Spaghetti on trees BBC
1. In 1957, the BBC aired an April Fools segment showing a family harvesting spaghetti from the family spaghetti tree. When viewers asked how they could grow their own, they were told to place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.
1. 1957年,BBC在愚人节那天在电视上播放了一家人从意大利面树收获意大利面的画面。观众打进电话询问如何种植意大利面树,BBC告诉他们将一小根意大利面条种在番茄酱罐子里,然后祈祷。
2. On April Fool’s day in 1976, BBC convinced many listeners that a special alignment of the planets would temporarily decrease gravity on Earth. Phone lines were flooded with callers who claimed they felt the effects.

2. 1976年愚人节的时候,BBC报道称几个星球将短暂地排成一行从而改变地球上的重力,很多听众相信了。自认为感受到该效应的听众电话蜂拥而至。
3. Rage Against the Machine were told to censor the lyrics of Killing In The Name while performing live on BBC. They started out censored before launching into the full lyrics: “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!”
3. 愤怒对抗体制乐队被要求在BBC现场演奏时删改Killing In The Name中不适合的歌词。他们唱的句就被删掉了:“操妈的,你的话我偏不做!”
4. On one day in 1930, the BBC went on the air and announced “there is no news” and played piano music.
4. 1930年,BBC开始播放的时候宣布“今天没有新闻”,然后播放了钢琴曲。
5. The BBC offers free online language courses.
5. BBC提供网上0元语言课程。
IMAGE SHOWS: THE TARDIS DOCTOR WHO SERIES 2 EMBARGO - THIS IMAGE CANNOT BE USED BEFORE BBC'S TRANSMISSION DATE WARNING
6. The BBC now owns the rights to the iconic police box.
6. BBC现在拥有这个象征意义的电话亭的产权。
7. In the 1960’s, Pirate Radio boats in international waters broadcasted pop and rock to tens of millions of British listeners. The BBC, which until then mostly catered to classical tastes, was forced to restructure and meet the demand for these genres.
7. 1960年代,停靠在国际海域的海盗电台向千万英国听众播放流行和摇滚音乐。BBC那时只播放经典音乐,不过因此被迫改版来迎合这些类别的需求。
8. The song “Deep in the Heart of Texas” was banned by BBC “during working hours “on the grounds that its infectious melody might cause wartime factory-hands to neglect their tools while they clapped in time with the song.”
8. BBC禁止在工作时间播放“Deep in the Heart of Texas”,理由是“这首歌动感的曲调可能会让战时的工人忘记手中的工具和着音乐拍起手来。”
9. BBC staff openly smoked marijuana at the corporation’s headquarters during the 1960s and 70s and Play School presenters even went on-air stoned.
9. BBC员工在60和70年代期间曾公开在公司总部抽大麻,Play School的表演者甚至在上台时还是嗨的。
注:Play School是英国一档儿童电视栏目。
10. Over 100 Doctor Who episodes were “taped over” by the BBC after airing and are likely lost forever, unless recorded on VHS, which was a rarer technology at that time.
10. 有一百多集神秘博士的录影带在播出后被BBC覆盖录制了其他东西,所以可能丢失了,除非有人录在了VHS上,但那时VHS还很罕见。
Monty Python
11. BBC was going to wipe the Monty Python series to re-use the tapes. Terry Jones, at the last minute, saved the tapes by buying them outright from the BBC and storing them in his attic.
11. BBC打算抹掉蒙提·派森系列的录影带录制其他东西。Terry Jones临危秒以向BBC买断的方式抢救到了录像带,并藏在了自己的阁楼里。