双语轻松阅读：关于“建议”的建议

The Advice on Advice

关于“建议”的建议

Webster defines advice as being, "a recommendation with regard to a course of action.”

韦伯斯特在字典中将“建议”一词定义为:“对某种行动、做法提出的意见或忠告。”

The expression,"I need some advice" has to be one of the most horrifying statements in the English language. What manes it remarkably terrifying is that the advisor is usually confronted with it out of the blue and with little or no warning. My daughter is an expert at this.

在英文中，“我需要点儿建议”是一句很耸人听闻的言辞，之所以用“耸人听闻”这一词，是因为给出建议的人通常都是在很少或根本没有任何预兆的情况下面对一些未知的事情。我的女儿就最擅长这么做。

Lately I have been able to predict when she will call. It usually happens when I am having the type of day when everything seems to be going well. I am actually relaxed with few things that have to be done. It is almost as if I send out a signal to her that I am ready for the challenge, The call always begins with theexpression,"Dad”.The word is not as important as how it is stated. It sounds like a question being asked by someone who does not want to be heard. In other words, it is a little quieter than a whisper. I know she knows it is I，because she did the calling and I am confident that she knows the sound of my voice. It is almost as if the word is a signal that I had better be ready,

最近我总能预测到她会在什么时候打电话给我，电话铃总是在我享有的风平浪静的日子里响起。我对逃避不了的事情总是坦然处之，就好像我总在向女儿发出我已准备好接受挑战的信号。电话那头通常都是这样的开场白—“爸爸”，其实这个称呼并没有它本身赋予的意义那么重要。那声音就好像是她提出了问题却又不愿被人听见似的，换句话说，比耳语还要低微。我知道她也明白这一点，因为是她拨的电话，而我确信她也听出了我的声音，而“爸爸”两个字就好像明摆着我最好要准备妥当。

When my daughter was small f looked forward to giving her advice. In fact, I sincerely believe that she also enjoyed it. For the most important thing a Dad can do is get his child ready for life. Not that I ever thought I was ready but at least I have been able to survive my years, so far. She used to sit real close to me or on my lap and i would explain the mysteries of life to her. I would tell her of morals and ethics that made life as good as it can possibly be. Years later, when my daughter hit the wonderful teenaged years, she didn't accept my advice as she did in the past. In fact, she obviously dreaded it. However, I gave it to her anyway because I wanted her to survive her teenaged years. I survived them so why shouldn't she listen to me and take in the knowledge that I had from the experiences of my past. For years she never came to me for advice but I continued to submit it. Now that I think of it, my father did the same.

当女儿还很小的时候，我很期待能给她忠告。事实上，我坚信她也会很乐意接受。对一名父亲而言，他最重要的职责就是让他的孩子能够准备充分地面对生活。我的意思不是说我就准备好了，但至少迄今为止，这么多年来我有能力在社会上生存下来。以前她常常坐在我身旁或是我的腿上，听我解释那些生活中令她疑惑的事情。同时我还会给她讲一些伦理和道德规范，尽量使生活过得更有质量。多少年过去，女儿步人了奇妙的青春期，她不再像从前那样接受我的意见。实际上，很明显她非常恐惧。不管怎样，我还是给出了我的意见，因为我希望她能平稳地度过那个阶段。我是过来人，我有经验，可为什么她就是听不进去我的真诚劝导呢?多年来她都没有采纳过我的意见，但是我仍继续给她建议。直到现在我回想起来才发现我的父亲也做过同样的事情。

Soon, too soon, she left and started her own life. It was as though our separation necessitated that she would once again need, and seek out, my advice.At first this was a good thing, in that I appreciated the fact that she thought my wisdom was worth the time. After a while I came to the realization that I might not always be right. I started to fear my own answers to her questions.

似乎转瞬之间，她就离开了我，开始了自己独立的生活。不过仿佛我们的分开反倒使得有些事情成为必要，她开始再次需要寻求我的意见。起先我认为这是件好事，从此事就能看出她还是认为我的智慧是经得起时间的考验的。然而我又意识到我的建议不可能总是对的，于是我开始有些害怕回答她的问题了。

My daughter is not the only person in my life that asks for advice. My wife does it in an odd way. I know she knows the answer to her question but it is almost as though she wants to combine mine with hers. Sometimes when I give her advice she takes it in and basically makes her own decisions. Other times she gives me that odd look that asks, "What planet were you born on?" Either way I do my best.

在我的生活中，女儿并不是唯一向我征询意见的人。我妻子也会寻求建议，不过她的做法却很古怪。我知道她对自己的问题早已有答案，但她似乎总希望我的答案能和她的一致。有时我给她建议，她也欣然接受，但基本上她还是按照自己的决定行事。其他的时候，她会以十分怪诞的表情看着我似乎在问:“你究竟来自哪个星球呢?”无论哪种情况，我都尽力而为。

My parents have started to ask for my advice. This was very difficult for me to understand. Most of my life my father and mother were the ones to direct me on how I should handle certain situations. They were the ones who survived their years so that they could direct me toward correct decisions. Now the roles seem to be reversed. I guess I should take it as a compliment because this shifting of roles means that they have finally come to the realization that I am capable of making correct choices. Now, if I could only believe this same realization and finally relax in my new role.

我的父母也已经开始向我征求意见，这令我深感不解。因为几乎从来都是父母指导我如何为人处世，他们可以凭借多年的生活阅历帮我作出正确的抉择。而此时我们的角色似乎被互换了。我认为我应该把这看做是一种恭维，因为角色的交换意味着他们终于意识到我已经具备作出正确抉择的能力了。现在我只能相信这种意识，并且最终会在新角色中释怀。

My folk's questions usually surround their preparation for the final stages of their lives. I hate these situations because, if I admit that they are getting old, I am literally resigning myself to the fact that I am not far off. I answer their questions as best as I can, praying that I am advising them to do the right things but how could I possibly know? Unlike giving advice to my daughter, giving advice to my parents involves me guessing what to do without the experience of going through what they are presently going through. I guess they ask me because they trust me, like I have always trusted them.

而父母的问题总是围绕在他们对人生最后之路的准备上。我痛恨遇到这种情形，因为如果我承认他们老了，那由此推及，我也离死不远了。我尽我所能去回答他们的问题，然后期望我的建议能指引他们作出正确的决定，但我又怎么能知道呢?这不像给女儿的建议，给父母的建议中夹杂了我的猜测，因为我没有他们正在经历的事情的经验。我猜想他们之所以问我是因为他们信任我，就如同我一直信任他们一样。

I am a teacher. In fact, I am a high school teacher who works with young adults who are about to embark on careers that include college, the military, or work. Every day I am asked questions concerning how they should organize for their futures, away from a life that centered on their public school. Most people don't realize that graduating from high school is one of the last "rights of passage" our society has. This is true because these young children are leaving a time that had taken up over 75% of their young lives.

我是一名教师，更确切地讲，是一名以年轻人为工作对象的高中教师，而这些年轻人即将踏上各自的道路，上大学、参军，或者工作。每天我都会被问及同样的间题:在离开以校园为中心的生活后，他们该如何规划自己的未来。许多人都没有意识到高中毕业是社会赋予我们最关键的转折点之一。这是真的，因为年轻的孩子们正在离开一个时代，一个占据他们年轻生命四分之三的时代。

So, I advice them as to what industries will be important when they get out of college; what military service they should look into, in order to achieve what they think they want to achieve. Sometimes just to tell these young men and women that life is awonderful thing and that they are fortunate to be in a stage of their lives where they are about to become adults. Every time they leave I pray that I gave them good advice. I know I did my best

因此，为了他们能达到他们想达到的目标，当他们离开校园的时候，我会告诉他们，什么工业会更有前途，他们需要服什么样的兵役。有时只需告诉这些少男少女们生活是一件很美好的事，以及他们即将长大成人，现在身处人生最美好的阶段的他们是很幸运的。每一次他们离开后，我都祈祷我给予他们的忠告都是有益的。我知道我尽力了。

Sometimes people I don't know ask for my advice. The parents of my students usually ask what they should do to make their child's future bright.Sometimes they ask what they should do because their child doesn't listen or down’t believe what they are telling them. I assume they ask me because they believe a teacher should know the answers. Either that or they look at my gray hair and beard and believe that my age necessitates my ability to know.

有时，不认识的人也向我寻求建议。学生的家长通常会咨询他们该怎样做才能让孩子们有个更光明的前途;有时会问该怎么做才能让孩子们听话或相信他们所说的话。我想他们会问我，是因为他们认为一个老师应该知道这些答案，抑或因为他们看到我灰白的头发和胡子而相信我的年龄应该有这个能力知道该怎么做。

The basic problem with Webster’s definition of advice is that it doesn't take into account the advisor. Does the advisor understand the problem and have the ability to help with a decision? In the past, did I give my daughter, parents,students, and strangers the correct advice?

韦伯斯特的词典中关于“建议”一词的定义最关键的问题是没有把建议者算进去。建议者懂这个问题吗?有这个能力帮忙做一个决定吗?过去，我给女儿、父母、家长、学生和陌生人的都是正确的建议吗?

I think I’II give my daughter a call and ask her for some advice!

我想我该给女儿一个电话，向她寻求一些建议。