VOA慢速英语2016 展览探索18世纪出版的力量

Exhibit Explores Power of Press in 18th Century 展览探索18世纪出版的力量

Clearly, there was no social media or television to spread the word when America declared its independence from Britain in 1776.

在美国1776年从英国宣告独立的时候，显然那时候还没有社交媒体或者电视来传播消息。

Information about the American Revolution came from newspapers.

美国革命的消息来源于报纸。

An exhibit at the Newseum in Washington D.C. shows the power of newspapers in 18th century America.The Newseum is a museum about the news and reporting.

在华盛顿特区“新闻博物馆”的展览展示出了18世纪美国报纸的力量。“新闻博物馆”是关于新闻和报道的博物馆。

Patty Rhule is exhibit development director for the Newseum.She said: “The exhibit tells the story of the printers and publishers in colonial America who helped make the case for independence, who fanned the flames of revolution.”

佩蒂·鲁尔是新闻博物馆的展览开发部主任。她说：“展览讲述了美国殖民地时期印刷工人和出版商们帮助宣传独立、点燃革命之火的故事。”

The Pennsylvania Evening Post was first to publish the freedoms called for in America’s Declaration of Independence.

《宾夕法尼亚晚报》是第一家登出美国《独立宣言》所倡导的那些自由理念的报纸。

“Today, we get news over our Facebook feeds, or on Twitter, or Instagram, or on the radio or on television,” Rhule said.“Back then, newspapers were it.”

“现在，我们通过脸书网推送、推特、Instagram、广播或者电视得知信息。”鲁尔说，“但那个时候，就只有报纸。”

She said newspapers were used to debate the big issues of the day.That included the emotional arguments over whether America should or should not leave Britain.

她说，报纸被用来讨论每天的大事件。其中也包括“美国应不应该脱离英国独立”这样情绪激动的辩论。

The Newseum has on display all four pages of the 240-year-old newspaper.It is one of only 19 known copies.

新闻博物馆展出了所有四页有240年历史之久的报纸。这是仅有的19份报纸其中的一份。

The case for independence was made in publications like Common Sense, a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine.The publication gave Paine’s arguments for American independence.He is known as one of America’s Founding Fathers.

独立这件事被写进了托马斯·潘恩写的小册子《常识》里。这本小册子记载了潘恩关于美国独立的见解。他是美国国父之一。

Rhule said Common Sense reached a huge number of colonists¹ at the time.

鲁尔说，《常识》当时在殖民地人民中间流传甚广。

“America was one of the most literate² countries at the time,” Rhule said.“Almost half of the people who could read had heard -- or read parts -- of Common Sense, which is incredible when you think about it.”

“美国是当时识字人数最多的国家之一。”鲁尔说，“差不多一半识字的人都听说过《常识》，或者读过《常识》的部分片段，现在想来真是难以置信。”

Words in This Story

exhibit -- n. an object or a collection of objects that have been put out in a public space for people to look at

printer -- n. a person or company that puts out books, newspapers or magazines

colonial -- adj. of or relating to the original 13 colonies forming the United States

flames -- n. creating support for a cause

pamphlet -- n. a small, thin book with no cover or only a paper cover that has information about a particular subject

incredible -- adj. difficult to believe

1 colonists   

n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 literate   

n.学者；adj.精通文学的，受过教育的

参考例句：

• Only a few of the nation's peasants are literate.这个国家的农民中只有少数人能识字。
• A literate person can get knowledge through reading many books.一个受过教育的人可以通过读书而获得知识。