Unit3Lying全新版大学英语综合教程五课文翻译.docx
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Unit3Lying全新版大学英语综合教程五课文翻译
Unit3Lying
TextATheTruthAboutLying
1.I'vebeenwantingtowriteonasubjectthatintriguesandchallengesme:
thesubjectoflying.I'vefounditverydifficulttodo.EveryoneI'vetalkedtohasaquiteintenseandpersonalbutoftenratherintolerantpointofviewaboutwhatwecan—andcannevernever—tellliesabout.I'vefinallyreachedtheconclusionthatIcan'tpresentanyultimateconclusions,fortoomanypeoplewouldpromptlydisagree.Instead,I'dliketopresentaseriesofmoralpuzzles,allconcernedwithlying.I'lltellyouwhatIthinkaboutthem.Doyouagree?
SocialLies
2.MostofthepeopleI'vetalkedwithsaythattheyfindsociallyingacceptableandnecessary.Theythinkit'sthecivilizedwayforfolkstobehave.Withouttheselittlewhitelies,theysay,ourrelationshipswouldbeshortandbrutishandnasty.It'sarrogant,theysay,toinsistonbeingsoincorruptibleandsobravethatyoucauseotherpeopleunnecessaryembarrassmentorpainbycompulsivelyassailingthemwithyourhonesty.Ibasicallyagree.Whataboutyou?
3.Willyousaytopeople,whenitsimplyisn'ttrue,"Ilikeyournewhairdo,""You'relookingmuchbetter,""it'ssonicetoseeyou,""Ihadawonderfultime"?
4.Willyoupraisehideouspresentsandhomelykids?
5.Willyoudeclineinvitationswith"We'rebusythatnight—sosorrywecan'tcome,"whenthetruthisyou'dratherstayhomethandinewiththeSo-and-sos?
6.Andeventhough,asIdo,youmaypreferthepoliteevasionof"Youreallycookedupastorm"insteadof"Thesoup"—whichtasteslikewarmed-overcoffee—"iswonderful,"willyou,ifyoumust,proclaimitwonderful?
7.There'sonemanIknowwhoabsolutelyrefusestotellsociallies."Ican'tplaythatgame,"hesays;"I'msimplynotmadethatway."Andhisanswertotheargumentthatsayingnicethingstosomeonedoesn'tcostanythingis,"Yes,itdoes—itdestroysyourcredibility."Now,hewon't,unsolicited,offerhisviewsonthepaintingyoujustbought,butyoudon'taskhisfrankopinionunlessyouwantfrank,andhissilenceatthosemomentswhentherestofusliarsaremuttering,"Isn'titlovely?
"is,forthemostpart,eloquentenough.Myfrienddoesnotindulgeinwhathecalls"flattery,falsepraiseandmellifluouscomments."Whenotherstellfibshewillnotgoalong.Hesaysthatsociallyingislying,thatlittlewhiteliesarestilllies.Andhefeelsthattellingliesismorallywrong.Whataboutyou?
Peace-KeepingLies
8.Manypeopletellpeace-keepinglies:
liesdesignedtoavoidirritationorargument,liesdesignedtosheltertheliarfrompossibleblameorpain;lies(orsoitisrationalized)designedtokeeptroubleatbaywithouthurtinganyone.
9.Itelltheseliesattimes,andyetIalwaysfeelthey'rewrong.Iunderstandwhywetellthem,butstilltheyfeelwrong.AndwheneverIliesothatsomeonewon'tdisapproveofmeorthinklessofmeorholleratme,IfeelI'mabitofacoward,IfeelI'mdodgingresponsibility,Ifeel...guilty.Whataboutyou?
10.Doyou,whenyou'relateforadatebecauseyouoverslept,saythatyou'relatebecauseyougotcaughtinatrafficjam?
11.Doyou,whenyouforgettocallafriend,saythatyoucalledseveraltimesbutthelinewasbusy?
12.Doyou,whenyoudidn'trememberthatitwasyourfather'sbirthday,saythathispresentmustbedelayedinthemail?
13.Andwhenyou'replanningaweekendinNewYorkCityandyou'renotinthemoodtovisityourmother,wholivesthere,doyouconceal—withalie,ifyoumust—thefactthatyou'llbeinNewYork?
Ordoyouhavethecourage—orisitthecruelty?
—tosay,"I'llbeinNewYork,butsorry—Idon'tplanonseeingyou"?
14.(DaveandhiswifeElainehavetwoquitedifferentpointsofviewonthisverysubject.Hecallsheracoward.Shesaysshe'sbeingwise.HesaysshemustassertherrighttovisitNewYorksometimesandnotseehermother.Towhichshealwayspatientlyreplies:
"Whyshouldwehaveuselessfights?
Mymother'stoooldtochange.WegetalongmuchbetterwhenIlietoher.")
15.Finally,doyoukeepthepeacebytellingyourhusbandliesonthesubjectofmoney?
Doyoureducewhatyoureallypaidforyourshoes?
Andingeneraldoyoufindyourselfready,willingandabletolietohimwhenyoumakeabsurdmistakesorloseorbreakthings?
16."Iusedtohavearomanticideathatpartofintimacywasconfessingeverydumbthingthatyoudidtoyourhusband.Butafteracoupleofyearsofthat,"saysLaura,"haveIchangedmymind!
"
17.Andhavingchangedhermind,shefindsherselftellingpeacekeepinglies.Andyes,Itellthemtoo.Whataboutyou?
ProtectiveLies
18.Protectiveliesareliesfolkstell—oftenquiteseriouslies—becausethey'reconvincedthatthetruthwouldbetoodamaging.Theyliebecausetheyfeeltherearecertainhumanvaluesthatsupersedethewrongofhavinglied.Theylie,notforpersonalgain,butbecausetheybelieveit'sforthegoodofthepersonthey'relyingto.Theylietothosetheylove,tothosewhotrustthemmostofall,onthegroundsthatbreakingthistrustisjustified.
19.Theymaylietotheirchildrenonmoneyormaritalmatters.
20.Theymaylietothedyingaboutthestateoftheirhealth.
21.Theymaylietotheirclosestfriendbecausethetruthabouthertalentsorsonorpsychewouldbe—orsotheyinsist—utterlydevastating.
22.Isometimestellsuchlies,butI'mawarethatit'squitepresumptuoustoclaimIknowwhat'sbestforotherstoknow.That'scalledplayingGod.That'scalledmanipulationandcontrol.Andwenevercanbesure,oncewestarttojugglelies,justwherethey'llland,exactlywherethey'llroll.
23.Andfurthermore,wemayfindourselveslyinginordertobackuptheliesthatarebackingupthelieweinitiallytold.
24.Andfurthermore—let'sbehonest—ifconditionswerereversed,wecertainlywouldn'twantanyonelyingtous.
25.Yet,havingsaidallthat,Istillbelievethattherearetimeswhenprotectiveliesmustnonethelessbetold.Whataboutyou?
Trust-KeepingLies
26.Anothergroupofliesaretrust-keepinglies,liesthatinvolvetriangulation,withA(that'syou)tellingliestoBonbehalfofC(whosetrustyou'dpromisedtokeep).Mostpeopleconcedethatonceyou'veagreednottobetrayafriend'sconfidence,youcan'tbetrayit,evenifyoumustlie.ButI'vetalkedwithpeoplewhodon'twantyoutellingthemanythingthattheymightbecalledontolieabout.
27."Idon'ttellliesformyself,"saysFran,"andIdon'twanttohavetotellthemforotherpeople."Whichmeans,sheagrees,thatifherbestfriendishavinganaffair,sheabsolutelydoesn'twanttoknowaboutit.
28."Areyousaying,"herbestfriendasks,"thatyou'dbetrayme?
"
29.Franisverypainedbutveryadamant."Iwouldn'twanttobetrayyou,so…don'ttellmeanythingaboutit."
30.Fran'sbestfriendisshocked.Whataboutyou?
31.Doyoubelieveyoucanhaveclosefriendsifyou'renotpreparedtoreceivetheirdeepestsecrets?
32.Doyoubelieveyoumustalwayslieforyourfriends?
33.Doyoubelieve,ifyourfriendtellsasecretthatturnsouttobequiteimmoralorillegal,thatonceyou'vepromisedtokeepit,youmustkeepit?
34.Andwhatifyourfriendwereyourboss—ifyouwereperhapsoneofthePresident'smen—wouldyoubetrayorlieforhimover,say,Watergate?
35.Asyoucansee,theseissuesgetterriblysticky.
36.It'smybeliefthatoncewe'vepromisedtokeepatrust,wemusttellliestokeepit.Ialsobelievethatwecan'ttellWatergatelies.Andifthesetwostatementsstrikeyouasquitecontradictory,you'reright—they'requitecontradictory.Butfornowthey'rethebestIcando.Whataboutyou?
37.Therearethosewhohavenotalentforlying.
38."Overtheyears,Itriedtolie,"afriendofmineexplained,"butIalwaysgotfoundoutandIalwaysgotpunished.IguessIgavemyselfawaybecauseIfeelguiltyaboutanykindoflying.ItlooksasifI'mstuckwithtellingthetruth."
39.Forthoseofus,however,whoaregoodattellinglies,forthoseofuswholieanddon'tgetcaught,thequestionofwhetherornottoliecanbeahardandseriousmoralproblem.Ilikedtheremarkofafriendofminewhosaid,"I'mwillingtolie.Butjustasalastresort—thetruth'salwaysbetter."
40."Because,"heexplained,"thoughothersmaycompletelyacceptthelieI'mtelling,Idon't."
41.Itendtofeelthatwaytoo.
42.Whataboutyou?
关于扯谎的真相
朱迪斯·维奥斯特
我一直想写一个令我深感爱好的话题:
关于扯谎的问题。
我感觉那个题目很难写。
所有我交谈过的人都对什么情形能够扯谎——什么情形绝对不能够扯谎——持有强烈的、常常不容他人分说的个人意见。
最后我得出结论,我不能下任何定论,因为如此做就会有太多的人当即反对。
我想我仍是提出若干都与扯谎有关的道义上的难题吧。
我将向读者阐明我对这些难题的个人观点。
你们感觉对吗?
社交性谎话
和我交谈过的大多数人都说,他们以为旨在增进社会交际的谎话是能够同意的,也是必要的。
他们以为这是一种文明的行为。
他们说,要不是这种无关紧要的谎话,人与人之间的关系就会变得粗野不快,无法持久。
他们说,若是你要做到十二分正直、十二分无畏,不由自主地用你的诚实使他人陷入没必要要的窘境或痛楚当中,这只能说你是傲慢自大。
对此,我大体赞同。
你呢?
你会可不能跟人说:
“我喜爱你的新发型,”“你气色好多了,”“见到你真快乐,”“我玩得很尽兴,”而事实上全然不是这么回事儿?
你会可不能对令人憎厌的礼物,或相貌平平的小孩称赞有加?
你婉辞邀请时会可不能说“那天晚上咱们正好没空——真对不起,咱们不能来,”而事实上你是宁肯呆在家里也不想跟某某夫妇一路进餐?
尽管像我那样,你也想用“太丰盛了”这种委婉的托辞,而不是盛赞“那汤味道好极了”(其实味同从头热过的咖啡),但如果是是你必需赞美那汤,你会说它鲜美吗?
我熟悉一个人,他完全拒绝说这种社交性谎话。
“我可不能那一套,”他说,“我生来就可不能那一套。
”讲到对人家说几句好听的话并非失去什么,他的回答是:
“不对,固然有损失——那会损害你的诚信度。
”因此你不问他,他可不能对你刚买来的画发表意见,但除非你想听老实话,不然你也可不能去问他的真实方式。
当咱们这些扯谎者轻宣称赞着“多美啊”的时候,他的沉默往往是极能说明问题的。
我的这位朋友从来不讲他所说的“奉承话、虚假的赞美话和悦耳话”。
他人说些无伤大雅的谎话,他则不。
他说社交性谎话仍是谎话,无关紧要的小小谎话仍是谎话。
他以为扯谎不合道德。
你呢?
息事宁人的谎话
很多人为了息事宁人而扯谎:
那种意在幸免动气或争吵的谎话,意在使扯谎者免受可能的责备或苦恼的谎话;意在(或据以为理应)不损害他人而又能帮忙幸免麻烦的谎话。
我有时也说这种谎,只是我总感觉不该说。
我明白为何要说这种谎,但说这种谎终究不对。
每当我为了不让他人讨厌自己、看轻自己、或冲着自己嚷嚷而扯谎时,我总感觉自己有点像个懦夫,感觉自己是在逃避责任,感觉……惭愧。
你呢?
你由于睡过头赴约会迟到了,会可不能说是因为碰上堵车才晚到的?
你忘了给朋友打电话,会可不能谎称打过好几回,可电话老占线?
你忘了父亲的生日,会可不能说寄给他的礼物准是给耽搁了?
你打算去纽约市度周末,但又不想去看望住在那里的母亲,你会——必要的话用谎话——隐瞒你将到纽约的事实,仍是会勇敢地——或说狠心地——说:
“我要来纽约,可是抱歉,我不打算来看望你”?
(戴夫和妻子伊莱恩正是在那个问题上有两种颇不