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1、The Truth About LyingJudith Viorst1. Ive been wanting to write on a subject that intrigues and challenges me: the subject of lying. Ive found it very difficult to do. Everyone Ive talked to has a quite intense and personal but often rather intolerant point of view about what we can and can never nev
2、er tell lies about. Ive finally reached the conclusion that I cant present any ultimate conclusions, for too many people would promptly disagree. Instead, Id like to present a series of moral puzzles, all concerned with lying. Ill tell you what I think about them. Do you agree?关于说谎的真相朱迪斯维奥斯特我一直想写一个令
3、我深感兴趣的话题：关于说谎的问题。我觉得这个题目很难写。所有我交谈过的人都对什么事情可以说谎 什么事情绝对不可以说谎 持有强烈的、常常不容别人分说的个人意见。最后我得出结论，我不能下任何定论，因为这样做就会有太多的人立即反对。我想我还是提出若干都与说谎有关的道义上的难题吧。我将向读者阐明我对这些难题的个人看法。你们觉得对吗？Social Lies2. Most of the people Ive talked with say that they find social lying acceptable and necessary. They think its the civilized w
4、ay for folks to behave. Without these little white lies, they say, our relationships would be short and brutish and nasty. Its arrogant, they say, to insist on being so incorruptible and so brave that you cause other people unnecessary embarrassment or pain by compulsively assailing them with your h
5、onesty. I basically agree. What about you?社交性谎言和我交谈过的大多数人都说，他们认为旨在促进社会交际的谎言是可以接受的，也是必要的。他们认为这是一种文明的行为。他们说，要不是这类无关紧要的谎言，人与人之间的关系就会变得粗野不快，无法持久。他们说，如果你要做到十二分正直、十二分无畏，不由自主地用你的诚实使他人陷入不必要的窘境或痛苦之中，这只能说你是傲慢自大。对此，我基本赞同。你呢？3. Will you say to people, when it simply isnt true, I like your new hairdo, Youre look
6、ing much better, its so nice to see you, I had a wonderful time?你会不会跟人说：“ 我喜欢你的新发型，”“你气色好多了，”“见到你真高兴，”“ 我玩得很尽兴，”而实际上根本不是这么回事儿？4. Will you praise hideous presents and homely kids?你会不会对令人憎厌的礼物，或相貌平平的孩子称赞有加？5. Will you decline invitations with Were busy that night so sorry we cant come, when the truth
7、is youd rather stay home than dine with the So-and-sos? 你婉辞邀请时会不会说“ 那天晚上我们正好没空 真对不起，我们不能来，”而实际上你是宁肯呆在家里也不想跟某某夫妇一起进餐？6. And even though, as I do, you may prefer the polite evasion of You really cooked up a storm instead of The soup which tastes like warmed-over coffee is wonderful, will you, if you m
8、ust, proclaim it wonderful?虽然像我那样，你也想用 “太丰盛了”这种委婉的托辞，而不是盛赞“那汤味道好极了”(其实味同重新热过的咖啡)，但如果你必须赞美那汤，你会说它鲜美吗 ?7. Theres one man I know who absolutely refuses to tell social lies. I cant play that game, he says; Im simply not made that way. And his answer to the argument that saying nice things to someone doe
9、snt cost anything is, Yes, it does it destroys your credibility. Now, he wont, unsolicited, offer his views on the painting you just bought, but you dont ask his frank opinion unless you want frank, and his silence at those moments when the rest of us liars are muttering, Isnt it lovely? is, for the
10、 most part, eloquent enough. My friend does not indulge in what he calls flattery, false praise and mellifluous comments. When others tell fibs he will not go along. He says that social lying is lying, that little white lies are still lies. And he feels that telling lies is morally wrong. What about
11、 you?我认识一个人，他完全拒绝说这类社交性谎言。 “我不会那一套，”他说，“我生来就不会那一套。”讲到对人家说几句好听的话并不失去什么，他的回答是：“不对，当然有损失 那会损害你的诚信度。”因此你不问他，他不会对你刚买来的画发表意见，但除非你想听老实话，否则你也不会去问他的真实想法。当我们这些说谎者轻声称赞着“多美啊”的时候，他的沉默往往是极能说明问题的。我的这位朋友从来不讲他所说的“奉承话、虚假的赞美话和动听话”。别人说些无伤大雅的谎言，他则不。他说社交性谎言还是谎言，无关紧要的小小谎言还是谎言。他认为说谎不合道德。你呢？Peace-Keeping Lies8. Many people
12、tell peace-keeping lies: lies designed to avoid irritation or argument, lies designed to shelter the liar from possible blame or pain; lies (or so it is rationalized) designed to keep trouble at bay without hurting anyone.息事宁人的谎言不少人为了息事宁人而说谎：那种意在避免生气或争吵的谎言，意在使说谎者免受可能的责备或烦恼的谎言；意在(或据认为理应)不伤害他人而又能帮助避免麻
13、烦的谎言。9. I tell these lies at times, and yet I always feel theyre wrong. I understand why we tell them, but still they feel wrong. And whenever I lie so that someone wont disapprove of me or think less of me or holler at me, I feel Im a bit of a coward, I feel Im dodging responsibility, I feel.guilty
14、. What about you?我有时也说这种谎，不过我总觉得不该说。我知道为什么要说这种谎，但说这种谎终究不对。每当我为了不让别人讨厌自己、看轻自己、或冲着自己嚷嚷而说谎时，我总觉得自己有点像个懦夫，觉得自己是在逃避责任，觉得愧疚。你呢？10. Do you, when youre late for a date because you overslept, say that youre late because you got caught in a traffic jam? 你由于睡过头赴约会迟到了，会不会说是因为碰上堵车才晚到的？11. Do you, when you forget
15、 to call a friend, say that you called several times but the line was busy?你忘了给朋友打电话，会不会谎称打过好几次，可电话老占线？12. Do you, when you didnt remember that it was your fathers birthday, say that his present must be delayed in the mail?你忘了父亲的生日，会不会说寄给他的礼物准是给耽搁了？13. And when youre planning a weekend in New York C
16、ity and youre not in the mood to visit your mother, who lives there, do you conceal with a lie, if you must the fact that youll be in New York? Or do you have the courage or is it the cruelty? to say, Ill be in New York, but sorry I dont plan on seeing you?你打算去纽约市度周末，但又不想去看望住在那里的母亲，你会必要的话用谎言隐瞒你将到纽约的事实，还是会勇敢地或者说狠心地说：“我要来纽约，可是抱歉，我不打算来看望你”？14. (Dave and his wife Elaine hav
