英语专四阅读强化讲义2.pdfVIP

Text 11 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”. 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 encapsulates 20th century America in quite the same way as Disney. The reasons for Disney’s success are quite a lot, 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. After setting himself up in Hollywood, he single-handedly pioneered the concepts of branding and merchandising — something his company still does brilliantly today. But what really distinguished Disney was his ability to identify with his audiences. Disney always made sure his films portrayed the “little guy”. He achieved by creating characters that reflected the hopes and fears of ordinary people. Disney’s other great virtue was the fact that his company — unlike other big corporations — had a human face. His Hollywood studio — the public heard — operated just like a democracy, where everyone was on first-name terms and had a say in how things should be run. He was also regarded as a great patriot because not only did his cartoons praise America, but, during World War, his studios made training films for American soldiers. The reality, of course, was not so perfect. As the public would later learn, Disney’s patriotism had an unpleasant side. After a strike by cartoonists in 1941, he agreed to work for