外文翻译城市形象略论.docVIP

The Negotiated City Image Andre′ Jansson Introduction The city is the prime locus of modern consumerism. First of all, it is the space in which most commercial centre are concentrated shops, restaurants, cultural establishments, sports arenas and so on. Urban areas are the locations of economic and symbolic exchange. Secondly, the city environment provides a forum for cultural impressions and expressions. As noted in the classical writings of Simmel and Benjamin, the metropolis incorporates an entire system of rooms, stages and passages where the reflexive individual can gain symbolic experiences, as well as manifesting his or her identity. Thirdly, since the major cities also incorporate a majority of the culture industries, including most media firms, advertising agencies and design companies, they are also the epicenter from which a great share of the symbolic flows emanate. In contemporary society, significant shares of people’s cultural horizons are shaped by the images and messages arising in metropolitan contexts, many of which are geographically distant. Finally, in the shape of travel destinations, cities are turned into the objects of direct consumption. The dominant image of the city, in terms of historical narrative, personalities, buildings, companies, etc., is normally consumed in a manner influenced by commercial actors, reinforced by mediated signs. Professional image-makers are continuously working on the symbolic refueling of the city-as-commodity . However, the creation of the city image is not only a matter of cultural policy. What the city actually becomes, and how different groups experience it, depend upon the activities of social actors as well as systemic forces. For example, even though there are strong hegemonic forces, founded upon alliances between political, cultural and econ-omic actors, supporting a dominant image of the city, alternative and oppositional groupings are always challenging such points of view (see Figu