2007年VOA标准英语-Celebrity Activism: Publicity Stunt or Sincere

By Crystal Park
Washington
21 February 2007
 
watch Celebrity¹ Activists³ report

It is the latest trend in Hollywood- picking a cause to support. But amidst the helpful spirit lies deep skepticism about celebrities⁴' motives⁵.  VOA's Crystal Park takes a look at whether celebrity activism is a convenient vehicle for publicity⁶ or a genuine concern for the issues.

The band U2 has been rocking out for fans since 1976, and along the way collected 22 Grammy awards, the most any recording⁷ artist has ever won. They’ve sold more than 170 million albums worldwide. They are the ultimate rock stars.

 
Angelina Jolie
Actress Angelina Jolie is the sixth highest paid actress in Hollywood, commanding $10 million per film. She’s also a constant tabloid⁸ darling, thanks to her very high profile relationship with actor Brad Pitt.

But there is another side to these mega famous celebrities. This side lets the spotlight⁹ come off them, and shine on some people who need it more.

Celebrities have been playing dual¹⁰ roles, as entertainer and activist², for a long time.

Movie star Audrey Hepburn was one of the first celebrities to champion a cause. However, these days, it seems nearly every celebrity has a cause or organization they are affiliated¹¹ with.

But some critics complain celebrities are more interested in boosting their profile, than raising aid for the causes they're touting¹². 

Many critics also say celebrity activists are hypocrites- spending time with AIDS patients in Africa, and then coming home to extravagant¹³ lifestyles. But actor Don Cheadle says that is precisely¹⁴ why they are doing what they do. "You do sit there, and you do go, 'Wow I have this embarrassment¹⁵ of wealth, and what am I doing? And very closely on the heels of that you go, "Well, this is what I'm doing, and this is how I'm trying to do it, and this is the way I'm trying to draw focus,” he said.

A deeper concern for many critics is that these celebrities do not have a strong grasp of the issues they are talking about.

 
Tim Irwin
One organization that specifically seeks out help from celebrities is the United Nations. Their long-standing Goodwill¹⁶ Ambassador program specifically uses celebrities to draw attention to their mission. Their most famous ambassador is Angelina Jolie. UNHCR spokesman, Tim Irwin,  says, on the contrary, the celebrities he works with do understand the issues. He said, “They are informed and they are involved. They will frequently pay all of their expenses when they're on missions.

The celebrities themselves say they get involved because it is impossible not to. Actor George Clooney said, “You want to just scream and you want to stand there and say, 'What is wrong with you people? Are you kidding? That we're all sitting in rooms talking about this while these people are dying?"

But a celebrity endorsement¹⁷ has little or no impact on the public's decision to support a cause or charity, according to a survey by Cone¹⁸, Incorporated, a communications agency engaged in building brand trust.

The survey of about one thousand adults revealed that celebrities are the least likely to influence a person's decision to support a cause. Instead, one's family and friends hold the most power.

But the skepticism surrounding celebrities who are devoted¹⁹ to a cause does not discourage the devoted celebrities. Oscar winner Nicole Kidman said, “There's always going to be cynicism. Be willing to take the shots, be willing to keep doing your bit because if you've been given an enormous amount in life, it is your duty to give back."

Though celebrities are often scrutinized²⁰ for their motives, they have the ears of some of the most powerful political figures in the world. Rock star Bono has discussed AIDS issues in Africa with President Bush. Movie star Angelina Jolie has talked with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice about the plight²¹ of refugees.

Both sides do agree on one thing. The good that these celebrities do accomplish is more important than the publicity it generates.

1 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

5 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

6 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

7 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

8 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。

9 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

10 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

11 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

12 touting   

v.兜售( tout的现在分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• He's been touting his novel around publishers for years. 他几年来一直到处找出版商兜售自己的小说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Technology industry leaders are touting cars as a hot area for growth. 科技产业领袖吹捧为增长热点地区的汽车。 来自互联网

13 extravagant   

adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的

参考例句：

• They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
• He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

14 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

15 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

16 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

17 endorsement   

n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注

参考例句：

• We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
• His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。

18 cone   

n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果

参考例句：

• Saw-dust piled up in a great cone.锯屑堆积如山。
• The police have sectioned off part of the road with traffic cone.警察用锥形路标把部分路面分隔开来。

19 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

20 scrutinized   

v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for flaws. 宝石商人仔细察看钻石有无瑕庇 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. 我们一起把甜食店里买来的十二块柠檬蛋糕细细打量了一番。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比

21 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。