To speak of the latest milestone by "The Simpsons" seems to restate the obvious. Long before now, enduring life for "The Simpsons" and its brightly jaundiced folk was simply assumed. What began 20 years ago as a fluke then erupted into a pop-culture juggernaut has continued to spin yarns, spawn characters and lampoon society with no end in sight. 

  談起「辛普森家庭」最新的里程碑，好像毫無新義。很久以前，「辛普森家庭」及其偏執鮮明的角色能夠這麼長壽還只是如意算盤。20年前開播意外成功，「辛普森家庭」如今爆發成一場通俗流行文化盛宴，未來還將編播續集，孕育更多角色，嘲諷挖苦社會，似乎永遠不會喊卡。

On Jan. 10 Fox aired its 450th episode of "The Simpsons". "Once Upon a Time in Springfield" was followed by an hour-long documentary from Morgan Spurlock, fancifully titled "The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special in 3-D on Ice." 

  福斯電視台於1月10日播出「辛普森家庭」第450集「春田舊事」，接著再播摩根史普洛克執導的1小時紀錄片，還取了個奇特的片名「辛普森家庭20周年特集，3-D版暫緩」。 

  During this season, when NBC's "Law & Order" boasts of having tied "Gunsmoke" as TV's longest-running prime-time drama, "The Simpsons" has seized the mantle as TV's longest-running scripted nighttime series-period. "I think we could do it for another 20 years, actually," Matt Groening, "Simpsons" uber-creator, told The Associated Press. Then he dissolved into giggles. "Omigod! Another 20? We'll TRY," he chortled. "We'll do our BEST!"  

  本季正當NBC誇稱「法網遊龍」影集和「荒野大鏢客」打平，成為美國電視史上黃金時段播出最久的影集之際，「辛普森家庭」已經後來居上，成為電視史上晚間時段播出最久的影集。沒錯，別懷疑。「辛普森家庭」原創天王麥特·葛朗寧告訴美聯社：「說真格的，我認為我們還可以再播20年。」說著，說著，他不禁笑出聲來。他哈哈大笑說：「OMG（老天爺），另一個20年？我們會努力拚拚看，盡量啦！」 

  Here's hoping the spectacular ensemble of voice talent keeps talking to the end. After 20 years, Dan Castellaneta remains full-throated as portly, dimwitted dad Homer, Julie Kavner is tower-tressed mom Marge, Nancy Cartwright is lippy first-born Bart and Yeardley Smith is oversmart daughter Lisa.（photo, AP） Of course, these off-screen stars of "The Simpsons" are well served by visual artistry that, among things, keeps them shielded from the passage of time. 

  那還得指望表現出神入化的原班配音天才繼續發聲才行。經過20年之後，丹‧卡斯特拉尼塔仍幫胖嘟嘟、傻乎呼的老爸荷馬配音，茱莉·卡夫納則為髮高如塔的老媽瑪格發聲，南西·卡萊特則是老愛頂嘴的老大霸子的化身，雅德莉·史密斯則是聰明愛現的女兒莉莎（見圖，美聯社）。當然，這些幕後明星也占視覺藝術之便，至少這使他們不受時間流逝影響。 

  The show's writers play a huge role, too, with fastidiously crafted scripts that, by comparison, leave most sitcoms in the dust. (Granted, some fans may complain "The Simpsons" isn't as sharply realized as in earlier years, but still.) "What I love about 'The Simpsons' is, it's so collaborative," Smith said. "The actors do a third, the animators do a third and the writers do a third." 

  這個影集的編劇也扮演重要角色，精心刻畫的劇本，相形之下使大部分情境喜劇灰頭土臉。（但也不得不承認，有些粉絲可能抱怨「辛普森家庭」已不像早年那麼犀利，但還是得承認它是上乘之作。）史密斯就說：「我最愛辛普森家庭，因為它得靠通力合作才能完成：演員占1/3，漫畫家1/3，作家1/3。」 

  Rounding out the core cast is Harry Shearer, whose stable of roles includes Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, Kent Brockman, Dr. Hibbert and Principal Skinner. "Matt has a satirical, anti-authority streak," says Shearer. "From the beginning, 'The Simpsons' was taking the side of the family against all the authority figures and institutions that buffeted them in the modern world. Certainly, that resonated for me."

  這些卡司的核心人物是哈利·席勒，他統包配音的角色包括〔核電廠老闆〕伯恩斯、〔伯恩斯的秘書〕史密德斯、〔保守主義的狂熱基督徒鄰居〕法蘭德斯、〔偽善的〕拉弗卓伊牧師、〔新聞主播〕布洛克曼、希伯特醫生及史金納校長。席勒說：「〔原創人〕麥特有種反威權的嘲諷傾向，從一開始『辛普森家庭』就站在這家人這邊，對抗所有在現代社會打壓他們的威權角色和機構，這當然引起我的共鳴。」 

  How many different voices has Shearer done on "The Simpsons" in all? "The one real influence that Bob Dylan has had on my life is that, every time I'm asked that question, I give a different answer. So: hundreds," he replies in a raspy Dylan-esque voice. 

  席勒到底總共曾為「辛普森家庭」多少不同的角色配音？「鮑布狄倫真正影響我這一生的是：每當有人問起這個問題，我都會給不同的答案：那就好幾百吧。」他以狄倫式沙啞低沈的聲音回答。

  As the years passed, Shearer's many voices were part of the emerging world of Springfield, an oblivious community that seemed satisfied to settle for less in nearly everything: public education; organized religion; TV news and kids programming; government, law enforcement, business, and food and drink intake; and certainly environmental issues, such as the nuclear power plant that employs Homer Simpson as a safety inspector. What's the message of "The Simpsons"? That people, for all their highfalutin talk, are willing to settle for less if it's easier or saves them a buck? 

  20年過去了，席勒諸多不同的聲音成為春田這個新興世界的一環，一個對一切問題似乎都降格以求、幾乎被遺忘的社區，包括公共教育、有組織宗教活動、電視新聞和兒童節目、政府、執法、商業及食品飲料攝取；當然還有環保議題，像核電廠聘請荷馬當安全監督員。「辛普森家庭」到底要傳達什麼訊息？儘管愛唱高調，但如果日子好過點或可以省點錢，一般人願意降格以求？ 

 Has "The Simpsons" taken on a new, unexpected relevance thanks to the current economic downturn, when standards for everything seem under threat? "You look around and the only person who ostentatiously and repeatedly proclaims his pursuit of excellence is Rush Limbaugh," says Shearer, then does a perfect imitation of Limbaugh: "I'm presenting broadcast excellence." "That's got to tell you something," Shearer says. "Everybody ELSE is just getting by." But he, unlike most people taking stock of "The Simpsons" at this moment in its run, resists any grandiose claims for its legacy. 

  是否因目前經濟蕭條，使所有一切事物的標準似乎都飽受威脅，而使「辛普森家庭」意外增加新的相關重要性？席勒說：「舉目四望，你會發現唯一一個不斷對外放話，聲稱自己在追求卓越的是〔保守派電台名嘴〕林柏。」說完，他模仿起林柏，維妙維肖地說：「我要呈現完美的播音。」席勒說：「這應該可以告訴大家一點訊息。其他所有人都得過且過。」但在此刻播出之際，他不像大多數人評估論斷「辛普森家庭」，也不認為這部影集有任何特別大的影響力。 

  "I wish I could say that we inspired an awful lot of funny, smart, irreverent, acerbic shows that took a lacerating view of the institutions of society. But I don't think we have." Nor does he think the show — or any contemporary satire — really changes anything it lampoons. "For instance, after 20 years and 450 episodes," Shearer sums up, "I don't really think 'The Simpsons' has increased the country's skepticism about nuclear power." 

  「我希望我能說，我們啟發激勵了無數有趣、聰明、無厘頭、尖刻的節目，對社會各項制度採取一種撕裂傷害的觀點，但我並不認為如此。」他也不認為，這個影集或任何當代的諷刺創作，真正改變了它所要挖苦的任何事。席勒總結說：「例如，在播出20年450集後，我並不真的認為辛普森家庭已經使美國對核能發電更充滿疑慮。」