英语PK台 第1015期:谦受益 满招损 修炼谦虚

 

Dialogue 1

Jingjing: Mark, may I ask you a personal question?

京晶：马克，我可以问你一个私人问题吗?

Mark: You may ask.

马克：可以。

Jingjing: OK. Do you think you're a humble¹ person?

京晶：好的。你认为你是个谦虚的人吗?

Mark: Isn't that kind of a catch-22? Anyway, I'd want to know why you're asking before I answer.

马克：不会是个陷阱（坑爹的问题吧）吧？不管怎样，在我回答之前，我想知道你为什么要问这个。

Jingjing: Well, I've been asking a lot of people these past few days. I just want to get a read on the people I know.

京晶：哦，是这样的，这几天我已经问了许多人了。我只是想了解一下我认识的人。

Mark: And you get that by directly asking if someone thinks of themselves as modest?

马克：你通过直接问别人认为自己是否谦虚来了解?

Jingjing: Humble.

京晶：对，就是谦虚。

Mark: Right. Well, I don't think I'm especially humble. I should be more humble, and not too proud or self-centered.

马克：好吧。我认为我没有那么谦虚。我应该更谦虚一些，不要太自傲或以自我为中心。

Jingjing: That's a good answer.

京晶：回答得真好。

Mark: Phew! I was nervous there for a minute. What did other people say?

马克：哎呦(松了口气）。问得我还在那小紧张了一会儿。其他人都怎么回答的？

Jingjing: Some people said they were very humble, and said they wished the people around them weren't so proud. Others said they were a bit too proud sometimes, about some things they do well.

京晶：有些人说他们自己非常谦虚，同时希望周围的人们不要那么骄傲。另一些人说他们在有些时候觉得自己做得不错就有点过于骄傲了。

Mark: At least they admit to being proud. What do you think? Doesn't someone deserve² to be proud after they've gotten to be very good at something?

马克：至少他们会承认自己是骄傲的。你觉得呢?当一个人非常擅长做某事的时候，难道他不应该感到骄傲吗?

Jingjing: Maybe, but it's probably better if they aren't full of themselves.

京晶：也许应该吧，但如果他们不自满可能会更好。

Mark: What do you think are some ways to stay modest and humble?

马克：你认为保持谦虚和谦逊的方法有哪些?

Jingjing: A person could make a list of the things they regret. That would be a reminder³ that they're not perfect. It might also help them to avoid those same kinds of mistakes in the future.

京晶：一个人可以把自己后悔的事情列出来。这将提醒他人无完人。这也能帮助人们在未来避免再次重蹈覆辙。

Mark: That's a good idea. I'm going to make that list when I get home!

马克：这是个好主意。我一到家就列这个清单！

New words : 习语短语

catch-22: 无法摆脱的困境 难以逾越的障碍 左右为难 死循环

a situation in which if you suffer if you choose A, or suffer if you choose B

get a read on (someone): 知道，了解某人

understand someone, know some important information about someone, especially their personality or opinion

self-centered: 以自我为中心的

thinking of oneself as the center of the world

full of oneself: 骄傲自满

proud, self-obsessed

Dialogue 2

Jingjing: Mark, did you make that list?

京晶：马克，你有列出来那个后悔清单吗？

Mark: I did. I'm sure it's not complete. I don't want to show it to anyone, though.

马克：列出来了。我敢肯定那还不是最全的，但我不可想给任何人看。

Jingjing: Good on you! Yeah, I wouldn't expect to see it. That's for yourself.

京晶：干得不错！我到也没想看你的后悔清单，那是你写给自己的。

Mark: A bit of self-criticism every day, eh?

马克：每天都自我批评一下，是吗?

Jingjing: Yeah, that's the idea. I have one too.

京晶：对，就这个意思，我也有自己的清单。

Mark: Well, it's the height of modesty⁴ only to recommend others to do things you've actually done.

马克：是啊，只推荐给别人做你已经做到的事情，这是一种终极谦虚。

Jingjing: I agree. Hey, check out these quotes about modesty I've found on a website.

京晶：同意。嘿，一起看看我在一个网站上找到的关于谦虚的名言吧。

Mark: Any good ones?

马克：有比较好的吗？

Jingjing: Here's one from William Shakespeare. It says “Lord Bacon told Sir Edward Coke when he was boasting⁵, The less you speak of your greatness, the more I shall think of it.”

京晶：有一句来自莎士比亚，“培根勋爵在爱德华·科克爵士吹牛时曾对他说: 你越不提起自己的伟大，我就越会想起你的伟大。“

Mark: That's a good reason to be humble. Any others?

马克：那真是个谦虚的好理由。还有别的吗？

Jingjing: Let's see. Winston Churchill said “He is a modest little man who has a good deal to be modest about.”

京晶：让我们看一下，温斯顿·丘吉尔说过“他是一个谦虚的人，因为他有很多事值得谦虚”。

Mark: Right. Modesty in itself might not be that valuable. Which one is your favorite?

马克：对。谦虚本身可能没有那么重要。你最喜欢哪一句?

Jingjing: Well, I don't know how to pronounce this name. Have a look.

京晶：呃，我不知道这个名字怎么发音。你看一下。

Mark: Fran?ois de La Rochefoucauld

马克：弗朗索瓦·德拉罗什富科。

Jingjing: OK. “The height of cleverness is being able to conceal⁶ it.”

京晶：好的。“聪明的最高境界是能够隐藏它。”

Mark: I like that one too. Good finds, Jingjing!

马克：我也喜欢这句。京晶，找得不错！

New words : 习语短语

the height of modesty/cleverness: 终极谦虚/聪明

ultimate modesty (modesty here can be substituted with any noun for human behavior: “the height of politeness”, “the height of rudeness”)

1 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

2 deserve   

vt.应受，值得；vi. 应受报答，值得受赏

参考例句：

• You really deserve a good beating,you naughty boy.你这个调皮孩子真该打。
• I do not deserve all the praises bestowed upon me.我不配得到这些赞扬。

3 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

4 modesty   

n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素

参考例句：

• Industry and modesty are the chief factors of his success.勤奋和谦虚是他成功的主要因素。
• As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。

5 boasting   

v.有（引以为荣的事物）( boast的现在分词 )；扬言；粗堑石头

参考例句：

• He's always boasting about how clever his children are. 他总是自吹他的小孩是多么聪明。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This chap likes to exaggerate and is good at nothing but boasting. 这个人言过其实，就会吹牛皮放大炮。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。