The Case for Advertising(赞成广告论)

    The Case for Advertising
       Money spent on advertising is money well spent. It assists a rapid distribution of goods at reasonable prices. It draws attention to new ideas and so helps enormously to raise standards of
living. By helping to increase the demand for goods, it increases the number of workers needed to supply the goods and,therefore, provides employment. It helps to pay for many services.  Without advertisements, your daily newspaper would cost a dollar or more, the price of your television license would need to be doubled, and travel by bus would cost more.
      Perhaps most important of all, advertising helps to keep up the quality of the products and services you buy. No regular advertiser dare offer a product that fails to live up to the promise of his advertisements. He might fool some people for a little while through misleading advertising. He will not do so for ong; for the public has the good sense not to buy the poor uality article more than once. If I see an article advertised, it s the surest proof I know that the article does what is claimed for it, and that it is of good value.
     There is one more point I feel I ought to touch on. Recently, I heard a well-known television personality declare that he was against advertising because it persuades rather than informs. This is hair-splitting. Of course advertising seeks to persuade. If it only gave information, advertising would be so boring that no one would pay any attention. But perhaps that is what the well-known television personality wants.
     lam prepared to make just one admission to the opponents of advertising. Not every advertisement is a good one.Some advertisements are silly. Some are pointless though not very many. Pick up the nearest magazine or newspaper and count the advertisements that really offend you. And then count the advertisements that, in some degree, interest you, or give you pleasure. And be honest!

赞成广告论
    花钱做广告是值得的。用于广告的钱有助于以合理价格迅速地供应货物。它还引起人们注意新的观念，因而大大帮助人们提高生活水平。花钱做广告有助于增加商品需求，这样就增加了供应商品所需要的人员，从而提供就业机会。花在广告上的钱还有助于为各种服务付酬。没有广告，你每天的日报就要花一美元或更多的钱，你的电视许可证的价格就需成倍增加，乘公共汽车旅行也要多花钱。
    也许最重要的是，广告有助于维持你所购买的产品和服务的质量。任何经常登广告的人都不敢提供没有达到其广告所许诺的质量的产品。他或许可以通过误导性的广告暂时愚弄一部分人，但他骗人的时间不可能长久，因为公众都有良好的判断力，不会再买劣质产品。如果我看到某一物品被广而告之，这就是我所知道的该物品货真价实的最可靠的证据。
    还有一点我觉得应当提一下。最近，我听说，有一位闻名遐迩的电视名人宣称他是反对广告的，因为广告与其说是提供信息，倒不如说是一味地劝导受众购买产品。这是在吹毛求疵。当然，广告力图劝说成功。如果广告仅仅提供信息，那就会变得枯燥乏味令人生厌，谁也不会去注意。不过，这也许正是那位大名鼎鼎的电视名人所希望的。