2015考研英语阅读英文原刊《经济学人》：电话窃听丑闻

　　As it happens, Mr Coulson’s predecessor as editor, and News International’s current chiefexecutive, Rebekah Brooks (above, with Mr Murdoch), is a close friend of Mr Cameron, too. MrsBrooks was in the editor’s chair in 2002; if the latest hacking allegations stand up, her positionlooks at least as compromised as Mr Coulson’s was in 2007. But, so far, she has rebuffed callsfor her resignation, declaring herself “shocked” at the latest charges and promising to“vigorously pursue the truth”. Critics wonder whether Mrs Brooks, who has in the past beeninsouciantly unco-operative with parliamentary inquiries into phone-hacking, or indeed anyoneelse at News International, with its history of collective obfuscation, is well-placed to do that.

　　巧合的是，新闻国际现任主编库利百加·布鲁克斯也是首相卡梅伦的密友。布鲁克斯2002年起在《世界新闻报》担任编辑，是库尔森的继任者。如果最近的电话窃听指控成立，那么她的职位看来与库尔森2007年时一样岌岌可危。但到目前为之，她断然拒绝了让她辞职的要求，声称自己对于最近的指控大为震惊，并承诺积极调事件真相。批评家认为，不论以布鲁克斯过去在议会对于电话窃听事件的调查中散漫不合作的作风，还是以新闻国际的其他人员集体装糊涂的历史来看，他们是否会履行承诺，配合调查仍是未知数。

　　For the moment, at least, Mrs Brooks appears to beprotected by what insiders describe as an intense,almost familial bond with Mr Murdoch, who is saidto prize her business acumen and contacts: MrMurdoch this week called the recent allegations“deplorable”, but stood by her. Events might yettest just how much their bond is worth. Public angerhas already persuaded several advertisers tosuspend their dealings with the News of the World;some readers may choose to boycott it.

　　至少目前，据知情者所说，与默多克紧密的，几乎家人似的关系保护着布鲁克斯。据说，默多克曾夸奖布鲁克斯在商业上的敏锐及高超的交际手腕。这周，默多克回应最近的指控，称其是“可悲的”，但仍支持布鲁克斯。他和布鲁克斯的这种关系到底有多重要尚未证实。公众的愤怒已经使得一些广告商中止了与《世界新闻报》的合作，部分读者可能会联合抵制这份报纸。

　　Still, Claire Enders, a media analyst, thinks the commercial impact is likely to be modest, giventhe paper’s dominance in the Sunday newspaper market. Much worse, for Mr Murdoch, is theslim chance that the scandal might affect his bid to buy the rest of BSkyB, a hugely profitablesatellite broadcaster in which News Corporation, his parent company, already has a 39% stake.Jeremy Hunt, the culture secretary, looked set finally to approve the deal after a consultationon its impact on media plurality ends on July 8th. Meanwhile Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator,is obliged to consider whether the holders of broadcasting licences are “fit and proper”. It is“closely monitoring the situation”.

　　尽管如此，媒体分析家克莱尔·恩德斯认为，以《世界新闻报》在星期日报所占的市场主导地位来说，窃听事件造成的经济损失可能不大。更严重的是，这一事件有可能使得默多克对天空广播电视台的收购泡汤。天空广播电视台是一个利润十分可观的卫星广播电视台。它的母公司新闻集团目前已占其39%的股份。文化局长杰瑞米·亨特在对此项收购对媒体多元化的影响的进行磋商后，似乎终于于7月9日批准了这一交易。同时，广播监管机构英国广播委员会有责任衡量广播牌照的持有者是否是“适当人员”。他们目前正在密切监管有关情况。

　　In the gutter

　　沉溺低级趣味中

　　And it isn’t only the Murdoch press that is set to feel the backlash. Whereas in Americajournalism is a respectable, even venerated profession, in Britain it has always been regardedas grubby. But it has rarely been so reviled as now. Ed Miliband, the leader of the Labour Party,wants a public inquiry into the culture and regulation of the press; Mr Cameron agrees thatthere ought to be one or more inquiries, after criminal proceedings are over. One result mightbe a change to the current model of newspaper self-regulation; the Press ComplaintsCommission, the toothless body responsible for it, has handled the hacking affair woefully.

　　感受到了这一事件强大的反冲力的不仅仅是默多克的新闻出版机构。尽管新闻界在美国是被尊重，甚至崇敬的职业;但在英国人们通常认为媒体是肮脏不堪的。可现今对媒体如此的痛斥实属罕见。英国工党领袖埃德·米利班德希望对新闻界的文化和监管进行公开调查;卡梅伦同意在刑事法律程序进行完毕之后对此事展开一个或更多的调查。可能导至的一个结果是报社现行自我监管方法的改变。对此事负有责任的报业申述委员会并没有实际的权利。他们已经处理了电话窃听事件，但结果并未使公众满意。

　　Most MPs were in the past much more diplomatic about the press, especially the Murdochstable, which, so exaggerated legend had it, could decide the fate of governments. But thecalculus for politicians has suddenly shifted. Mr Miliband’s tough stance towards NewsInternational—he joined the clamour for Mrs Brooks’s resignation—would have beenunthinkable in the Blair years. Mr Cameron shied away from calling for his friend’s head too,but described the allegations as “truly dreadful”. And there may be more to come in this mad,metastasising story.

　　过去，大多国会议员跟媒体，特别是跟默多克的媒体集团打交道时更加老练。默多克的媒体集团是个传奇，能够决定政府的盛衰。但是，政客们的演算突然发生了转变。埃德·米利班德对新闻国际强硬的立场以及呼吁布鲁克斯辞职在布莱尔执政时代是无法想象的。卡梅伦也不敢与他的朋友反目，但他认为这一事件的确让人“毛骨悚然”。然而，这一疯狂的，时刻变化的事件还远远没有结束。

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