每天下午,大多数美国人都能从电台或电视台节目中无休无止地获得关于爱情、失败和情感的体验,这就是我们所说的“肥皂剧”。从三十年代初开始,肥皂剧一直是美国广播事业中的主要产品,并且有可能在很长一段时间里继续保持这种现状。据统计,目前大约有五千万美国人(其中包括三分之二的家庭妇女)经常收看肥皂剧。这个数字意味着每年广播电视网将有九亿多美元的收入——即年利润的六分之一。早在1930年,第一部肥皂剧《彩色的梦幻》就问世了。早期的肥皂剧之所以能够很快被人们所喜爱,是事出有因的:节目的创新性,广告商们的支持,还有当时经济大萧条后的社会环境。 Every afternoon, most Americans have an endless stream of love, failure, and emotional experiences from their radio or television shows, which we call “soap operas.” Soap dramas have been a major product of U.S. broadcasting since the early 1930s and it is likely that the status quo will continue for a long time. Statistics show that at present about 50 million Americans, including two thirds of housewives, regularly watch soap operas. This figure means that there will be more than 900 million U.S. dollars in annual revenue from radio and television networks - one-sixth of the annual profit. As early as 1930, the first soap opera “Colored Dreams” came out. The reason why the early soap operas were quickly enjoyed by people was a cause for controversy: program innovation, support from advertisers, and the social environment after the Great Depression.