It is not easy to talk about the role of the mass media in this overwhelmingly significant phase in European history. History and news become confused, and one’s impressions tend to be a mixture of skepticism and optimism. (46)Television is one of the means by which these feelings are created and conveyed-and perhaps never before has it served as much to connect different peoples and nations as is the recent events in Europe. The Europe that is now forming cannot be anything other than its peoples, their cultures and national identities. With this in mind we can begin to analyze the European television scene. (47) In Europe, as elsewhere multi-media groups have been increasingly successful groups which bring together television, radio newspapers, magazines and publishing houses that work in relation to one another. One Italian example would be the Berlusconi group while abroad Maxwell and Murdoch come to mind.

　　Clearly, only the biggest and most flexible television companies are going to be able to compete complete in such a rich and hotly-contested market. (48) This alone demonstrates that the television business is not an easy world to survive in a fact underlined by statistics that show that out of eighty European television networks no less than 50% took a loss in 1989.

　　Moreover, the integration of the European community will oblige television companies to cooperate more closely in terms of both production and distribution.

　　(49) Creating a “European identity” that respects the different cultures and traditions which go to make up the connecting fabric of the Old continent is no easy task and demands a strategic choice - that of producing programs in Europe for Europe. This entails reducing our dependence on the North American market, whose programs relate to experiences and cultural traditions which are different from our own.

　　In order to achieve these objectives, we must concentrate more on co-productions, the exchange of news, documentary services and training. This also involves the agreements between European countries for the creation of a European bank will handle the finances necessary for production costs. (50) In dealing with a challenge on such a scale, it is no exaggeration to say “Unity we stand, divided we fall” -and if I had to choose a slogan it would be “Unity in our diversity.” A unity of objectives that nonetheless respect the varied peculiarities of each country.

　　重点词汇：

　　phase / feiz / n. 1 阶段, 状态 2 相, 相位 v. 定相

　　[例] pass through three phases 经历三个阶段

　　[同义] aspect, stage, state

　　flexible / 5fleksEbl / adj. 柔韧性, 易曲的, 灵活的, 柔软的, 能变形的, 可通融的

　　[例] We can visit your company on Monday or Tuesday; our plans are fairly flexible.

　　"我们可以在星期一或星期二到你们公司来,我们的计划是相当灵活的。"

　　[同义]variable, adjustable

　　[反义] inflexible / in5fleksEbl / / adj. 不屈的, 不屈挠的, 顽固的

　　[派生] flexibility / 7fleksE5biliti / n. 弹性, 适应性, 机动性, 挠性

　　demonstrate / 5demEnstreit / vt. 1 示范 2 证明, 论证 vi. 示威

　　[例] He demonstrated how to use the new machine.

　　他演示怎样使用这台新机器。

　　[同义] clarify, display, illustrate ,show

　　[派生] demonstration / 7demEns5treiFEn / n. 示范, 实证

　　survive / sE5vaiv / v. 幸免于, 幸存, 生还

　　[例] Few survived after the flood. 洪水过后，生还者极少。

　　[同义] continue, outlast, outlive, remain

　　[派生] survival / sE5vaivEl / n. 1 生存, 幸存, 残存2 幸存者, 残存物

　　underline / 7QndE5lain / vt. 1 在...下面划线 2 作...的衬里 3 强调

　　n. 下划线

　　[例] Words with single underline are to be set in italics.

　　字下面有一条底线的字排斜体。

　　[派生] underling / 5QndEliN / n. 部下, 下僚, 下属, 走卒

　　fabric / 5fAbrik / n. 1 织品, 织物, 布2 结构, 建筑物, 构造

　　[例] She bought some fabric to make shirts from.

　　她买了做衬衫的布。

　　[同义] cloth ,goods, material, textile

　　[派生] fabricable / `fAbrIkEbl / adj. 能加工成形的

　　entail / in5teil / vt. 1 使必需;使蒙受, 使承担 2 遗传给 n. [建]限定继承权

　　[例] Writing a history book entails a lot of work.

　　写一本历史书需要下很大功夫。

　　[同义]require, demand ,call for

　　[派生] entailment / in5teilmEnt / n. [律](不动产)继承人之限制

　　[固定搭配] entail ... on sb. 使某人负担...; 把...遗留给某人;entail ... upon sb.

　　使某人负担...;把...遗留给某人

　　handle / 5hAndl / n. 1 柄, 把手, 把柄 2 口实3手感 vt. 1 触摸 2 运用3买卖 4 处理, 操作 vi. 1搬运 2 易于

　　操纵 n. [计]句柄

　　[例] She handled a difficult argument skillfully.

　　她巧妙地应付了一场艰难的辩论。

　　[同义] carry on, deal in, direct, feel, finger, govern, manage ,manipulate, regulate

　　[派生] handler / 5hAndlE / n. 处理者, 管理者, 训练者, (尤指拳击)教练(或助手), (犬马等的)训练者

　　scale / skeil / n. 1刻度,衡量2比例,数值范围,比例3天平,等级 vt. 依比例决定,攀登,测量 vi. 1剥落2生水

　　垢 3 攀登3衡量

　　[例] This ruler has one scale in centimeters and another in inches.

　　这把尺子上有厘米和英寸二种刻度。

　　[同义]degree, graduation, proportion , ratio, layer, plate