365个英语简短小故事-356. Malibu to License Paparazzi

To protect celebrities¹ from the photographers who hound them, the mayor of Malibu has made a decision. “All professional photographers who want to take photos of celebrities in Malibu must be licensed³. The license² will cost $2,000 a year,” said Mayor Eddie Arnold. “I know that sounds like a lot, but these people can make a lot of money off one photo.”

In fact, a recent photo of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s new baby sold for $4 million. They had contracted with a magazine for the photo, and then donated the money to a charity for children. A couple of years before that, a photo of Brad and Angelina walking along an African beach sold for $400,000. So celebrity⁴ photos, contracted or candid⁵, can make a photographer wealthy. But the stalking that goes on can make a celebrity crazy; recently, an actor punched out a photographer.

Stalking can be dangerous to the public, too. Recently, paparazzi in nine different cars chased after Britney Spears as she left a friend's house to go to a nearby restaurant. The driver of one car, intent on beating his competitors, struck a man in a crosswalk. The man was taken to the hospital with two broken legs. Nobody took his photo.

That accident prompted the mayor’s decision. The very cost of the license, he said, would reduce the number of photographers who hang around in Malibu. “Good riddance,” said one restaurant owner. “Some of them hang around my restaurant every Saturday. They never buy lunch or dinner. They just use my rest room all day long.”

The paparazzi, of course, were angry. “We’re just little people trying to make a buck,” said Ansel Adams. “Most of us never have big paydays. Malibu should collect the $2,000 only if we actually sell a photo.”

 

1 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

2 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

3 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

4 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

5 candid   

adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的

参考例句：

• I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance for it.我只有希望公正的读者多少包涵一些。
• He is quite candid with his friends.他对朋友相当坦诚。