The English Reserve and Politeness 翻译 英语泛读教程 3（高等教育出版社） - 图文

参考译文1. 课文一

2. 课文二

Text 1

The English Reserve and Politeness

课文一

英国人的谨慎和礼貌

It seems to many people that the British 在许多人看来，英国人极为礼貌，are extremely polite and difficult to make 同他们交朋友很难。但愿下列文字能friends with. Hopefully the following passage 够帮助你更好地了解英国人的性格will help you to have a better understanding 特点。

of the British character.

To other Europeans, the best known quality of the British is \

对于其他欧洲人来说，英国人最著名的特点是“谨慎”。一个谨慎的人不

太会和陌生人聊天，不会流露出太多的

reserved person is one who does not talk very 情感，并且很少会兴奋。要了解一个谨

much to strangers, does not show much emotion, 慎的人并非易事；他从不告诉你有关他

and seldom gets excited. It is difficult to 自己的任何事，也许你和他工作了几

get to know a reserved person; he never tells 年，却连他住在哪儿，有几个孩子，兴

you anything about himself, and you may work 趣是什么，都不知道。英国人就有类似

with him for years without ever knowing where 的倾向。如果乘公共汽车去旅行，他们

he lives, how many children he has, and what 会尽量找一个没人坐的位子；如果是乘

his interests are. English people tend to be 火车，他们会找一个没人的单间。如果

like that. If they are making a journey by bus, 他们不得不与陌生人共用一个单间时，they will do their best to find an empty seat; 那么即使火车驶出了很多英里，他们也

if by train, an empty compartment. If they 不会开口交谈。一旦谈起来的话，他们

have to share the compartment with a stranger, 不会轻易问及像“你多大年龄？”或者

they may travel many miles without starting 甚至“你叫什么名字？”等私人问题。a conversation. If a conversation does start, 像“你的手表是在哪儿买的？”或者“你

personal questions like \old are you?\or 的收入是多少？”这样的问题几乎不可

even \

想象。同样，在英国，人们交谈时一般

asked. Questions like \did you buy your 声音都很轻、很有节制，大声谈话会被

watch?\视为没有教养。

impossible. Similarly, conversation in

Britain is in general quiet and restrained and

loud speech is considered ill-bred.

This unwillingness to communicate with

others is an unfortunate quality in some ways,

since it tends to give the impression of

在某种程度上，不愿意与他人交流

coldness, and it is true that the English

(except perhaps in the North) are not noted 是一种不幸的品质，因为它可能会给人for their generosity and hospitality. On the 造成态度冷淡的印象。而事实上，英国other hand, they are perfectly human behind 人（也许除了北方人）并不以慷慨和好their barrier of reserve, and may be quite 客而著称。而另一方面，虽然谨慎使他pleased when a friendly stranger or foreigner 们不易与人沟通,但他们内心还是很有succeeds for a time in breaking the barrier 人情味的。如果一个陌生人或外国人友down.

Closely related to English reserve is English modesty. Within their hearts, the English are perhaps no less conceited than

善地将这种隔阂打破那么一会儿，他们可能会满心欢喜。

anybody else, but in their relations with

others they value at least a show of modesty. 与英国人的谨慎紧密相连的品质是Self-praise is felt to be ill-bred. If a

英国式的谦逊。在内心深处，英国人可

但是当他们与别人person is, let us say, very good at tennis, 能比任何人都高傲，

and someone asks him if he is a good player, 相处时，他们十分看重谦逊的品质，至自我标榜会被he will seldom reply \少要表现出谦虚的样子。

will think him conceited. He will probably 认为没有教养。让我们假设，有一个人但如果有人问他是否give an answer like, \not bad,\or \非常擅长打网球，

是个优秀选手时，他很少会说“是”，I'm very keen on tennis.\

self-deprecation is typically English, and, 不然，人们会认为他很高傲。他可能会

mixed with their reserve, it often produces 作出类似这样的回答，“不算太差，”a sort of general air of indifference which 或者“嗯，我非常喜欢网球。”这样的

而且当这appears to foreigners difficult to understand 自我贬低是典型的英国式的。and even irritating.

The famous English sense of humor is similar. Its starting point is

self-deprecation, and its great enemy is oneself —at one's own faults, one's own

一品质与他们的谨慎混合在一起时，常常形成一种漠然的气氛，这在外国人看来难于理解，甚至令人恼火。

conceit. Its ideal is the ability to laugh at

failures and embarrassments, even at one's 著名的英国人的幽默感也是大同小own ideals. The criticism, \异。它的出发点是自我贬低，它的最大

of humor,\is very commonly heard in Britain, 对手是高傲，它的理想境界是自嘲的能where humor is so highly prized. A sense of 力—嘲笑自己的错误、自己的失败和窘humor is an attitude to life rather than the 境，甚至自己的理想。在英国，人们非mere ability to laugh at jokes. This attitude 常看重幽默感，常常能听到“他一点幽is never cruel or disrespectful or malicious. 默感都没有”这样的批评。幽默感是一The English do not laugh at a cripple or a 种对生活的态度而并非仅仅是开玩笑madman, a tragedy or an honorable failure. 的能力。这种态度决非残酷、不敬或是Sympathy or admiration for artistic skill are 怀有恶意的。英国人不会嘲笑一个跛子felt to be stronger than laughter.

或者疯子，也不会嘲笑一个悲剧或者一次可敬的失败。同情心或者对艺术技巧

Like a sense of humor, sportsmanship is 的崇敬比嘲笑的份量重得多。 an English ideal which not all Englishmen live

up to. It must be realized that sport in its modern form is almost entirely a British invention. Boxing, association football,

tennis and cricket were all first organized

and given rules in Britain. Rules are the 同幽默感一样，运动员精神是英国essence of sport, and sportsmanship is the 式的理想，这一点并非所有的英国人都ability to practise a sport in obedience to 做得到。必须认识到，现代形式的运动its rules, while also showing generosity to 几乎都是英国人发明的。拳击、英式足one's opponent and good temper in defeat. 球、网球以及板球都是在英国首次组织Moreover, sportsmanship as an ideal is

并且制定出规则的。规则是运动的精

applied to life in general. One of the most 髓，运动员精神是指按照规则从事体育elementary rules of life is \运动的能力，同时也表现在对对手的慷when he's down\慨大度，以及失败后的良好心态。此外，advantage of another person's misfortune. 运动员精神作为一种理想模式也普遍English school-boys often show this sense of 适用于日常生活。其中最基本的生活规sportsmanship to a surprisingly high degree 则之一就是“不打跌倒的人”。换言之，in their relations with each other.

就是不要利用别人的不幸。英国的男孩

Another feature in Britain is politeness. 子常常在相互交往中把这种运动员精On the whole British habits of politeness are 神表现得淋漓尽致。 very informal. All politeness is based on the elementary rule of showing consideration for others, and acknowledging the consideration they show to you. \ advance apology for troubling somebody, as when passing in front of him or interrupting

his conversation, or when putting a question 英国人的另一特点就是礼貌。总的to a stranger. \来说，英国式的礼貌习惯都不很正式。an accidental disturbance or breach of

所有的礼貌都是建立在这样的基本原

manners. It also takes the place of \when 则之上：为别人着想，同时也认可别人you cannot agree to a request or an implied 对你的关心。在麻烦别人时，如：从某request like \人前面经过，或者打断某人的谈话，或you know the time?\or \you any size seven 者向陌生人请教问题时，要先说“对不shoes?\\is the polite way of asking 起”，为给对方带来的不便预先道歉。“抱歉”一词表示对意外打扰或者违反somebody to repeat what he has said. In

如果有人提出或者暗示某Britain, except at school, \礼仪的歉意。

longer used in asking permission to speak, and 个要求，如：“我可以借你的钢笔吗the phrase \嘛？”或者“现在几点了？”或者“还would sound most unusual in Britain itself. 有七码的鞋吗？”，而你无法满足这种\要求时，也要说“抱歉”而不是“不”。是用来要求别人重复所说word, and is the opposite of \“请原谅？”

when replying to an offer. A bare yes or no 内容时的礼貌说法。在英国，除了在学

校，人们在请求发言时，不再用“请”is considered very rude in this case.

Similarly, a polite request does not begin 这个词。在国外非常普遍的词组“不，with \want\or \think\but with a phrase 请”，在英国本土听起来却会很别扭。like \

“好的，请”，是最常用的说法，它与

please...?\or \you mind...?\When the 人们拒绝帮助时通常所说的：“不，谢request is granted, and at any time when you 谢”的意思正好相反。单单一个是或不are receiving something, however obviously 是在这种情况下被视为非常无礼。同you are entitled to it, you are always expected to say \

样，礼貌的要求不会以“我想”或者“我认为”开头，而是用“你能不能??？”或者“你是否介意??？”这样的措辞。当你收到某一物品 British people do not readily ask each 当你的要求被满足，

other to do anything that would involve real 时，不管你怎样受之无愧，你永远应当inconvenience: they prefer to wait for such 说声“谢谢”。 service to be offered, rather than ask for it. If they do ask, then the request is

accompanied by an implied apology like, \ don't really like asking you, but...\ know the trouble I'm causing you, but would you mind...?\and so on. Similarly it is often polite to refuse an offer of service by means of such a reply as, \please don't bother,\ 如果事情确实很麻烦，英国人一般他们情愿等待有人followed by an explanation of why you can do 不会要求别人去做：

without it. In fact, without being conscious 提供这样的服务，而不会主动提出要of it, British people sometimes make offers 求。如果他们确实提出要求，那么要求

中会含有歉意，例如：“我不是真的想purely out of politeness, not really

expecting them to be accepted, and offers of 麻烦你，但是???”或者“我清楚我给你带来的麻烦，但是如果你不介this kind are refused with the same politeness.

意??？”等等。同样，在拒绝别人的

服务时，礼貌的说法往往是这样：“哦！ If you are invited into a person's home, 请别费心，”接着解释你为什么自己能

there are other questions to consider. For 够处理。实际上，人们没有意识到，英

instance, what time should you arrive? If it 国人常常是出于礼貌而提供帮助，他们

is a social occasion, not a business one, it 并不真的希望自己的提议被接受；当

is not polite to arrive early. Your hostess 然，这样的提议也会以同样的礼貌被婉

will be preparing for you, and will be most 言谢绝。

embarrassed if you arrive before she is quite ready. Ten minutes late is excellent. Half an hour late is excessive and requires

apologies. Then too, the British are rather

particular about table manners. The main

如果你被邀请到某人家中做客，还

thing is: to sit up straight, copy everyone 有另外的问题需要考虑。例如，你应当

else, gaily asking what to do if you are not 什么时候到达？如果这是个社交活动

sure, and keep the conversation going. What 而不是商业活动，提早到是不礼貌的。time should you leave? There are no rules, but 女主人也许正在为你的到来做准备，如

it is most impolite to stay too late, as it 果在她还没有完全准备好之前你就到

implies a lack of consideration for your

hosts. If it is simply an invitation to an 了，这会令人非常尴尬。迟到十分钟是evening meal and conversation, you will probably take your leave between ten and

绝好的选择。迟到半小时就超过底线，并且需要道歉了。而且，英国人也非常

eleven o'clock. If you have been asked to stay 讲究餐桌礼仪。关键问题是：坐直身体，for several days, you will conform as far as 照着别人的样子去做。如果你没有把possible to the routine of the house, and your 握，可以愉快地向别人请教，并且将谈hostess will be very pleased if you give her 话进行下去。什么时候应该离开呢？这a bunch of flowers, specially bought, before 没有定规，但是呆到很晚总是不礼貌you leave.

的，因为这就意味着对主人不够体谅。在 Politeness towards women is less observed 如果只是邀请你吃晚饭和聊天的话，

十点到十一点之间离开即可。如果你被today than it used to be. It is still

你得尽可能地遵从considered polite to give up one's seat to a 挽留再多逗留几日，

woman who is standing, to open doors for her, 这个家庭的生活习惯。离开之前，如果她会help her alight from the bus, carry things for 你特别为女主人买一束献花的话，

her, protect her from the traffic, and so on, 非常高兴。 and the maxim \ But now that women are the equals of men in having the vote, taking paid employment and receiving higher education, they receive much less consideration than formerly, for the whole basis of politeness towards women is the feeling that they need protection.

对女士的礼貌如今看得不像以前那 The same principle applies to old people. 样重。但是给一位站着的女士让座，为

If they are respected in Britain, it is

她开门，帮她下车，为她拿东西，保护

because they are felt to be in need of

她避开车辆等仍被视为一种礼貌。“女

protection and support. Old age and seniority 士优先”的格言是很出名的。但现在由

alone do not command authority among the

于女士和男士一样平等地享有选举权，British, in fact modern life has been

受雇用以及接受更高等教育的权利，她

developing so fast that old people often

们受到的照顾比以前少得多，因为对女

appear tiresome and out of date. Thus, \士的礼貌是建立在对她们的同情心基

need some young blood\

础之上的──即她们需要保护。

organizations where the energy and modern

methods of younger men are felt to be more

likely to succeed than the long but partly

irrelevant experience of older ones. The

wisest of the older generation realize this. 这一原则同样适用老年人。如果他

They either make an effort to remain young in 们在英国受到尊敬，那是因为别人认为

heart and keep pace4 with the times or else 他们需要保护和扶持。单单年老和有资

they let younger men take their place.

历在英国并不享有权威，实际上，现代

It follows that mature Europeans have no 生活发展得如此迅速，老年人常常会显

desire to grow old or to look older than they 得麻烦人和落伍。于是，在一些机构，are. Women especially, for reasons of sexual 与年长者漫长却不相关的工作经历相

attraction, long to \young\and there is

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