Television allows people the opportunity to learn about the world around them and see the lives of other people. CFP
11月21日是联合国世界电视日。尽管如今我们不少人都对电视不以为然，但事实上，它是20世纪最伟大的发明之一。电视永远地改变了我们连接世界的方式，自发明以来它的普及度也与日俱增。的确如此，据预计，到2021年全球将有17亿家庭拥有电视。
Think about life before television. We mostly had to rely on the radio or newspapers to know what was going on in the world. But after television arrived, the world seemed a lot smaller. It brought information right to our home. People were able to communicate better, address issues faster and become aware of things happening around the world by watching the news. They could take part in global culture – major international sporting events like the Olympic Games and the World Cup, for example.
想想先前没有电视的生活吧。我们大多数人都要依靠广播或者报纸，才能知道世界上发生了什么事。但电视诞生后，世界似乎变得小多了。它为千家万户带来了信息。人们能够更好地进行沟通，更快地处理事务，通过收看新闻了解天下事。他们能够参与到全球文化中来 —— 如奥运会和世界杯等重大国际体育赛事。
We all have at least one TV memory that will last a lifetime. For those old enough to remember, it’s estimated that over 2 billion people worldwide watched the live funeral parade of Britain’s Princess Diana in 1997. And in 2005, hundreds of millions of music fans across China saw Li Yuchun take the crown on Hunan TV’s Super Girl.
我们所有人都至少拥有一段贯穿一生的电视回忆。那些有一定年纪的人一定还记得，1997年，全球约有超过20亿人通过电视直播收看了英国戴安娜王妃葬礼；2005年，全中国数亿乐迷见证了李宇春摘得湖南卫视《超级女声》节目的桂冠。
But there is undoubtedly a bad side to TV. It could be said to have destroyed communication as much as it enhanced it. In the days before television, a typical family would have played games or just chatted with each other after their evening meal. But since then, sitting around the TV in silence has become a regular evening activity.
但毫无疑问，电视也有其弊端。它被认为在加强沟通的同时也破坏了沟通。在先前没有电视的日子里，一个普通家庭在晚饭后通常会玩玩游戏，或是彼此之间简单地聊聊天。但自从电视诞生以来，安静地坐在电视机前已经成为了一项常规的晚间活动。
Still, the United Nations says that TV “continually invites people to explore beyond their living rooms,” and that is undoubtedly true. But sometimes, this “exploration” is at the expense of ignoring the people closest to us.
但联合国仍认为电视“不断地让人们探索起居室之外的世界，”这点毫无疑问是正确的。但有些时候，这样的“探索”却令我们忽视了身边最亲近的人。
Television is constantly evolving and is impacted by changes in other forms of technology. Modern “Smart TV” systems, for example, allow the viewer to have a more interactive experience.
电视如今正经历不断的升级改进，其他形式的科技所带来的改变也对其产生了影响。比如，现代的“智能电视”系统让观众们有了更加互动的体验。
But while television is indeed a brilliant tool, let’s not forget about the people sitting next to us on the couch. After all, what good is watching something interesting if you don’t want to share your opinions on it?
但尽管电视的确是个出色的工具，我们也不能忘了身边坐在沙发上的人。毕竟，如果不能和他人分享自己对于电视节目的看法，那么看这些有意思的节目还有什么乐趣呢？
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