经济学人138:生活在环球小报中

 　　Life in the global gutter¹

　　生活在环球小报中

　　The popular press

　　广受欢迎的报刊

　　Tabloids³ are a phenomenon worldwide, but they come in different varieties

　　小报是世界范围内的一种现象，但是他们以不同的种类方式存在着

　　Jul 14th 2011 | from the print edition

　　AS AN example of bullying⁴ journalism⁵, it takes some beating. Atabloid buys a surreptitiously filmed sex-video of an actor in his 50s suffering from Parkinson's disease. It demands an exclusive. At first he collaborates⁶, even writing the interview himself; later he sues for blackmail⁷.

　　作为恐吓性新闻业的一个例子，它很难被超越。一家小报购买了一部秘密拍摄的性爱录像，主人公是一名患有帕金森综合征的50多岁的演员。这家小报要求独家报道。开始这名演员配合了，甚至亲自写访谈；后来，他以敲诈勒索为由，将这家小报告上了法庭。

　　This is not another story emanating⁸ from the now-shuttered newsroom of the News of the World, where journalistic shenanigans have deeply embarrassed News Corporation, its owner. The tabloid² in question is Bild Zeitung, Germany's biggest paper. Last year a court ruled that Bild's reporter had coerced⁹ theactor, Ottfried Fischer. In May a higher court overturned the verdict. Afurther appeal is pending¹⁰.

　　这并不是从已经关闭的世界新闻报（其新闻工作者的诡计深深羞辱了它的所有者，新闻集团）的新闻编辑室里传出的另外一个故事。这家被谈及的小报是《图片报》，德国最大的报纸。去年，一家法庭判定《图片报》的记者胁迫了一名演员：奥德弗里德·费舍尔（Ottfried Fischer）。五月份更高一级法庭驳回了这一判决，更进一步的上诉正在进行中。

　　Mr Fischer's fate shows that Britainhas no monopoly on aggressive tabloids—a word initially¹¹ used for compressed tablets in the late 19th century, but which then came to mean"compact" journalism. They are ubiquitous in developed countries and many developing ones, particularly in Brazil, where they have grown rapidly in recent years. Britain,with half-a-dozen national tabloids, probably has the most. France boasts no tabloid newspapers, though it has magazines (Closer and Gala)and the satirical weekly Canard¹² Encha?né that doa similar job (as far as that country's strict privacy laws allow). In America papers are mostly broadsheets, but tabloid-style television was invented there. Italy, Spainand Japanhave tabloids focusing on sport with huge readerships: each copy goes through many hands.

　　费舍尔的命运表明英国在侵犯性小报上没有形成垄断。Tabloid，这个单词在19世纪末起初用来表示压缩药片，但是后来又涉及到了“紧凑的”报纸的意思。小报在发达国家和许多发展中国家是普遍存在的，尤其是在巴西，小报在近年发展迅猛。英国拥有6家国家范围内的小报，或许是最多的。法国自诩没有小报类的报纸，然而其杂志（《Closer》和《Gala》）和讽刺周刊《鸭鸣报》（Canard Encha?né）却做着相似的工作（在法国严格的隐私法的允许范围内）。在美国，大部分的报纸都是大报，但是“小报风格”的电视节目却是源于美国。意大利、西班牙和日本都有以体育为重点的小报，这些报纸具有庞大的读者群体——每份报纸都会经手多人。

　　With circulation comes clout¹³. British politicians may be afraid of the tabloids, butthe papers themselves see their role more as providing entertainment. The German tabloid is more political than its British counterpart, with three times more political coverage¹⁴, says Susanne H?ke, who has written a book comparing the Sun with Bild. In both countries tabloids help set the toneof political debate, but Bild's stunts¹⁵ are more imaginative and upmarket. Early in the euro crisis, Bild sent a reporter to hand out drachmas in Athens,allowing the paper to boast that it was giving "the bankrupt Greeks their drachmas back". It also mischievously¹⁶ suggested that the Greeks sell some islands and the Acropolis to pay their debt.

　　伴随发行量而来的便是报纸的影响力。英国政客们可能会害怕小报，但是这些报纸把更多的把自己定位为提供娱乐的报纸。“德国小报与其英国同行相比显得更加的政治化，拥有超过其三倍的政治报道量，”曾写过一本书来对比《太阳报》和《图片报》的苏珊娜·胡克（Susanne H?ke）说道。在两国，小报帮助政治讨论奠定基调，但是《图片报》的技巧更加的富于想象力和高级。在早先的欧元区危机中，《图片报》派出一名记者去雅典散发德拉克马（希腊货币），然后这家报纸就吹嘘它正向“破产的希腊归还他们的钱”。它也戏谑地暗示：希腊卖出一些小岛和雅典卫城来还债。

　　The political coverage helps hacks¹⁷ at the German paper take themselves seriously. Many see their paper as a pillar of democracy in the "midst of society", according to Kai Diekmann, its editor. It also makes them more hypocritical. "They know what they are doing, but don't admit it,"says Ms H?ke. Regulation also plays a role. Germany'spress watchdog is less toothless than Britain's PressComplaints Commission. Better legal protection for journalists makes themless reliant on tough investigative methods. British tabloids spend a lot more on reporting and research than Bild, which relies more on freelancers¹⁸ and agencies, notes Ms H?ke.

　　政治新闻报道使得这家德国报纸的从业者更加重视他们自己。《图片报》主编卡伊·迪克曼（Kai Diekmann）指出，许多人将他们的报纸视为民主的一个支柱。同时，政治新闻报道也使得从业者更加的伪善。“他们了解他们在做什么，但是却从不承认”，胡克说道。规章管理也发挥着作用。德国的新闻监管机构比英国的新闻投诉委员会（PPC）更有权势。更好的法律保护可以使新闻工作者们更少的依赖艰苦的调查方式。胡克指出，英国小报要比《图片报》花费更多的时间和精力在汇报和调查中，《图片报》则更多的依靠自由撰稿者和公众服务机构。

　　Scoops¹⁹ are one thing, skulduggery another. In the dark arts of journalism—hacking into voicemail, bribing²⁰ the police for tips, or obtaining private financial and health information—British tabloids have stooped lower than anyone. Despite its treatment of Mr Fischer, Bild's behaviour is "clearly lessdestructive", says Lukas Heinser, who writes for BILDblog, which chronicles the paper's failings.

　　独家报道是一回事，作假欺诈又是另外一回事。在新闻业黑暗手腕使用中——侵入他人语音信箱、收买警方消息或者获得私人财务和健康信息——英国小报比其他任何同行都娴熟。尽管如此对待费舍尔，《图片报》的行为“显然破坏力较低”，卢卡斯·海因斯说道，他为图片报博客撰文，这个博客记录了这家报纸的失败。

　　Farther east, the dirtiest tactics in the ex-communist world involve"Kompromat"—embarrassing information from government files,particularly involving corruption²¹ or ties with the former communist secret police.But this is leaked, not bought or stolen. Politicians' private lives arelargely taboo²², even in countries with lively tabloids such as Poland.

　　再往东去，在前共产主义世界，最肮脏的手腕还包括“Kompromat——来自政府文件的令人尴尬的消息，特别是包括腐败或者与前共产主义秘密警察的关系。但这些消息是出去泄露的，不是购买或者偷的。政治家的私人生活在很大程度上是禁忌，即使是在拥有活跃小报的国家，比如波兰。

　　Historyand political culture explain some differences. In post-war France manyeditors had ties to former resistance networks. Papers are still seen as a means to further political aims, not to make money, says Jean-Clément Texier, an investment banker specialising in media. The French press has always catered²³ to elites²⁴, notes Olivier Fleurot, former chief executive of the Financial Times Group: Le Figaro is for the wealthy, Libération for the cultured left, Le Monde for intellectuals. "They have not properly understood what a mass audience wants to see in a newspaper."

　　历史和政治文化解释了一些区别。在二战后的法国，许多编辑与前抵抗组织都有联系。报纸仍然被看做是实现更深远的政治目标一种手段，而不是为了赚钱，珍克莱门特·特希尔（Jean-Clément Texier），一名专注于媒体的投资银行家说道。前金融时报集团首席执行官奥利维尔·弗雷洛特指出，法国报业一直是为精英服务：《费加罗报》为富人，《解放报》为左翼，《世界报》为知识分子。“他们还没有正确地理解大众读者想要在报纸中看到什么。”

　　Tabloids have an edge when the rest of the media is conformist. Japan's media landscape is dominated by conglomerates²⁵, which see themselves as peers of industry and government rather than insurgents²⁶. Coverage is dominated by"Press Clubs", groups of reporters from big papers, who often have offices in the ministries²⁷ they cover. That gives tabloids a special role in investigative reporting, even if they include much hearsay²⁸ and error. They usually air dirty laundry before the tamer mainstream²⁹ press dares touch it. In2007 the tabloids broke the allegations of match-fixingin sumo wrestling, the national sport.

　　当其他媒体都墨守成规时，小报就有了优势。综合性大企业掌控者日本的媒体格局，这些企业把媒体看做是工业和政府的伙伴，而不是叛乱者的。由来自大报纸的一些记者组成的“新闻俱乐部”掌控者新闻报道，他们在所报道范围的各个部门都有办公室。这为小报们在调查性报道中提供了一个特殊的角色，即使这些报道包括大量的传言和错误。他们通常在温顺的主流媒体敢接触丑闻之前，将这些丑闻公之于众。2007年，小报披露了日本国家运动——相扑的操纵比赛丑闻。

　　But themost important reason for the variation in tabloid cultures is economic. If theSun and its rivals are more aggressive than Bild, it is because competition in Britain is more intense than it is in Germany,or anywhere else. Whereas British tabloids are sold on newsstands, which makes sensationalist headlines even more important, Bild is a quasi-monopoly.

　　但是，造成小报文化多元化最重要的原因是经济因素。如果《太阳报》和他的竞争对手们表现得比《图片报》更加富有侵略性，那就是因为英国的竞争比德国，或者其他任何地方，都要激烈。《图片报》的销售处于半垄断状态中，然而英国小报是在报摊上出售的，这就使得轰动效应的大标题更加重要。

　　In America most papers are subscription-based regional monopolies, which leads them to be more balanced in their coverage,says Richard Edmonds of the Poynter Institute, a media think-tank that owns amajority stake in the (Florida)St Petersburg Times. And the few remaining strands³⁰ of tabloid journalism are being cut, as slimmed-down newspapers focus onlocal fare. What is more, good American tabloid journalists seem in scarce supply, probably a result of sharply varyingethics (think puritanical³¹ American professionalism versus³² anything-goes Britishruthlessness). The New York Post and the National Enquirermore than once felt the need to import British hacks.

　　理查德·埃德蒙德说道，在美国，大部分的报纸都是以订阅为基础的地域性垄断的，这使得这些报纸在新闻报道更加的均衡。他来自一家名叫Poynter Institute的媒体智囊团，这家智囊团拥有《圣彼德斯堡时报》（佛罗里达州）的大部分股权。因为“瘦身”后的报纸聚焦本地经营，仅存的少数几个小报正在被裁撤。更重要的是，优秀的美国小报新闻从业者从供给上来看变得稀少，这可能是伦理道德急剧变化的结果（想象一下将清教徒式的美国专业化与随心所欲的英国式冷酷无情对比）。《华盛顿邮报》和《国家询问者》不只一次的体会到了引入英国小报从业者的需要。

　　For all their differences, tabloids in most rich countries have one common feature:shrinking circulation. Although the News of the World was Britain's second biggest paper, with a circulation of 2.6m, this was a far cry from the more than 9m it sometimes sold in the 1950s. Bild has lost more than 1.5m buyers since 2001.

　　尽管他们存在这么多的不同，大多数富有国家的小报中存在着一个共同的特点：萎缩的发行量。尽管《世界新闻报》是英国第二大报纸，发行量达260万份，这与19世纪50年代900万份的发行量相差甚远。2001年至今，《图片报》已经失去了超过150W读者。

　　Yet it would be premature³³ to see the closure of the News of the World as the beginning of the end of tabloid journalism. Although tabloid news is in declinein print, it is staging a revival³⁴ online, where sensationalist headlines attract most clicks. With 40m unique visitors, according to comScore, the website of the Daily Mail, another British tabloid, is the world's second biggest newspaper website after the New York Times. And Bild has found success online. These two join a lively set of tabloid blogs,including the Drudge³⁵ Report and even the Huffington Post (which launched its British edition on July 6th). After all, as Oscar Wilde reported:"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

　　然而，将《世界新闻报》的停刊堪称是小报业走向深渊的开端还为时尚早。尽管小报的印刷量正在下降，网络上它却表现出复活的状态，爆炸性的标题会吸引最多的点击量。据康姆斯科（Comscore，美国网络趋势调查公司）称，拥有4000万独立访问者的另一家英国小报《每日邮刊》网站，是仅次于《纽约时报》网站的全球第二大报纸网站。《图片报》也在互联网上行得到了成功。这两家加入到了一系列活跃的小报博客之中，包括《德拉吉报道》，甚至《哈芬顿邮报》（7月6号发生了其英国版）。毕竟，正像奥斯卡·王尔德所写：“我们都处境艰难，但是我们当中的一些人仍很乐观。”

1 gutter   

n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟

参考例句：

• There's a cigarette packet thrown into the gutter.阴沟里有个香烟盒。
• He picked her out of the gutter and made her a great lady.他使她脱离贫苦生活，并成为贵妇。

2 tabloid   

adj.轰动性的，庸俗的；n.小报，文摘

参考例句：

• He launched into a verbal assault on tabloid journalism.他口头对小报新闻进行了抨击。
• He believes that the tabloid press has behaved disgracefully.他认为小报媒体的行为不太光彩。

3 tabloids   

n.小报，通俗小报（版面通常比大报小一半，文章短，图片多，经常报道名人佚事）( tabloid的名词复数 )；药片

参考例句：

• The story was on the front pages of all the tabloids. 所有小报都在头版报道了这件事。
• The story made the front page in all the tabloids. 这件事成了所有小报的头版新闻。

4 bullying   

v.恐吓，威逼( bully的现在分词 )；豪；跋扈

参考例句：

• Many cases of bullying go unreported . 很多恐吓案件都没有人告发。
• All cases of bullying will be severely dealt with. 所有以大欺小的情况都将受到严肃处理。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

6 collaborates   

合作( collaborate的第三人称单数 )； 勾结叛国

参考例句：

• Third, main economy Central Bank collaborates to cut the interest rate. 第三，主要经济体央行联手降低利率。
• Any one who collaborates should be shot. 与敌人勾结者一律枪决。

7 blackmail   

n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓

参考例句：

• She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。
• The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。

8 emanating   

v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的现在分词 )；产生，表现，显示

参考例句：

• Even so, there is a slight odour of potpourri emanating from Longfellow. 纵然如此，也还是可以闻到来自朗费罗的一种轻微的杂烩的味道。 来自辞典例句
• Many surface waters, particularly those emanating from swampy areas, are often colored to the extent. 许多地表水，特别是由沼泽地区流出的地表水常常染上一定程度的颜色。 来自辞典例句

9 coerced   

v.迫使做( coerce的过去式和过去分词 )；强迫；（以武力、惩罚、威胁等手段）控制；支配

参考例句：

• They were coerced into negotiating a settlement. 他们被迫通过谈判解决。
• He was coerced into making a confession. 他被迫招供。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

11 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

12 canard   

n.虚报；谣言；v.流传

参考例句：

• That canard was proved to be true later.那谣言后来被证明是真的。
• The story itself was a canard deliberately invented by the Armenians.这个传闻本身就是亚美尼亚人有意虚构的谎报。

13 clout   

n.用手猛击；权力，影响力

参考例句：

• The queen may have privilege but she has no real political clout.女王有特权，但无真正的政治影响力。
• He gave the little boy a clout on the head.他在那小男孩的头部打了一下。

14 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

15 stunts   

n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 )；（广告中）引人注目的花招；愚蠢行为；危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长]，抑制，妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He did all his own stunts. 所有特技都是他自己演的。
• The plane did a few stunts before landing. 飞机着陆前做了一些特技。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 mischievously   

adv.有害地；淘气地

参考例句：

• He mischievously looked for a chance to embarrass his sister. 他淘气地寻找机会让他的姐姐难堪。 来自互联网
• Also has many a dream kindheartedness, is loves mischievously small lovable. 又有着多啦a梦的好心肠，是爱调皮的小可爱。 来自互联网

17 hacks   

黑客

参考例句：

• But there are hacks who take advantage of people like Teddy. 但有些无赖会占类似泰迪的人的便宜。 来自电影对白
• I want those two hacks back here, right now. 我要那两个雇工回到这儿，现在就回。 来自互联网

18 freelancers   

n.自由作家，自由记者( freelancer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A lot of proof-reading is put out to freelancers. 校对工作有很多是请外人做的。 来自辞典例句
• Its benefits plan for freelancers is highly competitive in the industry. 在本行业内它的福利方案是很有竞争力的。 来自互联网

19 scoops   

n.小铲( scoop的名词复数 )；小勺；一勺[铲]之量；（抢先刊载、播出的）独家新闻v.抢先报道( scoop的第三人称单数 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等）

参考例句：

• two scoops of mashed potato 两勺土豆泥
• I used three scoops of flour and one(scoop)of sugar. 我用了三杓面粉和一杓糖。 来自辞典例句

20 bribing   

贿赂

参考例句：

• He tried to escape by bribing the guard. 他企图贿赂警卫而逃走。
• Always a new way of bribing unknown and maybe nonexistent forces. 总是用诸如此类的新方法来讨好那不知名的、甚或根本不存在的魔力。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻

21 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

22 taboo   

n.禁忌，禁止接近，禁止使用；adj.禁忌的；v.禁忌，禁制，禁止

参考例句：

• The rude words are taboo in ordinary conversation.这些粗野的字眼在日常谈话中是禁忌的。
• Is there a taboo against sex before marriage in your society?在你们的社会里，婚前的性行为犯禁吗？

23 catered   

提供饮食及服务( cater的过去式和过去分词 )； 满足需要，适合

参考例句：

• We catered for forty but only twenty came. 我们准备了40客饭菜，但只来了20个人。
• They catered for everyone regardless of social rank. 他们为所有人服务而不计较其社会地位。

24 elites   

精华( elite的名词复数 )； 精锐； 上层集团； （统称）掌权人物

参考例句：

• The elites are by their nature a factor contributing to underdevelopment. 这些上层人物天生是助长欠发达的因素。
• Elites always detest gifted and nimble outsiders. 社会名流对天赋聪明、多才多艺的局外人一向嫌恶。

25 conglomerates   

n.（多种经营的）联合大企业( conglomerate的名词复数 )；砾岩；合成物；组合物

参考例句：

• At the surface, radioactivity of the conglomerates is locally as high as 30 X background. 在地表，砾岩的局部地段的放射性高达30倍本底值。 来自辞典例句
• The conglomerates failed to understand that books could not be sold like soap. 这些联合大企业不懂卖书不象卖肥皂那样。 来自辞典例句

26 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

27 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

28 hearsay   

n.谣传，风闻

参考例句：

• They started to piece the story together from hearsay.他们开始根据传闻把事情的经过一点点拼湊起来。
• You are only supposing this on hearsay.You have no proof.你只是根据传闻想像而已，并没有证据。

29 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

30 strands   

n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Twist a length of rope from strands of hemp. 用几股麻搓成了一段绳子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She laced strands into a braid. 她把几股线编织成一根穗带。 来自《简明英汉词典》

31 puritanical   

adj.极端拘谨的；道德严格的

参考例句：

• He has a puritanical attitude towards sex.他在性问题上主张克制，反对纵欲。
• Puritanical grandfather is very strict with his children.古板严厉的祖父对子女要求非常严格。

32 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

33 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

34 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。

35 drudge   

n.劳碌的人；v.做苦工，操劳

参考例句：

• I feel like a real drudge--I've done nothing but clean all day!我觉得自己像个做苦工的--整天都在做清洁工作！
• I'm a poor,miserable,forlorn drudge;I shall only drag you down with me.我是一个贫穷，倒运，走投无路的苦力，只会拖累你。