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The violence is legendary(1). Characters are chased with cleavers(2), blasted(3) with shotguns(4), and even blown apart(5) with explosives(6).
Since the 1940s, that has been the stuff of which Tom and Jerry cartoons are made.
However, two episodes of their vintage(7) escapades(8) went too far for one concerned viewer, who was worried that young children could be given the wrong impression.
Media watchdog(9) Ofcom investigated a complaint after children's channel Boomerang broadcast decades-old episodes of Tom and Jerry, which showed cats smoking.
In one Oscar-winning episode, Texas Tom, Tom is seen rolling a cigarette, lighting it and smoking it in a bid to impress a female cat. In Tennis Champs, Tom's opponent in a tennis match was seen smoking a large cigar.
The channel agreed to cut scenes in future which glamorise(10) or condone(11) smoking.
Ofcom said: "We recognise that these are historic(12) cartoons, most of them having been produced in the 40s, 50s, 60s, at a time when smoking was more generally accepted.
"We note that, in Tom and Jerry, smoking usually appears in a stylised(13) manner and is frequently not condoned.
"However, while we appreciate the historic integrity(14) of the animation(15), the level of editorial justification(16) required for the inclusion of smoking in such cartoons is necessarily high."
Boomerang, part of Turner Broadcasting, has an audience made up predominantly(17) of children - 56 per cent of viewers are aged four to 14.
The Turner company has agreed to review its archive material and edit scenes or references where smoking is glamorised or might encourage imitation(18). Smoking scenes which do not appear to condone the habit may be left uncut.
The company is also planning to edit out(19) smoking scenes from classic Hanna Barbera cartoons including Scooby Doo, The Jetsons and The Flintstones.
1. legendary 传奇文学，传奇故事书
2. cleaver 切肉刀
3. blast 开枪，向…射击
4. shotguns 鸟枪，散弹猎枪
5. blow apart分开
6. explosive 炸药
7. vintage 过时的
8. escapades 异常出轨的行为
9. watchdog 监督人员，看门狗
10. glamorise 使有魔力，使光荣
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暴力成就传奇故事。主人公被砍肉刀追赶，挨枪子，还要被炸药炸得四分五裂。
自1940年以来，这些一直是充斥于卡通片《猫和老鼠》的内容。
然而，对一位关切的观众来说，这些过时且行为出格的卡通人物在两集动画片中表现得太过了，让他担心小孩子会受到不良影响。
在英国儿童频道“博美龙”播出了这个几十年前的老片《猫和老鼠》后，由于该剧有猫咪抽烟镜头而遭投诉。英国媒体监管部门OFCOM就此展开了调查。
在曾获奥斯卡奖的《德克萨斯的汤姆》一集中，汤姆为吸引一只母猫，在众目之下卷起一根香烟，点燃后抽了起来。在《网球冠军》中，汤姆的对手在一场比赛中也大抽雪茄。
该频道同意以后将剪掉所有美化和宽容吸烟的镜头。
OFCOM称：“我们认识到这些都是历史上著名的卡通片。大部分出品于四十到六十年代。那时候吸烟一般比较被认可。
“我们注意到，在《猫和老鼠》里，吸烟通常以时尚的行为方式出现，而且通常是不可容忍的。
“但是，在我们尊重老动画片的完整性的同时，在编辑方面，也有必要提高认可在这样的卡通片中留有吸烟内容的论证标准。”
“博美龙”是英国特纳广播公司的一部分，其观众群主要是儿童- 56%的观众年龄分布在4到14岁。
特纳公司已经同意重新审查它的历史资料，对美化吸烟或可能鼓励仿效的镜头或资料进行编辑。只有那些看上去不是肯定吸烟习惯的抽烟镜头可以被保留。
该公司还计划向所有由汉纳巴伯拉动画制作公司出品的经典卡通中的抽烟镜头开刀，包括《大狗斯库比》、《杰特森一家》和《石头城乐园》。
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| 中国国际广播电台 译 |
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11. condone宽恕，容忍
12. historic 历史上著名的，有历史性的
13. stylised = glamorised 有风格的，时髦的
14. integrity 完整性
15. animation 动画
16. justification认为正当
17. predominantly 主要地
18. imitation 模仿
19. edit out = cut 剪辑掉
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Director: Liu Chi