Text A　The Importance of Being Kind and Polite

　　"Frankly, I think you're boring.” Why do we seldom hear people speak so honestly?

　　本句翻译:"公开跟你讲,我觉得你很讨厌.”为什么我们几乎听不到人们会这样非常直来直去的讲话呢?

　　seldom 很少,几乎不

　　Unless you want to end a relationship, you don't tell another person what you think of her or him like this.

　　本句翻译:除非你要终止与对方的关系,要不然你不会跟对方说出你对她或他有这种不好的想法.

　　unless （conj.）除非；如果不

　　For example: I shall go there unless it rains. 如果不下雨,我将去那里.

　　You will fail unless you work harder. 你若不更加努力,你就会失败.

　　end （finish）结束

　　Failing to be impressed by a friend's collection of stamps, yawning when a golfer tells you about that great shot he made on the 14th hole, or falling asleep when friends show pictures from their last trip to Sault Ste. Marie are all things that educated people try not to do.

　　本句翻译:对你的朋友集邮的成就无动于衷；当一个高尔夫球手兴兴高采烈地告诉你,他的第14穴打得很精彩时,你却在打哈欠；当你的朋友们兴致勃勃地给你看他们最近到苏圣玛丽去旅游拍下的那些照片时,你却酣然入睡了--这一切都是有教养的人所尽力避免的.

　　三个并列的动名次短语做句子的主语failing to be impressed…, yawning…, falling asleep…

　　failing to be impressed 没有记住…

　　yawning 打哈欠

　　falling asleep 睡觉

　　This is what manners are about: acting in a civilized way to avoid misunderstanding, friction, and conflict.

　　本句翻译:一切行动都按市民能接受的懂礼貌的方式去做,避免误会,避免磨擦,避免冲突--这才是合乎礼貌的言行举止（注:高尔夫球,海外华人称"穴”,国内称"洞”--译者注）.

　　manners 行为方式

　　in … way 以某种方式

　　There are no laws enforcing respect.

　　本句翻译:根本就没有强迫你来尊敬别人的那种法律.

　　Yet we cannot interact with others without some rules of behavior, rules that are set by some form of social consensus.

　　本句翻译: 可是,如果没有一定的道德行为的准则,人们互相间就无法交往了.这些准则是以社会上一致赞成的公德的形式确定下来的.

　　interact with others 彼此交流,彼此交往

　　without some rules… 相当于一个条件状语从句的否定式

　　These guidelines represent what a majority of people consider acceptable and what they consider unacceptable.

　　本句翻译: 这些道德行为准则代表着大多数人所能接受的和他们认为所不能接受的做法.

　　Rude people are those whose behavior shows little respect for the rules that the majority follow.

　　本句翻译:那些行为举止根本不尊重大多数人所遵守的规则的人都是粗野的人.

　　Show respect for 对…表示出尊重

　　follow 遵守,遵循

　　For instance, because they talk at home while the television is on, many people think they can talk at movies as well.

　　本句翻译:例如,因为许多人在自己家里一边看电视一边高谈阔论,他们就认为在电影院看电影时也可以高声喧哗.

　　for instance: for example 例如

　　on: go on 进行

　　They are not even aware that this habit will bother the other members of the audience.

　　本句翻译:他们甚至没意识到,这种习惯会使其他一些电影观众感到讨厌.

　　be aware that:意识到

　　members of the audience 观众

　　member 成员

　　Restaurants have smoking and non-smoking sections, and most smokers are polite enough to ask, "Do you mind if I smoke?” before lighting up.

　　本句翻译:饭店里都设有吸烟室和非吸烟区,大多数烟民在没点着香烟之前,都会很有礼貌的问一声在旁边就座的人:"我吸烟的话,您介意吗?”

　　non- 没有,无

　　before lighting up 点燃

　　Restaurants should also have cellular-phone and no-cellular-phone sections.

　　本句翻译:饭店里本来也都应该设有手提电话区和非手提电话区.

　　A new class of rude people has been born: the look-at-me phone users whose boring conversations are just as dangerous to our mental health as smoke is to our lungs.

　　本句翻译:现在又冒出来一群新的粗野人,即看我有多神气地打着手提电话的一族.这些人在电话上的那些无聊的谈话,对我们心理健康的危害,和吸烟对我们的肺部健康的危害是同样严重的.

　　class 阶层,群体

　　look-at-me 看看我

　　Sometimes, it is better to remain unknown than to make people hate you.

　　本句翻译:有时,做一个默默无闻的人倒比让人恨你、讨厌你更好一些.

　　There are many children and adolescents whose behavior is generally unacceptable.

　　本句翻译:有很多人家的子女和一些小青年的行为是一般人所不能接受的.

　　They swear no matter who is around them, they listen to their Walkmans while the teacher is talking to them.

　　本句翻译:他们动不动就开口骂人,也不管旁边有什么人在场.在教师同他们谈话时,他们还在听他们的随身听所播放的节目.

　　no matter不管/不论（后可跟who, when, where, how 等疑问代词或疑问副词引导的从句）

　　For example: No matter who you are, you should follow the guideline. 不管你是谁,你都应当遵守这个规则.

　　I am bound to work out the problem no matter how difficult it is. 不管这个问题有多难,我一定要把它解决掉.

　　Indifferent parents who refuse to discipline their children are not helping them.

　　本句翻译:凡是那些不能用行为道德准则来约束自己的孩子,对孩子的品德漠不关心的父母,其实并不是在爱护孩子,对孩子的成长没好处.

　　discipline: punish 惩罚

　　Kids who have no idea what being polite means will pay the price sooner or later.

　　本句翻译:凡是不懂礼貌为何物的孩子,是迟早要为此付出代价的.

　　kid 小孩子

　　have no idea: don't know 不知道

　　For example: He has no idea what his future will be. 他不知道自己的未来是个什么样子.

　　pay the price 付出代价

　　For example: You will pay the price for what you have done. 你要为你所做的事情付出代价.

　　sooner or later 迟早

　　For example: If you drive like that, you will have an accident sooner or later. 你如果那样开车,迟早会出事的.

　　When they join the work force, their employers and associates alike will soon realize that the behavior of these rude young people is closer

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