Unit11HowNewsBecomesOpinionandOpinionOffL.docx
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Unit11HowNewsBecomesOpinionandOpinionOffL.docx
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Unit11HowNewsBecomesOpinionandOpinionOffL
Unit11
HowNewsBecomesOpinion,andOpinionOff-Limits
SalmanRushdie
StructureoftheText
PartI(Paras.1-5)
Inthissection,theauthorcleverlyusesacurrentnewsstorytointroducehispurposeinwritingthisessay,namelytoexpresstheviewthattheultimategoalofbothfactualandfictionalwritingistruth,whichmustbetoldinspiteofallthedifficultiesinvolved.
PartII(Paras.6-9)
Inthissectiontheauthorpointsout,usingexamples,thatinthepast,novels,likenewspapers,alsoprovidedpeoplewithusefulinformation.
PartIII(Paras.10-12)
Butnow,althoughnovelsandnewspapersstillprovideusefulinformation,peoplereadnewspapersmainlyfortheiropinions,andnovelsaimatprovidingversionsoftheworld.
PartIV(Paras.13-17)
Thissectionstatesthattoday’snewspaperslikenovelists,lovetocreate“characters”intheirpeoplecolumnsandpersonalityprofiles.Thishasaverypowerfuleffectandpublicfiguresareoftenresentfulaboutthewaytheyarepresented.
PartV(Paras.18-19)
Inthissection,theauthorexpressestheviewthatalthoughsomekindofprotectionofprivacyisdesirable,freedomofspeechshouldalwaysrankfirst.
PartVI(Paras.20-24)
Inthissection,theauthorexpressestheviewthattodaytheprincipleoffreedomofspeechisbeingsteadilyeroded.Political,religious,racial,sexual,andsocialminoritygroupsaredemandingmoreprotectionfromthecensor.Andthecommonweapontheyuseistheconceptof“respect”,whichtheyhavemanipulatedtomean“toagree”.Buttheauthorbelievesthatinfreesocieties,therighttodisagree,todisrespect,tobeskepticalandtoargueisabsolutelyindispensable.
DetailedAnalysisoftheText
1.Hownewsbecomesopinionandopinionoff-limits(title)
Thetitleindicatesthattheauthorintendstotalkabouthownewspaperschangedsothattheycametoofferopinionsratherthaninformationandopinions,whenexpressedfreely,willnaturallybeconsideredintolerablebysomepeople.
off-limits:
adj.Ifsomethingisoff-limits,itmeansthatpeoplearenotallowedtotalkaboutit.
2.Iwaswonderingwhat,ifany,commongroundmightbeoccupiedbynovelistsandjournalistswhenmyeyefelluponthefollowingbrieftextinaBritishnationaldaily(Para.1)
Paraphrase:
Iwastryingtodecidewhethernovelistsandjournalistshadanythingincommon.ThensuddenlyIsawthefollowingshortannouncementinaBritishnewspaper.
commonground:
basisforagreementsharedbyall
eye:
sight;attention
Note:
Heretheword‘eye’isinthesingularform.
Notealsothe“what,ifany”pattern.Thewriterhereisexpressingtheideathatheisnotsurethereisany.
e.g.Ididnotknowwhat,ifany,objectiontheymighthavetothisplan.
Scientistshavebeentryingtofindwhat,ifany,lifeformsexistinouterspace.
3.“Inyesterday’sIndependent,westatedthatSirAndrewLloydWebberisfarmingostriches.Heisnot.”(Para.2)
ThisisanannouncementmadeintheBritishdailynewspaper.TheIndependent,retractingareportithadcarriedadayearlieraboutSirAndrewLloydWebber.
4.Onecanonlyguessatthebrouhahaconcealedbeneaththeseadmirablylaconicsentences:
thehumandistress,theprotests.(Para.3)
humandistress:
The“painandsuffering”isthatofAndrewLloydWebber,whohasbeenwronglyaccusedofbeinginvolvedinanostrichfarmingscandal.
theprotests:
TherewerestrongcomplaintsfromWebberandothersinsympathywithhimbecauseofthedamagethereportdidtohisreputation.
onecanonlyguess:
Thestatementisextremelyshort.ItdoesnotsayhowmuchharmthereporthasdonetoWebber,andthenewspaperdoesnotapologizeforitsfalsereport.Thereforewecanonlyguess.
admirablylaconic:
Rushdie’sviewisthatthewholeepisodeisverysilly;thereforeheusesironythroughoutindescribingit.And“admirablylaconic”shouldbetakenaspraise.
Note:
Thereisaninterestingstoryabouthow“laconic’cametohaveitspresentmeaning.
LongagothepeopleofGreecewerenotunited.Theylivedinseparatecitiesandstates,eachwithitsownleader.KingPhilipofMacedonwantedtobringthemtogetherunderhisrule.Soheraisedagreatarmyandconqueredthemonebyone,exceptSparta,whichresistedfiercely.TheSpartanslivedinanareacalledLaconia.Theywerenotedforusingfewwordsinspeechandwritingaswellasfortheirsimplehabitsandbravery.WhenPhilipfinallybroughthisarmytoLaconia,hesentamessagetotheSpartans.“Ifyoudonotsubmitatonce,”hethreatened,“Iwillinvadeyourcountry.AndIfIinvadeyourcountry,Iwillpillageandburneverythingyouholddear.IfImarchintoLaconia,Iwilllevelyourcitytotheground.”Inafewdays,Philipreceivedananswer.Therewasonlyonewordintheletter.Thatwordwas“IF.”
5.Asyouknow,Britainhasbeengoingthroughaperiodofwhatonemightcallheightenedlivestockinsecurityoflate.(Para.3)
oflate:
lately;recently
heightenedlivestockinsecurity:
Thisformalexpressionisahumorousreferencetothespreadof“madcow”(疯牛病)and“hoofandmouth”disease(口蹄疫).
6.Aswellasthementallychallengedcattleherds,therehasbeenthealarmingcaseofthegreatostrich-farmingbubble,orswindle.(Para.3)
mentallychallenged:
mentallydisabledorsickreferringtothe“mad”cows.
Note:
Thewriterisusingthistermforhumorouseffect.“Challenged”isanadjectivehere,meaningdisabledorsick.Similarly,apersonofveryshortstaturemightbereferredtoas“verticallychallenged”.
Note:
Thewriterisalsobeingironicalwhenhecallsthecaseoftheostrich-farmingbubble“great”becauseitcausedsuchmasshysteria.
overheatedtimes:
highlyagitatedtimes;timesofgreatpublicalarmandanxiety;timesofgeneralpanic
allegation:
anassertionmadewithoutproof
totake(sth.)lightly:
toregardwithindifference
toslight:
totreatwithdisrespect;toinsult
7.Plainly,itwasquitewrongoftheIndependenttosuggestthatSirAndrewLloydWebberwasbreedingostriches.Heis,ofcourse,acelebratedexporterofmusicalturkeys(Para.4)
Theauthorisusingtheword“turkey”tohumorouslycompareitwith“ostrich”.“Turkey”heremeansafailure.Theauthorisdisparagingthewell-knownmusicalcomposerandproducerSirAndrewLloydWebberwhenhesaysthatthelatterisexportingmusical“turkeys”,notfarmingostriches.AlthoughWebberisverysuccessfulandmuchadmiredbyhisfans,hisdetractors,ofwhomRushdieisevidentlyone,viewhimasaplagiaristandfindhis“music”anaffronttoclassicalcomposers.
8.Butifweagreeforamomenttopermitthesupposedlycovertandallegedlyfraudulentfarmingofostrichestostandasametaphorforalltheworld’ssupposedlycovertandallegedlyfraudulentactivities,thenmustwenot…?
Isthisnot…?
Andmighttherenotbe…?
(Para.4)
Inthepreviousparagraph,theauthorseemstobeexpressinghissympathyforWebberwhohasbeenwronglyaccusedofostrichfarming.Butthatisnotwhattheauthorisreallydrivingat.Whathereallywantstosayis:
Solongasweagreethattheostrichswindlestandsasanexampleofalldishonestactivitiesintheworld,thenwemustagreethatthepaperhasonlydonewhatitshoulddointhenationalinterest,althoughinthiscasetheevidencemayhavebeeninadequate.
Note:
Thewholeparagraphcanbeseenasonecomplexsentence,withthe“If’clauseusedastheadverbialclauseofconditionandthethreefollowingrhetoricalquestionsservingasthemainclause.
9.Butifweagreeforamomenttopermitthesupposedlycovertandallegedlyfraudulentfarmingofostrichestostandasametaphorforalltheworld’ssupposedlycovertandallegedlyfraudulentactivities…then(Para.4)
Butifweagreetotakethedishonestostrichfarmingasanexampleofallsecretillegalactivitiesintheworld,then…
Note:
Theuseof“allegedly’and“supposedly”impliesthat“eventhoughtheseactivitiesaremerelyallegedorsupposedtobesecretandillegal”,newspapersinafreesocietystillhavetherightaswellasthedutytoreportthemtothepublic.
10.…thenmustwenotalsoagreethatitisvitalthattheseostrichfarmersbeidentified,namedandbroughttoaccountfortheiractivities?
(Para.4)
Theideais:
sincenationalinterestsareatstake,thesecriminalsmustbefound,theiridentitiesdisclosed,andtheymustbemadetoanswerfortheircrimes.(Thisistrueeventhough,indoingso,mistakesmightbemade.)
bringtoaccount:
tomake(sb.)answerforhisconduct
11.Isthisnottheveryheartoftheprojectofafreepress?
(Para.4)
Paraphrase:
Isn’tthiswhatafreepressisallabout?
heart:
realmeaning;essence;vitalpart
Translation:
这难道不是新闻自由的宗旨所在吗?
Note:
ThisisapopularideainWesternjournalism:
thatafreepressservesasawatchdogtoensuredemocraticgovernanceandthewellbeingofthepeople.
12.Andmighttherenotbeoccasionsonwhicheveryeditorwouldbepreparedtogowithsuchastory—leaked,perhaps,byanostrichdeepthroat—onthebasisofless-than-solidevidence,inthenationalinterest?
(Para.4)
Paraphrase:
Theremightsurelybeoccasionswheneditorswouldfeelthattheymustacceptthiskindofreportinthenationalinteresteventhoughtheevidenceisnotstrongandthesourceofthereportisanonymous.
Translation:
难道不会遇到这种情况,每个编辑都会从国家利益考虑,决定采用这种内容的报道,尽管证据还远远不够扎实、充分,而透露消息的来源也许是哪只神秘的鸵鸟?
(作者是在开玩笑)
togowith:
tochoosetouse
toleak:
tointentionallydisclose(secretinformation)
deepthroat:
anonymousinformant深喉或不露真相的神秘客
ThisreferstoW.MarkFelt,aformerFBIagent,wholeakedinformationtohelptwoWashingtonPostreporters,BobWoodwardandCarlBernstein,uncoverwhatwashappeninginthe
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