ExpressingOne』sIndividuality
阿諾德·貝內特/ArnoldBennet
Amostcuriousandusefulthingtorealizeisthatoneneverknowstheimpressiononeiscreatingonotherpeople.Onemayoftenguessprettyaccuratelywhetheritisgood,bad,orindifferent.Somepeoplerenderitunnecessaryforonetoguess,theypracticallyinformone,butthatisnotwhatImean.Imeanmuchmorethanthat.Imeanthatonehasone』sselfnomentalpicturecorrespondingtothementalpicturewhichone』spersonalityleavesinthemindsofone』sfriends.Hasiteverstruckyouthatthereisamysteriousindividualgoingaround,walkingthestreets,callingathousesfortea,chatting,laughing,grumbling,arguing,andthatallyourfriendsknowhimandhavelongsinceaddedhimupandcometoadefiniteconclusionabouthim,withoutsayingmorethanachance,cautiouswordtoyou;andthatthatpersonisyou!Supposingthatyoucameintoadrawingroomwhereyouwerehavingtea,doyouthinkyouwouldrecognizeyourselfasanindividuality?Ithinknot.Youwouldbeapttosaytoyourselfasguestsdowhendisturbedinthedrawingroombyotherguests,「Who』sthischap?Seemsratherqueer.Ihopehewon』tbeabore.」Andyourfirsttellingwouldbeslightlyhostile.Why,evenwhenyoumeetyourselfinanunsuspectedmirrorintheveryclothesthatyouhaveputonthatverydayandthatyouknowbyheart,youarealmostalwaysshockedbytherealizationthatyouareyou.Andnowandthen,whenyouhavegonetotheglasstoarrangeyourhairinthefullsobrietyofearlymorning,haveyounotlookedonanabsolutestranger,andhasnotthatstrangerpiquedyourcuriosity?Andifitisthuswithpreciseexternaldetailsofform,colour,andmovement,whatmayitnotbewiththevaguecomplexeffectofthementalandmoralindividuality?
Amanhonestlytriestomakeagoodimpression.Whatistheresult?Theresultmerelyisthathisfriends,intheprivacyoftheirminds,sethimdownasamanwhotriestomakeagoodimpression.Ifmuchdependsontheresultofasingleinterview,oracoupleofinterviews,amanmayconceivablyforceanothertoacceptanimpressionofhimselfwhichhewouldliketoconvey.Butifthereceiveroftheimpressionistohavetimeathisdisposal,thenthegiveroftheimpressionmayjustaswellsitdownandputhishandsinhispockets,fornothingthathecandowillmodifyorinfluenceinanywaytheimpressionthathewillultimatelygive.Therealimpressis,intheend,givenunconsciously,notconsciously;andfurther,itisreceivedunconsciously,notconsciously.Itdependspartlyonbothpersons.Anditisimmutablyfixedbeforehand.Therecanbenofinaldeception
我意識到一件很奇怪也很有意義的事情是，一個人往往不清楚自己留給別人的印象怎樣。是好是壞呢，還是不好不壞，這些倒是能很準確地猜測出來。有些人認為你沒必要去猜測，他們差不多就講給你聽了，但是我想要說的不是這個，也遠不止這個。我想要說的是，一個人頭腦中對自己的印象和他本人在他朋友們頭腦中的印象往往很不一致。你曾經想到這樣的事嗎？世上有那麼一個詭異的人，到處跑來跑去，上街訪友，又說又笑，口出怨言，大發議論，他的朋友都對他很熟悉，對他早已知根知底，對他的看法也早有定論。除了偶爾且謹慎的隻言片語外，平時卻很少向他透露。而那個人就是你自己。
比如，你走進客廳去喝茶，你敢說你能認得這個人就是你自己嗎？我看不一定。你很可能也會像客廳裡的客人那樣，當難以忍受其他客人的騷擾時，心裡就盤算說：這是哪個傢伙，真是怪異。但願他少討人嫌。你的第一反應就是略帶敵意。甚至就連你突然在一面鏡子前面遇到了你自己，穿的衣服也正是你心裡記得很清楚的那天的服裝，無論如何，你還是會因認出了你就是你而感到吃驚。還有，當你偶爾到鏡子前整理頭髮時，儘管是在最清醒的大清早，你不是也好像瞥見了一個完全陌生的人嗎？而且這陌生人還讓你頗為好奇呢。如果說連形式、顏色、動作這類準確的外觀細節都是這樣，那麼像對心智和道德這種不易把握的複雜情況又將怎樣呢？
有人真心實意地去努力留下一個好印象。結果怎樣呢，在他朋友們的內心深處，他不過被認為是一個刻意給人留下好印象的人。如果只憑單獨一次或幾次會面——一個人倒很能迫使另一個人接受他本人希望達成的某種印象。但是如果接受印象的人有足夠的時間來自由支配，那麼印象的給予者就只能束手靜坐了，因為他的所有招數都絲毫改變不了或影響不了他最終所造成的印象。真正的印象是在最後，是無意而不是刻意造成的。同時，它也是無意而不是刻意被接受的。它的形成要靠雙方，而且事先就已經確定，最終的欺騙是不可能的……
記憶填空
1.Onemayoftenprettyaccuratelywhetheritisgood,bad,orindifferentsomepeoplerenderunnecessaryforonetoguess,theypracticallyinformonebutthatisnotwhatImean.Imuchmorethanthat.
2.Amanhonestlytriestoagoodimpression.Whatisthe?Theresultmerelyisthathis,intheprivacyoftheirminds,sethimdownasamanwhotomakeagoodimpression.
3.Therealimpressis,inthe,givenunconsciously,notconsciously;and,itisreceivedunconsciously,consciously.
佳句翻譯
1.你的第一反應就是略帶敵意。
2.有人真心實意地去努力留下一個好印象。
3.真正的印象是在最後，是無意而不是刻意造成的。
短語應用
1.Imeanthatonehasone』sselfnomentalpicturecorrespondingtothementalpicture.
correspondto：相應於；相當於；符合於
2.Youwouldbeapttosaytoyourselfasguestsdowhendisturbedindrawingroomsbyotherguests.
beaptto：易於；往往