时差N小时:享受阅读报纸的乐趣

Last month, our English Department invited a localradio star to deliver a public lecture on the topic ofmedia influence on society. He described the tug ofwar that has been going on in recent years betweennewspapers on real live paper (my words for the old-fashioned way) and newspapers available on theInternet.

上个月，我们英语系邀请一位当地广播电台的明星给我们来一次有关媒体对社会影响的演讲。他描述了最近一些年老式的报纸和网络报纸之间的竞争。

Are old-fashioned newspapers only for us older folks? The majority of college students I knowappear to consider reading anything, not only newspapers (online or "live") as a chore. Mostseem to only read to pass exams.

老式报纸只适合于年岁大的人吗?我认识的大多数大学生将阅读，不仅包括读报纸(无论是在线的还是“现场报道的”)，视为累人的活。大多数人阅读只是为了通过考试。

For me, the pleasures of reading a newspaper, as with reading a novel or a well-crafted poem,essay, or drama, are intricately connected with the pleasures of the human imagination. Peopleread newspapers for many reasons. Newspapers offer information, and they also cover a varietyof topics. But newspapers and reading in general can only add to our lives if we haveimaginations sufficiently fertile and copious to appreciate them.

对我来说，阅读报纸的了却和阅读小说或是心编辑的诗，散文，喜剧，都与人们想象的乐趣复杂地联系在一起。人们阅读报纸有很多原因。报纸提供信息，也包含很多话题，如果我们需要丰富的想象力来欣赏报纸和阅读，它们就会融入到我们的生活中。

Many tell me the Internet has already taken over the job of old time reading, but I should notworry young people will suffer from underdeveloped imaginations as a result. PowerPointpresentations, video games, text messaging, YouTube, and countless other high-techadvances keep young imaginations very much alive and growing. I hope so.

许多人告诉我，网络已经替代了老式的阅读，但是我不应该担心这会导致年轻人的想象力得不到发展，PowerPoint展示，视频游戏，短消息的发送，YouTube还有无数的高科技发展会使年轻人的想象力保持活跃并增长。我希望如此。

tug n. 竞争

old-fashioned adj.老式的,旧式的

chore n.讨厌的或累人的工作

well-crafted 精心编辑的

intricately adv.复杂地

copious adj. 丰富的

underdeveloped adj.低度开发的

text messaging 短消息的发送