]. It will gratify the editor.

 

Vocabulary

1.           unalloyed                       纯粹的，没有杂物的

2.           unslanted                       无偏见的，不歪曲的

3.           scribble                        胡写，乱写；粗制滥造的文章

4.           manpower draft                  人力征用，券集

5.           economic strain                  经济紧张，压力

6.           embark on                      开始，从事

7.           choppy                         波浪滔滔的，变动频繁，紊乱

8.           query                          疑问，质问

9.           come about                     发生

10.        allotment                       分配

11.        beacon                         信标，灯塔，烽火

12.        murky                         阴暗的，（雾等）浓的

13.        prop up                        给……撑腰，支持

14.        demote                        使降级。相应词 promote

15.        news neutralism                 无倾向性新闻，新闻中立主义

16.        lead                           （新闻等）导语，提要

 

难句译注

1.       This is the most important assignment confronting American journalism—to make clear to the reader the problems of the day, to make international news as understandable as community news, to recognize that there is no longer any such thing (with the possible exception of such scribbling as society and club news) as “local” news, because any event in the international area has a local reaction in manpower draft, in economic strain, in terms, indeed, of our very way of life.

[结构简析] 主从句，句中连用三个不定式，是实际的主语，也就是this 的内容。后跟宾语或宾语从句。

[参考译文] 美国报界面临最重要的儿女物是向读者讲清今日存在的问题，使国际新闻像地区社区新闻一样明白易懂，使他们认识到不再有什么“本地”新闻这类事情（社团或俱乐部粗制滥造的文章可能要除外），因为国际上任何新闻在人力征用，募集，经济负担，事实上在生活的各方面都会引起地区反应。

2.       There is in journalism a widespread view that when you embark on interpretation, you are entering choppy and dangerous waters, the swirling tides of opinion.

[结构简析] the swirling…是说明语。

[参考译文] 报界有一种普遍存在的观点：当你从事解释新闻的工作（对新闻进行解释时），你就进入了波浪滔天，险情还生的水域，意见漩掀的浪潮。

3.       And they are judgments not at all unlike those involved in interpretation, in which reporter and editor, calling upon their general background, and their “news neutralism,” arrive at a conclusion as to the significance of the news.

[结构简析] 句中有定语从句in which 修饰interpretation. 定从中calling on 分词短语作伴随状态，修饰reporter and editor。

[参考译文] 这些判断评价就像解释新闻多涉及的判断一样。在这里，记者和编辑要动用他们的新闻调查研究资源，他们一般的背景材料以及新闻“中立”态度来得出有关新闻意义的结论。

4.       The two areas of judgment, presentation of the news and its interpretation, are both objective rather then subjective processes—as objective, that is, as any human being can be. (Note in passing: even though complete objectivity can never be achieved, nevertheless the ideal must always be the beacon on the murky news channels.)

[结构简析] a note in passing 义；顺便说一句，附带的谈一下。

[参考译文] 这两个判断领域：提供新闻内容和解说新闻领域可不是主观过程，而是客观过程——也就是说，要像任何人能做到的那样客观。顺便说一句，就算达不到绝对的客观，那客观的理想必须始终如一的是迷雾漫漫新航道上的信标。

 

写作方法与文章大意

   文章论及“新闻评价”问题。采用一般到具体手法。文章一开始就提出新闻要客观，真实的事实，解释要清楚，使读者明白今日世界的问题。国内外大事和我们生活休戚相关。然后讲述选材过程，版面布置。最后谈到提供和解说新闻中评价要客观。

 

答案祥解

1.       A. 解释新闻。文章虽提及两个领域（见难句译注4），但重点在解释（见难句译注2）。提供是“解说”的前提，但作为标题不合适，因为它是作为“解释”的对比而写的。（见难句译注3 not at all unlike…及难句译注4 are both objective rather than…）

B. 选择事实。这只是提供新闻中一个具体步骤。      C. 主观对客观过程。也是一个具体方面（见难句译注4）。        D. 一切都要算在内。涉及面太广，文内没提及。

2.       A. 版面空间有限。第四段三句：“举例说，记者收集50条新闻事实。他从50条中选出10条他认为是最重要的新闻，因为他的版面空间分配必定有所限制。”

B. 他的编辑有偏见。不对。     C. 他的文章主题不重要。 不对。     D. 他进到了波浪滔天的危险水域（见难句译注2）。这是讲新闻解释。

3.       A. 解说。最后一段最后三句：“如果编辑想要歪曲新闻，他可以采用其他办法，远比解说要有效的多。他可以通过选择支持他的观点的才，或通过他给每条新闻所定的位置达到歪曲的目的——提升到头版，或者降低到三十版。”这段话说明其它办法歪曲新闻比解说新闻来歪曲有效的多。

B. 选材。         C. 定位。          D. 集中。

4.       C. 有些读者不读一段以下的问心，这是常识。有的读者就读大标题。

A. 它将影响读者继续读下去。        B. 这是最佳的写作方法。          D. 这会使编辑高兴。

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