英国语文第二册 第65期:与人交谈,款语温言

 　　LESSON 65 Let us speak the best we can 第65课 与人交谈，款语温言

　　Nay¹, speak no ill! a kindly² word.  永远不要，说别人的坏话！

　　Can never leave a sting behind; and oh! to breathe each tale we've heard is far beneath a noble mind.  亲切、温和的言辞是永远不会给别人带来伤害的。

　　Full off a better seed is sown by choosing thus the better plan 哦！我们所听到的每一句坏话都是出自心灵阴暗的人之口。

　　For if but little good be known, Still let us speak the best we can. 如果选择一个更加友好的表达方式，播种一颗充满友善的种子， 即使好意不被人所识，我们仍然要做到与人交谈，款语温言。

　　Give me the heart that fain would hide—would fain another's guilt³ efface⁴:  给我一颗满载欢愉的心，能够将所有的不快一扫而空：

　　How can it pleasure human pride to prove humanity but base?  低贱的语言又怎能使人的自尊心感到愉悦呢？

　　No; let us reach a higher mood, a nobler estimate of man;  当然不能；保持一个更加平和的心态吧，用一种欣赏的眼光审视别人；

　　Be earnest in the search of good, and let us speak the best we can.  追求美好的事物，做到款语温言。

　　Then speak no ill, but lenient⁵ be to others' failings as your own;  不要背后嚼舌根，像对待自己的不足一样去宽容别人的缺点；

　　If you're the first a fault to see, be you the last to make it known. 倘若你是第一个发现别人错误的人，那么你也要做到是最后知晓这件事的人。

　　For life is but a passing day, no tongue may tell how brief its span; Then, all the little time we stay, 人生就好比是逐渐消逝的一天，没有人知道它的长短。因此，让我们在余下的时间内做到：

　　Still let us speak the best we can.—Anon 与人交谈，款语温言吧！——佚名

1 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

2 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

3 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

4 efface   

v.擦掉，抹去

参考例句：

• It takes many years to efface the unpleasant memories of a war.许多年后才能冲淡战争的不愉快记忆。
• He could not efface the impression from his mind.他不能把这个印象从心中抹去。

5 lenient   

adj.宽大的，仁慈的

参考例句：

• The judge was lenient with him.法官对他很宽大。
• It's a question of finding the means between too lenient treatment and too severe punishment.问题是要找出处理过宽和处罚过严的折中办法。