Capturing authentic narratives - Michele Weldon

翻译人员: Mingying Wang 校对人员: Amy H. Fann

Every day we are bombarded on all platforms of media

每天，我们都会被各种平台媒体上，

with personal stories that span the continuum

所充斥的各种私人故事所轰炸。

from the embarrassing and the trivial

从令人尴尬的琐事

to the dire and the critical.

到可怕的, 充满批判性的事。

The foodie posting photos of every plate of lasagna he orders,

美食家会展示出每盘烤宽面条，

the Iranian blogger describing the shooting death

伊朗博主会描述Nedā Āghā-Soltān

of Nedā Āghā-Soltān.

被枪击致死的事情。

Authentic narrative is the glue that connects people,

真实可信的叙述可如胶水般联系着人们，

providing a compelling reason to keep reading.

让他们无法不继续阅读。

It makes the personal universal,

它让个人的小宇宙

transcends the individual,

超越了个人的范畴，

and makes a story timeless and humanistic.

也使每个故事都变得永恒并充满人文色彩。

How, as a journalist, do you ask the questions

作为一个记者，你该如何通过提问

that yield this type of narrative?

来引出这样的故事呢？

You have to know what to ask of whom.

你必须知道要问什么，该问谁？

First you need to understand that every piece of journalism

首先你需要去知道新闻的每个信息源

requires a trifecta of sourcing.

都有着三足鼎立的信息来源。

If you picture the reporting process as depicted by a triangle,

如果你将报道过程 描绘为一个三角形，

one side will be official sources,

一边是官方信息源，

another side will be overview sources,

另一边是被纵观全局的信息源，

and a third side will be unofficial sources.

剩下一边是非官方信息源。

All three components are necessary in every well-reported piece.

这三种元素都是优秀报道中不可缺少的。

The first side has official sources.

第一边的官方消息源

Those are the people with titles and expertise,

是指那些有职权、有专业知识的人。

who own the company; are spokespeople for the movement.

一般是公司负责人，或者是行动的新闻发言人。

They tell you the numbers, and the answers

他们会向你提供数据并给出回答。

to how much, how many, where, when, and who.

比如：谁？哪里？什么时候？多少钱？

A second side of the triangle includes overview sources:

第二边是指纵览全局的消息源，

academics, consultants, authors,

像学者、咨询师、作家等

who are not directly connected as stakeholders,

他们并不和事件有直接利益关联,

but have knowledge of the big picture.

但他们的知识让他们能纵观全局。

Yet it is the third side of the trifecta - unofficial sources -

第三边，非官方消息源

who hold the power of the individual's insight.

代表着个人的观点。

This is where you can find the why,

你可以把事件的来龙去脉，

Giving consequence on the event, trend, phase, or idea

发展阶段，趋势 以及因果联系都弄清楚。

and what it means on a soul level to someone affected by it.

及这对被卷入其中的人 产生了怎样的深层影响。

So how do you mine for the gems,

那么，怎样才能挖掘到这些宝藏？

identifying what is compelling from what is chatter?

怎样区别哪些内容引人入胜， 哪些乏善可陈？

You ask surprising questions.

答案就是：提些意料之外的问题。

To achieve the complicated, fragile human connection,

为了维护复杂而脆弱的人际关系，

you regard the stories of every subject as sacred.

你需要尊重每一个故事的主人公。

Realize that an anecdote is oxygen

你要意识到有趣的故事就如氧气

that breathes life into a grey story of exposition,

让平淡无奇的事情、事实与数据

facts and data.

变得生动形象。

What the surgeon did at home the morning he operated on a woman's brain tumor.

一个早辰做脑瘤手术的外科医生 在家里时会做什么？

How it feels to dream and train for the Olympics for a lifetime.

终生为奥运的梦想奋力 是什么样的感受？

There are times when it is important to convey information quickly,

有时候，迅速有效传递信息是很重要的

to present bulleted facts and updates.

把事情和进展简明扼要的传达出来。

When a situation is urgent, when action is required now,

尤其是当情况紧急的时候。

when you need to know where the tornado will hit,

比方说，龙卷风会到影响哪里？

how fast the fire is spreading, and if it will reach your home today.

或，火势的情况如何？ 是否会影响到你家？

But the narrative personal stories

然而在讲述个人故事的时候

that contribute to the buffet of journalism

让报道更为精彩的要素却是

are pieces that have the luxury of a slow dance of information.

那些更精致、更细节的信息

It is this artful solicitation of story

富有技巧的讲述

that will make the journalism memorable

会让读者对这个故事更加印象深刻

and will deliver the narrative bond that will connect us to each other.

这种讲述方式也能让人们更紧密地 联系在一起。