2008年文登学校春季词汇班精彩文篇推荐(四)

时间:2007-07-17 02:46:36

(单词翻译:单击)

Ice – T: Is the lssue Social Responsibility …

 

(1) How did the company that publishes this magazine come to produce a record glorifying3 the murder of police?

I got my 12-gauge? sawed off

I got my headlights turned off

I’m ‘bout? to bust4 some shots off

I’m ‘bout to dust some cops off

Die, Die, Die Pig, Die!

 

(2) So go the verse to Cop Killer5 by the rapper Ice-T on the album Boby Count. The album is released by Warner Bros. Records, part of the Time Warner media and entertainment conglomerate7?.

 

(3) In a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece laying out the company’s position, Time Warner co-CEO Gerald Levin makes two defenses. First, Ice-T’s Cop Killer is misunderstood. “It doesn’t provoke or glorify2 vio-lence … It’s his fictionalized attempt to get inside a character’s head … Cop Killer is no more a call for gun-ning down the police than Frankie and Johnny is a summons for neglected lovers to shoot one another.’’ Instead of “finding ways to silence the messenger,” we should be “heeding the anguished10? cry contained in his mes-sage.’’

 

(4) This defense8 is self-contradictory. Frankie and Johnny does not pretend to have a political “message” that must be “______.” If Cop Killer has a message, it is that the murder of policemen is a justified11 response to po-lice brutality12. And not in self-defense, but in premeditated acts of revenge against random13 cops. (“I know your family’s grievin’ — f ---’em.”)

 

(5) Killing14 policemen is a good thing — that is the plain meaning of the words, and no “larger understand-ing” of black culture, the rage of the streets or anything else can explain it away. This is not Ella Fitzgerald tell-ing a story in song. As in much of today’s popular music, the line between performer and performance is pur-posely shadowed. These are political sermonettes? clearly intended to advocate the sentiments being expressed. Tracy Marrow15 (Ice-T) himself has said, “I scared the police, and they need to be scared.” That seems clear.

 

(6) The company’ s second defense of Cop Killer is the classic one of free expression: “We stand for creative freedom. We believe that the worth of what an artist or journalist has to say does not depend on preapproval from a government official or a corporate16 censor17?.”

 

(7) Of course Ice-T has the right to say whatever he wants. But that doesn’t require any company to provide him an outlet18. And it doesn’t relieve a company of responsibility for the messages it chooses to promote. Judg-ment is not “censorship.” Many an “anguished cry” goes unrecorded. This one was ______, and promoted, be-cause a successful artist under contract wanted to record it. Nothing wrong with making money, but a company cannot take the money and run from the responsibility.

 

(8) The founder19 of Time, Henry Luce, would pour scorn upon the notion that his company should provide a value-free forum20? for the exchange of ideas. In Luce’s system, editors were supposed to make value judgments21 and promote the truth as they saw it. Time has moved far from its old Lucean rigidity22 — far enough to allow for dissenting23? essays like this one. That evolution is a good thing, as long as it’s not a handy excuse for aban-doning all standards.

 

(9) No commercial enterprise need agree with every word that appears under its corporate approval. If Time Warner now intends to be “a global force for encouraging the confrontation24 of ideas,” that’s good. But a policy of allowing diverse viewpoints is not a moral free pass. Pro1 and con6? on national health care is one thing; pro and con on killing policemen is another.

 

(10) A bit of sympathy is in order for Time Warner. It is indeed a “global force” with media tentacles25? around the world. If it imposes rigorous standards and values from the top, it gets accused of corporate censorship. If it doesn’t, it gets accused of moral irresponsibility. A dilemma26. But someone should have thought of that before deciding to become a global force.

 

(11) And another genuine ______. Whatever the actual merits of Cop Killer, if Time Warner withdraws the album now the company will be perceived as giving in to outside pressure. That is a disastrous27 precedent28 for a global conglomerate.

 

(12) The Time-Warner merger29 of 1989 was supposed to produce corporate “synergy?”: the whole was sup-posed to be more than the sum of the parts. The Cop Killer controversy30 is an example of negative synergy. Peo-ple get mad at Cop Killer and start boycotting31 the movie Batman Returns. A reviewer praises Cop Killer (“Tracy Marrow’s poetry takes a switchblade and adept32 slices life’s jugular33?,” etc.), and TIME is accused of corruption34 instead of mere35 foolishness. Senior Time Warner executives find themselves under attack for — and defending — products of their company they neither honestly care for nor really understand, and doubtless weren’t even aware of before controversy hit.

 

(13) Anyway, it’s absurd to discuss Cop Killer as part of the “confrontation of ideas” — or even as an au-thentic anguished cry of rage from the ghetto36?. Cop Killer is a cynical37 commercial concoction38?, designed to tit-illate? its audience with imagery of violence. It merely exploits the authentic39 anguish9 of the inner city for further titillation40. Tracy Marrow is in business for a buck41, just like Time Warner. Cop Killer is an excellent joke on the white establishment, of which the company’s anguished excuse (“Why can’t we hear what rap is trying to tell us?”) is the punch line.

【参考译文】

Ice-T:问题是否为社会责任…

 

(1)发行这本杂志的公司,怎么会制作出一张歌颂杀警察的唱片?

锯短了我的霰弹枪

把我的车头灯关上

我要几颗子弹开花

我要轰掉几个警察

死吧!死吧!猪!死吧!

 

(2)拉普歌手Ice-T的专辑《尸体清点》中的《杀警人》一曲,歌词就是这样。发行这张专辑的是华纳兄弟唱片公司,属于时代华纳媒体与娱乐集团的一员。

 

(3) 时代华纳公司的副总裁莱文投书《华尔街日报》读者来函版说明公司的立场,文中提出两点辩护。第一,Ice-T的《杀警人》被误解了。“这首歌并不燃点或颂扬暴力,……而是他以虚构的方式尝试进入一个人物的心灵……《杀警人》并不是呼吁别人枪杀警察,就好像老歌《弗朗基与约翰尼》并不号召被欺骗的恋人拿枪互射是一样的。”我们不应该“设法让表达讯息的人住口”,而应“仔细倾听他讯息中的痛苦的呐喊。”

 

(4) 这种辩护是自我矛盾的。《弗朗基与约翰尼》并未假装有什么政治“讯息”要人“仔细听”。要说《杀警人》有什么讯息的话,那就是:杀警察是对于警察暴力正当的回应。而且不是为了自卫,而是随便找个警察,有预谋的进行复仇行动。(“我知道你的家人在伤痛——Ⅹ他的。”)

 

(5) 杀警察是好事——这是歌词里表示得清清楚楚的,不管是对黑人文化的“更全面的理解”也好,街头的愤怒也罢,不论怎么解释都改变不了这个事实,这和埃拉?菲茨杰拉德用歌曲说故事的情形不同。今天的热门音乐常常如此:表演者与表演内容之间的分野被刻意模糊了。这首歌是政治宣传,很时显的是用来支持歌中表达的感觉的。特雷西? 马罗(Ice-T)自己也说过:“我吓唬到警察,警察也该被吓一吓。”这点应该是蛮清楚的。

 

(6) 时代华纳公司对《杀警人》的第二点辩护是常见的言论自由论:“我们支持创作的自由。我们相信艺术家或新闻记者要表达的东西有没有价值,并非取决于事先获得政府官员或企业检查人员的批准。”

 

(7)当然Ice-T有权说他爱说的话,可是这并不需要一家公司来为他提供一个讲台。而且公司选择这个讯息来促销,就不能以言论自由来推卸责任。判断力并不是“检查制度”。社会上太多“痛苦的呐喊”一直没有人倾听。这一个呐喊之所以被录下来,被促销,只因为公司旗下一个成功的艺人要录它。赚钱没有错,可是公司不能拿了钱就不负责了。

 

(8)《时代杂志》的创办人亨利?卢斯,如果听说他的公司应该提供一个没有价值标准的论坛来做意见交流,他一定会嗤之以鼻。在卢斯的制度下,编辑应该要做价值判断,同时宣扬他们眼中的真理。《时代杂志》离开卢斯时代的僵硬作风已经很远了——远到能容许像这一篇唱反调的评论出现。这种进化是好事,可是不能用它作为很好用的借口来抛弃所有的标准。 

 

(9) 公司企业当然不需要对获得公司授权而出现的每一个字都同意。如果时代华纳公司现在打算做“一支全球性的生力军,鼓励不同意见互相交锋”,这当然很好。可是允许不同观念并存的政策,并不是一张道德通行证。全国性医疗保健的利弊辩论是一回事,杀警察的利弊又是一回事。

 

(10)时代华纳公司也颇值得同情。它的确是“一支全球性的生力军”,媒体的触角遍及全世界。如果它由上往下冠上严格的价值标准,就会被批评为公司检查言论。如果没有要求标准,也会被批评为不负道德责任。这是两难的局面。可是在决定要做一股全球势力之先就该有人想过这个局面。

 

(11)另外还有一个无解的两难。不论《杀警人》本身的真实价值如何,如果时代华纳公司现在收回这张专辑,会被视为向外界压力屈服。这对全球性的集团来说是灾难性的先例。

 

(12)1989年时代公司与华纳公司的合并原意是要产生企业的倍数效果:整体的力量应该超过各部分的总和。《杀警人》引起的争议可说是负面倍数效果的实例。消费者对《杀警人》感到恼火,于是开始抵制电影《蝙蝠侠续集》。有一位评论家如此“赞扬”《杀警人》:“特雷西? 马罗的诗歌拿出弹簧刀,熟练地切断生命的颈动脉”云云。《时代杂志》也不仅被批评为愚蠢而已,甚至被称为腐败。资深的时代华纳公司主管们因为公司的产品而饱受攻击,他们还得为这些产品辩解——这些产品其实他们根本没有兴趣,也并不真正了解;而且,在争议爆发之前,肯定是根本不知道有这些产品存在。

 

(13) 无论如何,把《杀警人》当作“不同观念的交锋”来讨论——甚至当作贫民区真正痛苦的、愤怒的呐喊来讨论——本身就很荒谬。《杀警人》只是一项虚伪的商业制品,设计来以暴力影像刺激听众。它只是利用贫民区真实的痛苦来做进一步的刺激。特雷西?马罗是为了几个钱在做生意,和时代华纳公司没什么不同。《杀警人》对白人体制开了一个大玩笑,笑话中的笑点就是时代华纳公司痛苦的辩白:“我们为什么不去听听拉普音乐要告诉我们的讯息?”


分享到:


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 pro tk3zvX     
n.赞成,赞成的意见,赞成者
参考例句:
  • The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
  • Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军?
2 glorify MeNzm     
vt.颂扬,赞美,使增光,美化
参考例句:
  • Politicians have complained that the media glorify drugs.政治家们抱怨媒体美化毒品。
  • We are all committed to serving the Lord and glorifying His name in the best way we know.我们全心全意敬奉上帝,竭尽所能颂扬他的美名。
3 glorifying 1f84c1020d395ee8281fcd2ddf031934     
赞美( glorify的现在分词 ); 颂扬; 美化; 使光荣
参考例句:
  • I had no intention of either glorifying or belittling Christianity, merely the desire to understand it. 我并没有赞扬基督教或蔑视它的立意,我所想的只是了解它。
  • You are glorifying a rather mediocre building. 你正在美化一栋普普通通的建筑。
4 bust WszzB     
vt.打破;vi.爆裂;n.半身像;胸部
参考例句:
  • I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
  • She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。
5 killer rpLziK     
n.杀人者,杀人犯,杀手,屠杀者
参考例句:
  • Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
  • The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。
6 con WXpyR     
n.反对的观点,反对者,反对票,肺病;vt.精读,学习,默记;adv.反对地,从反面;adj.欺诈的
参考例句:
  • We must be fair and consider the reason pro and con.我们必须公平考虑赞成和反对的理由。
  • The motion is adopted non con.因无人投反对票,协议被通过。
7 conglomerate spBz6     
n.综合商社,多元化集团公司
参考例句:
  • The firm has been taken over by an American conglomerate.该公司已被美国一企业集团接管。
  • An American conglomerate holds a major share in the company.一家美国的大联合企业持有该公司的大部分股份。
8 defense AxbxB     
n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩
参考例句:
  • The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
  • The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。
9 anguish awZz0     
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦,烦恼
参考例句:
  • She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时,她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
  • The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。
10 anguished WzezLl     
adj.极其痛苦的v.使极度痛苦(anguish的过去式)
参考例句:
  • Desmond eyed her anguished face with sympathy. 看着她痛苦的脸,德斯蒙德觉得理解。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The loss of her husband anguished her deeply. 她丈夫的死亡使她悲痛万分。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
11 justified 7pSzrk     
a.正当的,有理的
参考例句:
  • She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
  • The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。
12 brutality MSbyb     
n.野蛮的行为,残忍,野蛮
参考例句:
  • The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
  • a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军
13 random HT9xd     
adj.随机的;任意的;n.偶然的(或随便的)行动
参考例句:
  • The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
  • On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查,发现肉变质了。
14 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
参考例句:
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
15 marrow M2myE     
n.骨髓;精华;活力
参考例句:
  • It was so cold that he felt frozen to the marrow. 天气太冷了,他感到寒冷刺骨。
  • He was tired to the marrow of his bones.他真是累得筋疲力尽了。
16 corporate 7olzl     
adj.共同的,全体的;公司的,企业的
参考例句:
  • This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
  • His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。
17 censor GrDz7     
n./vt.审查,审查员;删改
参考例句:
  • The film has not been viewed by the censor.这部影片还未经审查人员审查。
  • The play was banned by the censor.该剧本被查禁了。
18 outlet ZJFxG     
n.出口/路;销路;批发商店;通风口;发泄
参考例句:
  • The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
  • Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。
19 Founder wigxF     
n.创始者,缔造者
参考例句:
  • He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
  • According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说,罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。
20 forum cilx0     
n.论坛,讨论会
参考例句:
  • They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
  • The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。
21 judgments 2a483d435ecb48acb69a6f4c4dd1a836     
判断( judgment的名词复数 ); 鉴定; 评价; 审判
参考例句:
  • A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
  • He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。
22 rigidity HDgyg     
adj.钢性,坚硬
参考例句:
  • The rigidity of the metal caused it to crack.这金属因刚度强而产生裂纹。
  • He deplored the rigidity of her views.他痛感她的观点僵化。
23 dissenting kuhz4F     
adj.不同意的
参考例句:
  • He can't tolerate dissenting views. 他不能容纳不同意见。
  • A dissenting opinion came from the aunt . 姑妈却提出不赞同的意见。
24 confrontation xYHy7     
n.对抗,对峙,冲突
参考例句:
  • We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
  • After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后,他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。
25 tentacles de6ad1cd521db1ee7397e4ed9f18a212     
n.触手( tentacle的名词复数 );触角;触须;触毛
参考例句:
  • Tentacles of fear closed around her body. 恐惧的阴影笼罩着她。
  • Many molluscs have tentacles. 很多软体动物有触角。 来自《简明英汉词典》
26 dilemma Vlzzf     
n.困境,进退两难的局面
参考例句:
  • I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
  • He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。
27 disastrous 2ujx0     
adj.灾难性的,造成灾害的;极坏的,很糟的
参考例句:
  • The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
  • Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨,血本无归。
28 precedent sSlz6     
n.先例,前例;惯例;adj.在前的,在先的
参考例句:
  • Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗?
  • This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。
29 merger vCJxG     
n.企业合并,并吞
参考例句:
  • Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
  • Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。
30 controversy 6Z9y0     
n.争论,辩论,争吵
参考例句:
  • That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
  • We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。
31 boycotting 57a67b98478553c5793be6a3cf8759e5     
抵制,拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店,因为那里的店员在罢工。
  • The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。
32 adept EJIyO     
adj.老练的,精通的
参考例句:
  • When it comes to photography,I'm not an adept.要说照相,我不是内行。
  • He was highly adept at avoiding trouble.他十分善于避开麻烦。
33 jugular oaLzM     
n.颈静脉
参考例句:
  • He always goes for the jugular.他总是直奔要害而去。
  • Bilateral internal jugular vein stenting is also a rare procedure.两侧内颈静脉支架置放术也是少见的技术。
34 corruption TzCxn     
n.腐败,堕落,贪污
参考例句:
  • The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
  • The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。
35 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
参考例句:
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
36 ghetto nzGyV     
n.少数民族聚居区,贫民区
参考例句:
  • Racism and crime still flourish in the ghetto.城市贫民区的种族主义和犯罪仍然十分猖獗。
  • I saw that achievement as a possible pattern for the entire ghetto.我把获得的成就看作整个黑人区可以仿效的榜样。
37 cynical Dnbz9     
adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的,不信世道向善的
参考例句:
  • The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大,他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
  • He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。
38 concoction 8Ytyv     
n.调配(物);谎言
参考例句:
  • She enjoyed the concoction of foreign dishes.她喜欢调制外国菜。
  • His story was a sheer concoction.他的故事实在是一纯属捏造之事。
39 authentic ZuZzs     
a.真的,真正的;可靠的,可信的,有根据的
参考例句:
  • This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
  • Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。
40 titillation cbe48be38b205c2513b051a8bc38e086     
n.搔痒,愉快;搔痒感
参考例句:
41 buck ESky8     
n.雄鹿,雄兔;v.马离地跳跃
参考例句:
  • The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
  • The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

©2005-2010英文阅读网