冒名顶替综合征：英语精读讲义

In many challenges, personal and professional,

在许多个人和职业的挑战中，

we are held back by the crippling thought 短語動詞

我们常常被一种令人崩溃的想法所牵绊：

that people like us couldn't possibly triumph, 語法

像我们这样的人是不可能取得成功的，

given what we know of ourselves, 語法

毕竟我们太了解自己了——

how reliably stupid, anxious, gauche, crude, vulgar, and dull we really are.

我们究竟有多愚蠢、焦虑、笨拙、粗鲁、庸俗和无趣。

We leave the possibility of success to others 短語搭配

我们把成功的可能留给了别人，

because we don't seem to ourselves to be anything like the sort of people 語法

因为在我们看来，自己跟那些

we see lauded around us.

在我们周围备受赞誉的人毫无共同之处。

Faced with responsibility or prestige, 語法

面对责任或声望时，

we quickly become convinced that we are simply impostors, 短語搭配

我们很快就确信自己根本是个冒牌货，

like an actor in the role of a pilot

就像一个扮演飞行员的演员，

wearing the uniform and making sunny cabin announcements

穿着制服，欢快地进行着机舱广播，

while utterly incapable of even starting the engines. 語法

而实际上连启动引擎都不会。

It can feel easier simply not to try.

干脆不去尝试，感觉还轻松点。

The root cause of the imposter syndrome 短語搭配

冒名顶替综合征的根本原因

is a hugely unhelpful picture of what other people are really 語法

是我们对他人真实的模样抱有严重不切实际的想象。

like. We feel like impostors not because we're uniquely flawed, 語法

我们之所以觉得自己像个冒牌货，不是因为我们有着独一无二的缺陷，

but because we fail to imagine how deeply flawed everyone else

而是因为我们想象不到，其他人

must necessarily also be beneath the more or less polished surface. 習語

在看似光鲜的表象之下，必然也隐藏着同样深重的缺陷。

The imposter syndrome has its roots far back in childhood, 習語

冒名顶替综合征的根源要追溯到很久以前的童年时代，

specifically in the powerful sense children have

尤其是孩子们会产生一种强烈的直觉：

that their parents are really very different from them.

他们的父母和他们其实是完全不同的人。

To a 4-year-old,

对一个4岁的孩子来说，

it's incomprehensible that their mother was once their age and unable to drive a car,

妈妈曾经也像他们一样大、不会开车，这简直无法理解；

tell the plumber what to do,

还会指挥水管工做事，

decide other people's bedtimes,

决定别人的睡觉时间，

and go on planes with colleagues.

跟同事一起坐飞机。

The gulf in status appears absolute and unbridgeable. 習語

地位上的鸿沟看似绝对且无法跨越。

The child's passionate loves,

孩子热爱的东西——

pouncing on the sofa, Pingu, Toblerone,

在沙发上蹦跳、《企鹅家族》、三角巧克力，

have nothing to do with those of adults 短語搭配

跟大人们的爱好毫不相干，

who like to sit at a table talking for hours

大人就喜欢坐在桌边聊上几个小时，

when they could be running about outside,

明明可以去外面跑来跑去，

and drink beer which tastes of rusty metal.

还要喝那种尝起来像生锈金属的啤酒。

We start out in life with a very strong impression that other people, 短語動詞

我们一出生就带有一种极其强烈的印象：即其他人，

especially competent and admirable other people,

尤其是那些有能力、令人钦佩的人，

are really not like us at all.

和我们完全不一样。

This childhood experience dovetails with a basic feature of the human condition. 習語

这种童年经历与人类处境的一个基本特征不谋而合。

We know ourselves from the inside, 表達脈絡

我们从内部了解自己，

but we know others only from the outside.

但我们只能从外部了解他人。

So we're constantly aware of all our anxieties,

所以我们始终清楚自己的所有焦虑、

doubts, and idiocies,

自我怀疑和愚蠢行为，

yet all we know of others

然而我们对别人的了解

is what they happen to do and tell us, 語法

只限于他们恰好做了什么、告诉了我们什么，

which is a far narrower and more edited source of information. 語法

这个信息源远比了解自己时来得狭窄，且经过了更多修饰。

We're often left to conclude that we are isolated 短語搭配

我们常常得出这样的结论：我们是孤立的，

at the more freakish and revolting end of human nature.

处于人性的那一端，古怪且令人厌恶。

Far from it. 習語

事实远非如此。

We're just failing to imagine that others are, of course,

我们只是没能想象到，别人理所当然地，

every bit as disturbed as we are. 語法

和我们一样心乱如麻。

Without knowing exactly what it is that troubles or racks 語法

在并不确切知道是什么困扰或折磨着

another outwardly very impressive person,

另一个外表光鲜亮丽的人时，

we can be sure that it will be something.

我们可以肯定，总有些什么事在折磨着他们。

We might not know exactly what they regret,

我们可能不知道他们到底后悔什么，

but there will be agonizing feelings of some kind.

但必定有某种痛苦的情感存在。

We won't be able to say exactly

我们无法准确说出

what kind of unusual sexual kink obsesses them,

什么样的怪异性癖困扰着他们，

but there will be one.

但绝对存在那么一个。

And we can know this because vulnerabilities and compulsions

我们能够确信这一点，是因为脆弱与强迫

cannot be curses

不可能是一种诅咒，

that have just descended upon us uniquely.

仅仅独特地降临在我们头上。

They are universal features of human mental equipment.

它们是人类心理机制的普遍特征。

The solution to the imposter syndrome lies in making a crucial leap of faith, 講解

打破冒名顶替综合征的关键在于进行一次至关重要的信仰之跃：

the leap that others' minds must work in basically

也就是相信别人的大脑运作方式，基本上

much the same way as ours do. 語法

和我们的一模一样。

Everyone must be as anxious, uncertain, and wayward as we are.

每个人必定都和我们一样焦虑、迷茫、任性。

It's a leap of faith because we just have to accept

之所以是信仰之跃，是因为我们必须接受，

that the majority of what we feel and are,

我们所感受到和拥有的特质，

especially the more shameful unmentionable sides,

尤其是那些更加可耻且不可言说的阴暗面，

will have a corollary in each and every one of us. 短語搭配

在每个人身上都能找到对应。

One of the tasks that works of art should ideally accomplish 語法

理想状态下，艺术作品应该完成的任务之一，

is to take us more reliably

是更可靠地带领我们

into the minds of people we're intimidated by

走进那些令我们心生畏惧的人的大脑之中，

in order to show us the more average,

向我们展示他们也会有更普通的、

muddled, and fretful experiences that they have.

混乱的以及烦躁的经历。

That way,

这样一来，

we would be helped to understand

就有助于我们明白，

that we're not barred by our vulnerabilities 短語搭配

我们的脆弱不会阻碍我们

from doing what they do.

去做他们做的事。

That's what the philosopher Montaigne,

这就是哲学家蒙田——

writing in the 16th century, 語法

在16世纪写作时——

was attempting to do when he playfully informed his readers,

试图做的，当时他俏皮地告诉读者——

in plain French,

用通俗易懂的法语——

that kings and philosophers shit,

国王和哲学家也要拉屎，

and so do ladies. 語法

淑女们也不例外。

Montaigne's point is that

蒙田想表达的是，

for all the evidence that exists about this shitting, 語法

尽管存在大量关于拉屎的证据，

we might not guess that these people ever had to squat on a toilet.

我们大概也想不到，这些人也曾不得不蹲在马桶上。

We never see distinguished types doing this,

我们绝不会看到卓越不凡的人做这种事，

while, of course,

而与此同时，当然，

we are immensely well informed about our own digestive activities.

我们对自己消化系统的运作可谓了如指掌。

And therefore,

因此，

we build up a sense 短語動詞

我们会形成一种错觉：

that because we have crude and sometimes rather desperate bowels,

因为我们的肠胃粗糙，有时还急得不行，

we can't be philosophers, kings, or ladies,

所以我们当不了哲学家、国王或淑女，

and that if we set ourselves up in these roles,

如果我们把自己放在这些位置上，

we would just be imposters.

我们只会是个冒名顶替者。

Montaigne's example is a neat one

蒙田举的例子非常绝妙，

because despite the lack of evidence, 語法

因为尽管缺乏证据，

we know that these exalted people must, of course,

我们很清楚，这些高高在上的人，理所当然地，

excrete in exactly the same way we do.

也必然要和我们排泄的方式一模一样。

So, with Montaigne's guidance,

因此，在蒙田的指引下，

we're invited to take on a saner sense

我们被邀请以一种更理智的眼光，

of what grand, powerful, and beautiful people are really like.

去审视那些宏伟、强大、美丽的人真实的模样。

But the real target isn't just an under-confidence about bodily functions. 表達脈絡

但真正的目标不仅限于解决对生理功能的不自信。

This point extends into the psychological arena too. 習語

这个观点也同样延伸到了心理领域。

Montaigne might also have said 語法

蒙田也许还会说，

that kings, philosophers, and ladies

国王、哲学家和淑女，

are racked by self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy, 短語搭配

也饱受自我怀疑和无能感的折磨，

sometimes bump into doors,

有时也会撞到门上，

and have weird lustful thoughts about members of their own families.

甚至对自己的家族成员产生怪异的非分之想。

Furthermore, 表達脈絡

此外，

instead of considering only the big figures of 16th century France, 語法

除了仅仅想到16世纪法国的伟大人物，

we could update this example and refer to CEOs, corporate lawyers,

我们可以更新一下这个例子，看看首席执行官、企业律师、

news presenters,

新闻主播，

and successful start-up entrepreneurs.

以及成功的初创企业家。

They too can't cope, feel they might buckle under pressure, 習語

他们也同样有难以应付、感觉会被压力压垮的时候，

and look back on certain decisions with shame and regret. 短語動詞

也会在回首某些决定时充满羞愧与悔恨。

No less than shitting, 語法

就像拉屎一样，

such feelings are not what separates us from them.

这些情绪并不会把我们和他们割裂开来。

Our inner frailties don't cut us off from doing what they do. 短語動詞

我们内心的脆弱，并不会让我们无法完成他们能做的事。

If we were in their roles, 語法

如果我们处在他们的位置，

we'd not be imposters,

我们不会是冒牌货，

we'd simply be normal.

我们只是普通的常人而已。

Making a leap of faith around what other people are really like 語法

在“他人真实的模样”这个问题上进行信仰之跃，

helps us to humanize the world.

有助于我们将这个世界人性化。

It means that whenever we encounter a stranger,

这就意味着，每当我们遇到一个陌生人，

we're not really encountering a stranger.

我们并非真的是在面对一个完全陌生的人。

We're, in fact,

事实上，

encountering someone who is,

我们遇到的是这样一个同类——

in spite of the surface evidence to the contrary, 短語搭配

尽管表面上看似截然不同，

in basic ways very much like us.

在本质上却与我们极为相似。

And, therefore,

因而，

nothing fundamental stands between us and the possibility of responsibility, 短語搭配

在面对担负责任、

success, and fulfillment.

获得成功与实现抱负的可能之间，并不存在任何根本的阻碍。