精美英文欣赏:你是一个成功者吗?

The newspaper I previously¹ worked for employs a very friendly receptionist. All receptionists are supposed to be friendly, but Connie Abbott has such a positive tone, she could brighten your day by saying, "Did anyone ever tell you that you look like a movie star? You ought to go to Hollywood and audition² for the title role in a new movie: The Return of King Kong."

我以前工作的那家报社曾经雇用过一位非常友善的接待员。其实待人和善是对所有接待员的基本要求，但康妮?阿伯特总能用积极的口吻为你一整天带来好心情：“有没有人曾说你长得很像一个电影明星？你应该去好莱坞试演那部新电影《金刚归来》的主角。”

"A movie star?" you'd say. "Thank you so much. That's the best compliment I've received since my music teacher told me I sing as well as Milli Vanilli."

“电影明星？”你会说，“太谢谢你了。这是我的音乐老师夸我唱歌唱得像米利?凡尼利一样好以后，我得到的最好的夸奖。”

I appreciated Connie's friendliness³ because I've encountered a few unfriendly receptionist including one at the Indian embassy in Washington D.C. who could make both King Kong and Godzilla scamper⁴ away in fear.

我欣赏康妮的友善，因为我碰到过一些不太友好的接待员，其中包括一位印度驻美大使馆的接待员，她的恶劣态度会让庞大的金刚和怪兽哥斯拉都仓皇奔逃。

During a stop at the embassy several years ago, I watched her harass⁵ visitor after visitor and thought to myself, "One billion people to choose from and they couldn't hire anyone friendlier. This woman could single-handedly ruin India's tourist industry. If the Indian government were smarter, they'd appoint her to a new position: Director of Prisons. The crime rate would drop so fast, many politicians would lose money."

几年前，有一次我在印度驻美大使馆逗留，亲眼目睹她“炮轰”一个又一个来客。于是我心里想：“印度有十亿人，他们就不能雇一个友善一点的人吗？这个女人单凭一己之力就能给印度的旅游业带来灭顶之灾。如果印度政府明智一点的话，他们应该给她安排另一个职位：监狱主管。这样一来，印度社会的犯罪率肯定会大幅度下降，许多政客的收入也会锐减。”

In contrast, Connie is so pleasant that some people are willing to call the newspaper every day just to greet her and say, "When's my wedding picture going to appear in the paper? Hopefully before the divorce."

相反，康妮非常友善，以至于有人每天打电话到报社，就是为了听到她的声音： “我的结婚照什么时候才会刊登出来呢？希望在离婚之前吧。”

Whatever they say, Connie remains⁶ friendly and polite. She's an excellent receptionist and a true success. Yes, a success.

不管他们说什么，康妮总是一如既往地待人友善，彬彬有礼。她是一位优秀的接待员，一个真正的成功者。对，一个成功者。

For some reason, we seem to reserve the term "success" for people with money, fame or power. But who gave them such a monopoly? Alan Greenspan? You don't have to be an actor or entrepreneur or software whiz to be a success. Receptionist farmer teacher janitor⁷ homemaker plumbers⁸ can be just as successful, even if they've never made a single appearance on Oprah.

由于某些原因，我们似乎总觉得“成功”只属于有钱、有名或有权力的人。但谁给了他们独占“成功”的权利呢？艾伦?格林斯潘吗？就算你不是演员，不是企业家，不是软件奇才，你也可以是一个成功者。接待员、农民、教师、看门人、家庭主妇、水管工人，他们都可以成功，哪怕他们从未在奥普拉的节目上露过一次脸。

In fact, if Oprah Winfrey invited me on her television show, I'd tell her all about it.

事实上，如果奥普拉?温弗瑞邀请我参加她的电视脱口秀节目的话，我会这样对她说。

Oprah: "It's my pleasure today to welcome the world-renowned expert on succes Melvin Durai, author of the new self-help book I'm Successful, You're Successful. He says he can spot a successful person a mile away."

奥普拉：很荣幸，今天我们邀请到了世界著名的成功学专家，梅尔文?杜莱，他最近出版了一本励志书《我成功，你成功》。他说他能在一里（500米）之外辨认出谁是成功人士。

Me: "Yes, Oprah. My clients pay me thousands of dollars to tell them they're successful. Many of them have no clue. Just the other day, I told Julia Roberts that she's a success. She was so excited, she gave me her Oscar."

我：对，奥普拉。我的客户付给我几千美元，要我告诉他们，他们是成功者。他们中许多人对于自己是否成功一无所知。就在前几天，我告诉茱莉亚?罗伯茨说，她是一个成功者。她兴奋得不得了，把她的奥斯卡小金人送给了我。

Oprah: "Well, let's talk about other celebrities⁹. What about Howard Stern, the radio shock jock who has offended many people with his ethnic¹⁰ and religious jokes? Is he a success?"

奥普拉：好了，我们谈谈别的名人吧。霍华德?斯特恩，另类的电台主持，他因为拿种族和宗教开玩笑而得罪了不少人，他是一个成功者吗？

Me: "Yes, of course he's a success."

我：是的，他当然是一个成功者。

Oprah: "What do you mean? Don't you think he's an idiot?"

奥普拉：什么意思？难道你不认为他是一个白痴吗？

Me: "Ye but he's a successful idiot."

我：没错，但他是一个成功的白痴。

Oprah: "Please explain that to our audience. I can see a few confused faces."

奥普拉：能给观众解释一下原因吗？我看到有些观众很困惑。

Me: "Well, can you think of a better idiot than Howard Stern? He's the best idiot on the radio. He plays the role of idiot well. That makes him a success as an idiot. In fact, if we had an Idiot Hall of Fame, he'd be voted in unanimously."

我：好的。你能想到比霍华德?斯特恩更优秀的白痴吗？他是广播界最出色的白痴。作为一个白痴，他尽职尽责，表现出色。所以说，他是一个成功的白痴。其实，如果我们设立一个“白痴名人堂”的话，他肯定会全票通过的。

Oprah: "What about ordinary people who don't appear on television every day at 4 p.m. like me? Can they be successful?"

奥普拉：那么，那些从来没试过像我这样每天下午四点在电视节目上露脸的普通人呢？他们也算是成功者吗？

Me: "Yes, of course, Oprah. It doesn't matter what you do-if you do it well, you can consider yourself a success. Just because you don't have money, fame or power, don't let anyone tell you you're not a success."

我：当然了，奥普拉。你从事什么工作并不重要，只要你干得出色，你就可以把自己看作是一个成功者。就算你没有钱，没有名望和权利，别人也绝不能说你不是一个成功的人。

Oprah: "Wow! I never thought of it like that. Would you like to be a regular guest on my show?"

奥普拉：哗！我还没从这个角度想过这个问题呢。你愿意今后经常来参加我的节目吗？

Me: "Really? Oh my gosh. Now my mother may actually believe I’m a success."

我：真的吗？哦，我的天啊！现在，恐怕我妈妈真的相信我是一个成功者了。

1 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

2 audition   

n.(对志愿艺人等的)面试(指试读、试唱等)

参考例句：

• I'm going to the audition but I don't expect I'll get a part.我去试音，可并不指望会给我个角色演出。
• At first,they said he was too young,but later they called him for an audition.起初，他们说他太小，但后来他们叫他去试听。

3 friendliness   

n.友谊，亲切，亲密

参考例句：

• Behind the mask of friendliness,I know he really dislikes me.在友善的面具后面，我知道他其实并不喜欢我。
• His manner was a blend of friendliness and respect.他的态度友善且毕恭毕敬。

4 scamper   

v.奔跑，快跑

参考例句：

• She loves to scamper through the woods of the forest.她喜欢在森林里的树林中穿梭嬉戏。
• The flash sent the foxes scampering away.闪光惊得狐狸四处逃窜。

5 harass   

vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰

参考例句：

• Our mission is to harass the landing of the main Japaness expeditionary force.我们的任务是骚乱日本远征军主力的登陆。
• They received the order to harass the enemy's rear.他们接到骚扰敌人后方的命令。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 janitor   

n.看门人，管门人

参考例句：

• The janitor wiped on the windows with his rags.看门人用褴褛的衣服擦着窗户。
• The janitor swept the floors and locked up the building every night.那个看门人每天晚上负责打扫大楼的地板和锁门。

8 plumbers   

n.管子工，水暖工( plumber的名词复数 )；[美][口]（防止泄密的）堵漏人员

参考例句：

• Plumbers charge by the hour for their work. 水管工人的工作是以小时收费的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Plumbers, carpenters, and other workmen finished the new house quickly. 管道工、木工及其他工匠很快完成了这幢新房子。 来自辞典例句

9 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

10 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。