美国国家公共电台 NPR 'Incorporated' Imagines Dystopian Future Where Corporations Run The World

'Incorporated' Imagines Dystopian Future Where Corporations Run The World

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The nightmare of unchecked corporate¹ power has long provided inspiration to writers and filmmakers from Kurt Vonnegut to Ridley Scott, who made "Alien." "Incorporated," a new TV show on cable's Syfy channel, joins that tradition. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says the show definitely taps into fears about income inequality, global warming and corporate supremacy³.

ERIC DEGGANS, BYLINE⁴: The year is 2074, and TV reports are filled with news like this.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "INCORPORATED")

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: In other news, the Canadian prime minister today announced the construction of a new high-security fence after 2073 became a record year for illegal immigration. It is estimated that already 12 million U.S. citizens live in Canadian territory illegally.

DEGGANS: At a time when Donald Trump⁵ has just been elected president, it takes some guts⁶ to air a TV series where Canadians are building a wall to keep illegal American immigrants out. But that's the cheeky pleasure taken by producers of "Incorporated," which imagines a future where global warming has either flooded America's cities or turned them into deserts. The timing⁷ could not be more perfect for a show like this.

Corporations run everything, more powerful than governments. America's middle class is long gone. Executives live in lush green zones - gated communities on steroids with self-driving cars and armed security. Everyone else suffers in slum-like red zones. If they're lucky, they get to work as servants for the executives.

Julia Ormond plays the ruthless head of U.S. operations for a firm called Spiga. She often takes to addressing employees with a huge, "1984"-like video screen to remind them of their obligations.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "INCORPORATED")

JULIA ORMOND: Spiga Biotech is a generous mother. It will feed you, dress you, protect you. In exchange, it only asks for hard work and loyalty⁸.

DEGGANS: Right, that's not too ominous⁹. The plot centers on Ben Larsen, an up-and-coming executive with a secret. He's a hacker¹⁰ prodigy¹¹ who grew up in the red zones. He's used technology to manufacture a new identity for himself as a 1-percenter, which explains his hesitation¹² when his wife who knows nothing about his real past delivers this news over dinner.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "INCORPORATED")

ALLISON MILLER¹³: (As Laura Larson) The permit - it came through.

SEAN TEALE: (As Ben Larson) The permit?

MILLER: (As Laura Larson) From Spiga. I'm going to make an appointment with our OBGYN who's going to remove the IUD. Pawn¹⁴ the goalie.

DEGGANS: Yup, Spiga even tells employees when they can have children, and Larson worries his past will be revealed through his medical history. The plot here is a conventional one. Larsen takes the risk of exposing himself trying to rescue a long lost love - not his wife - who works in one of the corporation's executive brothels. But what really makes the show resonate is the world it creates.

In our divided times, it's a nightmare shared by voters of all stripes - a future where the middle class is erased¹⁵. Corporations run the world with Orwellian efficiency, and most Americans live in the kind of poverty seen in the developing world. The special effects are impressive and lend texture¹⁶. Desks are also touch-screen computers. Invisible mobile screens float in your hand, and those self-driving cars can display the news while driving to work.

"Incorporated" is executive produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, which makes sense. Their work on films like "Good Will Hunting" has often centered on scrappy, smart, working-class guys who somehow game a system rigged against them, Ben Larson's ultimate story. "Incorporated" suggests that those who hold on to their human values can subvert¹⁷ any system that seeks to take their freedom from them. And that's a welcome message anytime. I'm Eric Deggans.

1 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

2 browser   

n.浏览者

参考例句：

• View edits in a web browser.在浏览器中看编辑的效果。
• I think my browser has a list of shareware links.我想在浏览器中会有一系列的共享软件链接。

3 supremacy   

n.至上；至高权力

参考例句：

• No one could challenge her supremacy in gymnastics.她是最优秀的体操运动员，无人能胜过她。
• Theoretically,she holds supremacy as the head of the state.从理论上说，她作为国家的最高元首拥有至高无上的权力。

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 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

6 guts   

v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠

参考例句：

• I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。
• Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

8 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

9 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

10 hacker   

n.能盗用或偷改电脑中信息的人，电脑黑客

参考例句：

• The computer hacker wrote that he was from Russia.这个计算机黑客自称他来自俄罗斯。
• This site was attacked by a hacker last week.上周这个网站被黑客攻击了。

11 prodigy   

n.惊人的事物，奇迹，神童，天才，预兆

参考例句：

• She was a child prodigy on the violin.她是神童小提琴手。
• He was always a Negro prodigy who played barbarously and wonderfully.他始终是一个黑人的奇才，这种奇才弹奏起来粗野而惊人。

12 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

13 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

14 pawn   

n.典当，抵押，小人物，走卒；v.典当，抵押

参考例句：

• He is contemplating pawning his watch.他正在考虑抵押他的手表。
• It looks as though he is being used as a political pawn by the President.看起来他似乎被总统当作了政治卒子。

15 erased   

v.擦掉( erase的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；清除

参考例句：

• He erased the wrong answer and wrote in the right one. 他擦去了错误答案，写上了正确答案。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He removed the dogmatism from politics; he erased the party line. 他根除了政治中的教条主义，消除了政党界限。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

17 subvert   

v.推翻；暗中破坏；搅乱

参考例句：

• The rebel army is attempting to subvert the government.反叛军队企图颠覆政府统治。
• They tried to subvert our state and our Party. This is the crux of the matter.他们是要颠覆我们的国家，颠覆我们的党，这是问题的实质。