3.查理·卓别林与美利坚

3.Passage Three

Charlie Chaplin vs America.

查理·卓别林与美利坚

【1】In today’s culture wars, Hollywood has a starring role. Films tend to trigger(cause) debates(argues) about America’s history and values. That has long been the case, as a new book, “Charlie Chaplin vs America”, shows.

在当今的文化战争中，好莱坞是绝对的主角。电影往往会引发关于美国历史和价值观的辩论。正如新书《查理·卓别林对阵美国》所展示的那样，这种情况早已存在。

【2】Chaplin, a British citizen, was harassed by the American government, culminating in the revocation of a re-entry permit in 1952. It is a sobering account of cancel culture in action. Indeed, it makes some of the current spats seem toothless(pointless) by comparison.

英国公民卓别林一直遭受美国政府骚扰，直到1952年美国政府将其入境许可吊销。这是对“取消文化”实际运作的深刻描述。事实上，相比之下，现今发生的一些口水仗就显得无关痛痒。

【3】I don’t want to create revolution,” Chaplin said. “I just want to create a few more pictures.” But the FBI, suspecting Chaplin of communist sympathies(trends), started surveilling the film-maker in 1922. In a paranoid climate, many looked for evidence of Marxism.

“我并不想挑起革命，”卓别林说，“我只是想要拍点新影片。”但是联邦调查局（FBI）怀疑卓别林有共产主义倾向，因此在1922年开始对这名电影制作者进行监视。在近乎偏执的环境中，很多人都在寻找他人信仰马克思主义的证据。

【4】Those convinced(believed) Chaplin was “red” pointed to his screen persona(figure), the Tramp, an embodiment of the beleaguered everyman. They perceived it, too, in “Modern Times” (1936), a dramatisation of workers’ plight(suffering) due to unemployment and automation, and in “The Great Dictator” (1940), which called out America’s isolationism.

那些相信卓别林是“赤色分子” 的人将矛头对准他在荧幕中的形象，流浪者。这个角色是饱受苦难的普通百姓缩影。在戏剧化地表现工人因失业和自动化而遭受苦难的《摩登时代》（1936）中，以及大声称美国为孤立主义的《大独裁者》（1940）中，他们也窥测到了卓别林的 “赤色”。

【5】Officials did not take kindly to Chaplin speaking out about politics, especially when he called for a second front in the war to alleviate(relieve) pressure(stress) on Russia. Some took umbrage(anger) that Chaplin made his fortune in America and deigned to comment on its policies but refused to become a citizen.

对于卓别林在政治方面发表的言论，官员并不买账，尤其是当他呼吁在战争中开辟第二战线以减轻对俄罗斯的压力时。卓别林在美国发家致富，对美国的政策评头论足，但又拒绝成为美国公民，这让一些人感到愤懑。

【6】None of this was illegal. But the FBI bedevilled him, using political groups and the press to whip up anti-Chaplin sentiment(emotion). The bureau fed journalists salacious titbits (which were not in short supply: the man was no stranger to a sex scandal).

他所做的一切都不违法。但是联邦调查局持续对他骚扰，动用政治团体和媒体煽动反卓别林情绪。联邦调查局还给记者提供有关卓别林的淫秽流言（这并不少见：卓别林对各类性丑闻早习以为常）。

【7】In the eyes of the public, he became “a louche degenerate(fall) with a propensity(tendency) for young girls and communism”, writes the author, Scott Eyman.

在公众眼中，卓别林成为了一名“离经叛道的堕落者、登徒子、共产主义者”，作者斯科特·艾曼写道。

【8】When Chaplin set off to promote a movie in Europe, the attorney-general took his chance. The film-maker was blocked from returning under a provision(offer) that allowed people of questionable(doubtful) “morals(virtue), health or insanity” or those “advocating(agitating) communism or associating with communist or pro-communist organisations” to be kept out. Chaplin was forced to give up his home and studio and move to Switzerland, where the quality of his work suffered(sustained).

当卓别林开始在欧洲宣传其电影时，美国总法务官抓住了机会。受阻止“道德可疑、健康不佳、精神失常者”或者“鼓吹共产主义或与共产主义者或倾共团体有联系者”进入美国等条款的影响，卓别林无法回美。他被迫放弃在美国的家与工作室，并搬到瑞士工作生活，在那里他的工作质量遭受了很大影响。

【9】By the time he was exiled from America, the intelligence file had swelled(extended) to nearly 2,000 pages. It contained no proof of party ties. Instead, it was filled with “hearsay, rumour and bountiful(vast) examples of guilt(crime) by association(proof)”.

在卓别林被驱逐出美时，有关他的情报文件扩充到近2000页。其中并不包含他与共产党有关联的证据。相反，里面充斥着“道听途说、传闻（以及）结社罪行的大量例证”。

【10】Readers will be shocked by how Chaplin was hounded with so little cause. The author convincingly argues that the auteur was “the most prominent(eminent) victim of the Red Scare” and paints a portrait of a time when freedom of speech was even more embattled(extremely dangerous) than it is today.

看到卓别林几乎平白无故遭政府纠缠时，读者定会感到震惊。作者有力地论证了这名风格导演是“红色恐慌”中最显赫的受害者，对那个时代进行了详尽的描述，言论自由在那时比今天更加岌岌可危。