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The Pulitzer Prize: The Golden Stamp of Journalism 普立兹奖：新闻界的至高荣耀

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Every April, in newsrooms across America, journalists huddle around television sets, awaiting the announcement of the Pulitzer Prize. For the fortunate few who hear their names, it is not the cash reward that sparks celebration, but the respect and prestige that come with winning this illustrious decoration. In truth, the small monetary prize has little bearing on the Pulitzers. The prizewinners in 21 categories, however, benefit immensely from the publicity and see their reputations soar.

每年4月，全美国的新闻编辑部里，记者们都挤在电视机前等待普立兹奖的宣布。对于听到他们名字的幸运儿们来说，现金的报酬并不是最值得庆祝的，而是伴随着这个卓越勋章而来的尊敬和声望。实际上，这微薄的奖金对普立兹奖得主们而言并不重要。然而，这21个奖项的得主们能因媒体的关注而受益，并看着他们的声誉扶摇直上。

The annual awards, which mainly honor journalistic expertise but also recognize poets, photographers, and authors, are the legacy of Joseph Pulitzer. Born in Hungary in 1847, he took a ship to America at the age of 17. He got his break quite by accident when two editors he met found him interesting and gave him a writing assignment, which led to a job. Dedicated to journalism from the beginning, he soon became owner-publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Pulitzer worked tirelessly throughout his career with a commitment to journalism as a public service. He pioneered investigative reporting, exposed scandals, and dug up stories of corruption. Pulitzer never settled for anything less than excellence, and, in his will, he left instructions for the establishment of the Pulitzer Prize.

这一年一度的奖项是约瑟夫．普立兹的遗志，主要是表彰新闻界的专业技能，但也赞赏诗人、摄影师和作家。普立兹生于1847年的匈牙利，于17岁时坐船到美国。他事业上的突破可说是场意外。当时有两位编辑遇见他，觉得他很有趣，所以给他一份写作的任务，而这让他得到了一份工作。他一开始就致力于新闻业，并很快地成为《圣路易快邮报》的创办发行人。普立兹在职业生涯中努力不懈，致力将新闻当作公共服务。他是调查性报导的先锋，揭露丑闻，挖掘贪污事件。普立兹从不勉强接受任何不够优秀的作品，他也在遗嘱内留下创立普立兹奖的指示。

The 2009 prize for International Reporting went to The New York Times for its fearless coverage of the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Back in 1994, freelancer Kevin Carter won the Feature Photography category for his shot of a tiny, starving Sudanese child, with a vulture waiting ominously in the background. These examples remind us why there ought to be excellence in journalism. Pulitzer believed wholeheartedly in the power of the media, saying, a nation and its media “will rise or fall together.”

2009年的国际报导奖是由《纽约时报》获得，因为他们不畏惧地报导阿富汗和巴基斯坦的战争。在1994年，自由摄影记者凯文．卡特照下一个弱小饥饿的苏丹小孩以及一只在后方虎视眈眈的秃鹰，因而获得新闻特写摄影奖。这些例子提醒我们新闻界为何要精益求精。普立兹全心全意相信媒体的力量，认为一个国家及其媒体「生死与共」。

−by Alice Davis

Vocabulary

单词发音

journalism [ˋdʒɝn!͵ɪzm] n. 新闻工作；新闻业

huddle [ˋhʌd!] v. 挤作一团；聚在一起

huddle around 围聚；挤在周围 to gather or bunch around someone or something

illustrious [ɪˋlʌstrɪəs] adj. 著名的，杰出的，卓越的

publicity [pʌbˋlɪsətɪ] n.〔报纸﹑电视等对某人或某物的〕关注

commitment [kəˋmɪtmənt] n. 承诺

pioneer [͵paɪəˋnɪr] v. 开创; 开发; 倡导

expose [ɪkˋspoz] v. 揭露，揭发

corruption [kəˋrʌpʃən] n. 腐化；贪污

settle for 勉强接受, 勉强同意

fearless [ˋfɪrlɪs] adj. 无畏的；大胆的

coverage [ˋkʌvərɪdʒ] n. 新闻报导

ominously [ˋɑmənəslɪ] adv. 恶兆地；不吉利地

wholeheartedly [͵holˋhɑrtɪdlɪ] adv. 全心全意地；全神贯注地

More Information

单词发音

newsroom [ˋnjuzˋrum] n. 新闻编辑部

spark [spɑrk] v. 引发; 引起; 导致

prestige [prɛsˋtiʒ] n. 名望，声望，威望

decoration [͵dɛkəˋreʃən] n. 勋章；奖章

monetary [ˋmʌnə͵tɛrɪ] adj. 金钱的

have a bearing on 对…有影响; 与…有关

journalistic [͵dʒɝn!ˋɪstɪk] adj. 新闻业的；新闻工作（者）的

photographer [fəˋtɑgrəfɚ] n. 摄影师

legacy [ˋlɛgəsɪ] n. 留给后人的东西; 遗产；遗赠

break [brek] n.【口】机会；好运

publisher [ˋpʌblɪʃɚ] n. 出版（或发行）者

investigative [ɪnˋvɛstə͵getɪv] adj. 调查的

dig up〔通过仔细搜索﹑查询〕找出﹐揭露 find by digging in the ground; find, uncover

instruction [ɪnˋstrʌkʃən] n. 命令，指示

freelancer [ˋfri͵lænsɚ] n.（不受雇于人的）自由作家（或演员等）

feature [fitʃɚ] n.（报纸等的）特写

Sudanese [͵sudəˋniz] adj. 苏丹的；苏丹人的

vulture [ˋvʌltʃɚ] n. 秃鹰

say [se] v. 表明，宣称

Reading Questions

1. What do you think is the best thing about winning a Pulitzer Prize?

A. Owning an expensive trophy.

B. Becoming incredibly wealthy.

C. Attending the award ceremony.

D. Being recognized as an excellent journalist.

2. Which of the following best describes Joseph Pulitzer?

A. A lazy hypocrite.

B. A corrupt reporter.

C. An ambitious perfectionist.

D. A businessman who wanted to earn lots of money.

3. What do you think Pulitzer meant when he said a nation and its media “will rise or fall together”?

A. The media will always drag a country down.

B. Journalism is the true ruler of a nation’s people.

C. A civilized nation protects its people from the media.

D. Good journalism and a good country go hand in hand.

kevin-carter-1994.jpg

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