-
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Television-----the most pervasive1 and persuasive2 of modern technologies, marked by rapid change and growth-is moving into a new era, an era of extraordinary sophistication and versatility3, which promises to reshape our lives and our world. It is an electronic revolution of sorts, made possible by the marriage of television and computer technologies.
The word "television", derived4 from its Greek (tele: distant) and Latin (visio: sight) roots, can literally5 be interpreted as sight from a distance. Very simply put, it works in this way: through a sophisticated system of electronics, television provides the capability6 of converting an image (focused on a special photoconductive plate within a camera) into electronic impulses, which can be sent through a wire or cable. These impulses, when fed into a receiver (television set), can then be electronically reconstituted into that same image.
Television is more than just an electronic system, however. It is a means of expression, as well as a vehicle for communication, and as such becomes a powerful tool for reaching other human beings.
The field of television can be divided into two categories determined7 by its means of transmission. First, there is broadcast television, which reaches the masses through broad-based airwave transmission of television signals. Second, there is nonbroadcast television, which provides for the needs of individuals or specific interest groups through controlled transmission techniques.
Traditionally, television has been a medium of the masses. We are most familiar with broadcast television because it has been with us for about thirty-seven years in a form similar to what exists today. During those years, it has been controlled, for the most part, by the broadcast networks, ABC, NBC, and CBS, who have been the major purveyors of news, information, and entertainment. These giants of broadcasting have actually shaped not only television but our perception of it as well. We have come to look upon the picture tube as a source of entertainment, placing our role in this dynamic medium as the passive viewer.
1 pervasive | |
adj.普遍的;遍布的,(到处)弥漫的;渗透性的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 persuasive | |
adj.有说服力的,能说得使人相信的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 versatility | |
n.多才多艺,多样性,多功能 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 derived | |
vi.起源;由来;衍生;导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 );(从…中)得到获得;源于;(从…中)提取 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 literally | |
adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 capability | |
n.能力;才能;(pl)可发展的能力或特性等 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|