七宗罪：英語精讀講義

Christianity has traditionally spoken a lot about sinners.

傳統上，基督教談論過很多關於罪人的事。

In the 4th century,

在西元4世紀，

the church identified seven deadly sins, 文化背景

教會確立了「七宗罪」，

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

將其視為所有正直之人都應特別譴責和避免的性格缺陷。

They were pride,

它們分別是傲慢，

being snobbish and boastful,

即勢利和自誇；

envy,

嫉妒；

wrath,

暴怒，

getting very angry,

即非常生氣；

gluttony,

暴食，

eating too much,

即吃得太多；

lust,

色慾，

wanting to sleep around, 片語動詞

即到處與人發生性關係；

sloth,

怠惰，

being lazy,

即懶惰；

and finally greed.

最後是貪婪。

Christianity took these to be severe faults of the soul

基督教認為這些都是靈魂的嚴重過失，

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

它將一個人標記為理應受到責罵和懲罰的對象。

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

在審判日那天，上帝本人將

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

對罪人毫不留情，並將他們送往更黑暗、

more tortured bits of purgatory. 文化背景

更受折磨的煉獄深處度過漫長歲月。

We may not use precisely such traditional theological words today,

如今我們也許不會準確地使用這些傳統的宗教詞彙，

and we may not imagine the creator of the universe

我們也許不會將宇宙的創造者想像成

as someone who organizes chastisement for people beyond the grave. 慣用語

在死後為人們安排懲罰的人。

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

但是，從我們解釋性格缺陷

and respond to people's less fortunate sides,

並應對人們不那麼美好的一面的態度來看，

in the online and real worlds,

無論是在網路世界還是現實世界中，

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

我們往往都保留著一套同樣充滿譴責且不寬容的觀念。

We may feel that through our harshness,

我們可能覺得，透過我們的嚴苛，

we're helping humanity to improve.

我們在幫助人類進步。

But if this is really our goal,

但如果這真的是我們的目標，

then it pays to move beyond mere condemnation 片語搭配

那麼超越單純的譴責就是值得的，

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

我們要試著去理解，在人們處於令人遺憾的時刻時，真正驅使他們的是什麼。

We stand to stumble on a surprising truth. 講解

我們很可能會偶然發現一個令人驚訝的事實。

Behavior we call sinful is never simply that.

我們稱之為有罪的行為絕不僅限於此。

It represents an unfortunate first response to difficulty and distress

它代表了一種在面對困難和痛苦時不幸的第一反應，

that could, if it were properly understood, 文法

如果能被正確地理解、

guided, and forgiven,

引導和原諒，

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. 文法

我們與其說是邪惡，不如說是在許多方面承受著巨大的痛苦。

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

讓我們依次來看一下這七宗罪。

Pride.

傲慢。

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

我們最終自吹自擂、譁眾取寵，

because we're so pleased with ourselves.

看起來似乎是因為我們對自己很滿意。

Far from it. 慣用語

事實遠非如此。

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

吹噓僅僅是對「透明感」的一種回應。

We badly need to thrust forward our own importance

我們迫切需要突出自己的重要性，

because behind the scenes, 慣用語

因為在幕後，

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

我們生存的權利似乎都飽受質疑。

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

我們認為別人幾乎不可避免地會把我們往壞處想，

unless we urgently and dramatically assert our greatness.

除非我們迫切地、戲劇性地展現自己的偉大。

That's why, of all people, 慣用語

這就是為什麼在所有人中，

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

驕傲的人最不需要被告知他們有多糟糕。

This is precisely what they secretly think they are already.

這恰恰是他們內心深處對自己的看法。

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

他們需要鼓勵，從而對自身的優點感到一種更真誠的驕傲，

and then to be spared the manic impulse

然後再免受那種狂熱衝動的驅使，

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

不必不斷地呼喚別人來關注他們。

Envy.

嫉妒。

Envy is a graceless way of confronting an idea

嫉妒是一種面對某種觀念時極不優雅的方式，

that is, in other contexts,

而在其他情況下，這種觀念

fundamental to decent ambition,

是合理的雄心壯志

as well as modesty of character.

以及謙遜性格的基礎。

The notion that we are incomplete,

這種觀念就是，我們是不完整的、

imperfect, and in need of improvement. 片語搭配

不完美的，且需要改進的。

Envy grows from the legitimate insight

嫉妒源於一種合理的洞察，

that others have something to teach us,

即別人有值得我們學習的地方，

mixed together with a degree of inaccuracy and panic

但它又與一種不準確和恐慌的感覺混合在一起，

about what this might actually be.

不知道別人值得學習的具體是什麼。

Envy should,

嫉妒應該——

in a perfect world, 慣用語

在一個完美的世界裡——

be our teacher.

成為我們的老師。

We should note when it strikes us, 用詞

我們應該在它襲來時注意它，

sift through its confused signals, 片語動詞

在它混亂的信號中進行篩選，

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

並利用它們來制定我們的方向和目標。

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

解決辦法並不是讓我們為自己的嫉妒攻擊感到內疚，

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

而是要幫助我們理解我們的生活中真正缺失的是什麼。

Wrath.

暴怒。

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

我們在心煩意亂時說的那些刻薄、憤怒的話

are almost never truly meant.

幾乎從來都不是真心話。

They are the result of panic and anxiety.

它們是恐慌和焦慮的結果。

We call someone a stupid fool

我們罵別人是蠢貨，

because we are, at that moment, terrified.

是因為在那個瞬間，我們感到恐懼。

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

我們大喊大叫，是因為覺得我們在為自己的生命而戰。

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

因此，不需要反覆被告知生氣是多麼糟糕的事情——

we of course know this quite well already,

我們當然早就很清楚這一點了——

what we need is someone to demonstrate a proper understanding

我們需要的是有人能展示出對我們潛在恐懼的

of our underlying fears.

恰當理解。

"You must be scared."

「你一定很害怕。」

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

是對任何憤怒爆發最善良、也是最有效的回應。

It puts its finger on what's really going on. 慣用語

它一針見血地指出了真正發生的事情。

We need others to appreciate our fragility,

我們需要別人理解我們的脆弱，

not berate us for our roars.

而不是因為我們的咆哮而責罵我們。

Gluttony.

暴食。

We eat too many chicken wings and toasted sandwiches,

我們吃太多雞翅和烤三明治，

not because we're greedy, 文法

不是因為我們貪婪，

but because we're emotionally starving. 慣用語

而是因為我們在情感上處於飢餓狀態。

We want love far more than we want calories.

我們需要愛，遠勝於我們需要卡路里。

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

我們只是不知道該如何找到它們。

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

因此，解決辦法不是像飲食專家和基督教神學家建議的那樣

as diet gurus and Christian theologians suggest,

被告知少吃點，

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

而是要被幫助去發現善意、

security, and emotional connection.

安全感和情感連結的新來源。

Our appetite isn't essentially bad.

我們的食慾本質上並不壞。

It simply hasn't found its ideal target.

它只是還沒有找到理想的目標。

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

我們超重的體重反映出我們情感上營養不良的背景。

Lust.

色慾。

We want to keep jumping into bed with people, 慣用語

我們總想和別人上床，

not out of degeneracy,

不是因為墮落，

but because we are lonely.

而是因為我們感到孤獨。

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

性是連結與被接納的縮影。

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

我們渴望的所謂糟糕的、情色的事物之所以讓人感到如此興奮，

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

是因為我們把它們看作別人毫無保留的感情的證明，

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

而這種感情在日常生活中是如此匱乏。

Ideally,

理想情況下，

we'd not be less lustful,

我們不是要減少色慾，

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

而是要更清楚地認識到我們真正從性中需要什麼，

which is acceptance

那就是——接納

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

我們那混亂的、複雜的、充滿人性的自我。

Sloth.

怠惰。

Laziness is really fear.

懶惰其實是恐懼。

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

我們無法忍受靜下心來工作，因為

if we were to apply ourselves, 講解

如果我們全力以赴，

we risk terrifying humiliation.

就會面臨可怕的被羞辱的風險。

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

我們可能無法取得自己想要的成功。

We might find a task too hard.

我們可能會發現一項任務太難。

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

我們可能會意識到自己還不具備承擔這項任務的能力，

or be mocked by the world.

或者會被世人嘲笑。

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

與其說這些是缺點，不如說是極度可以理解的擔憂。

Behind our inaction is anticipated disaster,

在我們不作為的背後是預料之中的災難，

a catastrophizing mind. 用詞

一種總是往最壞處想的頭腦。

We will begin,

我們終將

at last,

開始行動，

when the fear of doing nothing at all 表達脈絡

那是在「什麼都不做」的恐懼

trumps the crippling fear of doing something badly.

戰勝了「做不好某事」的巨大恐懼之時。

Greed.

貪婪。

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

想佔有超過自己應得份額的強烈衝動

is really a reaction to a feeling of deprivation.

實際上是對一種匱乏感的反應。

We've felt so neglected and vulnerable,

我們感到如此被忽視和脆弱，

we require ever more.

以至於我們需要更多。

Our fear is so entrenched,

我們的恐懼是如此根深蒂固，

we're trying to keep it at bay 慣用語

我們在試圖阻止它，

by grabbing as much as we can 文法

方法是盡可能多、

as quickly as possible.

盡可能快地索取。

To others,

在別人看來，

we may look already advantaged and privileged,

我們似乎已經擁有了優勢和特權，

but inside we just feel desperate.

但我們的內心只是感到絕望。

In short, 表達脈絡

簡而言之，

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

我們所謂的罪惡並不是成為壞人的標誌。

They are the shape our unmet needs take 慣用語

它們是我們在沒有找到更好的解決方式時，

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

未被滿足的需求所呈現出的形態。

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

我們不需要被責罵或被地獄威脅。

We need an open affection

我們需要一種開放的情感，

that welcomes us as we are, 片語搭配

接納最真實的我們，

a forgiveness that doesn't involve criticism,

一種不包含批評的寬恕，

and a tenderness

以及一種溫柔，

that delicately,

它能巧妙地、

without humiliation,

不帶羞辱地，

locates our true vulnerabilities

找到我們真正的弱點，

and encourages our own native appetite for reform. 慣用語

並鼓勵我們自身對改變的本能渴望。

We love bringing you these films.

我們很喜歡為您帶來這些影片。

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如果您想幫助我們繼續為您提供發人深省的內容，

please consider supporting us

請考慮支持我們，

by visiting our shop at the link on your screen now.

您可以點擊螢幕上的連結訪問我們的商店。