英国新闻听力 对周日时代富豪榜的思考

The Sunday Times Rich List was published this week. It’s always good for a giggle¹ and I like to have my annual grump about not being on it. This year’s list comes with the status-crushing statistic² that you need 100 million pounds to join the country’s richest 1000 people. Although, apparently³, a list that was once dominated by inherited wealth is now largely made up of self-made men and women. So perhaps there’s hope for us all.

The idea that as individuals we can be self-made is one of the most persuasive⁴ in our culture. Seen by some as something to aspire⁵ to. On the surface, it seems admirable enough. That someone of humble⁶ origins breaks out of their social position and achieves wealth or status by their own efforts has romantic appeal. But I confess, whenever someone is described as self-made a little alarm goes off in my head.

Not least because I think it contains a delusion⁷. No one is really self-made. Much as we’d all love to make out that we’ve got to where we’ve got to because of our own efforts, we are all shaped and moulded by the people and circumstances we encounter in our lives. The most individualistic, self-driven, talented person will at some point need other people to help them succeed. Even if it’s to exploit them.

There’s a healthy perspective in recognising that the good things that come our way are not always of our own making. The idea that someone can be entirely⁸ self-made offends this reality. It also offends our humanity, for it begs the questions: was a self-made person a person before they made it? And what about the person who never makes it?

If there’s pride in the humble bragging⁹ of the self-made, perhaps the real peril¹⁰ lies in self-worship. This danger was precisely¹¹ observed by Disraeli who when told that the radical¹² politician John Bright had a humble background and was an entirely self-made man, answered, ‘I know he is – and he adores his maker¹³ too.’

Scripture¹⁴ offers a helpful corrective here: ‘Everyone who exalts¹⁵ themselves will be humbled¹⁶ and everyone who humbles¹⁷ themselves will be exalted¹⁸.’ The problem for the self-made person isn’t the riches, or the status, it’s the danger of forgetting who helped them get there. It can be a good thing to be fruitful, to find purpose and fulfilment in work, and even riches, but we need to keep checking to see Who it is that made us what we are.

I end with some advice I once heard. Whether you are doing well or even if you’re not, a good way of keeping perspective, and a sense of who you are, is to stand naked in front of a mirror and repeat the verse from Psalm¹⁹ 139 that says: ‘I will give thanks to You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’ I guarantee you will see yourself more clearly.

《周日时代富豪榜》本周出版了，这总是值得一笑的，因为自己不在名单之上，我准备发下年度牢骚。伴随今年名单的有一个关于地位的统计数据，即你需要一亿英镑才能加入这个国家最富有的1000人行列。不过这个曾经由继承财产的富豪为主的名单上如今在很大程度上是白手起家的富人们，所以我们大家可能都有希望名列其中。

作为个人，我们可以自力更生、白手起家，这可能是我们文化中最有说服力的观念，这被一些人看来是可以追求向往的。从表面上看来这足以令人钦佩，因为出生卑微之人可以冲破社会地位的束缚，凭借一己之力获得财富和地位，这样的故事很有吸引力。但我承认，无论什么时候听到有人被称作是白手起家，我的头脑里总会响起些许的警告声。

我认为这种观念中含有一种错觉，因为没有人是真正白手起家的，正如我们都喜欢凭借自身的力量去获得自己想获得的东西一样，我们要被我们生命中所遇到的人和环境所塑造。那些最具有个人主义、自强不息有才华者总会在某个时点上需要别人助力成功，即使是在剥削他们。

有一种健康的观念承认，我们遇到的美好事物并不总是我们自己创造的，那种认为一个人可以完全凭一己之力成功的观念与之相矛盾，也与我们的人性相抵触，因为这引发了一个问题：一个自力更生的人在成功之前是真正的人吗？那些从未成功的人又是怎样的人呢？

如果说在对自力更生做谦虚的自夸中有骄傲的成分，可能真正的危险在于自我崇拜。迪斯雷利就曾经精确地观察到这种危险，当时他听说极端主义政客约翰·布莱特出身卑微，且完全是白手起家的，当时他回答说，“我知道这一点，而且他也仰慕成就他的人。”

在这个问题上圣经也给了我们有益的修正，“凡自高的、必降为卑．自卑的、必升为高。”那些白手起家者的问题并不在于财富或地位，而是忘记了是谁曾经助力自己成功的，这就很危险。在工作中获得收益、发现意义、有所成就甚至获得财富都是件好事，但我们需要不断反省是谁帮助成就了我们。

最后我分享一些曾经听到过的建议，无论你做得好坏，明察事理、认清自我的一个好办法就是裸体站在镜子面前，然后重复圣歌139节里的话，“我要称谢你，因我受造，奇妙可畏。”我敢保证你肯定能更清楚地看清自己。

1 giggle   

n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说

参考例句：

• Both girls began to giggle.两个女孩都咯咯地笑了起来。
• All that giggle and whisper is too much for me.我受不了那些咯咯的笑声和交头接耳的样子。

2 statistic   

n.统计量；adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• Official statistics show real wages declining by 24%.官方统计数字表明实际工资下降了24%。
• There are no reliable statistics for the number of deaths in the battle.关于阵亡人数没有可靠的统计数字。

3 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

4 persuasive   

adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的

参考例句：

• His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
• The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。

5 aspire   

vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于

参考例句：

• Living together with you is what I aspire toward in my life.和你一起生活是我一生最大的愿望。
• I aspire to be an innovator not a follower.我迫切希望能变成个开创者而不是跟随者。

6 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。

7 delusion   

n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑

参考例句：

• He is under the delusion that he is Napoleon.他患了妄想症，认为自己是拿破仑。
• I was under the delusion that he intended to marry me.我误认为他要娶我。

8 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

9 bragging   

v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的现在分词 )；大话

参考例句：

• He's always bragging about his prowess as a cricketer. 他总是吹嘘自己板球水平高超。 来自辞典例句
• Now you're bragging, darling. You know you don't need to brag. 这就是夸口，亲爱的。你明知道你不必吹。 来自辞典例句

10 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

11 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

12 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。

13 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

14 scripture   

n.经文，圣书，手稿；Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》，《圣经》中的一段

参考例句：

• The scripture states that God did not want us to be alone.圣经指出上帝并不是想让我们独身一人生活。
• They invoked Hindu scripture to justify their position.他们援引印度教的经文为他们的立场辩护。

15 exalts   

赞扬( exalt的第三人称单数 )； 歌颂； 提升； 提拔

参考例句：

• How the thought exalts me in my own eyes! 这种思想在我自己的眼睛里使我身价百倍啊！
• Fancy amuses; imagination expands and exalts us. 幻想使人乐，想象则使我们开阔和升华。

16 humbled   

adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低

参考例句：

• The examination results humbled him. 考试成绩挫了他的傲气。
• I am sure millions of viewers were humbled by this story. 我相信数百万观众看了这个故事后都会感到自己的渺小。

17 humbles   

v.使谦恭( humble的第三人称单数 )；轻松打败（尤指强大的对手）；低声下气

参考例句：

• The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. 他使人贫穷、使人富足．人卑微、使人高贵。 来自互联网
• Do you see how Ahab humbles himself before Me? 29亚哈在我面前这样自卑，你看见了么？ 来自互联网

18 exalted   

adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的

参考例句：

• Their loveliness and holiness in accordance with their exalted station.他们的美丽和圣洁也与他们的崇高地位相称。
• He received respect because he was a person of exalted rank.他因为是个地位崇高的人而受到尊敬。

19 psalm   

n.赞美诗，圣诗

参考例句：

• The clergyman began droning the psalm.牧师开始以单调而低沈的语调吟诵赞美诗。
• The minister droned out the psalm.牧师喃喃地念赞美诗。