題目:
Most people would define optimism as being endlessly happy, with a glass that’s perpetually half full. But that’s exactly the kind of false cheerfulness that positive psychologists wouldn’t recommend. “Healthy optimism means being in touch with reality,” says Tal Ben-Shahar, a Harvard professor. According to Ben-Shahar, realistic optimists are those who make the best of things that happen, but not those who believe everything happens for the best.
Ben-Shahar uses three optimistic exercises. When he feels down – say, after giving a bad lecture – he grants himself permission to be human. He reminds himself that not every lecture can be a Nobel winner; some will be less effective than others. Next is reconstruction. He analyzes the weak lecture, learning lessons for the future about what works and what doesn’t. Finally, there is perspective, which involves acknowledging that in the grand scheme of life, one lecture really doesn’t matter.
解析:
第一段:第一句:perpetually adv.永久地,接連不斷地
這一句大家在翻譯時只有認識單詞,基本上可以順著英文語序譯成中文。
參考譯文:大多數人會把樂觀主義定義為無窮無盡的歡樂,就行一只總是盛著半杯水的杯子。
第二句:“that positive psychologists wouldn’t recommend”是“the kind of false cheerfulness”的定語從句。
參考譯文:但那恰恰是不為積極心理學家所推薦的虛假快樂。
第三句:這句話比較簡單,只要把句子語序改為“哈佛教授Tal Ben-Shahar說……”即可。
參考譯文:哈佛大學的Tal Ben-Shahar教授說,“健康的樂觀主義意味著要聯系現實。”
第四句:這句話有點繞,但句子結構還是比較清晰的。“who make the best of things that happen”修飾限制前一個分句中的“those”;“who believe everything happens for the best”修飾限制后一個分句中的“those”。
參考譯文:在Ben-Shahar看來,現實的樂觀主義者會因勢利導,而非求全責備。
第二段:第一句:這是個基本簡單句,大家按照英語語序翻譯即可。
參考譯文:Ben-Shahar 使用三個樂觀的方法。
第二句:舉例說明其中一種方法。破折號中間是插入語,“例如,做完一個糟糕的講座”,其他的可以按照英語語序來翻譯。“grants himself permission to be human”表示他允許自己犯錯。