Name: 英文倒帶 - 6分鐘學英文：槍手作家 (English Rewind - 6 Minute English: Ghost writers)
Uploaded: 2026-01-19T17:06:37.000Z
Duration: 6 min 25 s

Hello, Catherine, here from BBC Learning English.

大家好，我是 Catherine，來自 BBC Learning English。

程度副詞

Just so you know, this program is from the BBC Learning English Archive.

讓大家知道一下，這個節目是來自 BBC Learning English Archive。

基礎被動語態

It was originally broadcast in June 2008 on our website.

它最初是在 2008 年 6 月在我們的網站上播出的。

BBClearningenglish.com hello, this is 6 Minute English with me, Amber Barnfather.

BBClearningenglish.com 大家好，這裡是 6 Minute English，我是 Amber Barnfather。

This week we hear from Joel Ricketts, deputy editor of the Bookseller Magazine, about something called ghostwriting.

這週我們聽 Bookseller Magazine 的副編輯 Joel Ricketts 談論關於 ghostwriting 的事情。

And with me to look at some of the language to do with this topical topic is Callum Robertson.

而跟我一起探討這個熱門話題相關語言的，是 Callum Robertson。

Callum, the verb to ghostwrite has nothing whatsoever to do with ghost stories, ghost towns or even ghost trains, does it?

Callum，動詞 ghostwrite 跟鬼故事、鬼城，甚至鬼火車一點關係都沒有，對吧？

When we're talking about ghost writing and children, ghostwrite, it means to write a book or an article for another person.

當我們在談論 ghost writing 和兒童，ghostwrite 這個詞，它的意思是為另一個人寫書或文章。

So it seems that that person wrote that book, but actually somebody else wrote it for them.

所以看起來好像是那個人寫了那本書，但實際上是別人幫他們寫的。

I think many people might expect that books by celebrities particularly have actually been written by somebody else.

我想很多人可能會預期，特別是名人寫的書，其實是別人寫的。

Now, today's the word autobiography comes from the Greek for A, life pictures, B life and self or C self life and.

好了，今天的 autobiography 這個詞來自希臘語，意思是 A，生命圖像，B 生命和自我，或 C 自我生命和。

Well, I don't know Ancient Greek or even modern Greek for that matter, but

嗯，我不太懂古希臘語，甚至連現代希臘語也不懂，但

I think I can probably work this out because of auto.

我覺得我應該可以猜出來，因為有 auto 這個字。

I think that's to do with the self bio is life and graphy, you know, graphology is writing, so I would say self, life and.

我覺得這跟 self 是自我，bio 是生命，還有 graphy，你知道的，graphology 是書寫，所以我覺得是自我、生命和。

我覺得這就是 autobiography 的意思。

Well, we'll find out whether you're right at the end of the programme.

好的，節目最後我們會揭曉你說的對不對。

Now, the singer George Michael has recently signed a multi million pound deal for a no holds barred autobiography which he will write in entirely himself.

另外，歌手 George Michael 最近簽下了一份 multi million pound 的合約，要寫一本 no holds barred 的 autobiography，而且會完全由他自己寫。

In other words, he's not going to use a ghostwriter.

換句話說，他不會找 ghostwriter 代筆。

Callum, what does that three word adjective mean?

Callum，那三個字的形容詞是什麼意思？

Well, it's a good expression and here it means that nothing will be hidden.

嗯，這是一個很棒的說法，在這裡的意思是任何事情都不會隱藏。

If it's no holds barred, everything will be revealed.

如果是 no holds barred，所有事情都會被揭露。

Now, George Michael has had quite a colourful life and no holds barred autobiography will be very interesting for many people to get his side of the some of these colourful stories from his past.

現在，George Michael 的人生相當多采多姿，一本 no holds barred 的 autobiography 對很多人來說都會很有趣，可以從他那裡聽到他過去一些多采多姿故事的另一面。

Well, whatever kind of book George Michael writes, it's likely he will get some help from his agent and his publisher because that's how the publishing process works.

嗯，不管 George Michael 寫哪一類的書，他很可能會從他的經紀人和出版商那裡得到一些幫助，因為出版流程就是這樣運作的。

So why do celebrities use ghostwriters to write their life stories?

那為什麼名人會請 ghostwriter 來寫他們的人生故事呢？

Listen now to Joel Ricketts, an expert on the UK book industry.

現在就來聽聽 UK book industry 的專家 Joel Ricketts 的說法。

Why does he think a ghostwriter may make a better job of a celebrity autobiography than the celebrity Themselves.

他為什麼認為 ghostwriter 寫的名人 autobiography 可能會比名人自己寫得更好？

Ghostwriters, in many cases can actually capture the essence of the celebrity's character and their voice better than the celebrity could themselves if they were actually trying to write it.

在很多情況下，ghostwriter 其實比名人自己更能捕捉到他們角色的精髓和語氣，如果他們自己真的在嘗試寫的話。

What makes these books sell is the sense that you're sitting down one on one, you're having a cup of tea or a beer with this celebrity and you need to feel like it's really them that you know.

讓這些書暢銷的關鍵，就是讓你感覺像是跟這位名人一對一坐著，一起喝茶或喝啤酒，而且你會覺得真的認識了他們。

And actually if they're kind of trying to write it in their own stilted style, that doesn't work as well.

事實上，如果他們試圖用自己生硬的風格來寫，效果就不那麼好。

Whereas if you've got a professional there, they can actually capture that voice, that tone and that comedy and as I say, craft a book in a much more coherent way.

相反地，如果有一位專業人士在那裡，他們其實能捕捉到那個聲音、那個語氣和那份幽默感，就像我說的，能更有條理地創作出這本書。

So Joel says there that ghostwriters often make a better job of a celebrity autobiography than the celebrity themselves.

所以 Joel 在那裡說，ghostwriter 寫的名人 autobiography，通常比名人自己寫得更好。

And he says that's because celebrities aren't professional writers and so they need help to be able to put their voice over on paper.

他說這是因為名人不是專業作家，所以他們需要幫助才能把自己的聲音呈現在紙上。

And a professional writer can do that better than a professional celebrity.

而一位專業作家，在這方面會比一位專業名人做得更好。

And the marketing of these best selling celebrity autobiographies, or memoirs as they're sometimes called, is often about how intimate these books are, how they'll take you very close to the celebrity and reveal private and personal things about them.

而這些暢銷的名人 autobiography，或是有些人稱之為 memoir 的書，它們的行銷重點，往往在於這些書有多貼近，會讓你感覺非常接近這位名人，並揭露他們私密和個人的一面。

You're listening to bbclearningenglish.com let's hear again from Joel, and

你正在收聽的是 BBC Learning English，讓我們再聽聽 Joel 的說法，

this time he talks about readers attitudes to ghosted celebrity memoirs.

這次他談論的是讀者對 ghosted celebrity memoirs 的態度。

By the way, he says if you read the small print, you'll see the ghostwriter or ghost credited.

順帶一提，他說如果你仔細看小字，你會發現 ghostwriter 或 ghost 有被標示出來。

That means their name appears somewhere on the book to acknowledge their contribution.

這表示他們的名字會出現在書的某個地方，來承認他們的貢獻。

As you listen, try to catch whether Joel thinks ghostwriting is becoming more acceptable to readers.

在聽的同時，試著聽聽 Joel 是不是認為 ghostwriting 對讀者來說越來越能接受。

If they looked closely, they would see that the ghost is credited.

如果他們仔細看，就會發現 ghost 是有被標示出來的。

I think ghost writing itself is becoming more mainstream.

我認為 ghost writing 本身正變得越來越主流。

The ghosts are sort of stepping out the closet.

In fact, Robert Harris has written a whole novel about a ghost.

事實上，Robert Harris 寫了一整本關於 ghost 的小說。

And I think readers are getting a bit savvier.

I think they don't mind as long as they understand that it's the celebrity's life, the celebrity's story, and

我認為他們不太在意，只要他們明白這是這位名人的生活、這位名人的故事，而且

只要這位名人還是故事的來源就好。

So Joel says ghostwriting is becoming more mainstream.

所以 Joel 說 ghostwriting 越來越主流了。

It's becoming less shocking because more people know about it.

越來越多人知道這件事，所以也沒那麼令人驚訝了。

And he says the ghosts are sort of stepping out of the closet.

他說這些 ghost 們正逐漸走出陰影。

Well, a closet is a wardrobe, somewhere you keep your clothes.

嗯，closet 就是衣櫃，放衣服的地方。

And if something is in the closet, it means it's hidden.

如果某件事在 closet 裡，就代表它是隱藏的。

But if something steps out of the closet, it becomes well known.

但如果某件事走出 closet，就代表它廣為人知了。

So the ghosts are stepping out of the closet.

所以這些 ghostwriters 紛紛現身了。

They know that there are ghostwriters and they accept that there are ghostwriters.

他們知道有 ghostwriter，而且也接受有 ghostwriter 這件事。

Now it's time to say, Callum, you got the right answer to our question at the beginning of the program.

現在我們要說，Callum，你一開始回答我們節目的問題答對了。

The word autobiography comes from the Greek for self, life and Right.

autobiography 這個字來自希臘文，意思是自我、生命和書寫。

Do join us next time for more six minute English goodbye.