今天一滑開手機看到震驚的消息,美國第一把交椅的艾倫秀被前員工和一名現職員工踢爆種族歧視。這個戰旗一揭開,可是要直接掀了身為女同志且已有妻子的艾倫的核心代表價值:「反種族與性別歧視」。員工的爆料目前尚未指向艾倫本人,而是針對她手下的三大支柱,也就是三位白人的節目製作人,指控對員工有種族歧視之舉。艾倫秀才剛再獲電視台續約,面臨如此指控,美國有網路新聞還下了標題,寫艾倫秀是否將面臨結束的命運。
我在前一篇專文才剛提到
自學英文的攻略。由於艾倫秀一直是我自學實用英文的重要媒體(能看到各大明星上節目聊天),所以這則新聞是要追蹤的。我在權威的紐約時報的報導中看到了一些有趣的英文,都是課本沒教的。
為了讓大家培養自學的習慣且不會過度仰賴我的中譯,以下引用的每一段報導文字,我只會大致粗譯出大意,並點出其中我自己有興趣學的英文用語,給大家參考如何找出自己有興趣的「語料」來學習。
(Source: New York Times. Source link quoted above)
WarnerMedia has started an investigation into the workplace environment of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” the syndicated program that has been a staple of daytime television since 2003.
華納對艾倫秀的工作環境啟動調查,該節目自2003年起已是日間的主力節目。
“syndicated”用來描述電視節目時,是指節目「賣給多個播出單位」,艾倫秀有在多國以各種語言播出。“staple”除了有訂書針的意思之外,還有「主食」、「主要產品」、「主要部分」之義。艾倫秀被說是“a staple of daytime television”,就代表它已是美國人白天不可或缺的娛樂節目。
Executives from Warner Bros Television and the production company Telepictures sent a letter to employees of the talk show last week that outlined the company’s investigation, according to two people with knowledge of the letter.
據知悉信件內容的兩位人士所述,一封概括略述了調查內容的信件已在上周由華納高階主管與製作公司Telepictures寄給該節目的員工。
一般我們對“knowledge”的認知就是某領域的「知識」,但在英文,這個單字還有「知悉」的意思。“with knowledge of the letter”是指對信件的內容有所知悉,知道與這信件有關的「知識」。所以以後您想要表達「知悉」的話,除了只會講“I know”之外,還可以說 “I have knowledge of ...”,聽起來比較正式莊重。
WarnerMedia’s employee relations department, along with representatives from an outside company, will interview current and former staff members about their experiences on the program, the people said.
華納將面詢現任和前工作人員在節目中的遭遇。
The decision to start the review followed the publication of articles that included allegations from current and former employees of discrimination and mistreatment. Warner Bros. Television and a representative for Ms. DeGeneres declined to comment.
節目的審查源自一篇出版的文章,提到員工指控受到歧視和不當對待。電視台和艾倫的代表人拒絕評論。
BuzzFeed News published an article this month that described what it called a “toxic work culture.” In the article, former staff members said they faced “racism, fear and intimidation” and laid most of the blame on three of the show’s executive producers, Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner.
BuzzFeed 新聞刊載了一篇文章,描述了該節目惡毒的工作文化,前工作人員表示遭受種族歧視,面臨恐懼和恐嚇。大部分的指責都掃向該節目的三位製作人。
laid(放置)的原形動詞是lay,blame是指責、責罵,“lay (most of) the blame on”字面上是把指責之罪都放在某人身上,在意義上就是把炮口都對準某人。
Former employees said they were fired for taking time off for medical leave or bereavement. Black employees said they experienced racist comments. One said that one of the show’s writers had told her, “I’m sorry, I only know the names of the white people who work here.”
前員工表示只是請了喪病假就被開除。黑人員工表示遭受種族歧視的言語對待。其中一名黑人員工表示,其中一位節目的編劇曾說自己心底只認白人員工。
“take time off ”就是所謂的請假,“leave ”是必須暫時離開公司而申請的「假」。假別則有事假(personal leave 私人的假)、病假(medical leave)、產假(maternity leave)、陪產假(paternity leave)、生理假(period leave/menstrual leave)、無薪假(unpaid leave)、喪假(bereavement leave)。至於公假,一般如果對外國人說某人今天請公假不在辦公室,會直接說他出差了(He is on a business trip.)比較自然。
In a joint statement to BuzzFeed News, Mr. Glavin, Ms. Connelly and Mr. Lassner said: “For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us. We take all of this very seriously and we realize, as many in the world are learning, that we need to do better, are committed to do better, and we will do better.”
三位製作人的聯合聲明表示,三人每天都重視自己承擔節目的重責大任,認真看待此事並認知到自己要做得更好,也會做得更好。
“for the record”字面上是說「接下來我的所說與所為都是為了做紀錄、為了記錄下來,以備後查」,實際上是「特此強調、鄭重聲明、先聲明好」的意思。
Variety first reported on the WarnerMedia investigation.“The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” the winner of dozens of Emmys, is now on summer hiatus. Warner Bros. has yet to announce how it will go on as the pandemic continues.
Variety 新聞最先揭露報導了這起調查。該節目目前暑期期間暫停錄影。疫情仍在持續,華納尚未宣布未來動向。
“hiatus”是暫停或停止運作。疫情期間各大車廠的停工也叫做hiatus。
Last year, Ms. DeGeneres renewed her contract to continue hosting the program through 2022. She also signed a deal to create three shows for WarnerMedia’s streaming platform, HBO Max.
去年艾倫續約了該節目,要開播到2022年。她也和華納的影音串流平台HBO Max簽約了三個節目。
所謂的「續約」,中文是寫繼續的「續」,但英文的邏輯不同,英文的續約是指「更新」合約(contract ),所以動詞用“renew”是最自然的。
後記
以前更大牌的歐普拉秀也曾面臨形象的重創,但也未停播,畢竟當時歐普拉已創建出金流龐大的影視帝國。接班的艾倫也是如此,以艾倫在娛樂圈的地位和形象,除非再出現更毀滅性的證據,或者艾倫本人宣布退休,否則要關閉節目的可能性目前看來還不高。但艾倫秀的內部管理有什麼八卦,其實也是每個公司行號內部都會發生的大小事。關鍵就看節目的主管艾倫要怎麼回應種族歧視的燙手山芋。