PBS高端访谈:愤怒时想想这些画面

JUDY WOODRUFF: Few days go by anymore without a highly publicized Twitter fight between politicians, media figures, or celebrities¹, or some sort of confrontation² that spills into the public conversation, prompting more of us to wonder if it`s possible to take the temperature down? Well, tonight, author Lauren Groff shares her humble³ opinion on how to act with imagination in this age of division.

LAUREN GROFF: Not long ago, I was out in the prairie where I jog every day when a man rode up on a bicycle and started critiquing my running form. I had not solicited⁴ his advice. I don't enjoy mansplaining even when I haven't already run five miles. I asked him to go away repeatedly, but when he persisted, I gave him a verbal hiding that I'm sure he has yet to recover from. Something in me at that moment just snapped, I felt two feet taller and as vast as the prairie itself. If you've ever had a moment of road rage, or acted impulsively⁵ to fend⁶ off a pickpocket⁷ or bully⁸, you know the feeling. The constraints⁹ of selfhood fall away and you feel as though you could breathe fire. The truth is, all humans have the capacity to snap. Neurologists tell us that deep in the brain, beneath the center of consciousness in the cerebral¹⁰ cortex, there's a cluster of neurons that causes sudden aggression¹¹ in lab animals when stimulated¹² with an electrode. It's a healthy automatic function for self-preservation, the cause of the fight in fight or flight. But just because it's natural to snap in moments of tension doesn't mean that we have to do so when we're not being physically¹³ threatened. Our age is an extraordinarily¹⁴ polarized one. It can seem as though we are all yelling all the time. When we enter into rage, we enter a space that turns people into others who do not deserve the same respect or courtesy that we expect extended to us. In rage, we can refer to human beings as animals, a way to psychically¹⁵ distance us from them enough to deny them basic human rights. After I raged at the man on the bike that morning, I ran home feeling nauseated¹⁶. He was elderly and seemed a little lonely. By the time I came in the door, I had imagined an entire life for the man, down to the kinds of mugs he drank his coffee out of and the cat he owned. I wished I could reverse time to react differently; instead of yelling, explaining calmly why what he was doing was unwelcome. Empathy is an act of radical¹⁷ imagination. Through empathy, we can understand the full scope of the humanity of those whose actions or ideas offend us. We acquire empathy through imagining ourselves into the lives of strangers, through narrative¹⁸, the books and films and television shows that don't reinforce our knowledge of the world, but rather challenge what we already know. Empathy is a muscle that is stronger than our neurological reflexes. If we exercise it every single day, it will be so strong that it can override¹⁹ reflexive anger. In this world, kindness must prevail. So, let's give our empathy rigorous daily workouts, time spent imagining the lives and hearts of others until we have become better than our basest impulses.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Lauren Groff on the NEWSHOUR online right now, the HPV vaccine²⁰ can prevent illness and death from cervical cancer, and a new study finds that promoting its use does not lead to more risky²¹ sexual behavior by teens. You can read more on our website, PBS.org/NewsHour.

朱蒂·伍德瑞夫：几天过去了，政治家、媒体人士、名人并没有对Twitter斗争进行高度宣传，公众对其中一些对抗观点发出了讨论，这使我们更多的人怀疑，这种温度有没有可能降下来？今晚，作家劳伦·格罗夫在《管见所及》栏目分享了她如何在这个分裂的时代放飞想象。

劳伦·格罗夫：不久前，我来到了那片草原，就是每天我慢跑的地方，这时一个骑着自行车的男人，开始批评我的跑步方式。而我并没有向他征求意见。我不喜欢有男人来说教，我连五英里都还没跑呢。我反复让他离开，但他坚持不走，我给了他一个口头警告，我确信他到现在都缓不过来。那一刻，我身上有东西爆裂了，我觉得自己高了两英尺，像草原一样辽阔。如果你曾经在马路上有过愤怒的经历，或者采用冲动行为来抵挡扒手或恶霸，你就会知道这种感觉。自我的局限消失了，你就好像觉得自己能够在火中呼吸。事实是，所有人都有能力攫取。神经科医生告诉我们，在动物实验中，在大脑深处，在大脑皮层的意识中心之下，有一群神经元，当用电极刺激时，会引发突然的攻击。这是一种健康的自动保护功能，是面对战斗还是逃跑时，选择战斗的原因。但是，这并不意味着，当我们没有遭受身体威胁时，紧张时刻突然出现，我们也必须这样做。我们的年龄是一个非常极端的年龄。看起来好像我们无时无刻不在大喊大叫。当我们愤怒时，我们会进入一个空间，这个空间将人们变成另外一个样子，这个样子不会如我们所期望，得到同样的尊重或礼待。在愤怒中，我们可以将人类称为动物，这是一种让我们远离他们的方式，足以剥夺他们的基本人权。那天早上我对那个骑着自行车的男人大发脾气后，我跑回家感到恶心。他老了，看起来有点孤单。当我走进门时，我想到了这个男人的整个生命，一直延伸到他喝咖啡的杯子以及他的猫。我希望我可以重回那个时刻，那样我会做出不同的反应；我不会大喊大叫，冷静地解释为什么他在做的事情，不受欢迎。移情是一种激进的想象行为。通过移情，我们可以理解那些冒犯我们的人的全部行为或想法。我们通过想象自己进入陌生人的生活，通过叙事，书籍，电影和电视节目，不会增强我们对世界的认识，从而获得同理心，而会对我们的已知发起挑战。移情是一块强于我们神经反射的肌肉。如果我们每天锻炼它，它会变得强大，以至于可以克服反射性的愤怒。在这个世界上，仁慈必须占上风。所以，让我们给予移情严格的日常锻炼 - 花时间想象别人的生命和心灵，直到我们不再局限于最基本的冲动。

朱蒂·伍德瑞夫：劳伦·格罗夫现在，在NEWSHOUR网站上，正在讲述HPV疫苗可以预防宫颈癌的患病及死亡，一项新的研究发现，推广该疫苗的使用并不会让青少年实施更多危险的性行为。您可以在我们的网站上阅读更多信息，PBS.org/NewsHour。

1 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

2 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

3 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。

4 solicited   

v.恳求( solicit的过去式和过去分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求

参考例句：

• He's already solicited their support on health care reform. 他已就医疗改革问题请求他们的支持。 来自辞典例句
• We solicited ideas from Princeton University graduates and under graduates. 我们从普林斯顿大学的毕业生与大学生中征求意见。 来自辞典例句

5 impulsively   

adv.冲动地

参考例句：

• She leant forward and kissed him impulsively. 她倾身向前，感情冲动地吻了他。
• Every good, true, vigorous feeling I had gathered came impulsively round him. 我的一切良好、真诚而又强烈的感情都紧紧围绕着他涌现出来。

6 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

7 pickpocket   

n.扒手；v.扒窃

参考例句：

• The pickpocket pinched her purse and ran away.扒手偷了她的皮夹子跑了。
• He had his purse stolen by a pickpocket.他的钱包被掏了。

8 bully   

n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮

参考例句：

• A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。

9 constraints   

强制( constraint的名词复数 )； 限制； 约束

参考例句：

• Data and constraints can easily be changed to test theories. 信息库中的数据和限制条件可以轻易地改变以检验假设。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• What are the constraints that each of these imply for any design? 这每种产品的要求和约束对于设计意味着什么？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

10 cerebral   

adj.脑的，大脑的；有智力的，理智型的

参考例句：

• Your left cerebral hemisphere controls the right-hand side of your body.你的左半脑控制身体的右半身。
• He is a precise,methodical,cerebral man who carefully chooses his words.他是一个一丝不苟、有条理和理智的人，措辞谨慎。

11 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

12 stimulated   

a.刺激的

参考例句：

• The exhibition has stimulated interest in her work. 展览增进了人们对她作品的兴趣。
• The award has stimulated her into working still harder. 奖金促使她更加努力地工作。

13 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

14 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

15 psychically   

adv.精神上

参考例句：

• Shouldn't you psychically know when you're annoying someone? 难道你不知道你什么时候讨人厌吗？ 来自电影对白
• Auras can be seen physically, or sensed psychically, or both. 从身体上能够看见光环，或从心理上感觉到它，或者二者都可以。 来自互联网

16 nauseated   

adj.作呕的，厌恶的v.使恶心，作呕( nauseate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I was nauseated by the violence in the movie. 影片中的暴力场面让我感到恶心。
• But I have chewed it all well and I am not nauseated. 然而我把它全细细咀嚼后吃下去了，没有恶心作呕。 来自英汉文学 - 老人与海

17 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

18 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

19 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

20 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

21 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。