【英语趣味课堂】电视内容审查-Censor Content on TV

Matthew: Hey Kat, I understand you grew up in Europe, you lived in the States and now you're in Japan. Being all over the place, you've got to have seen the differences in censorships in movies and in songs. What's your take on that?

Kat: Well I've definitely experienced that and I find it really interesting especially when I lived in the States. I had a bit of a culture shock there. In TV shows and in movies, curse words are beep-beeped out and you're never going to see a woman's naked breasts or anything. You're never going to see naked people during daytime television which actually kind of surprised me because on German television that's not a problem. Even curse words are OK. When I came to Japan, I was surprised that there was also a lot of censorship.

 

Matthew: In what ways are there censorship in Japan because I think TV shows in Japan they don't censor¹ very much of anything other than nudity.

 

Kat: That is true. I think the main part that is different to Europe is the censorship of nudity. In Germany for example if nudity is a part of the story, if for example a soccer team is having a conversation in the shower, you will see naked guys because it is a normal part of the story.

 

Matthew: But don't you think they could just have had the courtesy to aim a little higher with the cameras or do you think there is absolutely nothing wrong with it?

 

Kat: In Germany we kind of grew up thinking there's nothing wrong with that. Nobody would blink an eye on seeing something like that on TV. In America, do you think people would be extremely offended?

 

Matthew: There's too many religious parties in the States that would go off on it and people want to protect their children if TV started to allow uncensored programs or programs that were intentionally² using sexual or vulgar language. But there are exceptions to the rule such as HBO or there are some premium³ channels that you pay for extra every month but when you purchase those channels you know what you're getting, it's not a part of a standard package that you get. So you don't have to worry about your children watching the shows or anything.

 

Kat: I think in Germany parents are very aware of what their children are watching and parents would not let their children roam free when it comes to TV. Parents control what their children watch so I think it would not be such a big problem.

Matthew: Hey Kat, I understand you grew up in Europe, you lived in the States and now you're in Japan. Being all over the place, you've got to have seen the differences in censorships in movies and in songs. What's your take on that?

 

Kat: Well I've definitely experienced that and I find it really interesting especially when I lived in the States. I had a bit of a culture shock there. In TV shows and in movies, curse words are beep-beeped out and you're never going to see a woman's naked breasts or anything. You're never going to see naked people during daytime television which actually kind of surprised me because on German television that's not a problem. Even curse words are OK. When I came to Japan, I was surprised that there was also a lot of censorship.

 

Matthew: In what ways are there censorship in Japan because I think TV shows in Japan they don't censor very much of anything other than nudity.

 

Kat: That is true. I think the main part that is different to Europe is the censorship of nudity. In Germany for example if nudity is a part of the story, if for example a soccer team is having a conversation in the shower, you will see naked guys because it is a normal part of the story.

 

Matthew: But don't you think they could just have had the courtesy to aim a little higher with the cameras or do you think there is absolutely nothing wrong with it?

 

Kat: In Germany we kind of grew up thinking there's nothing wrong with that. Nobody would blink an eye on seeing something like that on TV. In America, do you think people would be extremely offended?

 

Matthew: There's too many religious parties in the States that would go off on it and people want to protect their children if TV started to allow uncensored programs or programs that were intentionally using sexual or vulgar language. But there are exceptions to the rule such as HBO or there are some premium channels that you pay for extra every month but when you purchase those channels you know what you're getting, it's not a part of a standard package that you get. So you don't have to worry about your children watching the shows or anything.

 

Kat: I think in Germany parents are very aware of what their children are watching and parents would not let their children roam free when it comes to TV. Parents control what their children watch so I think it would not be such a big problem.

 

学习内容：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

one's take

 

What's your take on that?

 

When someone asks "What's your take on that?" They want to know your opinion. Notice the following:

 

What's your take on the new teacher?

I like to get your take on it.

uncensored

 

TV started to allow uncensored programs

 

Something that is uncensored has not been edited or changed in any way. Notice the following:

 

Uncensored TV programs run mostly on cable networks.

Uncensored media is difficult to find in some countries.

blink an eye

 

Nobody would blink an eye on seeing something like that on TV.

 

When we say 'Nobody would blink and eye', that means nobody would care. Notice the following:

 

These days, few people would blink and eye on hearing naughty words in movies.

In some countries, no one would blink an eye at on screen nudity. In other countries, it's forbidden.

go off on

 

There's too many religious parties in the States that would go off on it.

 

To go off on something of somebody means to get angry. Notice the following:

 

He went off on his noisy students.

My parents went off when I got this tattoo⁴.

exceptions to the rule

 

But there are exceptions to the rule such as HBO.

 

The phrase 'exception to the rule' is most often used informally to talk about something that is different than we normally see. Notice the following:

 

I hate pop music, but Michael Jackson was an exception to the rule.

They say there's an exception to every rule.

1 censor   

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。

2 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

3 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

4 tattoo   

n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于

参考例句：

• I've decided to get my tattoo removed.我已经决定去掉我身上的纹身。
• He had a tattoo on the back of his hand.他手背上刺有花纹。