七宗罪：英语精读讲义

Christianity has traditionally spoken a lot about sinners.

传统上，基督教谈论过很多关于罪人的事。

In the 4th century,

在公元4世纪，

the church identified seven deadly sins, 文化背景

教会确立了“七宗罪”，

failings of character that were to be particularly condemned and avoided by all righteous people. 講解

将其视为所有正直之人都应特别谴责和避免的性格缺陷。

They were pride,

它们分别是傲慢，

being snobbish and boastful,

即势利和自夸；

envy,

嫉妒；

wrath,

暴怒，

getting very angry,

即非常生气；

gluttony,

暴食，

eating too much,

即吃得太多；

lust,

色欲，

wanting to sleep around, 短語動詞

即到处与人发生性关系；

sloth,

怠惰，

being lazy,

即懒惰；

and finally greed.

最后是贪婪。

Christianity took these to be severe faults of the soul

基督教认为这些都是灵魂的严重过失，

that marked out a person as a fitting target for scolding and punishment. 短語動詞

它将一个人标记为理应受到责骂和惩罚的对象。

God himself would, on the day of judgment, 文化背景

在审判日那天，上帝本人将

be remorseless with sinners and send them to spend millennia in the darker,

对罪人毫不留情，并将他们送往更黑暗、

more tortured bits of purgatory. 文化背景

更受折磨的炼狱深处度过漫长岁月。

We may not use precisely such traditional theological words today,

如今我们也许不会准确地使用这些传统的宗教词汇，

and we may not imagine the creator of the universe

我们也许不会将宇宙的创造者想象成

as someone who organizes chastisement for people beyond the grave. 習語

在死后为人们安排惩罚的人。

But, in the spirit in which we interpret failings of character

但是，从我们解释性格缺陷

and respond to people's less fortunate sides,

并应对人们不那么美好的一面的态度来看，

in the online and real worlds,

无论是在网络世界还是现实世界中，

we tend to retain a similarly damning and ungenerous set of attitudes.

我们往往都保留着一套同样充满谴责且不宽容的观念。

We may feel that through our harshness,

我们可能觉得，通过我们的严苛，

we're helping humanity to improve.

我们在帮助人类进步。

But if this is really our goal,

但如果这真的是我们的目标，

then it pays to move beyond mere condemnation 短語搭配

那么超越单纯的谴责就是值得的，

in an attempt to understand what truly drives people in their more regrettable moments.

我们要试着去理解，在人们处于令人遗憾的时刻时，真正驱使他们的是什么。

We stand to stumble on a surprising truth. 講解

我们很可能会偶然发现一个令人惊讶的事实。

Behavior we call sinful is never simply that.

我们称之为有罪的行为绝不仅限于此。

It represents an unfortunate first response to difficulty and distress

它代表了一种在面对困难和痛苦时不幸的第一反应，

that could, if it were properly understood, 語法

如果能被正确地理解、

guided, and forgiven,

引导和原谅，

be redirected towards nobler ends.

它本可以被重新引向更高尚的目的。

We aren't evil so much as in a lot of pain in a series of areas. 語法

我们与其说是邪恶，不如说是在许多方面承受着巨大的痛苦。

Let's consider each of the seven sins in turn. 短語搭配

让我们依次来看一下这七宗罪。

Pride.

傲慢。

It can appear as if we end up boasting and grandstanding 語法

我们最终自吹自擂、哗众取宠，

because we're so pleased with ourselves.

看起来似乎是因为我们对自己很满意。

Far from it. 習語

事实远非如此。

Boasting is only ever a response to a feeling of invisibility.

吹嘘仅仅是对“透明感”的一种回应。

We badly need to thrust forward our own importance

我们迫切需要突出自己的重要性，

because behind the scenes, 習語

因为在幕后，

our very right to exist seems so much in question. 短語搭配

我们生存的权利似乎都饱受质疑。

We see it as almost inevitable that others will think ill of us 短語搭配

我们认为别人几乎不可避免地会把我们往坏处想，

unless we urgently and dramatically assert our greatness.

除非我们迫切地、戏剧性地展现自己的伟大。

That's why, of all people, 習語

这就是为什么在所有人中，

the proud don't need to be told they're terrible.

骄傲的人最不需要被告知他们有多糟糕。

This is precisely what they secretly think they are already.

这恰恰是他们内心深处对自己的看法。

They need encouragement to feel a more genuine pride in their own merits,

他们需要鼓励，从而对自身的优点感到一种更真诚的骄傲，

and then to be spared the manic impulse

然后再免受那种狂热冲动的驱使，

constantly to call them to the attention of others. 短語搭配

不必不断地呼唤别人来关注他们。

Envy.

嫉妒。

Envy is a graceless way of confronting an idea

嫉妒是一种面对某种观念时极不优雅的方式，

that is, in other contexts,

而在其他情况下，这种观念

fundamental to decent ambition,

是合理的雄心壮志

as well as modesty of character.

以及谦逊性格的基础。

The notion that we are incomplete,

这种观念就是，我们是不完整的、

imperfect, and in need of improvement. 短語搭配

不完美的，且需要改进的。

Envy grows from the legitimate insight

嫉妒源于一种合理的洞察，

that others have something to teach us,

即别人有值得我们学习的地方，

mixed together with a degree of inaccuracy and panic

但它又与一种不准确和恐慌的感觉混合在一起，

about what this might actually be.

不知道别人值得学习的具体是什么。

Envy should,

嫉妒应该——

in a perfect world, 習語

在一个完美的世界里——

be our teacher.

成为我们的老师。

We should note when it strikes us, 用詞

我们应该在它袭来时注意它，

sift through its confused signals, 短語動詞

在它混乱的信号中进行筛选，

and use them to work out our direction and purpose. 短語動詞

并利用它们来制定我们的方向和目标。

The solution isn't to be made to feel guilty for our envious attacks, 語法

解决办法并不是让我们为自己的嫉妒攻击感到内疚，

it's to be helped to understand what's truly missing from our lives.

而是要帮助我们理解我们的生活中真正缺失的是什么。

Wrath.

暴怒。

The mean, angry things we say when we're upset

我们在心烦意乱时说的那些刻薄、愤怒的话

are almost never truly meant.

几乎从来都不是真心话。

They are the result of panic and anxiety.

它们是恐慌和焦虑的结果。

We call someone a stupid fool

我们骂别人是蠢货，

because we are, at that moment, terrified.

是因为在那个瞬间，我们感到恐惧。

We shout because we feel we're fighting for our lives. 習語

我们大喊大叫，是因为觉得我们在为自己的生命而战。

Therefore, instead of being repeatedly told how appalling it is to be angry, 表達脈絡

因此，不需要反复被告知生气是多么糟糕的事情——

we of course know this quite well already,

我们当然早就很清楚这一点了——

what we need is someone to demonstrate a proper understanding

我们需要的是有人能展示出对我们潜在恐惧的

of our underlying fears.

恰当理解。

"You must be scared."

“你一定很害怕。”

is the kindest, but also the most effective response to any angry outburst.

是对任何愤怒爆发最善良、也是最有效的回应。

It puts its finger on what's really going on. 習語

它一针见血地指出了真正发生的事情。

We need others to appreciate our fragility,

我们需要别人理解我们的脆弱，

not berate us for our roars.

而不是因为我们的咆哮而责骂我们。

Gluttony.

暴食。

We eat too many chicken wings and toasted sandwiches,

我们吃太多鸡翅和烤三明治，

not because we're greedy, 語法

不是因为我们贪婪，

but because we're emotionally starving. 習語

而是因为我们在情感上处于饥饿状态。

We want love far more than we want calories.

我们需要爱，远胜于我们需要卡路里。

We're just at a loss as to how to find them. 習語

我们只是不知道该如何找到它们。

So the solution isn't to be told to eat less,

因此，解决办法不是像饮食专家和基督教神学家建议的那样

as diet gurus and Christian theologians suggest,

被告知少吃点，

it's to be helped to discover new sources of kindness,

而是要被帮助去发现善意、

security, and emotional connection.

安全感和情感连接的新来源。

Our appetite isn't essentially bad.

我们的食欲本质上并不坏。

It simply hasn't found its ideal target.

它只是还没有找到理想的目标。

Our excess weight is a symbol of our background emotional undernourishment.

我们超重的体重反映出我们情感上营养不良的背景。

Lust.

色欲。

We want to keep jumping into bed with people, 習語

我们总想和别人上床，

not out of degeneracy,

不是因为堕落，

but because we are lonely.

而是因为我们感到孤独。

Sex is the epitome of connection and acceptance. 短語搭配

性是连接与被接纳的缩影。

The so-called bad, erotic things we crave feel so exciting 用詞

我们渴望的所谓糟糕的、情色的事物之所以让人感到如此兴奋，

because we read them as proofs of someone else's open-ended affection, 用詞

是因为我们把它们看作别人毫无保留的感情的证明，

which is in such short supply in ordinary life. 短語搭配

而这种感情在日常生活中是如此匮乏。

Ideally,

理想情况下，

we'd not be less lustful,

我们不是要减少色欲，

we'd be clearer about what we genuinely need from sex,

而是要更清楚地认识到我们真正从性中需要什么，

which is acceptance

那就是——接纳

of our messy, complex, and all-too-human selves. 用詞

我们那混乱的、复杂的、充满人性的自我。

Sloth.

怠惰。

Laziness is really fear.

懒惰其实是恐惧。

We can't bear to get down to our work because, 講解

我们无法忍受静下心来工作，因为

if we were to apply ourselves, 講解

如果我们全力以赴，

we risk terrifying humiliation.

就会面临可怕的被羞辱的风险。

We might not succeed as well as we'd like. 語法

我们可能无法取得自己想要的成功。

We might find a task too hard.

我们可能会发现一项任务太难。

We may realize we're not yet equipped to undertake it, 短語搭配

我们可能会意识到自己还不具备承担这项任务的能力，

or be mocked by the world.

或者会被世人嘲笑。

These aren't failings so much as hugely understandable worries.

与其说这些是缺点，不如说是极度可以理解的担忧。

Behind our inaction is anticipated disaster,

在我们不作为的背后是预料之中的灾难，

a catastrophizing mind. 用詞

一种总是往最坏处想的头脑。

We will begin,

我们终将

at last,

开始行动，

when the fear of doing nothing at all 表達脈絡

那是在“什么都不做”的恐惧

trumps the crippling fear of doing something badly.

战胜了“做不好某事”的巨大恐惧之时。

Greed.

贪婪。

The powerful urge to take more than our fair share 短語搭配

想占有超过自己应得份额的强烈冲动

is really a reaction to a feeling of deprivation.

实际上是对一种匮乏感的反应。

We've felt so neglected and vulnerable,

我们感到如此被忽视和脆弱，

we require ever more.

以至于我们需要更多。

Our fear is so entrenched,

我们的恐惧是如此根深蒂固，

we're trying to keep it at bay 習語

我们在试图阻止它，

by grabbing as much as we can 語法

方法是尽可能多、

as quickly as possible.

尽可能快地索取。

To others,

在别人看来，

we may look already advantaged and privileged,

我们似乎已经拥有了优势和特权，

but inside we just feel desperate.

但我们的内心只是感到绝望。

In short, 表達脈絡

简而言之，

our so-called sins are not signs of being bad people.

我们所谓的罪恶并不是成为坏人的标志。

They are the shape our unmet needs take 習語

它们是我们在没有找到更好的解决方式时，

when we haven't found any better way of addressing them.

未被满足的需求所呈现出的形态。

We don't have to be berated or threatened with hell. 語法

我们不需要被责骂或被地狱威胁。

We need an open affection

我们需要一种开放的情感，

that welcomes us as we are, 短語搭配

接纳最真实的我们，

a forgiveness that doesn't involve criticism,

一种不包含批评的宽恕，

and a tenderness

以及一种温柔，

that delicately,

它能巧妙地、

without humiliation,

不带羞辱地，

locates our true vulnerabilities

找到我们真正的弱点，

and encourages our own native appetite for reform. 習語

并鼓励我们自身对改变的本能渴望。

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我们很喜欢为您带来这些影片。

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