长盛不衰的《辛普森一家》
30年前，《辛普森一家》诞生，从此它便成为占据美国电视黄金档最长时间的节目，也成了美国人生活的一部分。所以当电视评论员艾伦·塞宾沃尔和马特·佐勒·塞茨列出美国最伟大的100部喜剧和电视剧时，《辛普森一家》不出所料成为他们的首选。
This was the show that changed the very concept of cartoons in Western society. Before it appeared, cartoons were considered a way to learn and have fun, not serious adult entertainment. The Simpsons changed this. The genius of the show is that it has something to offer both adults and children.
这是一部改变西方社会对于动画片认识的节目。在它出现之前，动画片被视作是学习和娱乐的一种方式，而非成人娱乐。而《辛普森一家》改变了这点。其过人之处就在于节目内容老少咸宜。
It’s a hugely entertaining program that’s also full of satire and clever humor. A remark by Chitra Ramaswamy in The Guardian gave a sense of the esteem in which The Simpsons is held: “Nothing before or since has matched its capacity to be at once so profoundly clever and so unbelievably stupid.”
这是一部非常有趣的节目，充满了讽刺和机智的幽默。齐特拉·拉马斯瓦米在《卫报》中对《辛普森一家》怀有敬重之意，“它拥有深刻的智慧，同时又傻得令人难以置信。这种能力前无古人，后无来者。”
The show’s creator Matt Groening, and the brilliant team that works with him, make fun of the US government, social customs, and of course, the idea of family life. But unlike most classic US prime-time TV characters, the Simpsons are a dysfunctional family.
该节目的创作者马特·格罗宁，以及与他合作的才华横溢的工作团队，一起打趣美国政府、社会习俗，当然，还有家庭生活的观念。然而，和大多数美国经典黄金档的电视角色不同，辛普森一家是个功能失调的家庭。
Bart, the boy, is always in trouble – both at home and at school. That may be in part because of his paternal example. Homer Simpson, perhaps the most iconic character, is a beer-swilling, overweight slob who is normally found in front of the TV. And Marge, Homer’s wife and the mother of the family, spends most of her time cooking, cleaning or trying to fix the messes that Bart and Homer make.
家中的男孩巴特总是在惹麻烦 —— 无论是在家里还是学校。在某种程度上，这或许是他跟着父亲有样学样的关系。荷马·辛普森大概是(剧中)最具标志性的人物，是个通常坐在电视机前喝着啤酒、体重超标的懒汉。荷马的妻子、家中的妈妈玛吉绝大多数时间都在下厨、打扫或者试图收拾巴特和荷马的烂摊子。
The smartest member of the family is daughter Lisa, who excels at school but is no goody-goody – Lisa never misses an opportunity to challenge authority. The youngest member of the family is baby Maggie, who will likely be as much of a handful as her brother and sister when she grows up – if she ever grows up, that is.
这个家中最聪明的成员是女儿丽萨，她在校表现出色却并不懂得讨好卖乖 —— 丽萨从不错过任何一个挑战权威的机会。家中最小的成员是婴儿玛姬，她在长大之后很有可能像他哥哥姐姐那样难以管教 —— 要是她长大的话，绝对会是这样。
But although the Simpsons are a problem family, viewers are always on their side. One of the reasons the show has remained so popular all these years is that the characters are so likeable. Millions of us identify with them. They are a working class family struggling to make ends meet. They aren’t perfect, but then, who is? And after 30 years, this is still what strikes a chord with millions of viewers worldwide.
但尽管辛普森一家是个问题家庭，观众总是站在他们这边。这个节目多年来热度居高不下的原因之一是剧中的人物都很讨人喜欢。数以百万计的观众们都与他们产生了共鸣。辛普森一家是个努力维持生计的工薪阶层家庭。他们并不完美，但是，谁又是完美的呢?在30年后的今天，这一点依然能在全世界数百万的观众中引发共鸣。
