2023年经济学人 卓别林如何遭到美国的迫害

 

    Culture

    文艺版块

    Book review

    书评

    The politics of Hollywood

    好莱坞政治

    Anatomy¹ of a cancellation²

    对一桩取消文化案例的剖析

    Charlie Chaplin vs America. By Scott Eyman.

    《查理·卓别林vs美国》，斯科特·埃曼著。

    In today’s culture wars, Hollywood has a starring role.

    在当今的文化战争中，好莱坞扮演着领衔主演的角色。

    Films tend to trigger debates about America’s history and values.

    电影往往会引发关于美国历史和价值观的辩论。

    That has long been the case, as a new book, “Charlie Chaplin vs America”, shows.

    这是一直存在的现象，正如一本新书《查理·卓别林vs美国》所论述的那样。

    Chaplin, a British citizen, was harassed³ by the American government, culminating in the revocation⁴ of a re-entry permit in 1952.

    卓别林是英国公民，但受到美国政府的骚扰，最终在1952年被吊销了再入境许可证。

    It is a sobering account of cancel culture in action.

    这本书清晰地描述了取消文化是如何进行的。

    Indeed, it makes some of the current spats⁵ seem toothless by comparison.

    现在的一些口舌之争与之相比真是小巫见大巫。

    “I don’t want to create revolution,” Chaplin said. “I just want to create a few more pictures.”

    “我不想掀起革命，”卓别林说，“我只是想再拍几部电影。”

    But the FBI, suspecting Chaplin of communist sympathies, started surveilling the film-maker in 1922.

    但联邦调查局怀疑卓别林拥护共产主义，并从1922年开始监视卓别林。

    In a paranoid climate, many looked for evidence of Marxism.

    在一种偏执多疑的气氛中，许多人在寻找马克思主义的证据。

    Those convinced Chaplin was “red” pointed⁶ to his screen persona, the Tramp, an embodiment of the beleaguered⁷ everyman.

    一些人确信卓别林是“红色”的，并指出他的银幕形象“流浪汉”为证，而流浪汉塑造的就是一个贫困潦倒的普通人。

    They perceived it, too, in “Modern Times” (1936), a dramatisation of workers’ plight⁸ due to unemployment and automation, and in “The Great Dictator” (1940), which called out America’s isolationism.

    这些人在《摩登时代》（1936）和《大独裁者》（1940）中也寻到了端倪，前者戏剧化地描述了工人因失业和自动化而陷入的困境，后者则大声喊出了美国的孤立主义。

    Officials did not take kindly⁹ to Chaplin speaking out about politics, especially when he called for a second front in the war to alleviate¹⁰ pressure on Russia.

    官员们不喜欢卓别林公开谈论政治，尤其是他呼吁在二战中开辟第二战场以减轻俄罗斯方面的压力。

    Some took umbrage¹¹ that Chaplin made his fortune in America and deigned¹² to comment on its policies but refused to become a citizen.

    一些人对卓别林在美国发财、对美国政策妄加评论、却拒绝成为美国公民而深感恼怒。

    None of this was illegal.

    卓别林的所有这些行为都不违法。

    But the FBI bedevilled him, using political groups and the press to whip up anti-Chaplin sentiment.

    但联邦调查局对他紧咬不放，利用政治团体和媒体煽动抵制卓别林的情绪。

    The bureau fed journalists salacious titbits (which were not in short supply: the man was no stranger to a sex scandal).

    联邦调查局向记者提供了淫秽的花边新闻(这些花边新闻有很多，卓别林之前就有过性丑闻)。

    In the eyes of the public, he became “a louche degenerate¹³ with a propensity¹⁴ for young girls and communism”, writes the author, Scott Eyman.

    作者斯科特·埃曼写道，在公众眼里，卓别林变成了“一个喜欢年轻女孩和有共产主义倾向的卑鄙堕落者”。

    When Chaplin set off to promote a movie in Europe, the attorney-general took his chance.

    当卓别林出发去欧洲宣传一部电影时，司法部长抓住了机会。

    The film-maker was blocked from returning under a provision that allowed people of questionable¹⁵ “morals, health or insanity” or those “advocating communism or associating with communist or pro-communist organisations” to be kept out.

    卓别林被禁止再次返回美国，根据的是一项条款，该条款规定，“道德、健康有问题或精神错乱”的人，或“鼓吹共产主义，或与共产主义和亲共产主义组织有联系的人”不得入境。

    Chaplin was forced to give up his home and studio and move to Switzerland, where the quality of his work suffered.

    卓别林被迫离开了美国的家和工作室，搬到了瑞士，他的电影作品质量也因此受到了影响。

    By the time he was exiled from America, the intelligence file had swelled¹⁶ to nearly 2,000 pages.

    到他被驱逐出美国时，关于他的情报档案已经膨胀到近2000页。

    It contained no proof of party ties.

    其中没有任何卓别林与政党有联系的证据。

    Instead, it was filled with “hearsay, rumour¹⁷ [and] bountiful examples of guilt¹⁸ by association”.

    相反，档案中充斥着“传闻、谣言[和]大量罪恶关联的例子”。（注：罪恶关联指逻辑推理上的一种谬误，例如甲犯了罪，乙只是认识甲或与甲在一起，便认为乙也犯了罪，类似连坐制度。）Readers will be shocked by how Chaplin was hounded with so little cause.

    读者会震惊于卓别林如何无缘无故遭到迫害。

    The author convincingly argues that the auteur was “the most prominent victim of the Red Scare” and paints a portrait of a time when freedom of speech was even more embattled than it is today.

    作者令人信服地论述了这位作者导演是“美国红色恐慌最突出的受害者”，并描绘了一个言论自由比如今更为受限的时代。

1 anatomy   

n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织

参考例句：

• He found out a great deal about the anatomy of animals.在动物解剖学方面，他有过许多发现。
• The hurricane's anatomy was powerful and complex.对飓风的剖析是一项庞大而复杂的工作。

2 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。

3 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

4 revocation   

n.废止，撤回

参考例句：

• the revocation of planning permission 建筑许可的撤销
• The revocation of the Edict of Nantes was signed here in 1685. 1685年南特敕令的废除是在这里宣布的。 来自互联网

5 spats   

n.口角( spat的名词复数 )；小争吵；鞋罩；鞋套v.spit的过去式和过去分词( spat的第三人称单数 )；口角；小争吵；鞋罩

参考例句：

• Gasoline is a solvent liquid that removes grease spats. 汽油是一种能脱去油迹的有溶解能力的液体。 来自辞典例句
• Then spats took a catnap, and the bird looked out for dogs. 然后斯派茨小睡了一会儿。小鸟为它站岗放哨，防止狗跑过来。 来自互联网

6 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

7 beleaguered   

adj.受到围困[围攻]的；包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词)；困扰；骚扰

参考例句：

• The beleaguered party leader was forced to resign. 那位饱受指责的政党领导人被迫辞职。
• We are beleaguered by problems. 我们被许多困难所困扰。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

9 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

10 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

11 umbrage   

n.不快；树荫

参考例句：

• Everything gives umbrage to a tyrantny.所有事情都使专制君主生气。
• She took umbrage at my remarks about her hair.我对她头发的评论使她很不高兴。

12 deigned   

v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Carrie deigned no suggestion of hearing this. 嘉莉不屑一听。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Carrie scarcely deigned to reply. 嘉莉不屑回答。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

13 degenerate   

v.退步，堕落；adj.退步的，堕落的；n.堕落者

参考例句：

• He didn't let riches and luxury make him degenerate.他不因财富和奢华而自甘堕落。
• Will too much freedom make them degenerate?太多的自由会令他们堕落吗？

14 propensity   

n.倾向；习性

参考例句：

• He has a propensity for drinking too much alcohol.他有酗酒的倾向。
• She hasn't reckoned on his propensity for violence.她不曾料到他有暴力倾向。

15 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

16 swelled   

增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染，他的手肿了起来。
• After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后，河水猛涨。

17 rumour   

n.谣言，谣传，传闻

参考例句：

• I should like to know who put that rumour about.我想知道是谁散布了那谣言。
• There has been a rumour mill on him for years.几年来，一直有谣言产生，对他进行中伤。

18 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。