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In democratic countries any efforts to restrict the freedom of the press
在民主国家里 任何限制新闻自由的企图
are rightly condemned.
都理所当然地受到谴责
However, this freedom can easily be abused.
然而 这种自由很容易被滥用
Stories about people often attract far more public attention than political events.
常人轶事往往比政治事件更能引起公众注意
Though we may enjoy reading about the lives of others,
我们都喜欢看关于别人生活的报道
it is extremely doubtful
但是否同样喜欢看关于自己生活的报道
whether we would equally enjoy reading about ourselves.
就很难说了
Acting on the contention that facts are sacred,
记者按事实至上的论点行事
reporters can cause untold suffering to individuals
发表有关别人生活的细节
by publishing details about their private lives.
有时会给当事人造成极大的痛苦
Newspapers exert such tremendous influence
新闻具有巨大的威力
that they can not only bring about major changes to the lives of ordinary people
它们不仅可以给寻常人家的生活带来重大的变化
but can even overthrow a government.
甚至还能推翻一个政府
The story of a poor family that acquired fame and fortune overnight,
下面这户穷人一夜之间出名发财的故事
dramatically illustrates the power of the press.
戏剧性地说明了新闻报道的威力
The family lived in Aberdeen,
这户人家住在南达科他州
a small town of 23,000 inhabitants in South Dakota.
一个人口为23000的小镇上 镇名为阿拜丁
As the parents had five children,
家里已有5个孩子
life was a perpetual struggle against poverty.
全家人常年在贫困中挣扎
They were expecting their sixth child
第6个孩子即将问世
and were faced with even more pressing economic problems.
他们面临着更为严峻的经济问题
If they had only had one more child,
如果他们只添了1个孩子
the fact would have passed unnoticed.
这件事本来就不会引起任何人的注意
They would have continued to struggle against economic odds
这家人会继续为克服经济上的拮据而奋斗
and would have lived in obscurity.
并默默无闻地活下去
But they suddenly became the parents of quintuplets,
但是他们出人意料生了个五胞胎
four girls and a boy, an event which radically changed their lives.
4女1男 这事使他们的生活发生了根本的变化
The day after the birth of the five children
五胞胎降生第二天
an aeroplane arrived in Aberdeen
一架飞机飞抵阿拜丁
bringing 60 reporters and photographers.
随机带来60名记者与摄影师
The rise to fame was swift.
这一家迅速出了名
Television cameras and newspapers carried the news to everyone in the country.
电视摄像机和报纸把消息传送到全国
Newspapers and magazines offered the family huge sums
报纸 杂志出高价
for the exclusive rights to publish stories and photographs.
向他们购买文字 图片的独家报道权
Gifts poured in not only from unknown people,
不但素昧平生的人寄来了大量的礼物
but from baby food and soap manufacturers
而且婴儿食品 婴儿肥皂制造厂商
who wished to advertise their products.
为了替自己产品做广告也寄来了大量的礼物
The old farmhouse the family lived in
这家人住的旧家舍
was to be replaced by a new 500,000 dollars home.
将由一座价值50万美元的新住宅所取代
Reporters kept pressing for interviews
由于记者纷纷要求会见
so lawyers had to be employed to act as spokesmen
他们不得不请了律师
for the family at press conferences.
充当他们家的发言人举行记者招待会
While the five babies
眼下 五胞胎
were still quietly sleeping in oxygen tents in a hospital nursery,
还静静地躺在医院婴儿室的氧气帐里
their parents were paying the price for fame.
他们的父母却为这名声付出了代价
It would never again be possible for them to lead normal lives.
他们再也无法过正常的生活
They had become the victims of commercialization,
他们成了商业化的受害者
for their names had acquired a market value.
因为他们的名字具有了市场价值
Instead of being five new family members,
这些孩子立即成了商品
these children had immediately become a commodity.
而不是5个新的家庭成员
