词汇大师(Wordmaster)--Gossip

AA: This is Avi Arditti with Rosanne Skirble, and this week on Wordmaster -- did you hear? We're going to talk about gossip!

RS: Idle talk, chatty talk, rumors¹ or facts of an intimate nature -- these are some dictionary definitions for what Americans mean by "gossip."

AA: In British English, a "gossip" is a godparent -- someone to look after you. That meaning goes all the way back to Old English. In America, though, a "gossip" might look after you -- but only to learn some juicy tidbit to tell others!

RS: This past week, a new group launched an effort to reduce what it calls "gossip and verbal violence" in America. To quote its press release: "The goal of the campaign is to promote the value and practice of ethical² speech in order to improve our democracy [and] build mutual³ respect, honor and dignity in our country."

AA: The non-profit group is called Words Can Heal-dot-org -- that's also its Web address -- and grew out of Aish HaTorah, an international Jewish educational organization. The campaign, led by two Orthodox rabbis, is supported by a number of politicians and Hollywood stars.

RS: President Bush is expected to endorse⁴ the campaign as well. Words Can Heal-dot-org did a national poll on gossip, and co-executive director Irwin Katsof discussed the findings with VOA's Barbara Schoetzau:

TAPE: KATSOF/SCHOETZAU/TV COMMERCIAL

KATSOF: "Over 80 percent of the American people say they are affected⁵ by gossip in the workplace. Over 84 percent of the American people say it's affected things in politics and there's too much of it in the media."

SCHOETZAU: "Do you think there's a particular outbreak of gossip going on? Have we just become so attuned⁶ to it in recent years, or what?"

KATSOF: "You know, people like to think that with all the telecommunications devices that we have today that we're communicating so much better, but the truth is that we really are not communicating any better. Gossip has been there for a long time and it's still there and it's even more prevalent. Wordscanheal.org is a national effort to really try and sensitize the American people to this. Our major focus is asking people to take the Words Can Heal pledge. ... (Audio montage from TV commercial:)

"I pledge to think more about the words I use. ... I will try to see how gossip hurts people including myself and work to eliminate it from my life ... I will try to replace words that hurt with words that encourage, engage and enrich. ... I will not become discouraged when I am unable to choose words perfectly⁷ ... because making the world a better place is hard work.. I am pledging to do that one word at a time."

AA: The campaign started with TV spots in the Washington area, although gossip and harsh words are hardly limited to the nation's capital.

RS: Searching the Internet, we found a sermon given in May by Lori Sawdon, senior pastor⁸ of the United Methodist Church of Merced, in the Central Valley of California. The title? "Taming the Tongue."

TAPE: CUT TWO -- SAWDON

"Yes, definitely words can heal and we probably need to speak those healing words more frequently in our society: 'I'm sorry' and 'thank you' and words of affirmation. Usually I try to find something that someone has done well and affirm them for it, and so say specifically: 'That was a wonderful paper that you wrote' or 'you spoke⁹ very eloquently¹⁰ when you said that at the meeting the other day' or 'you've done a fine job in putting this committee together.'"

AA: Pastor Lori, as she calls herself, says gossip has become, in her words, "a standard in American society."

TAPE: CUT THREE -- SAWDON

"We have lost some of our standards about language and etiquette¹¹ and what's appropriate and what's not, and so we tend to fall into gossip very easily in talking about other people and spreading information without really thinking."

RS: In her sermon, she encouraged members of her congregation to use words to build people up, not tear them down.

AA: And she passed along three guidelines to help them think through if something is worth saying:

TAPE: CUT FOUR -- SAWDON

"Those three guidelines were: Is it true? Is it kind? And is it necessary?"

RS: To tame gossip takes time, but Pastor Lori Sawdon, looks on the bright side.

TAPE: CUT FIVE -- SAWDON

"My experience is that in speaking positively¹² about people and creating a positive environment, that it leaves little room for negative criticism or gossip or critique."

AA: Now, if you have a critique for us -- we hope it's nice! -- or if you have a question about American English, send it our way.

RS: Our address is VOA Wordmaster, Washington, DC two-zero-two-three-seven USA or [email protected]. With Avi Arditti, I'm Rosanne Skirble.

MUSIC: "Men Gossip Too"/E.C. Scott

1 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

3 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

4 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 attuned   

v.使协调( attune的过去式和过去分词 )；调音

参考例句：

• She wasn't yet attuned to her baby's needs. 她还没有熟悉她宝宝的需要。
• Women attuned to sensitive men found Vincent Lord attractive. 偏爱敏感男子的女人，觉得文森特·洛德具有魅力。 来自辞典例句

7 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

8 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 eloquently   

adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地)

参考例句：

• I was toasted by him most eloquently at the dinner. 进餐时他口若悬河地向我祝酒。
• The poet eloquently expresses the sense of lost innocence. 诗人动人地表达了失去天真的感觉。

11 etiquette   

n.礼仪，礼节；规矩

参考例句：

• The rules of etiquette are not so strict nowadays.如今的礼仪规则已不那么严格了。
• According to etiquette,you should stand up to meet a guest.按照礼节你应该站起来接待客人。

12 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。