英语流行话题听力:Unit 29 《哈利·波特》

[00:00.01] Unit 29 Harry Potter: Excellent or Evil? [00:04.41] Harry Potter books have spent the past year quite comfortably on bestseller lists nationwide. [00:12.41] Controversy over the series of fantasy fiction books -- about a boy who discovers a world of magic -- is generated in chatrooms, [00:21.51] boardrooms and classrooms alike. [00:25.14] All this frenzy makes one wonder if there has been a recent comingback of witchcraft among pre teens. [00:32.34] Are we really afraid that the Harry Potter books will inspire some frightful behavior that Peter Pan, Snow White, [00:39.53] or the's Grimm Fairy Tales will not? [00:43.11] Maybe some of the objecting parents have forgotten how much they loved the magical worlds in their childhood. [00:51.02] Part of what makes these books so popular is what also makes them threatening to some. [00:57.14] The protagonist finds ways to control his environment as well as escape from it. [01:03.30] When Harry's aunt begins talking about his deadbeat dad, who has died, her wine glass explodes in her hand, [01:10.52] due to Harry's powers. [01:12.55] While this could be seen as a violent act, Harry's reaction was unintentional and Aunt Marge is not hurt, [01:20.53] after all. [01:22.32] Besides, this behavior is frowned upon by the Hogwart's( magic) school, so Harry is never pardoned and he does face punishment for it. [01:33.23] The boy is treated so badly by his relatives that we can not help but take pity on him. [01:39.03] Who can blame Harry for hating the cruel family he is forced to endure? [01:44.31] Most of us can remember all too well how it felt when a sibling, a cousin or a classmate was being favored. [01:52.26] At the very least we can likely recall feeling a need to escape everyday trials at school or at home. [01:59.50] Harry has his escape; he takes the reader with him, and it's nothing short of excitement. [02:07.11] The's Hogwart School is where he fits in, and where there are others like him. [02:12.32] It seems that this escape appeals to adults as much as it does children; there is even a web page devoted to adult fans, [02:21.19] and talk of creating" adult" covers so that those over 15 need not hide the books in public, [02:28.24] or try to explain that it must have accidentally crept into to their brief cases. [02:33.46] While escape from reality can be just as appealing to those who have already passed through puberty, [02:41.03] it seems there may also be other factors at play here. [02:44.42] The books became increasingly more popular amongst adults as word spread that people objected to them. [02:52.04] Yes, people love magic and controversy. [02:55.57] No one is terribly worried abut adults reading fantasy books, of course, except maybe some extremist groups. [03:05.23] The burning question is whether these books are a true threat to children's stability, faith and healthy development? [03:13.07] Unlikely. [03:14.29] Real world violence should probably be much more of a concern, as well as the pre teen peers that can greatly influence a child's behavior. [03:24.44] If children need to escape to another world, be it Narnia or the Hogwart's school while reading, [03:31.27] parents should be delighted to see that need realized through a love of reading. [03:37.05] I imagine there are far more dangerous routes of escape.

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