Developing ideas 课文精读 · 善意的小小谎言
一、课文原文及逐段翻译
第1段
1. Written more than two hundred years ago, these lines by Walter Scott remain one of the most well-known excerpts of Scottish poetry: Oh, what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to deceive!
1. 两百多年前，沃尔特·司各特写下的这几行文字，如今依然是苏格兰诗歌中最广为传诵的诗句之一：啊，谎言一旦开始，我们须得织就一张错综复杂的网！
第2段
2. We all know that honesty is an important value and that lying is wrong, but who can honestly say that they’ve never told a lie? Perhaps we comfort ourselves with the knowledge that most of the lies we tell are “white lies”: little lies that we tell to protect others from the truth.
2. 我们都知道诚实是一项重要品质，也知道说谎是不对的，但是谁又能诚实地说自己从未说过谎呢？也许我们会这样来安慰自己：我们所说的大部分谎言都是“善意的谎言”——我们为了保护他人免受真相伤害的小谎言。
第3段
3. We’ve all surely had the experience of someone cooking a meal for us that we don’t like. The majority of us of course don’t tell the truth—we lie and say that the food is “delicious”.
3. 我们一定都有过这样的经历：别人为我们准备的饭菜不合我们的口味。我们大多数人当然不会说实话——我们会撒谎说食物“很美味”。
第4段
4. Or if a friend asks us what we think of their new haircut, we say “It’s great!”, even if we think it’s awful. But to what extent can we justify telling white lies like these?
4. 或者有朋友问我们他的新发型怎么样，即使我们觉得很糟糕，我们也还是会说：“太棒了！”但是这些善意的谎言到底有多正当呢？
第5段
5. One of the main reasons for telling a white lie is to try to make others feel better. However, when we lie and say that someone’s haircut looks good, or when we say that we love a meal that we secretly hate, are we really hoping to improve the situation for someone else? Perhaps we are in fact lying to protect ourselves from the disappointment and anger of others.
5. 说善意谎言的一个主要原因是为了照顾别人的感受。然而，当我们撒谎说某人的发型很好看，或者说不合我们口味的菜很好吃时，我们真的是在为别人着想吗？也许实际上，我们撒谎只是为了不让别人失望和生气，以免殃及自身。
第6段
6. Another reason for telling a white lie is to give encouragement. Say for example that your friend asks you what you think of his singing. You of course say that it’s wonderful, despite secretly thinking that your cat can sing better. Stop for a moment and consider that perhaps your friend wants some frank comments from you so that they can improve.
6. 说善意谎言的另一个原因是给予鼓励。比方说，你的朋友问你觉得他的歌唱得怎么样。尽管你私下里认为他唱得还不如猫叫好听，但你还是会说他唱得很好听。停下来想一想，也许你的朋友就是想从你那儿得到一些坦诚的意见，从而改进和提高。
第7段
7. Finally, we may also tell a white lie when we want to protect others from bad news. If you’ve had a bad day, do you tell your parents about it, or do you hide your tears and lie that your day was “fine”? If the latter, don’t you think your parents would want to listen to you and understand your feelings?
7. 最后，想要向别人隐瞒坏消息的时候，我们也可能会说善意的谎言。假如你今天诸事不顺，你是对你的父母说实话呢，还是会偷偷擦掉眼泪骗他们说你今天过得“很好”？如果是后者，难道你不觉得其实父母希望听你倾诉从而理解你的真实感受吗？
第8段
8. Going back to Walter Scott’s lines, we may find even white lies have results we cannot know in advance. Perhaps the meal you said was “delicious” will be served every time you visit. Would your friend trust your opinion again if he found out you had lied about his “wonderful” singing?
8. 回到沃尔特·司各特的诗句，我们可能会发现，即使是善意的谎言，也会带来无法预知的后果。也许被你评价为“美味的”饭菜会在你每次到访时都出现在餐桌上。如果你的朋友发现你对歌声“很美妙”的评价是个谎言后，他还会继续信任你的看法吗？
二、重点单词
honesty n.：诚实；正直。honesty is an important value.
value n.：价值；价值观。an important value.
deceive v.：欺骗；行骗。When first we practise to deceive!
comfort v.：安慰；抚慰。we comfort ourselves with the knowledge.
majority n.：大多数。The majority of us don’t tell the truth.
justify v.：证明……正当；为……辩护。can we justify telling white lies?
encouragement n.：鼓励。to give encouragement.
frank adj.：坦率的；坦诚的。some frank comments.
improve v.：改进；提高。so that they can improve.
protect v.：保护。protect others from bad news.
latter n.：后者。If the latter.
opinion n.：看法；意见。trust your opinion.
advance n.：前进；预先。results we cannot know in advance.
excerpt n.：摘录；选段。one of the most well-known excerpts.
三、一词多义与熟词生义
value 常见义为具体的“数值、面值”，课文 an important value 指抽象的“价值、价值观”。
comfort 常见义为名词“舒适、慰藉”，课文 we comfort ourselves 作动词“安慰、使安心”。
justify 常见义“为（开支、行为）正名”，课文 can we justify telling white lies 指“证明（说谎）正当、站得住脚”。
latter 常见义“后面的、后期的”，课文 If the latter（与 the former 相对）专指“后者”，指代前面两种情况中的第二种。
advance 常见义为动词“前进、推进”，in advance 是固定短语，意为“预先、提前”。
white lie 字面为“白色的谎言”，实际是英语固定说法“善意的谎言”，指为避免伤害而说的小谎。
四、重点词块
well-known excerpts 广为传诵的诗句/选段
practise to deceive 行骗；说谎
comfort oneself with 用……自我安慰
protect ... from 保护……免受
don’t tell the truth 不说实话
to what extent 在多大程度上
make others feel better 让别人感觉好受些
improve the situation 改善处境
give encouragement 给予鼓励
frank comments 坦诚的意见
protect ... from bad news 向……隐瞒坏消息
hide one’s tears 偷偷擦泪；掩饰悲伤
in advance 预先；提前
trust one’s opinion 信任某人的看法
五、长难句拆解
【原句 1】Written more than two hundred years ago, these lines by Walter Scott remain one of the most well-known excerpts of Scottish poetry.
【主干】these lines remain one of the most well-known excerpts.
【分层】Written ... ago 为过去分词短语作时间/定语状语，修饰 lines；by Walter Scott 为介词短语作后置定语；remain 为系动词，后接表语。
【译文】两百多年前沃尔特·司各特写下的这几行文字，如今仍是苏格兰诗歌中最广为传诵的诗句之一。
【考点】过去分词作状语；系动词 remain + 表语。
【原句 2】Perhaps we comfort ourselves with the knowledge that most of the lies we tell are “white lies”: little lies that we tell to protect others from the truth.
【主干】we comfort ourselves with the knowledge.
【分层】that 引导同位语从句解释 knowledge；该从句中 we tell 为省略 that 的定语从句修饰 lies；冒号后 little lies 同位说明 white lies，其后的 that 定语从句含 to protect ... 目的状语。
【译文】也许我们用这样的认知来安慰自己：我们说的大部分谎言都是“善意的谎言”——即为了保护他人免受真相伤害而说的小谎。
【考点】同位语从句；嵌套定语从句；不定式目的状语。
【原句 3】However, when we lie and say that someone’s haircut looks good, or when we say that we love a meal that we secretly hate, are we really hoping to improve the situation for someone else?
【主干】are we really hoping to improve the situation?
【分层】两个 when 引导并列时间状语从句；各从句中 that 引导宾语从句；第二个宾语从句中又嵌 that we secretly hate 定语从句修饰 meal。
【译文】然而，当我们撒谎说某人发型好看，或说我们爱一道私下讨厌的菜时，我们真是在为别人改善处境吗？
【考点】并列 when 状语从句；宾语从句嵌套定语从句。
【原句 4】Stop for a moment and consider that perhaps your friend wants some frank comments from you so that they can improve.
【主干】Stop and consider that ...
【分层】and 连接并列祈使动词；that 引导 consider 的宾语从句；so that 引导目的状语从句 they can improve。
【译文】停下来想一想，也许你的朋友就是想从你这儿得到一些坦诚的意见，从而改进和提高。
【考点】祈使句并列；that 宾语从句；so that 目的状语从句。
【原句 5】Going back to Walter Scott’s lines, we may find even white lies have results we cannot know in advance.
【主干】we may find (that) white lies have results.
【分层】Going back to ... 为现在分词短语作状语；find 后接省略 that 的宾语从句；该从句中 we cannot know in advance 为定语从句修饰 results。
【译文】回到司各特的诗句，我们可能会发现，即使是善意的谎言，也会带来无法预知的后果。
【考点】现在分词作状语；省略 that 的宾语从句；定语从句。
六、语法点清单
1. 过去分词作状语（Written ...）
Written more than two hundred years ago 表时间/状态，主语 lines 与 write 为被动关系。
2. 同位语从句（that）
the knowledge that ...，that 从句解释抽象名词 knowledge 的具体内容，不充当成分、不可省略。
3. 定语从句（that / we tell / we cannot know）
多次出现省略关系词的定语从句（the lies (that) we tell），注意关系代词作宾语时可省。
4. 并列连词与平行结构
when ... or when ...；Stop ... and consider ...，体现论证中的并列与递进。
5. so that 目的状语从句
so that they can improve，主句动作的目的，常与情态动词 can/may 连用。
6. 情态动词表推测（may / can / would）
we may find ...；can we justify ...；would want to ...，表达可能性与委婉语气。
七、逻辑链
起兴（第1段）：引司各特诗句“谎言织网” → 提出“谎言”话题
↓
现象（第2—4段）：人人都说善意谎言 → 举饭菜、发型两例 → 质疑其正当性
↓
析因（第5—7段）：为让他人好受 / 为鼓励 / 为隐瞒坏消息 → 但实质或为自保、或错失真诚
↓
反思（第8段）：回到诗句 → 善意谎言亦有不可预知的后果，信任或受损
这是一篇“现象—举例—析因—反思”的议论文。 第1段以诗句引出“谎言”母题；第2—4段用生活实例呈现 white lies 的普遍并抛出疑问；第5—7段分析三大动因，却逐一揭示其自私或误导的一面；第8段回扣开头诗句，点明善意谎言的潜在代价，结构首尾呼应、层层推进。
八、写作迁移
模板 1：Written / Done ..., 名词 + remain(s) ...
课文：Written more than two hundred years ago, these lines remain one of the most well-known excerpts.
仿写：Written in the Tang Dynasty, this poem remains one of the most beloved works.（写于唐代的这首诗至今仍是最受喜爱的作品之一。）——用于强调经典穿越时空的价值。
模板 2：We all know that ..., but who can honestly say that ...?
课文：We all know that honesty is important, but who can honestly say they’ve never told a lie?
仿写：We all know that reading matters, but who can honestly say they read every day?（我们都知道阅读重要，但谁敢说自己每天都读？）——用于先立共识再反转质疑。
模板 3：to what extent can we justify ...?
课文：But to what extent can we justify telling white lies like these?
仿写：To what extent can we justify using animals for testing?（我们在多大程度上能证明用动物做实验是正当的？）——用于提出伦理追问。
模板 4：One of the main reasons for ... is to ...
课文：One of the main reasons for telling a white lie is to try to make others feel better.
仿写：One of the main reasons for learning a second language is to broaden our view.（学外语的主要原因之一是拓宽视野。）——用于列举原因。
模板 5：Stop for a moment and consider that ...
课文：Stop for a moment and consider that perhaps your friend wants some frank comments.
仿写：Stop for a moment and consider that your small act may change someone’s day.（停下来想想，你小小的举动也许能改变别人的一天。）——用于引导读者换角度思考。
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