VOA慢速英语2020 年度词汇"misinformation"

The website Dictionary.com has chosen the term 'misinformation' as its word of the year. The announcement comes less than two weeks after Oxford¹ Dictionaries chose 'toxic²' as its word of the year.

Dictionary.com网站将“misinformation”一词选为了网站今年的年度词汇。而不到两周前，《牛津词典》将“toxic”（有毒的）一词选为了他们的年度词汇。

Many people mix up the meaning of misinformation with the word disinformation. They sometimes use one term in place of the other.

不少人都会把“misinformation”和“disinformation”这两个词混为一谈。有时，明明该用这个词，他们却用了另一个。

Dictionary.com defines misinformation as "false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead." And it describes disinformation as "deliberately³ misleading or biased⁴ information; manipulated narrative⁵ or facts; propaganda."

Dictionary.com网站对“misinformation”一词的定义是“被散布的虚假信息，无论是否带有故意误导的意图”。对“disinformation”一词的定义则是“故意误导他人或故意带有偏向性的信息；人为操控的叙事或事实；宣传。”

So what's the difference?

那二者究竟有何不同呢？

Officials at Dictionary.com say it comes down to what the writer or speaker actually means. They say that "when people spread misinformation, they often believe the information they are sharing." But disinformation is often shared with the goal of misleading others. For example, if people share information that they know to be false in a story or a picture, that is disinformation.

该网站官方表示，区别就取决于作者或说话人真实的意图。他们称，“当人们散布misinformation的时候，他们通常都认为自己分享的信息是真的。”但disinformation通常都是带着故意误导他人的目的被分享出去的。打个比方，如果人们知道某个故事或画面中的信息是假的还把它传播出去，那就是disinformation。

Jane Solomon is a language expert with Dictionary.com. She told VOA that the choice of misinformation, instead of disinformation, was done for a reason. She said, "disinformation is a word that looks outside of ourselves. You can point a finger at someone who is spreading this disinformation."

简·所罗门是Dictionary.com网站的一名语言专家。她告诉VOA，他们选择misinformation而不选misinformation作年度词汇是有原因的。她说：“disinformation是一个看起来与我们没什么关系的词。比如我们可以指责散布这种信息的人。”

As for misinformation, "there is a quality of looking inward and it helps us evaluate our own behavior" to fight against the spread of misinformation.

而misinformation这个词，反对传播这种信息就“有一种内观的特性，有助于我们审视自身的行为举止”。

The word misinformation has been used since the late 1500s. But Solomon said the word was chosen this year because it also "ties to a lot of events that are happening in 2018."

“misinformation”这个词15世纪末就有了。但所罗门表示，今年之所以选这个词，是因为它“与2018年发生的许多事件都有关”。

In Myanmar, misinformation, like hate speech and propaganda, fueled violence against Rohingya Muslims. And there were riots in Sri Lanka after stories that proved false set the country's Buddhist⁶ majority against Muslims.

在缅甸，仇恨言论、政治宣传之类的misinformation进一步助长了针对罗兴亚穆斯林族群的暴力行为。斯里兰卡也因此发生了骚乱，一些传闻，经后来证明实属虚假的传闻挑起了该国占多数的佛教徒与穆斯林的冲突。

The disappearance⁷ and reported killing⁸ of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi fueled misinformation about him and his fiancée. And stories about Brazil's recent presidential election were filled with misinformation, everything from incorrect voting times to false campaign promises.

沙特作家贾迈勒·卡舒吉的失踪以及称其已被杀害的报道进一步助长了有关他和他未婚妻的虚假信息。有关巴西近期的总统选举的报道也充满了从投票时间错误到虚假的竞选承诺等各种虚假信息。

Facebook and other social media websites have published misinformation, including images of police arresting immigrants and long lines at voting stations in the United States. They also posted incorrect voting hours and false voting requirements before the November 6 elections.

Facebook等社交媒体网站也发布过虚假信息，比如警察逮捕移民和美国投票站前排起的长队等图片。他们还在11月6日选举前发布了不正确的投票时间和虚假的投票要求。

Liz McMillan is head of Dictionary.com. She noted⁹ that the online publisher has chosen words like identity in 2015, xenophobia in 2016, and complicit in 2017.

丽兹·麦克米兰是Dictionary.com网站的负责人。她指出，该在线出版平台2015年选择了“身份”、2016年选择了“仇外”、2017年选择了“共谋”作为平台的年度词汇。

She said, "By arming our users with these words and enabling them to identify misinformation when it is encountered gives us a fighting chance against its influence."

她说：“用这些词汇武装我们的用户，让他们在遇到这样的消息的时候能够看清其本质，好让我们能有一个抵抗这类信息的影响的机会。”

1 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

2 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

3 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

4 biased   

a.有偏见的

参考例句：

• a school biased towards music and art 一所偏重音乐和艺术的学校
• The Methods: They employed were heavily biased in the gentry's favour. 他们采用的方法严重偏袒中上阶级。

5 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

6 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

7 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

8 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。