如何建立自信：英語精讀講義

In well-meaning attempts to boost our confidence 片語搭配

在善意地試圖提升我們的自信心時

ahead of challenging moments,

在面對挑戰的時刻之前，

people often try to draw our attention to our strengths, 片語搭配

人們通常會試圖將我們的注意力引向我們的優點，

our intelligence,

我們的智慧，

our competence,

我們的能力，

our experience.

我們的經驗。

But this can, curiously, have some awkward consequences.

但奇怪的是，這可能會帶來一些尷尬的後果。

There's a type of under-confidence

有一種缺乏自信的情況

that arises specifically when we grow too attached to our own dignity 片語搭配

正是當我們過於看重自己的尊嚴

and become anxious around any situation that might seem to threaten it.

並對任何似乎會威脅到尊嚴的情況感到焦慮時才會出現。

We hold back from challenges 片語動詞

我們對挑戰退縮，

in which there's any risk of ending up looking ridiculous, 片語動詞

只要其中有任何最終可能顯得可笑的風險，

which comprises, of course,

這當然包含了

almost all the most interesting situations.

幾乎所有最有趣的情況。

In a foreign city,

在一個陌生的城市，

we might grow reluctant to ask anyone 片語搭配

我們可能會變得不願去問任何人

to guide us to the nice bars

指引我們去不錯的酒吧，

because they might think us

因為他們可能會覺得我們

an ignorant,

是一個無知的、

pitiable,

可憐的、

lost tourist.

迷路的遊客。

We might long to kiss someone,

我們可能很想親吻某人，

but never let on 片語動詞

但卻從不表露，

out of a fear that they could dismiss us 片語搭配

出於害怕他們會拒絕我們，

as a predatory loser.

甚至把我們當成貪婪的失敗者。

Or at work,

或者在工作中，

we don't apply for a promotion 片語搭配

我們不去申請晉升，

in case the senior management deems us 文法

以防高層管理人員認為我們

delusionally arrogant.

狂妄自大。

In a concerted bid never to look foolish, 片語搭配

為了絕不顯得愚蠢，我們齊心協力，

we don't venture very far from our cocoon

不敢走出自己的舒適圈太遠，

and thereby,

從而，

from time to time at least,

至少偶爾，

miss out on the best opportunities of our lives. 片語動詞

錯失了我們人生中最好的機會。

At the heart of our under-confidence 文法

我們缺乏自信的核心

is a skewed picture of how dignified

是對一個人保持尊嚴的常態，

it is normal for a person to be.

有著一種扭曲的認知。

We imagine that it might be possible,

我們想像或許可能，

after a certain age,

在達到一定年齡後，

to place ourselves beyond mockery. 慣用語

讓自己免受嘲笑。

We trust that it's an option

我們相信這是一個選項，

to lead a good life

去過上美好的生活，

without regularly making a complete idiot of ourselves. 慣用語

而無需經常把自己搞得像個十足的白痴。

One of the most charming books

近代早期歐洲寫過的

ever written in early modern Europe

最迷人的書籍之一，

is called In Praise of Folly 文化背景

名叫《愚人頌》，

by the Dutch scholar and philosopher Erasmus.

作者是荷蘭學者和哲學家伊拉斯謨。

In its pages,

在書中，

Erasmus advances a hugely liberating argument. 片語搭配

伊拉斯謨提出了一個極具解放意義的論點。

In a warm tone,

他以溫和的語氣，

he reminds us that everyone,

提醒我們，每個人，

however important and learned they might be, 文法

無論多麼重要或博學，

is a fool.

都是一個傻瓜。

No one is spared,

沒有人能例外，

not even the author.

即使是作者本人。

However well-schooled he himself was,

儘管他自己受過良好的教育，

Erasmus remained,

伊拉斯謨依然，

he insists,

他堅持認為，

as much of a nitwit as anyone else. 文法

和其他任何人一樣是個笨蛋。

His judgment is faulty,

他的判斷會出錯，

his passions get the better of him. 慣用語

他會被情感衝昏頭腦。

He is prey to superstition 慣用語

他容易迷信

and irrational fear.

和產生非理性的恐懼。

He's shy whenever he has to meet new people.

每當他必須結識新朋友時，他都會害羞。

He drops things at elegant dinners.

他會在優雅的晚宴上掉東西。

This is deeply cheering,

這讓人深感欣慰，

for it means that our own repeated idiocies

因為這意味著我們自己一再的愚蠢行為

don't have to exclude us from the best company.

並不必然將我們排除在最優秀的群體之外。

Looking like a prick,

看起來像個蠢貨、

making blunders,

犯下大錯，

and doing bizarre things in the night

以及在夜裡做奇怪的事，

doesn't render us unfit for society. 文法

都不致於讓我們無法適應社會。

It just makes us a bit more like

這只會讓我們變得更像

the greatest scholar

那位最偉大的學者，

of the Northern European Renaissance.

屬於北歐文藝復興時期的。

There's a similarly uplifting message

同樣令人振奮的訊息

to be pulled from the work of Pieter Bruegel. 文化背景

也可以從老彼得·布勒哲爾的作品中找到。

His central work,

他的核心作品

The Dutch Proverbs,

《尼德蘭箴言》，

presents a comically disenchanted view

呈現了一種帶有滑稽清醒視角的，

of human nature.

關於人性的畫面。

Everyone,

所有人，

he suggests,

他暗示，

is pretty much deranged.

幾乎都有些精神錯亂。

Here's a man throwing his money into the river.

這裡有個男人把錢扔進河裡。

There's a soldier squatting on the fire

那裡有個士兵蹲在火上

and burning his trousers.

燒自己的褲子。

Someone is intently bashing his head against a brick wall. 慣用語

有人正在拼命用頭撞磚牆。

Someone else is biting a pillar.

還有人在咬柱子。

Importantly, 表達脈絡

重要的是，

the painting is not an attack

這幅畫不是在抨擊

on just a few unusually awful people.

少數幾個特別糟糕的人。

It's a picture of parts of all of us.

它描繪的是我們所有人身上的一部分。

Bruegel and Erasmus's work proposes

布勒哲爾和伊拉斯謨的作品提出，

that the way to greater confidence 表達脈絡

獲得更大自信的方法

isn't to reassure ourselves of our own dignity.

並不是讓我們確認自己的尊嚴。

It's to grow at peace

而是要平和地接受

with the inevitable nature of our ridiculousness.

我們荒謬的不可避免的本性。

We are idiots now. 表達脈絡

我們現在是白痴。

We've been idiots in the past,

我們過去也是白痴，

and we will be idiots again in the future.

我們未來還會是白痴。

And that's okay.

這沒什麼大不了的。

There aren't any other available options

並沒有其他可用的選項

for human beings to be.

讓人類選擇成為別的樣子。

Once we learn to see ourselves 文法

一旦我們學會將自己視為

as already and by nature foolish,

生來就已經愚蠢的人，

it really doesn't matter so much

這真的沒那麼重要了，

if we do one more thing

如果我們再做一件

that might make us look a bit stupid. 文法

可能會讓我們看起來有點傻的事。

The person we try to kiss

我們想要親吻的那個人

could indeed think us ridiculous.

確實可能會覺得我們可笑。

The individual we asked directions from

我們問路的那個人，

in a foreign city

在陌生的城市裡，

might regard us with contempt. 片語搭配

可能會輕視我們。

But if these people did so, 文法

但如果這些人這麼做了，

it wouldn't be news to us. 慣用語

對我們來說也不算什麼新鮮事。

They'd only be confirming

他們只不過是在印證

what we'd already gracefully accepted

我們很久以前

in our hearts long ago,

就已經在內心從容接受的事實，

that we,

那就是我們，

like them

像他們

and every other person on the earth,

以及地球上的其他所有人一樣，

are a nitwit.

都是個笨蛋。

The risk of trying and failing

嘗試然後失敗的風險

would have its sting substantially removed. 慣用語

其刺痛感將大大減輕。

The fear of humiliation

對羞辱的恐懼

would no longer stalk us in the shadows 慣用語

就不會再在我們腦海的陰影中

of our minds.

作祟。

We would grow free to give things a go 慣用語

我們會更自由地去嘗試事物，

by accepting that failure

透過接受失敗

was the acceptable norm.

是可接受的常態。

And every so often, 片語搭配

而偶爾，

amidst the endless rebuffs

在無盡的拒絕中——

we'd have factored in from the outset, 片語動詞

我們從一開始就已經考慮到的——

it would work.

它會成功的。

We'd get a kiss.

我們會得到一個吻。

We'd make a friend.

我們會交到一個朋友。

We'd get a raise. 片語搭配

我們會得到加薪。

The road to greater confidence 慣用語

通往更大自信的道路

begins with a ritual of telling oneself solemnly

始於一個儀式，即莊嚴地告訴自己，

every morning before heading out for the day 片語動詞

每天早上出門前，

that one is a mutton-head, 用詞

自己是個傻瓜、

a cretin,

一個白痴、

a dumbbell,

一個笨蛋、

and an imbecile.

也是一個低能兒。

One or two more acts of folly

再做一兩件蠢事

should thereafter not matter very much

之後應該就無足輕重了，

at all.

根本。