别耍嘴皮子:懂得聆听，好处良多

 Do you remember the public service announcement that talked about the importance of good listening skills? It aired quite a few years ago and sought to explain the difference between hearing and listening. While hearing is a physical ability—actually one of our five senses—listening is a skill. It is possible to have one but not the other. Someone who is hearing impaired¹ can be a great listener if he or she pays attention to the information someone conveys to them regardless of how it is being communicated. Likewise someone with very sharp hearing can be a poor listener.

你还记得在公共服务宣言中谈到的关于聆听技巧的重要性吗？这是多年前播出的内容，目的在于区别听觉和聆听能力。虽然听觉是我们的一种能力——五感之一——但是聆听能力是一种技巧。你可能会具备不错的听觉但不一定懂得聆听。即便是听觉障碍人士也可能是优秀的聆听者，如果他能足够专注于他人用各种方式向他传递的信息。同样道理，听觉发达的人也可能不是位优秀的聆听者。

别耍嘴皮子:懂得聆听，好处良多

In 1991 the United States Department of Labor² Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) identified five competencies and three foundation skills that are essential for those entering the workforce³. Listening skills were among the foundation skills SCANS identified. Listening skills allow people, regardless of how they take in that information, to make sense of and understand what others are saying. To put it in the simplest terms possible, they allow you to understand what someone is "talking about".

早在1991年的时候，美国实用技能劳务秘书委员会部门（SCANS）公布了工作中的五项竞争力和三项基础技能。聆听技巧是其中一项。无论人们如何接受信息，聆听技巧使得人们彼此理解。简而言之，聆听技巧使你听懂别人在说些什么。

How Can Good Listening Skills Improve Your Performance at Work? Good listening skills will help make you a more productive worker.They will allow you to:

优秀的聆听技巧是如何提高工作能力的？懂得聆听会让你成为一名更高效的员工。会使得你：

better understand assignments and what your boss expects of you;

了解任务内容和老板对你的期待；

build rapport⁴ with co-workers, bosses, and clients since everyone craves⁵ understanding;

和同事，老板还有客户建立融洽关系，因为每个人都渴望相互理解；

show support for others;

对他人表示支持；

work better in a team-based environment;

在团队环境中表现更出色；

resolve problems with customers, co-workers and bosses;

解决和客户，同事老板之间的问题；

answer questions; and uncover the true meaning of what others are saying.

回答问题；发现对方话语中的真正意图。

How to Be an Active Listener and Look Like One

如何成为并且看起来是位聆听者

Many people aren't born with good listening skills. Even those who are great listeners sometimes engage in behaviors that make them appear to not be paying attention. The following tips will help you learn how to be an active listener as well as look like one:

很多人并不是天生就具有良好的聆听技能，甚至那些优秀的聆听者，他们的言行举行有时也会让人觉得他们心不在焉。下面这些提示，能帮助你学习成为一个名副其实的、积极的聆听者。

1.Maintain Eye Contact: When you are looking someone in the eye, you have no choice but to pay attention. And there will be no question about whether you are.

1.眼神交流：当你看着对方眼睛时，你只能集中注意力，甚至你是否有在认真听，都无关紧要。

2.Don't Interrupt the Speaker: Save your questions and comments until the speaker finishes talking and you are able to digest his or her words.

2.不要打断说话者：保留你的问题和评论，待对方说完，你消化理解后，再提出来。

3.Sit Still: Fidgeting makes you look bored.

3.静坐:烦躁不安说明你觉得对方的话很无聊。

4.Nod Your Head: This indicates to the speaker that you are taking in the information he or she is conveying.

4.点头：这一动作表明你正领会对方所传达的信息。

5.Be Attentive⁶ to Non-Verbal Cues: Paying attention to what the speaker doesn't say is as important as being attentive to his or her words. Look for non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and posture⁷ to get the full gist⁸ of what information the speaker is conveying.

5.注意非语言线索:关注对方的言外信息，与关注他的话语本身同样重要。注意表情和姿势等非语言线索，从而理解对方言语信息的全部要点。

Lean Toward the Speaker: You will appear to be, and actually will be, engaged.

身体倾侧向对方：他人会觉得你正在认真聆听，而事实上也是如此。

Repeat Instructions and Ask Appropriate Questions: Once the speaker has finished talking, repeat his or her instructions to confirm that you understand them. This is also a good time to ask questions if you have any.

重复要点，适当提问：对方说完后，重复一下他所说的要点，表明你真正理解了。如果有疑问，这个时候适合提出来。

1 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

4 rapport   

n.和睦，意见一致

参考例句：

• She has an excellent rapport with her staff.她跟她职员的关系非常融洽。
• We developed a high degree of trust and a considerable personal rapport.我们发展了高度的互相信任和不错的私人融洽关系。

5 craves   

渴望，热望( crave的第三人称单数 )； 恳求，请求

参考例句：

• The tree craves calm but the wind will not drop. 树欲静而风不止。
• Victory would give him a passport to the riches he craves. 胜利将使他有机会获得自己梦寐以求的财富。

6 attentive   

adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的

参考例句：

• She was very attentive to her guests.她对客人招待得十分周到。
• The speaker likes to have an attentive audience.演讲者喜欢注意力集中的听众。

7 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

8 gist   

n.要旨；梗概

参考例句：

• Can you give me the gist of this report?你能告诉我这个报告的要点吗？
• He is quick in grasping the gist of a book.他敏于了解书的要点。