Why We Love Disaster News



In another incident today, ten people died in a terrible automobile crash. There was a huge fireball...



After days of torrential rain the landslide completely buried the house killing the inhabitants, the 32-year-old ...



Shortly after take-off the plane's left-handed jet blew up, passengers reported hearing a bang before...



When the giant crocodile rushed to him and ate his leg in one bite...



We all love watching news of disasters. It's embarrassing, but true. We like hearing about car crashes, we really love plane crashes. We're fascinated by landslides. We quite enjoy train dropping incidents. We're fascinated by deadly scorpions that bite holiday-makers, and we're really pretty gripped by crocodiles.



It all looks like the lowest distraction. What monsters we are: rubber-necking the scenes of tragedy on the worst day of other people's lives.



But it isn't all trivial. We're trying to get at something important by looking at tragedy. We're trying, somehow, to keep in mind that life is fragile for all of us. It might not be a plane crash that finishes us off, or a fierce crocodile. It might just be a slow cancer or the gradual wearing away of time, but it will happen.



And yet our lives go wrong because we don't keep death in mind enough. Death is the most terrible thing, but we can evoke the thought of death to evoke what life should be about. It's this powerful fact that may be at the back of our minds when we rush to check up on the latest disaster.



We're not being ghoulish. We're simply searching for the meaning of life. We're reminding ourselves to do our hopes and talents justice in the time that remains. The thought of death has the power not only to stir our fears, but also to strengthen our resolve to appreciate more fully and use more wisely the present moment. To reform our priorities and to be kind, grateful, and serious. In case tomorrow never comes.



词汇表

automobile [ˈɔːtəməbiːl] 汽车，机动车  

fireball [ˈfaɪəbɔːl] （猛烈爆炸产生的）火球

torrential rain [təˈrenʃl] 暴雨，倾盆大雨

landslide [ˈlændslaɪd] 山体滑坡，塌方

inhabitant [ɪnˈhæbɪtənt] 居民，居住者

take-off（飞机的）起飞

left-handed jet [dʒet] 左侧喷气发动机

blow up 爆炸，炸毁

crocodile [ˈkrɒkədaɪl] 鳄鱼

train dropping incident 火车脱轨事故，火车掉落事件

scorpion [ˈskɔːpiən] 蝎子，蝎类动物

holiday-maker 度假者，游客

be gripped by [ɡrɪpt] 被…深深吸引，被…迷住

rubber-neck [ˈrʌbə] 伸长脖子看，围观（事故等）  

trivial [ˈtrɪviəl] 无足轻重的，微不足道的

fragile [ˈfrædʒaɪl] 脆弱的，易碎的

finish us off 终结我们的生命，毁灭我们

fierce [fɪəs] 凶猛的，猛烈的

wear away（时间等）逐渐消逝，磨损

evoke [ɪˈvəʊk] 唤起，引起（情感、记忆等）

check up on 检查，查看，了解情况

ghoulish [ˈɡuːlɪʃ] 残忍的，病态趣味的（对他人痛苦、死亡有异常兴趣的）

do something justice 充分发挥价值；公正对待，合理处理

stir [stɜː(r)] 唤起，激起

resolve [rɪˈzɒlv] 决心，坚定的信念

reform priorities [rɪˈfɔːm][praɪˈɒrətiz] 重新调整优先事项



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