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It’s News For Fools

課文朗讀

課文中英講解

繁體中文譯本

You should never believe everything you read – especially around April Fool’s Day. If you saw an outlandish story in the news three days ago that was too strange to be true, it just might have been a fake story run as a practical joke to trick you. The tradition of making others look foolish and gullible on April 1^st is very old, and there are many theories about its origins. As early as the Middle Ages, many cultures around the world held spring festival to celebrate foolishness.

你绝对不应该完全相信你获悉的事情，特别是在愚人节前后。如果三天前，你看到有则新闻奇怪到不太真实的荒诞报导，那很可能只是用来整你的恶作剧假报导。这个在四月一日当天要让别人看起来又蠢又容易受骗的由来已久，而关于这个传统的起源，也有许多种看法。早在中古世纪，世界上很多不同文化的人话举办一些春季节庆来颂扬愚昧。

The most widely accepted theory of the holiday’s roots, however, goes back to the sixteenth century. When France switched from Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, the first month of the year was moved from April to January. Those who continued to celebrate the new year on the first of April were considered fools, and practical jokes were played on them. Over time, the holiday grew into what it is today.

然而，有关这个节日的起源，最广为人接受的说法可回溯到十六世纪。当法国舍弃旧太阳历，改用现行的太阳历的时候，一年中的第一个月就由四月移到了一月。那些还继续在四月的第一天庆祝新年的人，就当成傻瓜，而且大家也会对他们恶作剧。久而久之，这个节日就演变成今天这个样子。

Nowadays, anyone can be thevictim of an April Fool’s Day practical joke, and the pranks have become more complicated, elaborate, and some would say, more mischievous. The media especially have latched onto this holiday, and newspapers and TV and radio stations have been the biggest perpetrators of practical jokes. Even trusted news sources like the BBC and the London Times habitually trick the unwitting every April Fool’s Day. It seems no one is to be trusted on April Fool’s Day.

现在，任何人都可能成为愚人节恶作剧的受害者，而且作弄人的把戏变得更复杂、精致，甚至有些人会说，更恶劣了。媒体特别爱利用着个节日大显身手。报纸、电视及广播电台始终是恶作剧的大本营。即便是深受信赖的新闻来源，像是英国广播公司和伦敦时报，每年都会习惯性弟在愚人节整那些不知情的人。看来在愚人节这天，没有人是可以相信的。

Vocabulary

fake [fek] adj. 假的；冒充的

victim [ˋvɪktɪm] n. 受害者，受骗者

elaborate [ɪˋlæbə͵ret] adj. 精心制作的

mischievous [ˋmɪstʃɪvəs] adj. 恶作剧的；调皮的

the unwitting [ʌnˋwɪtɪŋ] n. 不知情的人

More Information

outlandish [aʊtˋlændɪʃ] adj. 古怪的

gullible [ˋgʌləb!] adj. 易受骗的

Gregorian calendar 格利高里历法,阳历,西历

prank [præŋk] n. 胡闹；恶作剧

latch [lætʃ] v. 抓住；占有；理解[（+on/upon）]

perpetrator [͵pɝpəˋtretɚ] n. 做坏事者；犯罪者

Reading Questions

1.   What is the main idea of the article?

A.  April Fool’s Day has grown into a day of practical jokes, and you can not even trust the news on April 1st.

B.  Every time we see an outlandish story in the news, we should never trust it.

C.  April Fool’s Day began as a day when fools celebrate the beginning of a new year.

D.  In spring, everyone feels foolish; that’s the origin of April Fool’s Day.

2.   What is the first month of the Julian calendar?

A.  July

B.  January

C.  April.

D.  March

3.   Which of the following statements best describes the word “elaborate” in the article?

A.  Having details that are connected in a complex way.

B.  Being made in a weak way and easily damaged.

C.  Unable to cause harm

D.  Simple and clear in meaning.

4.   Which of the following sentences is NOT true

A.  The origin of April Fool’s Day can be traced back to the Middle Ages.

B.  When France switched calendars, the first month of the year was moved to a different month.

C.  Over the years, the pranks on April Fool’s Day have become more mischievous and complex.

D.  Trusted news sources rarely trick their readers or viewers on April Fool’s Day.

課文中英講解

One of the most notorious April Fool’s pranks occurred in 1957. The BBC reported that excellent weather had given Switzerland a bumper crop of spaghetti. After watching footage of Swiss farmers happily___1___spaghetti from tree, hundreds of ___2___ wanted to know how to grow their own spaghetti trees. ___3___ typical British wit, the BBC told them, “Place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.”

最有名的愚人节恶作剧之一发生在一九五七年。根据英国广播公司报导，由于天候极佳，史得瑞士的意大利面条大丰收。在看到一段瑞士农民兴高采烈地从树上采收意大利面条的新闻后，上百名观众来电询问要怎么在自家中种植意大利面树。英国广播公司以一贯的英式幽默告诉他们「要放一小段意大利面条在一罐蕃茄酱内，然后自求多福。」

Another time, a radio station announced that the phone company was going to blow dirt out of the phone lines. Listeners were instructed to put plastic bags on their phones to keep their homes ___4___. A run on bags ensued as listeners rushed to the stores. Although that joke, like many practical jokes, was harmless, sometimes the joke can ___5___. When a radio station reported that the world would end on April 1^st, listeners panicked and feared for ___6___. When the hoax was discovered, no one was amused.

又有一次，一家广播电台发布电话公司即将把电话线里的灰尘吹出来的消息。他们指示听众用塑料袋把电话包起来以保持屋内清洁。袋子一时之间热卖，因为听众纷纷冲到店家抢购。虽然那个玩笑和大多数的恶作剧一样无伤大雅，但有时候玩笑是会开过头的。当一家广播电台报导说四月一日是世界末日，听众们惊慌失措，深怕会大难临头。而当这个骗局被拆穿的时候，没有人觉得好笑。

Sometimes, journalists become the victims of April Fool’s pranks. In 2000, a news release was sent out to the media ___7___ the starting time of the 15^th annual New York April Fool’s Day Parade. TV news crews arrived on the scene only ___8___ that they were the “April Fools” this time – there was no parade! It’s easy to be fooled and ___9___ you were fooled last Friday, take heart. Next year, you might not be fooled so ___10___. An old saying goes: “You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all the time.”

有时候，新闻从业人员反而变成愚人节恶作剧的受害者。在2000年有人传新闻稿给媒体，告知第十五届纽约愚人节大游行开始的时间。电视新闻人员到达现场却发现这次被愚弄的对象就是他们自己---根本就没什么游行!被愚弄是很容易喔。如果你上礼拜五被整了，别丧气，明年你也许就不会那么容易被骗了。俗话说:「你总是可以愚弄一些人，有时候甚至可以愚弄所有人，但你没办法总是愚弄所有的人。

－By Will Thelin

Vocabulary

notorious [noˋtorɪəs] adj. 恶名昭彰的，声名狼藉的

spaghetti [spəˋgɛtɪ] n. 意大利面条

panic [ˋpænɪk] v. 十分惊慌

news release 新闻稿

crew [kru] n. 一组（或一队等）工作人员

More Information

bumper [ˋbʌmpɚ] adj. 特大的；丰盛的

footage [ˋfʊtɪdʒ] n.〔某个事件的〕影片

sprig [sprɪg] n. 小树枝

run [rʌn] n. 争购

ensue [ɛnˋsu] v. 接着发生；接踵而来

hoax [hoks] n. 玩笑；恶作剧

take heart: 振作起来，鼓起勇气，增强信心to be confident or courageous.

Answer