本文選自 The Economist 1月刊文章 Glass Half-Empty
As they examine how Mr Baumgartner and others reverse morbid patterns of thought, the authors set out a rule of thumb: “It takes four good things to overcome one bad thing.”
自譯：作者們在研究鮑姆加特納和其他人是如何逆轉病態思維模式的過程中，提出了壹個拇指法則：“克服壹件壞事的影響需要四件好事。”
參考：兩位作者開始研究鮑姆加特納和其他人是如何逆轉病態的思維模式的，過程中他們提出了壹條經驗法則：“克服壹件壞事的影響需要四件好事。”
Morbid 這個單詞，中文解釋是“病態的”，看英文更好理解壹點：used to describe anyone who spends too much time thinking about death or disease. 那麽文中提到的 others 就表示壹些花費過多時間思考死亡或疾病的群體。
Morbid 這個單詞來源於詞根 morbidus，意思是“diseased”或者“sick”，除了形容人外，還可用於形容物，比如，“如果妳把墓碑掛在墻上，妳的藝術品位也可能被描述為病態”，If you hang tombstones on your walls, your taste in art could also be described asmorbid.
在本段中，運用了壹個俚語，Rule of thumb，表示“經驗之談；經驗法則”的意思，英文解釋：a pratical and approximate way of doing or measuring something，“有個方便實用的估算方法，即兩把生米夠壹人吃的量”，A good rule of thumb is that a portion of rice is two handfuls.
再比如，“如果有人傷心，有個實用方法，給她看電視劇《大主宰》就好了。”If someone is sad, there is a wonderful rule of thumb to show her or him the TV series "The Great Master" starring RoyWang.（親測有用）
Set out 主要有兩個意思：文中采取第壹個意思
To start an activity with a particular aim （懷著特定目的）開始，著手
She set out with the aim of Amwaying TV series "The Great Master" to the people around her.她努力的目標就是向周圍人安利超級好看的電視劇《大主宰》。
[ + to do sth. ] Many Doctors set out to discover a cure for the new coronavirus.許多醫生開始尋找壹種治愈新型冠狀病毒的方法。
2. To start a jouney 出發，啟程
Accordingly, they are less keen onaccentuatinglife’s positives than on trying tomuffle its negatives.In part that meansreframing adversity, like wounded soldiers who view injury “not as something that shattered their plans but as something that started them on a new path”.
自譯：於是，相比較強調生活的積極態度，他們更熱衷於嘗試消除負面影響。這意味著克服逆境，就像受傷的士兵，將受傷看作是重新開始壹段新的路程而不是打亂了他們的計劃。
參考：相應地，他們不太熱衷於強調生活的積極面，而更註重積極去降低消極面的影響。在某種程度上，這意味著要重新審視逆境，就像受傷的士兵認為負傷“不是打碎了他們的計劃，而是推動他們走上了壹條新的道路”。
錯誤點：accordingly 翻譯不準確；最後壹句引號中內容翻譯時沒有強調。
Than 為連詞，引導比較狀語從句，句子有省略；第壹個 that 為指示代詞，who 為關系代詞，引導定語從句，句中含有 not…but… 並列結構，意為“不是……而是……”；第二個 that 為關系代詞，引導定語從句。
Accentuate life's positives 與? muffle its negatives 是壹對相反的意思，其中 accentuate 意思是“著重，強調；使明顯”，英文釋義為：to emphasize particular feature of something or to make something more noticeable. 例如，“她的裙子衣袋系得很緊，凸顯出苗條的腰身”可以這樣說：Her dress was tightly belted, accentuating the slimness of her waist.
後壹個動詞 muffle 有兩層意思，表意是“使（聲音）變輕微（或低沈）[to make a sound quieter and less clear]”，例如，“這所房子裝有雙層玻璃以減弱飛機噪聲的幹擾”，The house has double-glazed windows to muffle the noise of aircraft. 文中使用的是它的引申義“削弱，使模糊[to make something less strong or clear]”。
因此，語段they are less keen on accentuating life's positives|| than on trying to muffle its negatives. 可以用英文解釋為：They are less keen on emphasize life's positives than on trying to make its negatives less strong.
文中用 reframe adversity 表示“重新審視逆境”，用英文解釋為：to change the way to consider unlucky situations or events. 積累到壹個表示“逆境”的新詞：adversity [in the sense of hardship]，其同義詞還有：hardship, trouble, distress, suffering, trial, disaster, reverse, hard times, sorrow, catastrophe, woe, misfortune, bad luck, deep water, calamity, mishap, affliction, ill-fortune, ill-luck
對於 deep water，我們通常說的“水深火熱”可以用到這個詞：deep water and scorching fire。
Shatter their plans，參考翻譯為“打碎他們的計劃”，其中 shatter 的意思為：to end or severely damage something，嚴重破壞某事。“這本書擊碎了她對羅馬人的壹切幻想”The book shattered all her illusions about the Romans. 有時也可用於打破寧靜，例如“吵鬧的摩托聲打破了寧靜/平靜/靜謐”, Noisy motorbikes shattered the peace/calm/stillness.
有時候，我們或許經歷著谷底，但換個角度看，生活也就不那麽難熬，「人如果壹直敷衍地生活，很容易覺得時間飛逝而自己壹事無成；如果偶爾經歷壹些難熬的瞬間，就能稍微抓住些時光的痕跡」（引自《環球人物》專欄《王源說》）
Sometimes, we may in the deep water, but from another perspective, life is not so hard. "If people live perfunctorily all the time, it's easy to feel that time flies and they can't achieve anything; if they occasionally experience some adversities and try to muffle its negatives, maybe they can grasp some traces of time".(quoted from the global people column "RoyWang Said")
On a more parochial note, they advise that people who have to deal with rude customers finish every encounter, no matter how bruising, with a positive gesture— and that if you are likely to be on the receiving end of reviews, you should get a friend to summarise them, to avoid direct exposure to indelibly hurtful phrases.
自譯：在更具體的警示上，他們建議人們在與粗魯的顧客打交道時都以積極的姿勢結束商談，不管事情有多糟糕——如果妳可能是接受評價的壹方，妳需要找壹個朋友去做總結，去避免直接接觸不能消滅的會讓妳受傷的話語。
參考：在壹個更具體的情境中，他們建議那些不得不與粗魯的顧客打交道的人以積極的姿態結束每壹次接觸，不管剛剛的經歷有多麽讓人受傷——另外，如果妳很有可能是要接受評價的壹方，那妳應該找壹個朋友替妳來總結評語，從而避免直接接觸到那些可能會造成不可磨滅的傷害的惡言惡語。
第壹個 that 為連詞，引導賓語從句；who 為關系代詞，引導定語從句；no matter 引導讓步狀語從句；to summarize 為不定式，作賓語補足語（或稱復合賓語）。
On a more parochial note，“在壹個更具體的情境中”，parochial 有兩層意思，第壹層是“教區的”，parochial boundaries 就是“堂區分界線”的意思；文中采取的是它第二層意思，“showing interest only in a narrow range of matters, especially those that directly affect yourself, your town, or your country，偏狹的，尤其是自己或者地方觀念的”，這裏翻譯成“在壹個更狹隘的情境中”就有點別扭，結合上下文，所以翻譯成“在壹個更具體的情境中”。
通常我們說“打交道”用的都是：to come into contact with 或者 to have dealings，文中用的是：to deal with sb.? 這個短語特用於在工作上與某人打交道，後面也可以接 sth，意思是“處理，動手解決 [to take action in order to achieve something or in order to solve a problem]”，例如：General enquiries are dealt with by our head office. （普通的咨詢由我們總部來解決。）
Indelibly hurtful phrases，不可磨滅的惡言惡語。Indelible 本義是指“洗不掉的[an indelible mark or substance is impossible to remove by washing or in any other way]”，例如，洗不掉的墨水漬，indelible ink. 這裏使用的是引申義“（記憶或行為）不可磨滅的[indelible memories or actions are impossible to forget, or have a permanent influence or effect]”，“這壹次的疫情給全國人民留下了不可磨滅的印象”， This outbreak of coronavirus makes an indelible impression for our country.
A few of the authors’ tips are bland:keep to a minimum your dealings with any colleague who is clearly a bad apple, “make time for nostalgia” and in dark moments try repeating the analgesic phrase, “This too shall pass.”
自譯：作者的某些建議很溫和：減少與任何事害群之馬的同事打交道，“找點時間懷舊”和在黑暗的時刻，嘗試反復念叨安慰的話語，“這些都會過去的。”
參考：作者的某些建議平淡無奇：盡量少和任何明顯是害群之馬的同事打交道；“騰出時間懷舊”；在黑暗時刻試著反復默念能夠撫慰傷痛的話語——“都會過去的。”
本段采用壹般現在時；Keep 開頭為祈使句，to a minimum 為介詞短語作狀語，被移位到賓語之前；who 為關系代詞，引導定語從句。
bland：not having a strong taste or character or not showing any interest or energy 無滋味的；枯燥乏味的，沒精打采的，“在枯燥乏味的日子，看看王源主演的電視劇《大主宰》成了我為數不多的樂趣”，On the bland days, watching the TV series "The Great Master" starred by RoyWang become one of my few pleasures.
A bad apple，害群之馬；a bad apple spoils the barrel 壹粒老鼠屎壞了壹鍋湯（one grain of rat feces ruins the whole pot of porridge.）
More often, though, their tone is challenging. They believe that higher education, after decades of enfeeblement by exaggerated anxieties about student well-being, should embrace a policy of “less carrot and more stick”.
自譯：但更多時候，他們的論調具有挑戰性。他們認為幾十年來，高等教育對學生的未來太過焦慮，應采取措施“少給胡蘿蔔，多些棍棒。”
參考：不過更多時候，他們的論調很挑戰人們的認知。他們認為，幾十年來，高等教育對學生的福祉焦慮過度，以致自身衰弱無力，如今應采取“少給些胡蘿蔔，多來些大棒”的政策。
enfeeble：to make someone or something very weak 使衰弱；使無力
Embrace a policy，采取措施。Embrace 在這裏是“采納[to accept something enthusiastically]”的意思，“這樣的機會他是求之不得的”，This was an opportunity that he would embrace.
Public debate, they argue, tends to be shaped by people whose livelihood depends on amplifying the chances of catastrophe. Thus the commentariat offers rivetingly grim pieces about the risks of opioid pain-relievers, but fails to acknowledge their benefits.
參考：他們指出，有些人的生計就是靠誇大災難事件發生的概率，而能夠影響公***辯論的往往正是這種人。因此，時事評論員的報道都在說阿片類鎮痛藥物的風險如何之大——而不願承認這類藥物的益處。
To be shaped 為不定式，作賓語，采用被動語態；whose 引導定語從句；offers 為雙賓動詞作謂語，采用壹般現在時，rivetingly 為間接賓語，pieces 為直接賓語；to acknowledge 為不定式作賓語。
Public debate，公開爭論。“這個問題早就為大眾所爭論不休了”，This issue is long overdue for a public debate.
Amplify 本意是“to make something louder，擴大（聲音）”，例如：amplified music/guitar，經過擴音的音樂/帶有擴音設備的電吉他。另壹層意思是“to increase the size or effect of something，增強”，“葬禮可以渲染生者痛失親人的哀悼之情”，A funeral can amplify the feelings of regret and loss for the relatives.
At times, such judgments on supposedly overblown negativity may strike readers as a touch blase? (the authors reckon a patient’s risk of addiction to opioids is “probably less than one or two percent”).
自譯：有時，過於消極的判斷會讓讀者感到厭倦（作者們認為患者對阿片類藥物上癮的風險“或許少於1%或2%”）。
參考：有時，這種對於“過度消極”的判斷可能會讓讀者感到壹絲冷漠（作者認為患者對阿片類藥物上癮的風險“可能不到1%或2%”）。
The pair are at their most bracing when, instead of lambasting the doomsayers,they extol “the upside of bad” and the power of negative experiences “to sharpen the mind and energise the will”.
自譯：替代抨擊末日預言家，他們贊揚“壞事的積極面”和消極經歷“磨礪頭腦和激發意誌力”的力量。
參考：但當他們選擇不去痛斥末日預言家，而是贊美“壞事的積極面”和消極經歷“磨礪頭腦和激發意誌力”的力量時，還是相當讓人精神壹振。
At their most bracing，相當讓人精神壹振。其中 bracing 表示“（空氣或活動）清新的”，英文釋義是：(of weather) cold and perhaps windy; (of an activity) making you feel full of energy because it is done outside when the weather is cold and perhaps windy.例如，“我們在沙灘上散步，感到心曠神怡”，We enjoyed a bracing walk on the beach.
It has to be said, though, that some of those upsides come with titanic quantities of downside. At one point, they approvingly cite Samuel Johnson’s macabre observation that “when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”
自譯：然而，不得不說的是，他們所說的積極面是從巨大的消極面中獲得。在某壹點，他們引用了塞繆爾·約翰遜驚人的觀察：“當壹個人知道他兩周內會被絞死，他的思想就集中了。”
參考：然而不得不提的是，他們所說的積極面有些要從極其巨大的消極面中才能獲得。在書中某壹處，他們贊許地引用了塞繆爾·約翰遜令人恐怖的心得：“當壹個人知道他兩周內就會被絞死時，他的思想就變得高度集中了。”
錯誤點：單詞太多不認識；語句翻譯不通順。
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