牛油果英语

媒体的选择性失明：有些真相，不在报道范围内

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

原文出自 Nury Vittachi《The Other Side of the Story: A Secret War in Hong Kong》。

背景：2020年夏，香港国安法颁布后，西方媒体一致宣称“香港新闻自由已死”“一国两制终结”。Nury 以香港居民的第一手观察逐一反驳。

In the summer of 2020, after discussions involving 200 Hong Kong people, Beijing passed the National Security Law for our city, dropping it on our heads fully formed, with no chance of amendment. The international press reported that it had killed freedom of the press and "has in effect ended the autonomy promised under the 'one country, two systems' arrangements that was supposed to pertain in Hong Kong until 2047", according to the Economist. These reports were the opposite of the truth, and could be disproved in five seconds flat. Hong Kong websites were still full of energetic criticism of China, cartoons of Xi Jinping proliferated, and I continued to make jokes and memes about our leaders, just to see if I could. (I could.) To people in Hong Kong, it was obvious that the law hadn't killed the free press, but was targeted at the underground subversives attempting to overthrow the government. But the mainstream media did not and could not cover this angle, as it would expose the truth, which is that they had been fooled by a subversive committee of pro-US people and agents from the revolution industry from day one. So they simply didn't go near the real story.

2020年夏，在与200名香港各界人士讨论征询之后，中央政府通过了香港国安法，骤然落地生效，没有任何讨价还价的余地。

国际媒体纷纷报道，说香港国安法扼杀了新闻自由，用《经济学人》的话说，“‘一国两制’承诺至少五十年不变的的香港高度自治，名存实亡了”。

可真相与这些报道恰恰相反，我用五秒钟就能证明。在香港，网上仍充斥对内地的中伤，习近平的漫画还是随处可见，而我依然能开领导人玩笑、做表情包，目的很简单，就是想试试行不行。（答案是：行。）

对香港人来说，这部法律显然没有扼杀新闻自由。它的目标，只有那些暗地里试图颠覆政府的不法分子。

但这个真相，西方主流媒体没有报道，也不可能报道。因为一旦报道出来，幕后的真相就会水落石出：在香港，亲美派和“颜色革命工厂”特派员，为了颠覆政权狼狈为奸，从头到尾把香港人蒙在鼓里。既然这真相没法报道，那西方主流媒体干脆就避真相唯恐不及了。

养育方式的两个维度

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

出自 Steve Magness《Do Hard Things》。

原文

In the 1960s, developmental psychologist Diana Baumrind pioneered our understanding of parenting. Through research and observation, she discovered that parenting styles can be classified based on two factors: responsiveness and demandingness. Baumrind defined responsiveness as "the extent to which parents intentionally foster individuality, self-regulation, and self-assertion by being attuned, supportive, and acquiescent to children's special needs and demands." In other words, how well do parents respond to and meet the needs of their children? After they lose a soccer match, do you greet your child with warmth and support? Or do you go straight into criticizing their play? Demandingness, on the other hand, refers to "the claims parents make on children to become integrated into the family whole, by their maturity demands, supervision, disciplinary efforts and willingness to confront the child who disobeys." In other words, how high are the parents' expectations for their child, and how much control do they exert to regulate or influence their child? Plotting these two characteristics, Baumrind found that most parents fell into three categories that lined up with Goldilocks’s search for the perfect bed. If a parent was low in demandingness and high in responsiveness, they were too soft, a permissive parent who would let their child get away with just about anything. If a parent was high in demandingness and low in responsiveness, they were too hard, an authoritarian who relied on harsh discipline, with little attention to the child’s needs. Parents who use an authoritarian style don't trust their children to make good decisions. The parent is in charge, and the child is to obey. Authoritarian parents rely on fear, threats, and punishment to ensure that their children make good choices. A typical refrain from an authoritarian parent might be, "You need to do (this) because I said so."

译文

二十世纪六十年代，大众对子女教养的观念，主要受成长心理学家戴安娜·鲍姆林德（Diana Baumrind）的影响。通过研究与观察，她提出可以从两个维度区分不同的教养方式，一个是父母对孩子的回应度（responsiveness），另一个是父母对孩子的期望度（demandingness）。

回应度指父母对孩子个性化需求的感知与支持程度，目的是为了培养自主、自律、自信的孩子，方式是倾听、理解、迁就孩子的需求，并给予及时、到位的安慰与帮助。比如孩子输了比赛，你是先安抚情绪、鼓励支持，还是批评他们表现不好？

期望度指父母对孩子听话、懂事、守规矩的要求强度，目的是让孩子先成为大家中的小我，方式是要求他们听话、服从管教、遵守纪律，不听话的时候会正面施压。表现是父母对孩子有较高的期待，在管教和引导孩子时会用控制和约束手段。

鲍姆林德认为，把这两个维度画成坐标，大多数父母大致可以分成三类，就像床一样，可以分为太软、太硬、刚刚好。如果父母对孩子要求不高、但回应很强，那就“太软”，属于放任型，孩子几乎做什么都能放过。反过来，如果父母要求很高、却很少回应，那就“太硬”，属于专制型，主要靠严厉的约束来管教，却很少顾及孩子的需求。

专制的父母眼里，孩子做不出好的决定。父母说了算，孩子只能服从。他们靠恐惧、威胁和惩罚来确保孩子做出“正确的”选择。专制父母标志性的一句话是：“我叫你做你就做，没有为什么。”

地道表达

"attuned, supportive, and acquiescent"

原文定义“回应度”时用了三个并列形容词：

…being attuned, supportive, and acquiescent to children's special needs and demands.

attuned — 先“听见”。attuned (to sth) 表示“对……很敏锐 / 很能体察 / 很能感知并跟上”，常用于情绪、需求、信号、环境变化等。这句话里，作为第一个形容词，是说父母得先倾听且能听懂孩子有什么需要、在表达什么情绪。这是接收端。

supportive — 再“回应”。听见了不能没反应，在听懂的前提下，能设身处地地理解，认为孩子的需求有道理，给出支持。这是输出端。

acquiescent — 最难的一步：让步。acquiescent意思是：默许、顺从、默认同意，虽然带一点不是很情愿的意思，但结果是退一步、让一步，迁就对方。所以，在听到、表达支持之后，如果孩子的需求跟父母的预期不一致，要调整的不是孩子，是自己。

三个词串成一条完整的行为链：察觉 → 支持 → 退让。英语用并列结构把这条链压进三个形容词里，干净利落，层层递进。

英语形容词和中文形容词，功能很不一样。

英语的形容词可以非常“重”——attuned 里面装着“敏锐、频道一致、持续注意”的意思。但如果把 attuned 直译成“敏锐察觉的”、acquiescent 直译成“默许顺从的”，中文读者读到的是一串生硬的定语，感受不到原文那种紧凑的推进感。

所以翻译成中文的时候，可以把形容词还原成副词+动作。

attuned → 倾听（你听到了，而且你懂了）

supportive → 理解、帮助（不是光嘴上说“我支持你”）

acquiescent → 顺应、迁就（把“我认为”放下）

这样的翻译，英文原文里be + 形容词所表现的父母立场和态度，就变成了中文译文里父母的行动和作为。

中译英｜把大国当信仰，靠得住吗？

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

出自郑永年《变局与定力》。

喜欢美国好莱坞大片的人不难在银幕上听到主角类似这样的说法：我曾经对上帝的存在深信不疑，我也敬畏上帝，对上帝保持虔诚，但是一旦我需要上帝的时候，他就不见了，因此，我只能依靠自己。其实，对日本和菲律宾这样的国家来说，也面临类似的情形。它们把美国力量当成信仰，但这个信仰能在多大程度上为它们提供实际上的帮助，可能只有上帝才知道。

English Translation

Anyone who has watched enough Hollywood blockbusters knows this kind of line: I used to believe in God with all my heart. I revered Him and remained devout. But the moment I needed Him most, He was nowhere to be found. So I had no choice but to rely on myself. Countries like Japan and the Philippines, in truth, find themselves in a similar bind. They have elevated American power into an article of faith — but how far that faith can actually carry them is something only God knows.

翻译笔记

“不难在银幕上听到” → “knows this kind of line” —— 这里没有按字面处理成 it is not hard to hear lines like this on screen，因为这种说法虽然意思对，但英文会显得笨重，也不够自然。原文真正想表达的不是“听见”这个动作，而是观众对这类台词的熟悉感：看过足够多好莱坞大片的人，一听到这种表达就会心领神会。know 这个词带有很强的笃定感，它不是 “I think so” 式的“我觉得如此”，而是 “I know” 式的“我很确定”。比如《黑客帝国》里 Morpheus 对 Neo 说：Don’t think you are. Know you are. 这里 think 和 know 的对比非常清楚：前者是判断，后者是确信。

“把美国力量当成信仰” → “elevated American power into an article of faith” —— an article of faith 是地道搭配，表示“信条、信念”。elevate ... into 比 turn ... into 多了一层“抬高、神化”的意味，更贴近原文暗含的讽刺。

“面临类似的情形” → “find themselves in a similar bind” —— bind 表示“困境、两难”，比 situation 更精确地传达了原文“无奈、被动”的语感。这里用 find themselves in 也比 face 更贴切，因为 find 不只是“面对”，还带有一种“结果发现自己已经处在某种境地中”的意味：重点不是主动迎向某个问题，而是经过一系列外部变化或自身选择之后，最终落入了这样一种局面。因此它更能表达原文里“日本和菲律宾也面临类似情形”的结果感和被动感。

中译英｜社交媒体让人人发声，反而更孤独？

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

这段话出自学者郑永年的新书《变局与定力》。

概括地说，社交媒体的崛起的确赋权大众，或者说赋权任何一个“个体”，无论是个人，还是组织或是政府，但正如前面所讨论的，两个趋势是明显的：1. 赋能“恶”的因素多于赋能“善”的因素；2. 个人被无限原子化，无一不被资本或者权力所操纵。

In short, the rise of social media has indeed empowered the masses — or more precisely, it has empowered every "individual," be they a person, an organization, or a government. Yet as noted earlier, two trends are unmistakable. First, social media amplifies the forces of "evil" far more than those of "good." Second, it atomizes individuals to an extreme degree, leaving every last one of them susceptible to manipulation by capital or power.

“赋能……的因素多于……”→ amplifies…far more than…：中文的“赋能”不宜直译为 empower，用 amplify 更贴切，因为社交媒体不是“赋予”恶以力量，而是“放大”了本就存在的恶。

“原子化”→ atomize：社会学概念，英文直接对应 atomization/atomize。这个词在英文语境中常用，是近几年讨论的热点，形容人被切割成孤立单位。

“无一不被……所操纵”→ leaving every last one of them susceptible to：刻意避开被动语态。susceptible to 意思是“易受……影响/伤害”“容易被……左右”，如 susceptible to manipulation / infection / pressure，语气比 vulnerable to 稍中性一点。

高压管教的隐性代价：越控制，越失控

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

出自 Steve Magness《Do Hard Things》。

While death may not occur in classrooms or homes from enacting an authoritarian approach to parenting or leading, research shows lasting psychological consequences. Authoritarian parenting leads to lower independence, more aggressive behavior, and a higher likelihood for substance abuse and risky behaviors. In sport, the controlling, demanding style also fails. On the athletic fields, it’s linked to lower grit and an increase in emotional exhaustion, burnout, and fear of failure.

不管是在学校里还是在家里，权威式管教虽然不至于出人命，但研究证实能产生长期且隐蔽的心理伤害。父母越强硬，控制欲越强，子女反而越缺乏独立性，更容易暴躁，药物滥用和偏激行为的概率也更高。放到运动场上，高压的训练模式同样无可取，它会导致运动员韧性更低，更容易情绪低落，职业倦怠，恐惧失败。

值得学的表达

lasting psychological consequences —— 持久的心理后果。“lasting” 比 “long-term” 更有“挥之不去”的意味，暗示影响不是一时半会能消除的。例句：The lasting effects of childhood trauma are well documented.

enacting an authoritarian approach —— 实施权威式管理。“enact” 含有“将原则付诸行动”的动感，比 “adopting” 更有力度。例句：The school enacted a new discipline policy last semester.

burnout —— 职业倦怠/精力耗竭。不只是“累”，而是长期高压导致的全面枯竭，情绪、身体、认知一起一蹶不振。

你以为的“坚强”，可能只是硬撑

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

💡

出自 Steve Magness《Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness》。

Real toughness is about providing the tool set to handle adversity. It’s teaching. Fake toughness creates fragility, responding out of fear, suppressing what we feel, and attempting to press onward no matter the situation or demands.

真正的坚强，是教你如何应对逆境，是给你一套应对逆境的方法。而假坚强，会让你更脆弱，让你出于恐惧而条件反射，压抑情绪，不分青红皂白只会硬着头皮往上冲。

值得学的表达

tool set to handle adversity → 应对逆境的一套方法

tool set 不是“工具箱”，是“一套方法/工具”。handle adversity 比 deal with difficulties 更精准——adversity 自带“逆境、磨难”的意味。

creates fragility → 导致/产生/变得脆弱

create 在这里不只是“创造”，而是“造成/引发”某种结果的因果动词，语气比 cause 更具体。类似能够表达因果关系的词还有很多：help (to) / enable / contribute to / lead to / trigger / fuel / reinforce / worsen 等。

例句（表达因果）

help (to)：A short walk can help (to) clear your head.（短暂散步会让你头脑清醒。）

enable：This feature enables users to edit files faster.（这个功能能让用户更快地编辑文件。）

contribute to：Skipping breakfast may contribute to low energy in the afternoon.（不吃早饭会导致下午没精神。）

lead to：Cutting corners often leads to bigger problems later.（偷工减料往往会导致后面更大的问题。）

trigger：That remark triggered a heated argument.（那句话引发了激烈争吵。）

fuel：Social media rumors fueled public anxiety.（社交媒体谣言助长了公众焦虑。）

reinforce：Daily practice reinforces good habits.（每天练习会强化好习惯。）

worsen：Ignoring the issue will only worsen the situation.（无视这个问题只会让情况更糟。）