美国国家公共电台 NPR--'Harry and Meghan' gets harsh review

'Harry¹ and Meghan' gets harsh review

Transcript²

Even even newspapers critical of the monarchy³ didn't like the couple's approach either to telling their story in the new Netflix documentary.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have more to say about why they left the royal family. And they're saying it in a Netflix series. NPR London correspondent and royal watcher Frank Langfitt is here. Hey there, Frank.

FRANK LANGFITT, BYLINE⁴: Hey, Steve.

INSKEEP: And this is literally⁵ true because you're watching the royals, the first 3 hours yesterday. What did you see?

LANGFITT: Yeah. You know, it's interesting. They call it a documentary. But, really, they produced it. And it's about really telling their side of the story. And the first episode is kind of this story of an epic⁶ romance against the odds⁷. That's the way they portray⁸ it. And then a lot of the rest of it is about what they see - and a lot of people would agree with them - Britain's racist⁹ and imperial past, to some degree, driving these online and press attacks on Meghan, who's biracial. And then what Harry says is the royal family didn't defender¹⁰. Now, one of the most insightful lines, I think, in the show so far comes from a guy named Tim Burt. He works with the couple. And he talks about the relationship between the royal family and the press. This is what he said.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "HARRY AND MEGHAN")

TIM BURT: There's a sort of unwritten contract between the institution and the press. The taxpayer¹¹ in the U.K. pays for the royal family. And in return for those payments, there is an expectation that the royal family will be available to the media. And this is a sense of we pay, you pose.

LANGFITT: And, Steve, Harry says this conflict, in part, is really about power. This is what he says.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "HARRY AND MEGHAN")

PRINCE HARRY: It all comes down to control. It's like, this family is ours to exploit. Their trauma¹² is our story and our narrative¹³ to control.

LANGFITT: And another person in the documentary talks about how the royal press and photographers, they expect the family to perform. And if they don't perform, they fall out of favor. And that's what many media analysts¹⁴ have been telling me for a number of years now is why the tabloids¹⁵, the British tabloids, turned against the couple.

INSKEEP: This is really interesting. But how are people responding where you are?

LANGFITT: Well, the reviews in the press have been pretty negative, as you might expect.

INSKEEP: Yeah.

LANGFITT: This is the same press that they criticize, of course, in the show. Some people also have found it self-indulgent. And it's interesting, too, because these - some of these are papers that are not necessarily, you know, pro-royal or, you know, conservative. The Irish Times called it a sometimes-unwatchable plunge¹⁶ into planet Sussex. And Britain's Guardian¹⁷ - they're, of course, liberal, might be sympathetic to the couple's politics - called it a one-sided PR effort.

INSKEEP: Granted, when they're producing it themselves, there's not a lot of distance between the producers and the subjects. But do some people like this?

LANGFITT: Yeah. I mean, the romance, I think, which is very well-produced in the beginning - certainly, you can see it. The romance ends up giving - I think, really resonated with people. This is Ateh Jewel, who writes about the beauty industry. She was talking yesterday on ITV.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ATEH JEWEL: I've always been team Harry and Meghan. I've been talking about them for years, supporting them. She'd been painted as this scheming, predatory, prince-hunting woman. And I think the first episode shows that they have a deep love, a friendship and a connection.

INSKEEP: Do you think that episode will change minds?

LANGFITT: I think there is, Steve, sympathy for what the couple endured from the press. But many Britons feel like they welcomed Meghan. And then she criticized the royal family, fled with, from their perspective, their prince. And they see her as kind of ungrateful. I was speaking to a woman named Jean Veal¹⁸ (ph). She's a retired¹⁹ hairdresser in Devon in the southwest of England. This is how she sees it.

JEAN VEAL: I am glad they've made it because I don't like what they've done to the royal family. And I think this will make people hate them even more. And I'm glad of that. I hope they do.

LANGFITT: And, you know, several years ago, Steve, Prince Harry was among the most popular royals, even rivaling the late queen. Now his popularity is down to just 38% and Meghan down to 27%, according to polling.

INSKEEP: Frank's popularity remains²⁰ quite high. NPR's Frank Langfitt. Thanks so much.

LANGFITT: Thanks, Steve. Always great to talk.

1 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

6 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

7 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

8 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

9 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

10 defender   

n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人

参考例句：

• He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。
• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。

11 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

12 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

13 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。

14 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

15 tabloids   

n.小报，通俗小报（版面通常比大报小一半，文章短，图片多，经常报道名人佚事）( tabloid的名词复数 )；药片

参考例句：

• The story was on the front pages of all the tabloids. 所有小报都在头版报道了这件事。
• The story made the front page in all the tabloids. 这件事成了所有小报的头版新闻。

16 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

17 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

18 veal   

n.小牛肉

参考例句：

• She sauteed veal and peppers,preparing a mixed salad while the pan simmered.她先做的一道菜是青椒煎小牛肉，趁着锅还在火上偎着的机会，又做了一道拼盘。
• Marinate the veal in white wine for two hours.把小牛肉用白葡萄酒浸泡两小时。

19 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

20 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。