中英双语新闻——151 Don’t become cynical

 　　It was a fairytale wedding. Guests thought they were gathering² to celebrate Priscilla Chan’s graduation from medical school.

 

　　那是一场童话婚礼。来宾们原本以为自己是来参加普莉希拉?陈从医学院毕业的庆祝会的。

 

　　Instead it was to witness Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wed¹ Priscilla, his longtime Chinese American sweetheart.

 

　　然而，他们却见证了Facebook CEO马克?扎克伯格与相恋已久的美籍华裔女友普莉希拉的婚礼。

 

　　The ceremony was held on May 19 in the backyard of the couple’s modest house in Palo Alto, California.

 

　　5月19日，两人在位于加州帕洛阿尔托市，一栋不起眼的私宅后院举行了婚礼。

 

　　But soon commentators³ were making cynical⁴ remarks about the timing⁵ of the wedding.

 

　　但很快，评论人士就开始对婚礼举办的时间冷嘲热讽。

 

　　Here’s what the Atlantic Wire, an online newspaper, said: “The sweet story about a young couple seeing all their dreams come true has quickly turned into a different tale of cold, convenient, calculation that could only warm the heart of a tax accountant.”

 

　　网络报纸《大西洋连线》如此评述：“这个讲述一对新人美梦成真的甜蜜故事很快幻灭，沦为一场冰冷务实的算计，这样的故事恐怕也只能温暖税务会计师的心房了。”

 

　　And The Huffington Post said: “It was cute and romantic until everyone, including The New York Times, noticed that by waiting until the day after cashing in his fortune, Zuckerberg conveniently protected his billions from California’s communal⁶ property law.”

 

　　打离婚官司的律师们很快便表示这是一个明智之举。来自加州纳帕郡的律师罗伯特?比万斯在《大西洋连线》上说：“在加州，不通过结婚获利的同居情侣可以声明，称夫妻双方已经为共有资产签署了协议。”

 

　　What happened was that the couple wed the day after Facebook’s public flotation on the stock market which netted Zuckerberg a cool $19 billion.

 

　　到底发生了什么？Facebook上市当日，扎克伯格身价达190亿美金，而他的婚礼就于公司上市次日举行。

 

　　Divorce lawyers were quick to comment on what they considered a smart move. Robert Bievans, a lawyer based in Napa, California, said on the Atlantic Wire, “In California people who live together without the benefit of marriage could claim they had an agreement to pool resources and efforts.”

 

　　离婚律师们很快便表示这是一个明智之举。来自加州纳帕郡的律师罗伯特?比万斯在《大西洋连线》上说：“在加州，无利益关系的结婚者可以声明，称夫妻双方已经为共有财产与成就签署了协议。”

 

　　He went on: “Although they are hard to prove these claims can get really ugly.”

 

　　他继续说：“不过他们难以证明这些声明真的会很讨厌。”

 

　　Property magnate Donald Trump⁷ was reported to have advised Zuckerberg to draw up a “prenuptial agreement”.

 

　　有报道称，房地产大亨唐纳德?特朗普建议扎克伯格起草一份“婚前协议”。

 

　　Another attorney, Garret Dailey, was quoted saying: “One of the primary reasons that wealthy people enter into prenups is to prevent the kind of carnage that can come with divorce.”

 

　　也有报道援引另外一位律师盖瑞特?戴利的话：“有钱人签署婚前协议的主要目的之一便是为了避免离婚后的血腥争夺战。”

 

　　Any prenuptial agreement signed by Zuckerberg and his bride would have forced them to agree exactly how to split assets, including his Facebook stock, if their marriage broke up in future.

 

　　不管扎克伯格和妻子签署了一份什么样的协议，将来两人一旦婚姻破裂，该协议就会迫使他们就分割包括Facebook股权在内的所有财产达成共识。

 

　　A Facebook spokesperson declined to comment on whether the couple signed such an agreement.

 

　　对于扎克伯格夫妇是否签署此类协议这件事，Facebook新闻发言人拒绝作出回应。

 

　　What are we to make of all this? Well, you could say that it demonstrates how cynical the media and society as a whole have become.

 

　　对此我们应该怎样看待？好吧，你可以说这证明了媒体与社会是多么地愤世嫉俗。

 

　　According to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, a cynic is someone who believes that people are motivated in their actions by selfishness.

 

　　《韦氏新世界大学生词典》对愤世嫉俗者(cynic)的解释是：那些坚信人的行为全由自私心理驱使的人。

 

　　A cynic denies the sincerity⁸ of people’s motives¹⁰ and actions. A cynic reckons that people generally have an ulterior motive⁹ for what they do. Cynics tend to be distrustful and disparaging¹¹ of other people’s behavior. They are bitterly or sneeringly¹² distrustful, contemptuous or pessimistic.

 

　　愤世嫉俗者否认人们行为和动机的真诚度。他们认为通常情况下，人们做事都是别有用心的。对于他人的行为，他们往往充满怀疑与蔑视。他们用或尖刻或轻蔑的态度表达怀疑、轻蔑和悲观的看法。

 

　　Maybe you know someone like that?

 

　　或许你也认识这样的人？

 

　　I did. She was a hard-bitten journalist who was suspicious of all forms of authority.

 

　　我认识一个。她是名倔强的记者，质疑任何形式的权威。

 

　　This is not a bad trait in a journalist. Reporters should adopt a skeptical¹³ attitude to politicians who often talk the talk, but don’t deliver.

 

　　这对一名记者来说并非坏事。记者应对那些光说不干的政客们持怀疑态度。

 

　　However this woman’s cynical attitude toward everything, at once refreshing¹⁴, soon became corrosive¹⁵ and irritating. Her rants¹⁶ against government, bosses, anyone in authority bordered on paranoia¹⁷.

 

　　然而这位女士怀疑一切的态度，开始时令人耳目一新，但很快就让人觉得刻薄且恼人。她对政府、老板等权威人士的炮轰近乎偏执。

 

　　The opposite of cynicism is optimism tinged¹⁸ with naivety²⁰. There is nothing wrong with being naive¹⁹.

 

　　而与愤世嫉俗相反的则是近乎天真的乐观派。天真并没有错。

 

　　We all start out that way and as we gain experience of the world we become more circumspect²¹ about people and things. Better be nonjudgmental rather than cynical.

 

　　我们生来便如此，随着处世经验的不断积累，我们接人待物都开始小心谨慎起来。你最好摒除偏见，而不是愤世嫉俗。

1 wed   

v.娶，嫁，与…结婚

参考例句：

• The couple eventually wed after three year engagement.这对夫妇在订婚三年后终于结婚了。
• The prince was very determined to wed one of the king's daughters.王子下定决心要娶国王的其中一位女儿。

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

5 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

6 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

7 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

8 sincerity   

n.真诚，诚意；真实

参考例句：

• His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
• He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。

9 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

10 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

11 disparaging   

adj.轻蔑的，毁谤的v.轻视( disparage的现在分词 )；贬低；批评；非难

参考例句：

• Halliday's comments grew daily more and more sparklingly disagreeable and disparaging. 一天天过去，哈里代的评论越来越肆无忌惮，越来越讨人嫌，越来越阴损了。 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡
• Even with favorable items they would usually add some disparaging comments. 即使对好消息，他们也往往要加上几句诋毁的评语。 来自互联网

12 sneeringly   

嘲笑地，轻蔑地

参考例句：

• Guan and Zhang had nothing more to say, But they walked away sneeringly. 关羽、张飞无话，冷笑着走了。

13 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

14 refreshing   

adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的

参考例句：

• I find it'so refreshing to work with young people in this department.我发现和这一部门的青年一起工作令人精神振奋。
• The water was cold and wonderfully refreshing.水很涼，特别解乏提神。

15 corrosive   

adj.腐蚀性的；有害的；恶毒的

参考例句：

• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。
• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。

16 rants   

n.夸夸其谈( rant的名词复数 )；大叫大嚷地以…说教；气愤地)大叫大嚷；不停地大声抱怨v.夸夸其谈( rant的第三人称单数 )；大叫大嚷地以…说教；气愤地)大叫大嚷；不停地大声抱怨

参考例句：

• This actor rants his lines. 这演员背台词拿腔拿调。 来自辞典例句
• Parents might also profit from eliminating the rants. 改掉大声叫骂的习惯，家长们也会受益。 来自互联网

17 paranoia   

n.妄想狂，偏执狂；多疑症

参考例句：

• Her passion for cleanliness borders on paranoia.她的洁癖近乎偏执。
• The push for reform is also motivated by political paranoia.竞选的改革运动也受到政治偏执狂症的推动。

18 tinged   

v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• memories tinged with sadness 略带悲伤的往事
• white petals tinged with blue 略带蓝色的白花瓣

19 naive   

adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的

参考例句：

• It's naive of you to believe he'll do what he says.相信他会言行一致，你未免太单纯了。
• Don't be naive.The matter is not so simple.你别傻乎乎的。事情没有那么简单。

20 naivety   

n.天真，纯朴，幼稚

参考例句：

• Mozart's music is characterized by its naivety and clarity.莫扎特的音乐特色是纯朴兴清澈。
• She has lost none of her naivety.她丝毫没有失去那份天真烂漫。

21 circumspect   

adj.慎重的，谨慎的

参考例句：

• She is very circumspect when dealing with strangers.她与陌生人打交道时十分谨慎。
• He was very circumspect in his financial affairs.他对于自己的财务十分细心。