问题详情

Culture Clash？

It was the World Cup Final of France '98 that sparked the introduction oftelevision into Bhutan. The 3-0 victory of the home side over Brazil was watchedby thousands on a big screen in Bhutan's National Square,__16__Six months afterthat, global TV broadcasting was allowed in. It was this second development thatreally made people wake up to life in the twentieth century and caused profoundchange, according to TV analyst Shockshan Peck. 'Young people are now much morein tune with globalisation and what is happening around the world,'she says.'The risk is that the more we learn about the world, the more we lose of our ownculture.'

Bhutan has no film industry to speak of, and after a diet of cultural andeducational programmes from BBS, some Bhutanese began to look for something alittle more spicy.__17__ The TV avalanche began, and along with it came a changein people's lifestyles. Residents of the capital, Thimphu, say they are nowglued to the TV for several hours a day, and often stay up late to watch thenon-stop stream of programmes. Long-running Indian soap operas beamed fromacross the border ire hot favourites. One viewer, Choki Wangmo, says that herchildren go out and play less, and that television dominates family discussionsthese days. Her son, Ugyen, admits that his studies are affected because hecannot concentrate in the classroom. 'I keep thinking about what will happennext in the story,'he says.

Also popular are cartoons, football matches, and the wrestling series fromthe US.__18__ Kinley Dorji, editor of Bhutan's only newspaper, says that when TVfirst came in, he received several pained letters from students, saying theywere shocked. 'Bhutanese kids who have grown up in this quiet country, this veryrustic society, suddenly saw these big men beating each other upon television.They couldn't understand it.'__19__ 'We received a report from a school where astudent broke his arm after being thrown to the ground by his friend, who wasemulating the wrestlers.'

Kinley Dorji says that television is 'splitting' Bhutanese society. Heexplains that the thinking in the country is that it will never be a military oreconomic power, so its strength must be its unique society. He believes that TVrepresents a direct threat to this. __20__ 'If you look at the items beingstolen, like TV sets, tape recorders and clothes, it' s directly related to whatthey're seeing,' he adds.

A. The latter is at the centre of a debate about the influence of televisionon Bhutan' s young people.

B. He also links television to a rise in crime over the period that it hasbeen broadcasting.

C. It was such a success that a year later, on the twenty-fifth anniversaryof his coronation, the king decided to begin the Bhutan Broadcasting Service(BBS).

D. However, it was not long before the children started doing itthemselves.

F. So they turned to multi-channel TV, through satellite in the countrysideand cable in the towns.