Rating System Needed for Cartoon Industry

　　2 children in rural areas of Jiangsu Province were severely¹ burned by their friends when trying to duplicate a scene in a famous Chinese cartoon "Pleasant goat and big big wolf". [Photo: The Beijing News]

 

　　Cartoons are often regarded as children's entertainment. But adult elements such as violent and erotic scenes featured in cartoon programs can also pose negative effects on children.

 

　　Industry insiders as well as many parents believe a rating system for cartoons may help parents select appropriate cartoons for children whilst also developing a healthier market. Li Dong has the details.

 

　　In April this year, two children in rural areas of Jiangsu Province were severely burned by their friends when trying to duplicate a scene in a famous Chinese cartoon "Pleasant goat and big big wolf". The medical costs for treating the two kids are as much as 1.5 million yuan.

 

　　The parents have decided² to sue the cartoon production company.

 

　　Actually, violent scenes are just one of the several negative effects unrated cartoons have on children. Other inappropriate plots include, misusing³ fire and cutting tools, verbal abuse, dangerous acts and adult behavior.

 

　　Some lawyers believe that the production company should be partially⁴ responsible for the tragedy mentioned above if they did not insert cautions at such scenes. Liu Ming, a psychologist, says that parents should watch cartoons together with their children to limit the impact of negative aspects of the programs.

 

　　"Parents should teach their children what is important and what is dangerous, such as how to treat a life and how to better understand life."

 

　　According to media reports, currently most of the cartoons in the Chinese market are for adults and these contain a lot of violent and adult scenes. However, Miss Gu from a cartoon company in Tianjin says, the cost of making a cartoon is so much that they need to cut the cost whilst making it appeal to the audience as much as possible to maintain the operational viability⁵ of their company.

 

　　"The budget the TV station gives us is not very high, so breaking even from funding solely⁶ from the TV station is very difficult."

 

　　Miss Gu further adds that introducing a rating system could be a proper way to boost the domestic cartoon market, as cartoon companies can make tailored products for children of specific age ranges rather than inserting adult elements into their programs to attract a mass audience.

 

　　"Kids should watch cartoons which are suitable for their age. In the market, parents also hope their kids can watch cartoons which can give them proper guidance and education."

 

　　According to a survey by CCTV, China Central Television, 75 percent of surveyed people say cartoons should be rated, 24 percent of respondents say too much restriction⁷ on entertainment products is unnecessary and they believe kids have their own discretions, and the remaining 1 percent say that this is not a simple topic.

 

　　For CRI, I am Li Dong.

1 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 misusing   

v.使用…不当( misuse的现在分词 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用

参考例句：

• This means we must stop misusing them. 也就是说，我们已必须停止滥用抗菌素不可了。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 预防生物武器
• Misusing organic fertilizer may cause a decrease in the soil's quality. 滥用有机肥料可能会导致土地的土质下降。 来自互联网

4 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

5 viability   

n.存活(能力)

参考例句：

• What is required to achieve or maintain such viability? 要达到或维持这种生存能力需要什么？
• Scientists are experimenting to find ways to ensure the viability of seeds for even longer periods of time. 正如我们所说，科学家正在试验努力寻找让种子的生命力更加延长的方法。

6 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

7 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。