Advertising in the USA

The most powerful and the loudest command in our society is the command to buy, to consume (потреблять) to make material progress. The voice of advertising urges us to buy, buy, buy – and it never stops. And the voice of advertising is only the most obvious (явный) of the forces that include the mass media's portrayal of a «way of life» in their programs and stories. What are these voices saying? They say «buy», «consume», «enjoy», and «grow». But buying is only half of their message. The other half is this: «Don't spend money on city schools, on hospitals, on the poor». «Ignore the pressing needs of society». «Forget the blacks, forget the poor» – just as real as if it were spread in full-page (на всю страницу) newspaper ads (= advertisements), or spoken by firm, confident television announcers. (After Ch. Reich)

6. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What is the message of all commercial advertising? Are there two sides of this message? 2. What do all ads in Western society urge people to do? Why? 3. Can you explain why this voice that urges one to buy is only half the message? Why does it make people forget about other pressing needs?

Прочитайте и переведите утверждения знаменитых людей о рекламе.

1) Advertising is a racket (ракетка), its constructive contribution to humanity is exactly minus zero. (Scott Fitzgerald)

2) Advertising makes people buy things they don't need with money they haven't got. (William Rogers)

3) The function of advertising is to make the worse appear better. (Thomas Wolfe)

Какое утверждение вам более пришлось по душе. Почему?

Переведите предложения на английский язык.

1) Мы видели, как она переходила улицу.

2) Я заметила, как она открыла книгу.

3) Я хочу, чтобы вы выполнили мои задания.

4) Мы надеялись, что Вы не испытаете трудностей.

5) Этот фильм, несомненно, понравится всем.

6) Он, очевидно, опоздает на нашу встречу.