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Predicting the future is always risky. But it's probably safe to say that at least a few historians will one day speak of the 20th century as America's "Disney era". (23) Today, it's certainly difficult to think of any other single thing that represents modern America as powerfully as the company that created Mickey Mouse. Globally, brands like Coca-Cola and McDonalds may be more widely-known, but neither represents 20th-century America in quite the same way as Disney.
The reasons for Disney's success are varied and numerous, but ultimately the credit belongs to one person—the man who created the cartoon and built the company from nothing, Walt Disney. Ironically, he could not draw particularly well. But he was a genius in plenty of other respects. In business, his greatest skills were his insight and his management ability. (24) But what really distinguished Disney was his ability to identify with his audiences. Disney always made sure his films championed the "little guy", and made him feel proud to be American. This was achieved by creating characters that reflected the hopes and fears of ordinary people.
Disney's another great virtue was the fact that his company—unlike other big corporations—had a human face. (25) He was also regarded as a great patriot because not only did his cartoons celebrate America, but, during World War II, studios made training films for American soldiers. The reality, of course, was less idyllic. As the public would later learn, Disney's patriotism had an unpleasant side. He agreed to work for the FBI as a mole, identifying and spying on colleagues whom he suspected.
By the time he died in 1966, Walt Disney was an icon like Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers. To business people and filmmakers, he was a role model; to the public at large, he was "Uncle Walt"——the man who had entertained them all their lives, the man who represented them all their lives, the man who represented all that was good about America.
23. What is the most powerful thing that represents modern America according to the lecture?
24. What makes Walt Disney really extraordinary?
25. Why Walt Disney was regarded as a patriot?
預言未來從來都有風險。比較保險的說法是，將來至少會有一些歷史學家把20世紀稱為美國迪士尼時代。如今，很難想到什么其他什么事物比米老鼠的創作公司對當代美國更具代表性。很多品牌，像可口可樂、麥當勞等，都擁有全球性的知名度，但是沒有一個可以像迪士尼一樣代表20世紀的美國。
迪士尼成功的原因有許多，但是歸根結底主要在于一個人。他就是創作了這個卡通人物，白手起家，創建這家公司的華特·迪士尼。諷刺的是，他并不是很擅長繪畫，但在很多其方面他卻是天才。在商業領域，他最大的才能就是他的洞察力和管理能力。但是真正讓迪士尼脫穎而出的原因是他與觀眾之同的認同感。迪士尼電影總會有講述戰勝自己心中“小人”，作為美國人而自豪的內容。通常是通過片中人物反省自身凡人的欲望和恐懼。
迪士尼另外一個優點是他人性化的一面，這點與很多其他大公司不同。他還被認為是一位偉大的愛國者，不僅因為他創作卡通贊美美國，還因為在二戰期間他為美國士兵拍攝了培訓用的影片。當然，現實并非那么美好。美國人民后來發現迪士尼愛國主義的背后還隱藏著陰暗的一面。他曾同意做美國聯邦調查局的密探，對他懷疑的同行進行調查和監視。
到1966年迪士尼去世時，他已經成為了像托馬斯·愛迪生和萊特兄弟那樣的偶像級人物了。他成為了商人和電影制片人的榜樣；在美國民眾心中他是“華特大叔”，是那個娛樂他們一生、代表他們一生、并呈現美國所有美好的人。
23.根據演講內容，最能代表當代美國的是什么？
24.華特·迪士尼真正與眾不同之處是什么？
25.為什么華特·迪士尼被認為是愛國者？
譯文屬可可原創，僅供學習和交流使用，未經允許不得轉載
