my discovery of england-第13节

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　centuries。



VI。The　British　and　the　American　Press

THE　only　paper　from　which　a　man　can　really　get　the　news　of　the　world　in　a　shape　that　he　can　understand　is　the　newspaper　of　his　own　〃home　town。〃　For　me；　unless　I　can　have　the　Montreal　Gazette　at　my　breakfast；　and　the　Montreal　Star　at　my　dinner；　I　don't　really　know　what　is　happening。　In　the　same　way　I　have　seen　a　man　from　the　south　of　Scotland　settle　down　to　read　the　Dumfries　Chronicle　with　a　deep　sigh　of　satisfaction：　and　a　man　from　Burlington；　Vermont；　pick　up　the　Burlington　Eagle　and　study　the　foreign　news　in　it　as　the　only　way　of　getting　at　what　was　really　happening　in　France　and　Germany。

The　reason　is；　I　suppose；　that　there　are　different　ways　of　serving　up　the　news　and　we　each　get　used　to　our　own。　Some　people　like　the　news　fed　to　them　gently：　　others　like　it　thrown　at　them　in　a　bombshell：　some　prefer　it　to　be　made　as　little　of　as　possible；　they　want　it　minimised：　others　want　the　maximum。

This　is　where　the　greatest　difference　lies　between　the　British　newspapers　and　those　of　the　United　States　and　Canada。　With　us　in　America　the　great　thing　is　to　get　the　news　and　shout　it　at　the　reader；　in　England　they　get　the　news　and　then　break　it　to　him　as　gently　as　possible。　Hence　the　big　headings；　the　bold　type；　and　the　double　columns　of　the　American　paper；　and　the　small　headings　and　the　general　air　of　quiet　and　respectability　of　the　English　Press。

It　is　quite　beside　the　question　to　ask　which　is　the　better。　Neither　is。　They　are　different　things：　that's　all。　The　English　newspaper　is　designed　to　be　read　quietly；　propped　up　against　the　sugar　bowl　of　a　man　eating　a　slow　breakfast　in　a　quiet　corner　of　a　club；　or　by　a　retired　banker　seated　in　a　leather　chair　nearly　asleep；　or　by　a　country　vicar　sitting　in　a　wicker　chair　under　a　pergola。　The　American　paper　is　for　reading　by　a　man　hanging　on　the　straps　of　a　clattering　subway　express；　by　a　man　eating　at　a　lunch　counter；　by　a　man　standing　on　one　leg；　by　a　man　getting　a　two…minute　shave；　or　by　a　man　about　to　have　his　teeth　drawn　by　a　dentist。

In　other　words；　there　is　a　difference　of　atmosphere。　It　is　not　merely　in　the　type　and　the　lettering；　it　is　a　difference　in　the　way　the　news　is　treated　and　the　kind　of　words　that　are　used。　In　America　we　love　such　words　as　〃gun…men〃　and　〃joy…ride〃　and　〃death…cell〃：　in　England　they　prefer　〃person　of　doubtful　character〃　and　〃motor　travelling　at　excessive　speed〃　and　〃corridor　No。　6。〃　If　a　milk…waggon　collides　in　the　street　with　a　coal…cart；　we　write　that　a　〃life…waggon〃　has　struck　a　〃death…cart。〃　We　call　a　murderer　a　〃thug〃　or　a　〃gun…man〃　or　a　〃yeg…man。〃　In　England　they　simply　call　him　〃the　accused　who　is　a　grocer's　assistant　in　Houndsditch。〃　That　designation　would　knock　any　decent　murder　story　to　pieces。

Hence　comes　the　great　difference　between　the　American　〃lead〃　or　opening　sentence　of　the　article；　and　the　English　method　of　commencement。　In　the　American　paper　the　idea　is　that　the　reader　is　so　busy　that　he　must　first　be　offered　the　news　in　one　gulp。　After　that　if　he　likes　it　he　can　go　on　and　eat　some　more　of　it。　So　the　opening　sentence　must　give　the　whole　thing。　Thus；　suppose　that　a　leading　member　of　the　United　States　Congress　has　committed　suicide。　This　is　the　way　in　which　the　American　reporter　deals　with　it。

〃Seated　in　his　room　at　the　Grand　Hotel　with　his　carpet　slippers　on　his　feet　and　his　body　wrapped　in　a　blue　dressing…gown　with　pink　insertions；　after　writing　a　letter　of　farewell　to　his　wife　and　emptying　a　bottle　of　Scotch　whisky　in　which　he　exonerated　her　from　all　culpability　in　his　death；　Congressman　Ahasuerus　P。　Tigg　was　found　by　night…watchman；　Henry　T。　Smith；　while　making　his　rounds　as　usual　with　four　bullets　in　his　stomach。〃

Now　let　us　suppose　that　a　leading　member　of　the　House　of　Commons　in　England　had　done　the　same　thing。　Here　is　the　way　it　would　be　written　up　in　a　first…class　London　newspaper。

The　heading　would　be　HOME　AND　GENERAL　INTELLIGENCE。　That　is　inserted　so　as　to　keep　the　reader　soothed　and　quiet　and　is　no　doubt　thought　better　than　the　American　heading　BUGHOUSE　CONGRESSMAN　BLOWS　OUT　BRAINS　IN　HOTEL。　After　the　heading　HOME　AND　GENERAL　INTELLIGENCE　the　English　paper　runs　the　subheading　INCIDENT　AT　THE　GRAND　HOTEL。　The　reader　still　doesn't　know　what　happened；　he　isn't　meant　to。　Then　the　article　begins　like　this：

〃The　Grand　Hotel；　which　is　situated　at　the　corner　of　Millbank　and　Victoria　Streets；　was　the　scene　last　night　of　a　distressing　incident。〃

〃What　is　it？〃　thinks　the　reader。　　〃The　hotel　itself；　which　is　an　old　Georgian　structure　dating　probably　from　about　1750；　is　a　quiet　establishment；　its　clientele　mainly　drawn　from　business　men　in　the　cattle…droving　and　distillery　business　from　South　Wales。〃

〃What　happened？〃　thinks　the　reader。

〃Its　cuisine　has　long　been　famous　for　the　excellence　of　its　boiled　shrimps。〃

〃What　happened？〃

〃While　the　hotel　itself　is　also　known　as　the　meeting　place　of　the　Surbiton　Harmonic　Society　and　other　associations。〃

〃What　happened？〃

〃Among　the　more　prominent　of　the　guests　of　the　hotel　has　been　numbered　during　the　present　Parliamentary　session　Mr。　Llewylln　Ap。　Jones；　M。P。；　for　South　Llanfydd。　Mr。　Jones　apparently　came　to　his　room　last　night　at　about　ten　P。M。；　and　put　on　his　carpet　slippers　and　his　blue　dressing　gown。　He　then　seems　to　have　gone　to　the　cupboard　and　taken　from　it　a　whisky　bottle　which　however　proved　to　be　empty。　The　unhappy　gentleman　then　apparently　went　to　bed　。　。　。〃

At　that　point　the　American　reader　probably　stops　reading；　thinking　that　he　has　heard　it　all。　The　unhappy　man　found　that　the　bottle　was　empty　and　went　to　bed：　very　natural：　and　the　affair　very　properly　called　a　〃distressing　incident〃：　quite　right。　But　the　trained　English　reader　would　know　that　there　was　more　to　come　and　that　the　air　of　quiet　was　only　assumed；　and　he　would　read　on　and　on　until　at　last　the　tragic　interest　heightened；　the　four　shots　were　fired；　with　a　good　long　pause　after　each　for　discussion　of　the　path　of　the　bullet　through　Mr。　Ap。　Jones。

I　am　not　saying　that　either　the　American　way　or　the　British　way　is　the　better。　They　are　just　two　different　ways；　that's　all。　But　the　result　is　that　anybody　from　the　United　States　or　Canada　reading　the　English　papers　gets　the　impression　that　nothing　is　happening：　and　an　English　reader　of　our　newspapers　with　us　gets　the　idea　that　the　whole　place　is　in　a　tumult。

When　I　was　in　London　I　used　always；　in　glancing　at　the　morning　papers；　to　get　a　first　impression　that　the　whole　world　was　almost　asleep。　There　was；　for　example；　a　heading　called　INDIAN　INTELLIGENCE　that　showed；　on　close　examination；　that　two　thousand　Parsees　had　died　of　the　blue　plague；　that　a　powder　boat　had　blown　up　at　Bombay；　that　some　one　had　thrown　a　couple　of　bombs　at　one　of　the　provincial　governors；　and　that　four　thousand　agitators　had　been　sentenced　to　twenty　years　hard　labour　each。　But　the　whole　thing　was　just　called　〃Indian　Intelligence。〃　Similarly；　there　was　a　little　item　called；　〃Our　Chinese　Correspondent。〃　That　one　explained　ten　lines　down；　in　very　small　type；　that　a　hundred　thousand　Chinese　had　been　drowned　in　a　flood。　And　there　was　another　little　item　labelled　〃Foreign　Gossip；〃　under　which　was　mentioned　that　the　Pope　was　dead；　and　that　the　President　of　Paraguay　had　been　assassinated。

In　short；　I　got　the　impression　that　I　was　living　in　an　easy　drowsy　world；　as　no　doubt　the　editor　meant　me　to。　It　was　only　when　the　Montreal　Star　arrived　by　post　that　I　felt　that　the　world　was　still　revolving　pretty　rapidly　on　its　axis　and　that　there　was　still　something　doing。

As　with　the　world　news　so　it　is　with　the　minor　events　of　ordinary　life；birth；　death；　marriage；　accidents；　crime。　Let　me　give　an　illustration。　Suppose　that　in　a　suburb　of　London　a　housemaid　has　endeavoured　to　poison　her　employer's　family　by　putting　a　drug　in　the　coffee。　Now　on　our　side　of　the　water　we　should　write　that　little　incident　up　in　a　way　to　give　it　life；　and　put　headings　over　it　that　would　capture　the　reader's　attention　in　a　minute。　We　should　begin　it　thus：

　　　　PRETTY　PARLOR　MAID　　　　　　　　DEALS　DEATH…DRINK　　　　　　　　　　　　TO　CLUBMAN'S　FAMILY

The　English　reader　would　ask　at　once；　how　do　we　know　that　the　parlor　maid　is　pretty？　We　don't。　But　our　artistic　sense　tells　us　that　she　ought　to　be。　Pretty　parlor　maids　are　the　only　ones　we　take　any　interest　in：　if　an　ugly　parlor　maid　poisoned　her　employer's　family　we　should　hang　her。　Then　again；　the　English　reader　would　say；　how　do　we　know　that　the　man　is　a　clubman？　Have　we　ascertained　this　fact　definitely；　and　if　so；　of　what　club　or　clubs　is　he　a　member？　Well；　we　don't　know；　except　in　so　far　as　the　thing　is　self…evident。　Any　man　who　has　romance　enough　in　his　life　to　be　poisoned　by　a　pretty　housemaid　ought　to　be　in　a　club。　That's　the　place　for　him。　In　fact；　with　us　the　word　club　man　doesn't　necessarily　mean　a　man　who　belongs　to　a　club：　it　is　defined　as　a　man　who　is　arrested　in　a　gambling　den；　or　fined　for　speeding　a　motor　or　who　shoots　another　person　in　a　hotel　corridor。　Therefore　this　man　must　be　a　club　man。　Having　settled　the　heading；　we　go　on　with　the　text：

〃Brooding　over　love　troubles　which　she　has　hitherto　refused　to　divulge　under　the　most　grilling　fusillade　of　rapid…fire　questions　shot　at　her　by　the　best　brains　of