看电视与阅读(Viewing vs Reading)

thepaceofreading,clearly,dependsentirelyuponthereader.hemayreadasslowlyorasrapidlyashecanorwishestoread.ifhedoesnotunderstandsomething,hemaystopandrereadit,orgoinsearchofelucidationbeforecontinuing.

thereadercanacceleratehispacewhenthematerialiseasyorlessthaninteresting,andslowdownwhenitisdifficultorabsorbing.ifwhathereadsismoving,hecanputdownthebookforafewmomentsandcopewithhisemotionswithoutfearoflosinganything.

thepaceofthetelevisionexperiencecannotbecontrolledbytheviewer;onlyitsbeginningandendarewithinhiscontrolasheclickstheknobonandoff.hecannotslowdownadelightfulprogramorspeedupadrearyone.hecannot"turnback"ifawordorphraseisnotunderstood.theprogrammovesinexorablyforward,andwhatislostormisunderstoodremainsso.

norcanthetelevisionviewerreadilytransformthematerialhereceivesintoaformthatmightsuithisparticularemotionalneeds,asheinvariablydoeswithmaterialhereads.theimagesmovetooquickly.hecannotusehisownimaginationtoinvestthepeopleandeventsportrayedontelevision

withthepersonalmeaningsthatwouldhelphimunderstandandresolverelationshipsandconflictsinhisownlife~heisunderthepoweroftheimaginationoftheshowscreators.inthetelevisionexperiencetheeyesandearsareoverwhelmedwiththeimmediacyofsightsandsounds.

ifsomeoneenterstheroomwhileoneiswatchingtelevision--afriend,arelative,achild,someone,perhaps,onehasnotseenforsometime--onemustcontinuetowatchoronewilllosethethread.thegreetingsmustwait,forthetelevisionprogramwillnot.abook,ofcourse,canbesetaside,withalittleregret,perhaps,butwithnosenseofpermanentloss.