生活英語聽力文章：故事的兩面性

00:00

00:00

MP3下載 文本下載

https://online2.tingclass.net/lesson/shi0529/0009/9545/33.mp3

https://image.tingclass.net/statics/js/2012

每一個故事都有兩面性。

Beginning in the days of World War II and for decades, famed radio broadcaster Paul Harvey shared The Rest of the Story with millions of Americans. After presenting news stories on a variety of factual subjects, he surprised listeners each time with a true ‘twist’ at the very end and concluded with his signature sign off, “And now you know… the rest of the story.”

從第二次世界大戰(zhàn)開始后的幾十年來，著名的廣播播音員Paul Harvey與數(shù)以百萬計的美國人分享了故事的結(jié)局。在呈現(xiàn)了關(guān)于各種事實(shí)的新聞故事之后，他每次都在最后用一個準(zhǔn)確的“轉(zhuǎn)折”讓聽眾們驚訝，并用他的名言進(jìn)行總結(jié)來結(jié)束廣播，“現(xiàn)在你知道。。。故事的結(jié)局。”

Although Paul Harvey died in 2009, I can’t help but think of his influence on today’s lesson. There are always two sides to every story, and it benefits us to make sure we know and understand both sides before making a judgment or rendering an opinion.

雖然Paul Harvey 死于2009年，但我忍不住想到他對今天的課程的影響。每一個故事都有它的兩面性，它有利于我們在作出判斷或給出一個建議之前，確保自己明白并理解了故事的兩個方面。

Whether it’s your best friend complaining about his or her spouse, a co-worker complaining about another employee, or a newspaper columnist writing a political story, just remember, there are always two sides to each story.

不論是你最好的朋友在抱怨他或她的配偶，一個工人在抱怨一個雇主，還是一個新聞專欄作家在寫一個政治故事，要記住，每一個故事都有其兩面性。

If we wish to be viewed by others as dependable, wise, and deliberate, we need to be sure we have all the facts before we speak or act.

如果我們希望被別人認(rèn)為是可靠的、聰明的、從容的，我們需要保證，在說話或行動之前，我們掌握了所有的事實(shí)。

Premature Opinions Harm Your Reputation

不成熟的建議會損害你的名譽(yù)

I think most people can relate to the ‘Uh-oh’ feeling that comes right after learning that we’ve made a fool of ourselves having argued a point only to find out that we didn’t have all the facts and made an err in judgment. This is followed by a (sometimes) tactful retreat or as they say, eating of words. We all may do it on occasion, but it’s worth considering the effects that rushing to judgment has on your reputation over time if it happens too often.

在意識到自己讓自己看起來像個傻子之后，在深究一個點(diǎn)卻發(fā)現(xiàn)我們沒有掌握所有的事實(shí)并在判斷時出錯之后，我認(rèn)為大多數(shù)人都會聯(lián)想到“糟了”。緊隨其后的(有時)是機(jī)智的退避或者像他們所說的，吃掉自己的話語。我們都有可能偶爾會急于判斷，但如果這樣做得太頻繁，急于判斷給你的名譽(yù)造成的影響是值得考慮的。

As an example, I have worked alongside a gentleman who has an opinion on absolutely everything. In his mind, I’m sure he believes that voicing a strong opinion on everything makes him seem knowledgeable and in tune with what’s going on in the world. But let’s face it; he’s just one man with a family and a job to look after. He can’t possibly devote the time and research necessary to making an informed decision about every issue of the day. This causes me to doubt his sincerity and some of his claims. Furthermore, I really couldn’t say what issues are important to him, because as he tells it, ‘everything’ is his business.

例如，我和一名紳士一起共事，他對所有事情都有自己的看法。在他的腦海中，我肯定他認(rèn)為對每件事表達(dá)強(qiáng)烈的意見會讓他看起來很博學(xué)，與當(dāng)今世界接軌。但從表面來看，他就是一個需要照顧家庭，需要工作的人。他不可能花時間、做研究去致力于對每件事都做一個明智的決定。這會讓我懷疑他的真誠和他的一些要求。另外，我實(shí)在不知道什么事情對他來說是重要的，因為就像他所說的，任何事都是他的事。

From the Headlines

來自頭條

Let’s look at a specific situation from today’s sports news. How many of you have heard at least one person say that LeBron James made a mistake in choosing Miami? Because it’s in the news, perhaps people feel compelled to hold an opinion, but how many people really know much of anything about LeBron’s reasons and personal motivations? They can speculate all day long, but that’s just what they’re doing. Consequently, this devalues their judgment in the eyes of others.

我們來從今天的體育新聞中看一個具體的例子。你們有多少人聽見至少一個人說LeBron James 在選擇邁阿密時犯了錯?因為這是在新聞里，或許人們覺得自己被迫持有意見，但有多少人真的非常了解LeBron的理由和個人動機(jī)呢?他們可以整天推測，但那就是他們現(xiàn)在正在做的事情。因此，這會讓他人眼中關(guān)于他們的判斷貶值。

Can you see how this same concept applies to the everyday issues you face?

你能看出這個觀念是怎樣適用于你每天面對的日常事務(wù)嗎?

It’s natural to be influenced when we hear or read something—especially if it’s well presented, but it’s important to remember that you may not have the whole story. In the words of Winston Churchill, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.”

當(dāng)我們聽到或讀到一些事情時是很容易受到影響的——特別是如果它是非常精彩地呈現(xiàn)出時，但是牢記你可能沒有讀到整個故事是很重要的。正如Winston Churchill所說的，“在真相有機(jī)會穿上褲子之前，謊言也只繞著世界走了一半。”

Remember that it’s okay not to weigh in on every issue you’re confronted with. When you reserve your strongly held beliefs for the things that really matter to you, your opinions will carry more weight and your point of view will command greater respect.

記住，不用討論每一件你正面臨的事情。當(dāng)你對重要的事情持有有力的意見時，你的建議會有更重的份量，你的觀點(diǎn)也會得到更多的尊重。

Do People Stop to Listen to You?

人們會停下來，然后去聽你所說的話嗎?

In its day, E.F. Hutton was one of the most respected financial firms in the United States. Even those who didn’t follow the financial news knew the phrase, “When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen.” The premise of this catchy advertising slogan was that E.F. Hutton had something of value to say when it came to investing money.

在那天，E.F. Hutton 是美國最受歡迎的金融公司之一。甚至那些不看金融新聞的人也知道這句話，“當(dāng)E.F. Hutton 講話時，人們會認(rèn)真聽。”這個引人注意的的廣告口號的前提是，關(guān)于金錢投資， E.F. Hutton 的話很有價值。

This isn’t a farfetched notion at all. For example, I am personally very careful with the things I endorse and what I give credit to. I seldom take strong positions on things, especially if they’re not important to me. When I do take a strong position and have an opinion to share, it’s for something I know a lot about and am prepared to defend from every angle. As a result, I find that people really do stop to listen when I have something to say.

這完全不是一個牽強(qiáng)的觀念。例如，我自己非常小心我背書和信任的東西。我很少對事物采取強(qiáng)有力的立場，特別是對我不重要的事情。當(dāng)我站在一個強(qiáng)有力的立場，要與人分享我的觀點(diǎn)時，我肯定是非常了解這件事，并準(zhǔn)備好從各個角度去辯護(hù)。結(jié)果，我發(fā)現(xiàn)當(dāng)我要說話的時候，人們真的會停下來聽我說。

Become Someone Whose Opinion is Respected

做一個意見受到尊重的人

From this point forward, be intentional about forming beliefs and sharing your opinions. Make sure you have all the data on which to base your decisions. When addressing a conflict or challenge where people are involved, be sure to reserve your opinion until you have both sides of the story.

從這一點(diǎn)來看，信念的形成和觀點(diǎn)的分享需要策劃。確定你掌握所有形成你觀點(diǎn)的資料。當(dāng)你要解決沖突或者挑戰(zhàn)別人的固有印象時，一定要保留你的觀點(diǎn)直到你掌握了故事的兩面。

“In seeking truth you have to get both sides of a story.”

~ Walter Cronkite

“在尋找真相的過程中，你必須掌握故事的兩面性。”——Walter Cronkite