Upper-Intermediate - Advice for a Young Journalist (D2091)

A: 李哥,第一次去采访这么重大的事件,我很激动。
Lǐgē, dì yī cì qù cǎifǎng zhème zhòngdà de shìjiàn, wǒ hěn jīdòng.
Brother Li, it's the first time for me to report on such an important event. I'm very excited.
B: 呵,小丫头,你不怕啊?
hē, xiǎoyātou, nǐ bù pà a?
Hey, young lady, you're not afraid?
A: 不怕!我是记者啊,我一定要揭开真相,为在矿难中不幸遇难的人说话!
bù pà! wǒ shì jìzhě a, wǒ yīdìng yào jiēkāi zhēnxiàng, wèi zài kuàngnàn zhōng bùxìng yùnàn de rén shuōhuà!
No! I'm a journalist. I definitely want uncover the truth and tell it for the unfortunate victims in this mining accident.
B: 那你准备怎么做?
nà nǐ zhǔnbèi zěnme zuò?
Then how do you plan to do it?
A: 从领导到矿长,从幸存者到遇难者家属一个也不放过。采访结束连夜写报道,争取在第一时间发稿。
cóng lǐngdǎo dào kuàngzhǎng, cóng xìngcúnzhě dào yùnànzhě jiāshǔ yī gè yě bù fàngguò. cǎifǎng jiéshù liányè xiě bàodào, zhēngqǔ zài dì yī shíjiān fāgǎo.
From the government leaders to the heads of the mining companies, from the survivors to the families of the victims, there isn't a single one I'll miss. When the interviews are over, I'll write up the report that same night and strive to get my story out first.
B: 哈哈!
hāhā!
Haha!
A: 笑什么啊!
xiào shénme a!
What's so funny?
B: 当记者哪有那么容易。采访会碰到各种状况。也许你根本就接近不了出事地点。有可能保安早把地方围起来了,还要打骂你恐吓你,你要想想怎么保证自己的人身安全。还比如负责人不接受采访,知情人不敢接受采访,等等。
dāng jìzhě nǎyǒu nàme róngyì. cǎifǎng huì pèngdào gèzhǒng zhuàngkuàng. yěxǔ nǐ gēnběn jiù jiējìn bùliǎo chūshì dìdiǎn. yǒu kěnéng bǎoān zǎo bǎ dìfang wéi qǐlái le, hái yào dǎmà nǐ kǒnghè nǐ, nǐ yào xiǎng xiang zěnme bǎozhèng zìjǐ de rénshēn ānquán. hái bǐrú fùzérén bù jiēshòu cǎifǎng, zhīqíngrén bù gǎn jiēshòu cǎifǎng, děngdeng.
Being a journalist isn't so easy. When investigating you encounter all kinds of situations. Perhaps you won't be able to get near the the site of the accident. Maybe the security personnel have already sealed off the area, and they'll assault you or intimidate you. You need to think how your are going to ensure your safety. Another example, the people responsible won't let you interview them. Those with information might not dare to let you interview them. These kinds of things.
A: 那就和当地政府官员联系,让他们出面协调。
nà jiù hé dāngdì zhèngfǔ guānyuán liánxì, ràng tāmen chūmiàn xiétiáo.
Then I'll just contact a local government official and let them put things in order.
B: 联系官员?也许官员就是跟矿长穿一条裤子的。
liánxì guānyuán? yěxǔ guānyuán jiùshì gēn kuàngzhǎng chuān yī tiáo kùzi de.
Contact a government official? Perhaps the government official and the heads of the mining company are in it together.
A: 你说,会不会有人给记者“封口费”?
nǐ shuō, huì bu huì yǒurén gěi jìzhě" fēngkǒufèi”?
Tell me. Do some people give reporters hush money?
B: 有这个可能,不过,你收还是不收?
yǒu zhè gè kěnéng, bùguò, nǐ shōu háishi bù shōu?
It's a possibility. However, would you take it?
A: 坚决不收!
jiānjué bù shōu!
Absolutely not!
B: 到时候恐怕收不收也由不得你。
dào shíhou kǒngpà shōu bù shōu yě yóubùdé nǐ.
If it gets to that point, whether or not you take the money might not be up to you.
A: 进山了。
jìn shān le.
We've entered the mountains.
B: 嗯,山路颠簸,坐好。
ng4, shānlù diānbǒ, zuòhǎo.
Oh, mountain roads are bumpy. Sit tight.
A: 李哥,你看,前面横着一辆车!采访车过不去了!
Lǐgē, nǐ kàn, qiánmian héng zhe yī liàng chē! cǎifǎngchē guò bu qù le!
Brother Li, look. There's a car blocking the road. Our car can't go through!

Key Vocabulary

采访 cǎifǎng to investigate, interview
重大 zhòngdà serious
揭开 jiēkāi to reveal
真相 zhēnxiàng true situation
为……说话 wèi……shuōhuà to speak on behalf of someone
矿难 kuàngnàn mining accident
遇难 yùnàn to meet with an accident
矿长 kuàngzhǎng mining boss
幸存者 xìngcúnzhě survivor
遇难者 yùnànzhě victim
家属 jiāshǔ family member
报道 bàodào to report
第一时间 dì yī shíjiān immediately
发稿 fāgǎo to file (an article)
接近 jiējìn to be near to
接近不了 jiējìnbùliǎo to be too close to
恐吓 kǒnghè to scare
人身安全 rénshēn ānquán personal safety
负责人 fùzérén authority
知情人 zhīqíngrén witness, insider
出面 chūmiàn to come out
协调 xiétiáo to coordinate
穿一条裤子 chuān yī tiáo kùzi to go hand in hand, to be in it together
封口费 fēngkǒufèi hush money
坚决 jiānjué uncompromising
由不得 yóubùdé to not be able to control
颠簸 diānbǒ to bounce
横着 héng zhe lined up horizontally
采访车 cǎifǎngchē journalist's car

Supplementary Vocabulary

姑娘 gūniang young woman
煤矿 méikuàng coal mine
灾难 zāinàn disaster
空难 kōngnàn airplane crash
亲切 qīnqiè warm, kind
共同利益 gòngtóng lìyì mutual benefit

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