Lesson 45 The power of the press 新闻报道的威力
一、【Text】课文
In democratic countries any efforts to restrict the freedom of the press are rightly condemned. However, this freedom can easily be abused. Stories about people often attract far more public attention than political events. Though we may enjoy reading about the lives of others, it is extremely doubtful whether we would equally enjoy reading about ourselves. Acting on the contention that facts are sacred, reporters can cause untold suffering to individuals by pub- lishing details about their private lives. Newspapers exert such tremendous influence that they can not only bring about major changes to the lives of ordinary people but can even overthrow a government.
The story of a poor family that acquired fame and fortune overnight, dramatically illustrates the power of the press. The family lived in Aberdeen, a small town of 23,000 inhabitants in South Dakota. As the parents had five children, life was a perpetual struggle against poverty. They were expecting their sixth child and faced with even more pressing economic problems. If they had only had one more child, the fact would have passed unnoticed. They would have continued to struggle against economic odds and would have lived in obscurity. But they suddenly became the parents of quintuplets, four girls and a boy, an event which radically changed their lives. The day after the birth of the five children, an aeroplane arrived in Aberdeen bringing sixty reporters and photographers.
The rise to fame was swift. Television cameras and newspapers carried the news to everyone in the country. Newspapers and magazines offered the family huge sums for the exclusive rights to publish stories and photographs. Gifts poured in not only from unknown people, but from baby food and soap manufacturers who wished to advertise their products. The old farmhouse the family lived in was to be replaced by a new $500,000 home. Reporters kept pressing for interviews so lawyers had to be employed to act as spokesmen for the family at press conferences. While the five babies were still quietly sleeping in oxygen tents in a hospital nursery, their parents were paying the price for fame. It would never again be possible for them to lead normal lives. They had become the victims of commercialization, for their names had acquired a market value. Instead of being five new family members, these children had immediately become a commodity.
二、【New words and expressions】生词和短语
●democrat 民主的
●restrict v. 限制
●abuse v. 滥用
●contention n. 论点
●untold adj. 数不尽的，无限的
●South Dakota 南达科他州 （美国）
●perpetual adj. 永久的
●quintuplet n. 五胞胎之一
●obscurity n. 默默无闻
●radically adv. 彻底地，完全地
●exclusive adj. 独占的，独家的
●nursery n. 育婴室，保育室
●commercialization n. 商品化
●commodity n. 商品
◆democrat 民主的
◆restrict v. 限制
keep within a certain limit
Eg: The prisoners’ activity is restricted within marrow limits.
limit: 表示时间、空间、程度等方面的限定，且限定到某一个点
restrict: 只说明限定范围
Eg: Land development must be limited.
He restricts himself to two cigarettes a day.
restrict sb. to 限制在......范围内
confine
confine sb. to
Eg: The boy is confined to the dark room.
The boy is restricted to the dark room.
cramp 限制（限制某人的活动或是限制动植特的生长）
Eg: No body can cramp children.
You can not cramp my activity.
hamper 限制，妨碍;困累
Eg: What hampered you to do so?
The housewife has a lots to do every day, because she is hampered by poverty.
My limited vocabulary hampered my reading.
I am hampered by my limited vocabulary.
★★★impede 限制；妨碍
impede doing sth.
Eg: Nothing will impede my studying English.
bound 限定，以......为界限
◆abuse v. 滥用
Eg: Don’t abuse your authority. 不要滥用职权。
We shouldn’t abuse our rights.不能乱用自己的权力。
For VIP, they shouldn’t abuse their privilege.
◆contention n. 论点
◆◆◆untold adj. 数不尽的，无限的
==too many to be counted
Eg: There are untold stars in the sky.
I am afflicted by / with untold anxieties.
numerous 无数的
countless anxieties 无数的烦恼
Eg: As human being, we can’t keep ourselves free from countless anxieties.
countable: can be counted
uncountable
number
numberless 无数的，没有房号的
Eg: This is a numberless room.这是一个没有房号的房间。
numberable 数得清的
innumberable 不能数得清的
◆South Dakota 南达科他州 （美国）
◆◆◆perpetual adj. 永久的
permanent
eternal
lasting for a long time
everlasting
perpetual : 不休止的，一直持续下去的，不易受阻的
Eg: They are as poor as church mouse, they have to struggle against perpetual poverty.
constant 连续的，不断的
constactly
Eg: It is raining constantly. 雨不停地下着。
continuous 连续不断的
Eg: They have continuous discussion.
They have continuous attempt.
They made great success in their continuous attempt.
continual 频繁的
continually adj.
Eg: It rains continually.最近频繁地在下雨。
It is raining continuously / constantly.
lasting
everlasting 持久的，耐久的
Eg: The pair of trousers is lasting.
Generally speaking, jeans are lasting.
endless
Eg: You can appreciate endless unbroken clouds.
Studying English is our perpetual task.
eternal adj. 永恒的，永久的，不朽的
immortal
Eg: His name is immortal because the longest suspension bridge was named for him.
temporary
temporary job.
permanent 非临时的，永久的
Eg: In a big city, sometimes we can not get permanent job.
constant; continuous; everlasting; lasting; endless; eternal; permanent; perpetual
◆quintuplet n. 五胞胎之一
◆obscurity n. 默默无闻
in obscurity
Eg: He is in obscurity.
obscure adj. 不起眼的
Eg: The bus stopped at a obscure bus stop.
◆radically adv. 彻底地，完全地
completely, entirely, thoroughly, fully, inclusive
◆◆◆exclusive adj. 独占的，独家的
exclusive 独占的，独家的 （not share with others ）
Eg: The swimming pool is for my exclusive use.
exclusive right 独权
Eg: The newspaper offered a large sum of money to the person to get exclusive right to publish his article.
exclusive 排外的，排它的
inclusive 包括在其中的
Eg: The school is exclusive, only very clever children can go to it.
这所学校很排外，只有特别聪明的孩子可以在这儿上学。
The store is exclusive, only very wealthy people can visit it.
这个商场很排外，只有特别有钱的人才能光顾。
◆nursery n. 育婴室，保育室
◆commercialization n. 商品化
◆commodity n. 商品
commodity economy 商品经济
commodity market 商品市场
goods, wares
三、【课文精析】
Key sentence:
In fact, the power of the press is beyond our description.
any efforts are rightly condemned.
effort 企图
try; attempt 尝试
make every effort; spare no effort; make every endeavor
go to great lenghts
blame
scold
reproach
reprimand
condemn 正式的谴责
deed行为，行径
Eg: Your deeds should be rightly condemned.
forest authorities 森林当局
education authorities 教育当局
the authorities 有关当局
the authorities of the press 新闻当局
According to this sentence, we know we are much more interested in private stories.
Sometimes some people even want to smell out people’s secrets or particular scandals.
lives of others: 替代story about people
extremely doubtful == extremely uncertain == extremely dubious.
Eg: If a family skeleton is reviewed, one’s reputation will be damaged / destroyed / spoiled / ruined immediately.
equally == in the same way = alile
We wouldn’t like our secret to be reviewed.
Acting on 以......来行事，遵循......来行事
that引导的部分是contention 的同位语从句
Key sentence:
When stories published in details by the press are wonderful, you will become famous very soon.
If the story is terrible, your reputation will be ruined immediately.
exert... on sth.
bring about 带来，导致
lead to
cause
result in
major: great, considerable
In the first paragraph the writer illustrate how powerful the press is in the general way.
acquire: gain == obtain
acquire fortune: 发财
acuire fame 出了名
make fortune
the city dweller 城市居住者
the country dweller 乡村居住者
expect a baby
in the interesting condition
in the family way
pregnant
be faced with 面临
The window faces the south. 窗户朝南
In the process of studying English, We are faced with a great many problems, which should be surmounted.
surmount 克服
solve problem 解决问题
In teh process of studying English, we are faced with a great many problems, which should be surmounted / got rid of / removed as quickly as possible.
economic: problems = poverty
pressing 紧迫的
unnoticed 形容词做状语
odds n. 各种让人烦的小事
bear 容忍；生育 born 是bear的过去分词
attract the attention of the press
The rise to the fame is swift==Their being famous was rapid.
huge sums ==huge sums of money
care for 关心
press for == demand
形象地表达出不停的催问
Eg: The students kept pressing for examinations.
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