英译汉竞赛原文:OnIrritability论易怒Irritabilityisthetendencytogetupsetforreasonsthatseem–tootherpeople–tobeprettyminor.Yourpartnerasksyouhowworkwentandthewaytheyaskmakesyoufeelintenselyagitated.Yourpartnerisputtingknivesandforksonthetablebeforedinnerandyoumention(notforthefirsttime)thattheforkshouldgoonthelefthandside,nottheright.Theythenimmediatelyletoutahugesighandsweepthecutleryontothefloorandtellyouthatyoucanxxxx-ingdoityourselfifyouknowbetter.Itwasthemostminorofcriticismsandtechnicallyquitecorrect.Andnowthey’veexploded.易怒是因为各种原因而产生烦躁情绪的趋向,这似乎对其他人来说是相当次要的。你的搭档问你工作进行的怎样,并且询问的方式让你感到焦虑不安。晚餐之前,你的搭档把刀叉放在桌子上,你注意到叉子应当放在左手边而不是右边。(这已经不是第一次这样做)他们随后立刻发出一声长叹,把餐具扔到地板上,并告诉你如果你了解的话自己去做。这是最微弱的批评,技术上非常正确。现在他们已经暴露了。Thereissomuchirritabilityaroundanditexactsahugedailycostonourcollectivelives,sowedeservetogetalotmorecuriousaboutit:whatisreallygoingonfortheirritableperson?Why,really,aretheygettingsoagitated?Andinsteadofblamingthemforgettinghetupabout“littlethings”,weshoulddothemthehonourofworkingoutwhy,infact,thesethingsmaynotbesominorafterall.有太多的易怒因素环绕周围,它在我们的日常集中生活中要求很大的日常支出,因此我们应该我们应对它产生很多好奇:对于易怒的人来说发生什么事?为什么,他们真的如此激动吗?而不是指责他们因为“小事”变得越来越激动,我们应该以他们的工作为荣,事实上,这些事情可能并没有那么小。Thejourneybeginsbyrecognisingtheroleoffearinirritabilityincouples.Behindmostoutburstsarecack-handedattemptstoteachtheotherpersonsomething.Therearethingswe’dliketopointout,flawsthatwecandiscern,remarkswefeelwereallymustmake,butourawarenessofhowtoproceedispanickedandhasty.Wegivecack-handed,meanspeeches,whichbearnofaithinthelegitimacy(eventhenobility)oftheactofimpartingadvice.Andwhenourpartnersareonthereceivingendoftheseirritable“lessons”,theyofcourseswiftlygrowdefensiveandbrittleinthefaceofsuggestionswhichseemmorelikemean-mindedandsenselessassaultsontheirverynaturesratherthancaring,gentleattemptstoaddresstroublesomeaspectsofjointlife.Theprerequisiteofcalminateacherisadegreeofindifferenceastothesuccessorfailureofthelesson.Onenaturallywantsforthingstogowell,butifanobduratepupilflunkstrigonometry,itis–atbase–theirproblem.Temperscanstayevenbecauseindividualstudentsdonothaveverymuchpoweroverteachers’lives.Fortunately,asnotcaringtoomuchturnsouttobeacriticalaspectofsuccessfulpedagogy.Yetthisisn’tanoptionopentothefearful,irritablelover.Theyfeelineluctablyledtodelivertheir“lessons”inacataclysmic,frenziedmanner(thedoorslamsveryloudlyindeed)notbecausetheyareinsaneorvile(thoughonecouldeasilydrawtheseconclusions)somuchasbecausetheyareterrified;terrifiedofspoilingwhatremainsoftheiryearsontheplanetinthecompanyofsomeonewhoitappearscannotinanywayunderstandapivotalpointaboutconversation,orcutlery,ortherighttimetoorderataxi.Oneknowsintuitively,whenteachingachild,thatonlytheutmostcareandpatiencewilleverwork:onemustnevershout,onehastouseextraordinarytact,onehastomaketencomplimentsforeveryonenegativeremarkandonemustleaveoneselfplentyoftime…Allthiswisdomwereliablyforgetinlove’sclassroom,sadlybecauseincreasingthelevelofthreatseldomhastensdevelopment.Wedonotgrowmorereasonable,moreacceptingofresponsibilityandmoreaccurateaboutourweaknesseswhenourpridehasbeenwounded,ourintegrityisthreatenedandourself-esteemhasbeenviolated.Thecomplaintagainsttheirritablepersonisthattheyaregettingworkedupover“nothing”.Butsymbolsofferawayofseeinghowadetailcanstandforsomethingmuchbiggerandmoreserious.Thegroceriesplacedonthewrongtablearenotupsettingatallinthemselves.Butsymbolicallytheymeanyourpartnerdoesn’tcareaboutdomesticorder;theymuddlethingsup;theyaremessy.Orthequestionaboutone’sdayisexperiencedasasymbolofinterrogation,alackofprivacyandahumiliation(becauseone’sdaysrarelygowellenough).Thesolutionis,ideally,toconcentrateonwhatthebiggerissueis.Entirephilosophiesoflifestirandcollidebeneaththesurfaceofapparentlypettysquabbles.Irritationsaretheoutwardindicationsofstifleddebatesbetweencompetingconceptionsofexistence.It’stothebiggerthemesweneedtotrytoget.Inthecourseofdiscussions,onemightevencomeface-to-facewiththatperenniallysurprisingtruthaboutrelationships:thattheotherpersonisnotanextensionofoneselfthathas,mysteriously,goneoffmessage.Theyarethatmostsurprisingofthings,adifferentperson,withapsychealloftheirown,filledwithaperplexingnumberofsubtle,eccentricandunforeseenreasonsforthinkingastheydo.Thedecodingmaytaketime,perhapshalfanhourormoreofconcentratedexplorationforsomethingthathaduntilthenseemedasifitwouldmorerightfullydeserveaninstant.Wepayaheavypriceforthisneglect;everyconflictthatendsinsourstalemateisablockedcapillarywithintheheartoflove.Emotionswillfindotherwaystoflowfornow,butwiththeaccumulationofunresolveddisputes,pathwayswillfurandpossibilitiesfortrustandgenerositynarrow.Alastpoint.Itmayjustbesleeporfood:whenababyisirritable,werarelyfeeltheneedtopreachaboutself-controlandapropersenseofproportion.It’snotsimplythatwefeartheinfant’sintellectmightnotquitebeuptoit,butbecausewehaveamuchbetterexplanationofwhatisgoingon.Weknowthatthey’reactingthisway–andgettingbotheredbyanylittlething–becausetheyaretired,hungry,toohotorhavingsomechallengingdigestiveepisode.Thefactis,though,thatthesamephysiologicalcausesgettousallourliv