Unit 11 The Real Truth about Lies

Unit11TheRealTruthaboutLiesThistextisofjournalisticstyle.Thewriterintroducesthetopicbygivingtheresultsoftwosurveys.Thenheairshisopinionontheconsequencesoftellinglies.Intheend,hediscusseswhichliesaretobeavoided.PartI(paragraphs1-6)Thewriterintroducesthetopicbyreportingtwosurveyresults.WhatistheresultofProfessorBellaDePaulo’ssurvey?AccordingtothesurveydonebyProfessorDePaulo,140outof147peopleadmittedhavingtoldlies.Assomeoftheliesarewell-intentioned,peoplemaynotregardthemaslies.Thisresultshowsthattellingliesiscommon.WhatistheresultofthesurveyconductedbyJosephsonInstituteofEthics?Accordingtothissurvey,among20,000studentssurveyed,92percentprofessedtohavetoldliesandmeanwhile,91percentneverdoubtedabouttheirownethicsorcharacter.Again,thisresultshowsthattellingliesiscommonandpeopleseldomrelatetellingliestomorality.earth-shattering-----ofthegreatestimportancetothewholeworldAfteryearsofhardwork,theyfinallymadeanearth-shatteringdiscovery.Thenewinventionisofearth-shatteringimportance.spareone’sfeelings----toavoiddoingsth.thatwouldupsetsb.Hesimplywishedtominimizethefuss(worry)andtospareherfeelings.Wecarefullyavoidedmentioningthenewstosparehisfeelings.devote…to----togivealloralargepartofone’stimeorresourcesto(aperson,activity,orcause)Iwanttodevotemoretimetomyfamily.Hedevoteshimselftophilanthropy.(charitableactions)shapeorspinthetruth----tomodifythetruth编造或杜撰事实PartII(paragraph7-11)Bycitinganexampleinthispart,thewritergoesontoexplainthattellinglittlewhiteliesisacommonpracticeandthereasonsfortellingsuchliesarefamiliar–wedonotwanttohurtothers.Whatarelittlewhitelies?Littlewhiteliesarethoseharmlessliesthataretoldsoasnottohurtsomeoneelse.Whydopeopletellwhitelies?Accordingtothepassage,thenatureofwhiteliesistoseekself-interest:Peopletellwhiteliesbasicallyforself-promotingpurposes.Whiteliesmayhavedifferentreceptionsindifferentcultures.Inwesternculturesasisillustratedbytheexample,whiteliesmaynotbewellreceivedasthepeoplevaluehonestyandintegritymorethancaringandfacevalue;butintheeasterncultures,theymaybereceivedasasignofconcernandrespectforeachother’sface.blurtout----tosth.suddenlyandwithoutthinking,usuallybecauseoneisnervousorexcitedTooursurprise,heblurtedhissecretoutattable.Johnblurtedoutthathedreamedofbecomingacomputerprogrammer.Accordingtothewriter,whatcouldbeconsidered“nicelies”?Accordingtothewriter,allthesecouldbeconsidered“nicelies”:complimentingpeopleontheirappearance,expressingappreciationforgiftsorfoodWhatatangledwebweweave,whenfirstwepracticetodeceive?----Whenwetellafib(lie),verylikelywewillhavetotellmoreliestocoveruptheliewehavetold.Oneliewillleadtomorelies.Thenwewillgetourselvesentangledwith(involvedin)thewebweweave.----Atthefirsttimewhenwedeceivesomeone,webegintomakeacomplicatedsocialweb.PartIII(paragraphs12-15)Thispartdealswiththeconsequencesoftellinglies.Whatisthegraveconsequenceoftellinglies?----Theubiquitousnessofliesmaycausepeopletobedistrustfulofeachother,thusleadingtothecollapseofthewholesociety.aslipperyslope----acourseofactionwhichcaneasilyleadtosomethingunacceptable,wrong,ordisastrous----adangeroussituation一个危险的境地Psychologicalbarriersweardown;theabilitytomakemoredistinctionscancoarsen;theliar’sperceptionofhischancesofbeingcaughtmaywarp.----Oneislessinhibitedfrom(preventedfrom)lying;hisabilitytotellthetruthfromthefalsehoodisdulled(vague);hemaybecomelesscautiousagainstbeingcaught.Or:Oncethepsychologicalbarriersarereduced,ourabilitytomakemoredistinctionscanbecomevagueandtheliarthinksthathischancesofbeingcaughtmaybecomeslight.心理障碍一旦减弱,进一步区别的能力会变得粗糙,撒谎者认为被抓住的机会会变小.weardown----toreduceorbecomeweakeruntiluselessHeavytrafficandvariableweathercanweardownthesurfaceoftheroad.Yourbacktyresarebadlyworndown;youshouldfitnewones.thinkhighlyof---tohaveagoodopinionofWethinkhighlyofyoursuggestion.Icanassureyouthatthemanagementthinksveryhighlyofyou.cover(sth.)up----tomakeeffortstoconcealamistake,sthillegal,etcThegovernmentistryingtocoverupthescandal.cover(oneself)up---dresswarmlyDocover(yourself)up;it’sfreezingoutside.Oncethey’vebecomecommonenough,eventhesmalluntruthsthatarenotmeanttohurtencourageacertaincynicismandlossoftrust.----Whenitbecomescommonenoughtotellsmalllies,eventhesmallharmlessoneswillinduce(cause)doubtanddistrust.What,accordingtotheauthor,wouldbetheconsequencesoflying?----Theconsequencesoflyingfallintothreeaspects:Thedeceivedmayfeelcheatedandwon’ttrusttheliaranymore;theliarwilllosetrustfromthedeceivedandgetentangledinthelieshefabricates;andthesocietyasawholewouldfalterandcollapseasitsmembersdonottrusteachotheranymore.PartIV(paragraph16-18)Inthispart,thewriterdiscusseswhetherliesshouldbeavoidedatallcosts.Whatdoes“anexchangeof…theprincipleoftrustfortheprincipleofcaring”mean?----Theruleofhonestyisviolatedsoastoestablishtheprincipleofshowingloveandcare.beavoidedatallcosts----mustnotbeallowedtohappenunderanycircumstancesThemostunderstandableandforgivableliesareanexchangeofwhatethicistsrefertoastheprincipleoftrustfortheprincipleofcaring.-----Thoseliesthataremostund