unit 14 友善及禮貌的重要性
14-A. The Importance of Being Kind and Polite
"Frankly, I think you’re boring.” Why do we seldom hear people speak so honestly? Unless you want to end a relationship, you don't tell another person what you think of her or him like this. Failing to be impressed by a friend's collection of stamps, yawning when a golfer tells you about that great shut 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. This is what manners are about: acting in a civilized way to avoid misunderstanding, friction, and conflict.
There are no laws enforcing respect. Yet we cannot interact with others without some rules of behavior, rules that are set by some form of social consensus. These guidelines represent what a majority of people consider acceptable and what they consider unacceptable. Rude people are those whose behavior shows little respect for the rules that the majority follow. For instance, because they talk at home while the television is on, many people think they can talk at movies as well. They are not even aware that this habit will bother the other members of the audience.
Restaurants have smoking and non-smoking sections, and most smokers are polite enough to ask, "Do you mind if I smoke?" before lighting up. Restaurants should also have cellular-phone and no-cellular-phone sections. 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. Sometimes, it is better to remain unknown than to make pimple hate you.
There are many children and adolescents whose behavior is generally unacceptable. They swear no matter who is around them, they listen to their Walkmans while the teacher is talking to them. Indifferent parents who refuse to discipline their children are not helping them. Kids who have no idea what being polite means will pay the price sooner or later. When they join the work force, their employers and associates alike will soon realize that the behavior of these rude young people is closer to that of animals than civilized individuals. When they lose a few contracts because they talk with their mouth full, or when they say "Bob" to someone who should be "Mr. Johnson," these grown-up kids, because of their ignorance, will never understand why others are getting ahead and they are not.
Every little bit of kindness helps. With manners, the best rule is the one that works. It is easier to look and sound attractive when we are nice to other people. Being polite and showing respect can give us an edge. Why do we need an edge? Success in life often starts with a job we like, and since getting a job is usually based on making the right impression, it is always a good idea to be kind and polite.
【課文譯文】
友善及禮貌的重要性
“坦率地説，我覺得你很煩人。”為什麼我們很少聽到人們這樣直率地説呢?如果你不想結束關係，就不要把你對對方的這種看法告訴他。一個有良好修養的人儘可能避免的事是：對朋友的集郵藏品漠然視之；當一個高爾夫球手向你談起他在打第14個洞那漂亮的一杆，而你卻打着哈欠；或當朋友給你展示他們最後一次去蘇聖瑪麗旅遊時的照片而你卻睡着了。而所謂的禮貌舉止即用文明的方式來避免誤解、摩擦和衝突。
沒有任何法律強迫你去尊重別人，但如果我們與人交往，就必須遵守一些行為準則，並且這些準則都是由一定形式的社會公德所確定的。這些準則代表了大多數人認可或不認可的準則。舉止粗魯的人就是那些不按照大多數人所認可的準則行事的人。例如：許多人只因他們在家看電視時講話，就認為看電影時也能講話，他們甚至沒有意識到這種習慣會干擾別的.觀眾。
飯店裏有吸煙區和禁煙區。大多數吸煙者在點煙前，都會禮貌地問：“我吸支煙，您不會介意吧?”飯店也應有移動電話區和非移動電話區。由於移動電話的使用而產生了一批新型的舉止不雅的人，他們只想着“瞧，咱多神氣!”那些無聊的談話對人的心靈，就如同吸煙時對肺一樣，危害很大。有時，保持默默無聞比讓人恨你要好得多。
有許多少年兒童的舉止總體上説是難以讓人接受的。他們不管什麼人在場總是罵罵咧咧，當老師跟他們談話的時候，他們卻戴着隨身聽。那些對孩子的行為聽之任之，不加以約束的父母，勢必會害了孩子。那些對禮貌一無所知的孩子，遲早會為此付出代價的。當他們參加工作後，老闆和同事都會意識到他們的行為並非人類文明之舉，而與動物之舉相仿。當他們因口含食物談話而失去一些合同，或把那個應被稱作“約翰遜先生”的人叫做“鮑勃”時，那些已長大成人的孩子，會因為他們的無知而永遠無法理解為什麼別人在取得成功，而自己卻不能。
任何一點友善都會有益於人。就禮貌而言，最佳原則便是實用。當我們善待別人時，我們的表情和聲音才會對人產生吸引力。對人有禮貌，尊重別人，能使我們處於優勢。為什麼我們需要優勢呢?生活中的成功往往是從擁有一份自己所喜愛的工作開始的。而找到一份工作往往依賴於留給別人良好的形象。所以對人禮貌、友善，總是上策。
