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完美主义的陷阱(上)
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在纳撒尼尔·霍桑的短篇小说《胎记》中，一位名叫艾尔默的化学家娶了一位名叫乔治安娜的年轻女子，她唯一的缺陷就是左脸颊上有一块红色斑点。
双语精读
The enemy of the good: The Perfection Trap
优秀之敌：完美主义的陷阱
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "The Birth-Mark", a chemist called Aylmer marries a young woman, Georgiana, whose sole imperfection is a red blemish on her left cheek.
在纳撒尼尔·霍桑的短篇小说《胎记》中，一位名叫艾尔默的化学家娶了一位名叫乔治安娜的年轻女子，她唯一的缺陷就是左脸颊上有一块红色斑点。
He considers it a "fatal flaw"; she pleads with him to use his skills to remove it. Stumbling on his journal, however, Georgiana is astonished to find it is a catalogue of scientific mishaps.
艾尔默认为这是一个"致命的缺陷"，乔治安娜恳求他用他的化学能力祛除红斑。然而，乔治安娜偶然发现了艾尔默的日记，她惊讶地发现日记上记录的都是各种科学小事故。
Might his loathing of her birthmark stem from his professional disappointment? At length Aylmer concocts a potion that has the desired effect--and promptly kills her.
艾尔默对她胎记的厌恶难道是源于他在工作上的失意？最后，艾尔默调制了一种药水，这种药水达到了预期的效果，但也立即让乔治安娜丧命。
Hawthorne's 180-year-old tale illustrates the perils of perfectionism. It is Thomas Curran's starting-point for a study of what he calls a "hidden epidemic".
霍桑的这篇180年前的故事说明了完美主义的危险。这也是托马斯·柯伦对他所说的"隐藏的流行病"的研究起点。
He thinks the obsessive pursuit of ever higher standards, rather than propelling achievement, is mainly a scourge. A social psychologist at the London School of Economics, he describes himself as "a recovering perfectionist".
柯伦认为，痴迷于追求更高的标准，而不是推动成就，在很大程度上是一种祸害。作为伦敦政治经济学院的社会心理学家，他将自己描述为"一个正在康复的完美主义者"。
Drawing on both academic research and his own experiences of "deficit thinking", he makes a vigorous case, albeit one occasionally marked by cliché (he sees his younger self as a "chin-stroking, cardigan-wearing intellectual").
根据学术研究和他自己的"缺陷思维"经历，他提出了有力的论据，尽管偶尔有俗套的地方(他认为自己年轻时是一个"摸着下巴、穿着羊毛开衫的知识分子")。
Mr Curran distinguishes between three sorts of perfectionism. The first, which looks inward, is the relentless self-scolding of the workaholic or punctilious student.
柯伦区分了三种完美主义。第一种是向内的，是工作狂或刻苦学生的严厉自责。
A second version, directed towards others, is commonly found in bosses who have unrealistic expectations of their staff and decry their supposed failings (he cites Steve Jobs as an example).
第二种是指向他人的，通常出现在那些对员工抱有不切实际的期望，并强烈批评员工的所谓缺点的老板身上(他举了史蒂夫·乔布斯的例子)。
The third and most troublesome kind is the form imputed to society: "an all-encompassing belief that everybody, at all times, expects us to be perfect". Its victims tend to feel lonely; often they harm themselves and harbour thoughts of suicide.
第三种也是最讨厌的一种，是将完美主义归咎于社会："一种包含一切的信念，认为所有人不论什么时候都期望我们是完美的"。这种完美主义的受害者往往感到孤独，他们经常伤害自己，并怀有自杀的想法。
词汇预习
psychologist [高考]
美[saɪˈkɑːlədʒɪst] | 英[saɪˈkɒlədʒɪst]
n.心理学研究者，心理学家
disappointment [高考]
美[ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt] | 英[ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt]
n. 失望；令人失望的人或事
commonly [高考]
美[ˈkɑmənli] | 英[ˈkɒmənli]
adv. 一般地；通常地；普通地
journal [高考]
美[ˈdʒɜːrnl] | 英[ˈdʒɜːnl]
n. 日志；日记；期刊
occasionally [高考]
美[əˈkeɪʒnəli] | 英[əˈkeɪʒnəli]
adv. 偶尔地
stem [高考]
美[stem] | 英[stem]
n. 柄；茎；干；船首 vi. 起源于 vt. 抽去 ... 的梗；给 ... 装柄；逆 ... 而行；阻止，遏制
intellectual [高考]
美[ˌɪntəˈlektʃuəl] | 英[ˌɪntəˈlektʃuəl]
n. 凭理智做事者；知识分子 adj. 智力的；聪明的
flaw [高考]
美[flɔː] | 英[flɔː]
n. 瑕疵；缺陷；破绽；裂缝 v. 使破裂；有瑕疵
pursuit [高考]
美[pərˈsuːt] | 英[pəˈsjuːt]
n. 追求；追赶；工作
fatal [高考]
美[ˈfeɪtl] | 英[ˈfeɪtl]
adj. 致命的；灾难性的；毁灭性的；导致失败的
belief [高考]
美[bɪˈliːf] | 英[bɪˈliːf]
n. 信念；信仰；相信
academic [高考]
美[ˌækəˈdemɪk] | 英[ˌækəˈdemɪk]
adj. 学院的；学术的；理论的 n. 大学教师，大学生；学者，学究
length [高考]
美[leŋθ] | 英[leŋθ]
n. 长度；时间长短；距离；一段；距离的测量单位
harbour [高考]
美[ˈhɑːrbər] | 英[ˈhɑːbə(r)]
n. 港口；避难所 vt. 庇护；心怀；窝藏 vi. 进入避祸所；躲藏
troublesome [高考]
美[ˈtrʌblsəm] | 英[ˈtrʌblsəm]
adj. 令人烦恼的；讨厌的；困难的；棘手的
cheek [高考]
美[tʃiːk] | 英[tʃiːk]
n. 面颊，脸颊；臀部 vt. 无礼地向…讲话，对…大胆无礼
self [高考]
美[self] | 英[self]
n. 自己；本性；自我 pron. 我自己；你自己；他或她自己 adj.同一的；纯净的；单一的 v. 近亲繁殖；自花授粉
chemist [高考]
美[ˈkemɪst] | 英[ˈkemɪst]
n. 化学家；药剂师；药房
catalogue [高考]
美[ˈkætəlɔːɡ] | 英[ˈkætəlɒɡ]
n. 目录；总目；系列 vt. 编入目录；编制目录 vi. 编制目录；在目录里列出价格
thinking [高考]
美[ˈθɪŋkɪŋ] | 英[ˈθɪŋkɪŋ]
n. 思考；思想 adj. 好思考的；有理性的
epidemic [高考]
美[ˌepɪˈdemɪk] | 英[ˌepɪˈdemɪk]
n. 流行病；传染病 adj. 流行的；传染性的
suicide [高考]
美[ˈsuːɪsaɪd] | 英[ˈsuːɪsaɪd]
n. 自杀；自杀者；自取灭亡的行为 adj. 自杀性的
workaholic [高考]
美[ˌwɜːrkəˈhɑːlɪk] | 英[ˌwɜːkəˈhɒlɪk]
n. 工作狂；闲不下来的人
vigorous [四级]
美[ˈvɪɡərəs] | 英[ˈvɪɡərəs]
adj. 精力充沛的；有力的；元气旺盛的
inward [四级]
美[ˈɪnwərd] | 英[ˈɪnwəd]
adj. 内部的；内心的；向内的；亲密的 adv. 向内 n. 内部；内在
chin [四级]
美[tʃɪn] | 英[tʃɪn]
n. 颏；下巴 v. 聊天；作引体向上
deficit [四级]
美[ˈdefɪsɪt] | 英[ˈdefɪsɪt]
n. 赤字；逆差；亏损；亏空；不足
promptly [四级]
美[ˈprɑmptli] | 英[ˈprɒmptli]
adv. 迅速地；准时地；立即
unrealistic [四级]
美[ˌʌnriːəˈlɪstɪk] | 英[ˌʌnrɪəˈlɪstɪk]
adj. 不切实际的；不实在的
stem from [四级]
美[stem frʌm] | 英[stem frɒm]
源于；来自于
relentless [六级]
美[rɪˈlentləs] | 英[rɪˈlentləs]
adj. 冷酷无情的；不间断的
sole [六级]
美[soʊl] | 英[səʊl]
adj. 独占的；唯一的 n. 脚底；鞋底 n. 鳎鱼 vt. 给(鞋)换底
cardigan [专八]
美[ˈkɑrdɪgən] | 英[ˈkɑ:dɪgən]
n. 开襟羊毛衫
blemish [专八]
美[ˈblemɪʃ] | 英[ˈblemɪʃ]
n. 瑕疵；污点；缺点 v. 玷污；损害
decry [专八]
美[dɪˈkraɪ] | 英[dɪˈkraɪ]
v. 责难；诽谤
obsessive [专八]
美[əbˈsesɪv] | 英[əbˈsesɪv]
adj. 着迷的；困扰的；强迫性的
marked [托福]
美[mɑːrkt] | 英[mɑːkt]
adj. 有记号的；显著的；受监视的 v. 弄污；打分；留意；做标记（动词mark的过去式和过去分词）
scourge [托福]
美[skɜrdʒ] | 英[skɜ:dʒ]
n. 灾难；祸患；鞭子
重点讲解
The enemy of**** the good****:**** The Perfection**** Trap****
优秀之敌：完美主义的陷阱
trap n. & v.
1. 作名词
（1）陷阱；诡计
【例】The only way to catch mice is to set a trap.
抓老鼠的唯一办法就是放置捕鼠器。
（2）（难以逃脱的）困境，牢笼
【例】the unemployment trap 失业的困境
2. 作动词
（1）使陷入困境；缠住，卡住
【例】They were trapped in the burning building.
他们被困在燃烧着的楼房里。
（2）收集；吸收
【例】Solar panels trap energy from the sun.
太阳能电池板吸收太阳能。
（3）使中计；使上当
【例】I was trapped into signing a confession.
我被骗签了一份供词。
In**** Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "The**** Birth-Mark****", a chemist called**** Aylmer**** marries a young woman,**** Georgiana,**** whose sole**** imperfection**** is**** a red blemish on**** her left**** cheek.****
在纳撒尼尔·霍桑的短篇小说《胎记》中，一位名叫艾尔默的化学家娶了一位名叫乔治安娜的年轻女子，她唯一的缺陷就是左脸颊上有一块红色斑点。
trap n. & v.
1. 作名词
（1）陷阱；诡计
【例】The only way to catch mice is to set a trap.
抓老鼠的唯一办法就是放置捕鼠器。
（2）（难以逃脱的）困境，牢笼
【例】the unemployment trap 失业的困境
2. 作动词
（1）使陷入困境；缠住，卡住
【例】They were trapped in the burning building.
他们被困在燃烧着的楼房里。
（2）收集；吸收
【例】Solar panels trap energy from the sun.
太阳能电池板吸收太阳能。
（3）使中计；使上当
【例】I was trapped into signing a confession.
我被骗签了一份供词。
He considers it a "fatal flaw"; she pleads with him to use his skills to remove it. Stumbling on his journal, however, Georgiana is astonished to find it is a catalogue of scientific mishaps.
艾尔默认为这是一个"致命的缺陷"，乔治安娜恳求他用他的化学能力祛除红斑。然而，乔治安娜偶然发现了艾尔默的日记，她惊讶地发现日记上记录的都是各种科学小事故。
stumble on/across /upon 意外发现；偶然遇见
【例】Police have stumbled on a huge drugs ring.
警方无意中发现一个庞大的贩毒集团。
【拓展】stumble v.
1. 绊脚
【例】I stumbled over a rock.
我在石头上绊了一下。
2. 跌跌撞撞地走；蹒跚而行
【例】We were stumbling around in the dark looking for a candle.
黑暗中，我们东跌西撞地找蜡烛。
3. （朗读或说话时）结巴，说错
【例】I hope I don’t stumble over any of the long words.
希望我说那些长单词不会结结巴巴。
journal n.
1. （某学科或行业的）报纸，刊物，杂志
【例】a scientific journal 科学杂志
2. 日志；日记
【例】He decided to keep a journal.
他决定写日记。
Might his loathing of her birthmark stem from his professional disappointment? At length Aylmer concocts a potion that has the desired effect--and promptly kills her.
艾尔默对她胎记的厌恶难道是源于他在工作上的失意？最后，艾尔默调制了一种药水，这种药水达到了预期的效果，但也立即让乔治安娜丧命。
stem from 起源于；根源是
【例】His headaches stemmed from vision problems.
他的头痛是由视力问题引起的。
【拓展】stem n. & v.
1. 作名词：（花草的）茎，柄
【例】a long-stemmed rose 一枝长茎玫瑰
2. 作动词：阻止；封堵
【例】an attempt to stem the decline in profits 遏制利润下滑的努力
at length
1. 长时间；详尽地
【例】We have already discussed this matter at great length.
我们已经十分详尽地讨论了这个问题。
2.最后；经过一段长时间以后
【例】“I'm still not sure.” he said at length.
“我还是没把握。” 他最后说道。
concoct v.
1. 调制，配制（尤指食物或饮料）
【例】Jean concocted a great meal from the leftovers.
吉恩用剩菜剩饭做了一顿美餐。
2. 虚构，编造（故事、借口等）
【例】John concocted an elaborate excuse for being late.
约翰为迟到编造了一个巧妙的借口。
Hawthorne's 180-year-old tale illustrates the perils of perfectionism. It is Thomas Curran's starting-point for a study of what he calls a "hidden epidemic".
霍桑的这篇180年前的故事说明了完美主义的危险。这也是托马斯·柯伦对他所说的"隐藏的流行病"的研究起点。
illustrate v.
1. 说明，阐明
【例】Let me give an example to illustrate the point.
让我举个例子来说明这一点。
2. 给（书籍、文章等）加插图
【例】Over a hundred diagrams, tables and pictures illustrate the book.
这本书有一百多幅图解、表格和图片。
scourge n. & v.
1. 作名词：祸害；灾害
【例】the scourge of war 战争的祸害
2. 作动词：折磨，使受苦难；鞭打
【例】He was scourged by the memory of his misdeeds.
他对以往胡作非为的回忆使得他备受折磨。
He thinks the obsessive pursuit of ever higher standards, rather than propelling achievement, is mainly a scourge. A social psychologist at the London School of Economics, he describes himself as "a recovering perfectionist".
柯伦认为，痴迷于追求更高的标准，而不是推动成就，在很大程度上是一种祸害。作为伦敦政治经济学院的社会心理学家，他将自己描述为"一个正在康复的完美主义者"。
illustrate v.
1. 说明，阐明
【例】Let me give an example to illustrate the point.
让我举个例子来说明这一点。
2. 给（书籍、文章等）加插图
【例】Over a hundred diagrams, tables and pictures illustrate the book.
这本书有一百多幅图解、表格和图片。
scourge n. & v.
1. 作名词：祸害；灾害
【例】the scourge of war 战争的祸害
2. 作动词：折磨，使受苦难；鞭打
【例】He was scourged by the memory of his misdeeds.
他对以往胡作非为的回忆使得他备受折磨。
Drawing on both academic research and his own experiences of "deficit thinking", he makes a vigorous case, albeit one occasionally marked by cliché (he sees his younger self as a "chin-stroking, cardigan-wearing intellectual").
根据学术研究和他自己的"缺陷思维"经历，他提出了有力的论据，尽管偶尔有俗套的地方(他认为自己年轻时是一个"摸着下巴、穿着羊毛开衫的知识分子")。
albeit conj. 尽管；虽然
英文释义：although it may be
【例】He accepted the job, albeit with some hesitation.
尽管有些犹豫，他还是接受了那份工作。
intellectual a. & n.
1. 作形容词
（1）智力的，脑力的
【例】a job that requires considerable intellectual effort 颇费脑力的工作
（2）有才智的，聪明的
【例】He's very intellectual.
他很聪慧。
2. 作名词：知识分子；脑力劳动者
【例】a leading British intellectual 一位顶尖的英国知识分子
distinguish v.
1. 区分；辨别
【例】It is hard to distinguish one twin from the other.
很难分辨出一对孪生儿谁是谁。
2. 使有区别，使有特色
【例】The factor that distinguishes this company from the competition is customer service.
使这家公司在竞争中脱颖而出的是其客户服务。
3. 使出众；使著名
【例】She has already distinguished herself as an athlete.
作为运动员她已享有盛名。
Mr Curran distinguishes between three sorts of perfectionism. The first, which looks inward, is the relentless self-scolding of the workaholic or punctilious student.
柯伦区分了三种完美主义。第一种是向内的，是工作狂或刻苦学生的严厉自责。
albeit conj. 尽管；虽然
英文释义：although it may be
【例】He accepted the job, albeit with some hesitation.
尽管有些犹豫，他还是接受了那份工作。
intellectual a. & n.
1. 作形容词
（1）智力的，脑力的
【例】a job that requires considerable intellectual effort 颇费脑力的工作
（2）有才智的，聪明的
【例】He's very intellectual.
他很聪慧。
2. 作名词：知识分子；脑力劳动者
【例】a leading British intellectual 一位顶尖的英国知识分子
distinguish v.
1. 区分；辨别
【例】It is hard to distinguish one twin from the other.
很难分辨出一对孪生儿谁是谁。
2. 使有区别，使有特色
【例】The factor that distinguishes this company from the competition is customer service.
使这家公司在竞争中脱颖而出的是其客户服务。
3. 使出众；使著名
【例】She has already distinguished herself as an athlete.
作为运动员她已享有盛名。
A second version, directed towards others, is commonly found in bosses who have unrealistic expectations of their staff and decry their supposed failings (he cites Steve Jobs as an example).
第二种是指向他人的，通常出现在那些对员工抱有不切实际的期望，并强烈批评员工的所谓缺点的老板身上(他举了史蒂夫·乔布斯的例子)。
cite v.
1. 引证，引用
【例】The passage cited above is from a Robert Frost poem.
以上的引文出自罗伯特•弗罗斯特的一首诗。
2. 传唤；传讯
【例】She was cited in the divorce proceedings.
她在离婚诉讼中被传唤。
3. 嘉奖；表彰
【例】He was cited for bravery.
他因表现勇敢而得到嘉奖。
impute sth. to sb/sth （不公正地把责任等）归咎于
【例】The police were not guilty of the violence imputed to them.
警方并未犯过强加于他们头上的暴力罪行。
harbour v. & n.
1. 作动词
（1）怀有，心存（尤指反面感情或想法）
【例】She began to harbour doubts about the decision.
她开始对这个决定产生怀疑。
（2）包含；藏有
【例】Sinks and draining boards can harbour germs.
洗涤槽和沥水板可能藏有病菌。
2. 作名词：港口，港湾
【例】to enter/leave harbour 进入／离开港口
The third and most troublesome kind is the form imputed to society: "an all-encompassing belief that everybody, at all times, expects us to be perfect". Its victims tend to feel lonely; often they harm themselves and harbour thoughts of suicide.
第三种也是最讨厌的一种，是将完美主义归咎于社会："一种包含一切的信念，认为所有人不论什么时候都期望我们是完美的"。这种完美主义的受害者往往感到孤独，他们经常伤害自己，并怀有自杀的想法。
cite v.
1. 引证，引用
【例】The passage cited above is from a Robert Frost poem.
以上的引文出自罗伯特•弗罗斯特的一首诗。
2. 传唤；传讯
【例】She was cited in the divorce proceedings.
她在离婚诉讼中被传唤。
3. 嘉奖；表彰
【例】He was cited for bravery.
他因表现勇敢而得到嘉奖。
impute sth. to sb/sth （不公正地把责任等）归咎于
【例】The police were not guilty of the violence imputed to them.
警方并未犯过强加于他们头上的暴力罪行。
harbour v. & n.
1. 作动词
（1）怀有，心存（尤指反面感情或想法）
【例】She began to harbour doubts about the decision.
她开始对这个决定产生怀疑。
（2）包含；藏有
【例】Sinks and draining boards can harbour germs.
洗涤槽和沥水板可能藏有病菌。
2. 作名词：港口，港湾
【例】to enter/leave harbour 进入／离开港口
课后练习
The story “The Birthmark” is mentioned to ____.
A. describe Nathaniel Hawthorne’s talent as a novelist
B. illustrate women’s obsession with beauty
C. prove the difficulty of doing scientific research
D. show the dangers and risks of perfectionism
What does Thomas Curran think about perfectionism?
A. It encourages people to make great achievements.
B. It leads people to have reasonable expectations of everything.
C. It causes more harm than good in an unnoticeable way.
D. It is a major reason why people suffer from mental illnesses.
According to the text, Steve Jobs ____.
A. tended to have high demands on himself
B. suffered from the pressures of work
C. couldn’t tolerate other people’s weaknesses
D. achieved success thanks to his perfectionism
What can be learned about the third kind of perfectionism?
A. Its victims often live in a stressful society.
B. It prevents people from trusting anybody.
C. Its victims have wrong views about the society.
D. It causes people to be overly confident.