THE PURPOSE OF THE RATING SYSTEM
The rating system's purpose is a simple one: offer parents information about what a movie contains so that parents can decide what movies they want their children to see or not to see. Ratings are meant for parents, whose children are under the age of 18.
The Rating Board does not rate movies on their quality. That is a role left to film critics and audiences. What the Rating Board judges are violence, language, nudity2, sensuality3, drug abuse, and other elements. None of these elements are special, they are all considered equal.
HOW THE RATINGS ARE DECIDED
A Rating Board in Los Angeles, which consists of 8—13 members, decides ratings. No one in the movie industry has the authority4 or power to make the Board give a certain rating. To be on the Board you must have parenthood5 experience, must be intelligently mature and most of all, to be able to think like most American parents would. As the MPAA6 President, I take no part in rating decisions, and do not try to change the Rating Board's decisions. No one has to submit a film to the Board for rating, but the vast majority of producers/distributors7 do.
The Board views each film. After group discussion, the Board votes on the rating. Each member completes a rating form spelling out his or her reason for the rating. Each rating is decided by majority vote. A producer/distributor who for any reason is displeased with a rating can appeal to8 the Rating Appeals Board. The Board comprises9 of 14 to 18 members from the industry organizations that govern the rating system. The decision of the Appeals Board is final and cannot be appealed.
WHAT THE RATINGS MEAN
G: “General Audiences． All Ages Admitted.”
This is a film that contains no bad language, nudity and sex, violence, etc. A film, young children can watch without the need for parental supervision10.
PG: “Parental Guidance Suggested． Some Material May Not Be Suitable For Children.”
This is a film, which clearly needs to be examined or inquired into by parents before they let their children view it. The label PG plainly states that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, but the parents must make the decision.
PG－13: “Parents Strongly Cautioned． Some Material May Be Inappropriate11 For Children Under 13.”
PG-13 is a stronger warning to parents. Parents, by the rating, are alerted to be very careful about the attendance of their under-teenage children.
R: “Restricted． Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent Or Adult Guardian12.”
This film definitely contains adult material. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about this film before they accompany their children to the film.
NC－17: “No One 17 And Under Admitted.”
This is a film that parents will consider too adult for their youngsters 17 or under. No children will be admitted.
APPRAISAL13
In any appraisal, what is “too much?” becomes very controversial14. How much is “too much” violence? Are classical war films too violent with scenes of men killing hundreds, wounding thousands? Is it the policeman killing the criminal, or the slap across the face of a woman that determines “too much?” Where is the line to be drawn between “this is alright” and “this is not alright?” What follows is disagreement. That is what the rating system has to endure and confront. We understand that. We try to do our level best so that most parents will find our ratings mostly accurate15 and mostly useful.
HOW THE RATING SYSTEM IS USED BY THEATER OWNERS
Motion picture theater owners, who co-founded the rating system in 1968, were the first group in the entertainment industry to voluntarily16 follow the rating guidelines. It is estimated that about 85% of the theater owners in the nation subscribe to17 the rating system, and will not admit a child under 17 to an R rated motion picture without an accompanying parent or adult guardian, or admit a child 17 and under to an NC-17 rated motion picture under any circumstance.
THE PUBLIC REACTION
Nationwide scientific polls, conducted each year by the Opinion Research Corporation of Princeton, New Jersey, have consistently18 given the rating program high marks by parents throughout the land. The latest poll results show that 76% of parents with children under 13 found the ratings to be “very useful” or “fairly useful” in helping them make decisions about which movies their children can watch. On the evidence of the polls, the rating system would not have survived if it were not providing a useful service to parents.
The rating system isn't perfect. But, it seems each year to meet the expectations of those whom it is designed to serve—parents of America.
分级制度的目的
分级制度目的很简单：就是向父母提供一部电影的信息，这样可以让他们决定自己孩子看什么或不看什么电影。分级受益者是那些18岁以下未成年人的父母。
分级委员会不是根据影片质量来分级的，这个职责应该留给影评家和观众。分级委员会评判的是暴力、语言、裸露、色情、滥用毒品及其他因素。没有哪个因素地位特殊，而是同等对待。
分级是如何决定的
如何分级由洛杉矶的分级委员会决定，委员会有8至13名成员。电影界无人有权威或权力迫使委员会作出决定。要想进入委员会，你必须有为人父母的经历，必须思想成熟，而最为重要的是要能想大多数美国父母所想。作为美国电影协会主席，我不参与等级决定，也不会试图改变分级委员会的决定。没人非得把影片送给委员会定级，但绝大多数制片人/发行商还是将影片送来评定。
委员会观看每部影片，经分组讨论后，投票决定分级。每位成员填写一张分级表格并清楚说明他或她的分级理由。由多数票决定最终等级。不管什么原因，如果制片人/发行商不满意分级，可以向分级申诉委员会申诉。该委员会由14至18位成员组成，他们均来自监督分级制度的行业组织。该委员会的决定是最终裁决，不可以再上诉。
分级的具体内容
G级：“普通级，适合所有年龄段的人观看。”
这类影片不涉及语言粗俗、裸露、性及暴力等方面的内容，孩子不需父母监督就能观看。
PG级：“家长辅导级，有些内容可能少儿不宜。”
父母在让孩子们观看此类影片前无疑需要对该片进行审查或咨询。PG这一标识清楚说明父母可能认为有些内容不适合孩子观看，但父母必须自行决定。
PG－13级：“13岁以下特别辅导级，强烈告诫父母，有些内容可能不适合13岁以下孩子观看。”
PG-13是对父母的一种更强烈的警告。这种分级敬告父母：在决定是否让没有步入少年的孩子观看此类电影时要格外小心。
R级：“限制级。17岁以下的孩子需要父母或成年监护人的陪同。”
这类影片绝对包含一些成人内容，强烈督促父母在陪同孩子去看电影前更多地了解该电影的有关信息。
NC－17级：“17岁及17岁以下不准观看。”
父母会认为这类电影太成人化，不适合他们17岁或以下的孩子。孩子不准观看。
评价
无论哪种评价，对什么是“太多”很有争议。多少暴力为“太多”？死亡数百、伤亡上千这类镜头的古代战争影片是否太暴力？是不是警察杀死罪犯或者一个女人被抽耳光可定为“太多”？“这可以”和“这不可以”的分界线应该划在哪儿？随之而来的是意见分歧，这是分级制度必须承受和面对的。我们明白这点。我们努力做到最好，让大多数父母感到我们的分级基本上是准确而有用的。
影院业主是如何使用分级制度的
1968年影院业主们联合创立电影分级制度，他们是娱乐界自愿遵循分级指导的第一个团体。据估计，全国85%的影院业主赞成分级制度，并不准17岁以下的孩子在没有父母一方或成年监护人陪同下进入影院观看R级影片；也不准17岁或17岁以下的孩子在任何情况下进入影院观看NC-17级的影片。
公众反应
根据新泽西州普林斯顿民意研究公司每年进行的全国科学民意调查，全国的父母一直给分级方案打高分。最近的民意调查结果显示，76%有13岁以下孩子的父母发现分级在帮助他们决定孩子看哪些电影时“非常有用”和“比较有用”。民意调查证实，如果分级制度不能给父母以帮助，它早就不存在了。
分级制度并不是完美的，但是它似乎每年都没有辜负那些服务对象——美国父母的期望。
1. Jake Valenti: 杰克·瓦伦蒂，1968－2004年任美国电影协会主席，是美国电影分级制度的创始人。
2． nudity n． 裸露
3． sensuality n． 色情
4． authority n． 权威
5． parenthood n． 父母身份
6． MPAA: Motion Picture Association of America 美国电影协会 motion picture 电影
7． distributor n． 发行人
8． appeal to 申诉
9． comprise (of) v． 包含
10． supervision n． 监督
11． inappropriate adj． 不适合的
12． guardian n． 监护人
13． appraisal n． 评价
14． controversial adj． 争论的
15． accurate adj． 精确的
16． voluntarily adv． 自愿地
17． subscribe to 同意
18． consistently adv． 一向