UNIT 10 Profits of Praise课文翻译大学英语二

Unit10 Profits of Praise

Are we too quick to blame and slow to praise? It seems we are.

It was the end of my exhausting first day as waitress in a busy New York restaurant.

My cap had gone awry, my apron was stained, my feet ached. The loaded trays I carried

felt heavier and heavier. Weary and discouraged, I didn't seem able to do anything right.

As I made out a complicated check for a family with several children who had changed

their ice-cream order a dozen times, I was ready to quit.

Then the father smiled at me as he handed me my tip.

looked after us really well.

Suddenly my tiredness vanished. I smiled back, and later, when the manager asked

me how I'd liked my first day, I said,

everything.

Praise is like sunlight to the human spirit; we cannot flower and grow without it. And

yet, while most of us are only too ready to apply to others the cold wind of criticism, we

are somehow reluctant to give our fellows the warm sunshine of praise.

Why - when one word can bring such pleasure? A friend of mine who travels widely

always tries to learn a little of the language of any place she visits. She's not much of a

linguist, but she does know how to say one word -

can use it to a mother holding her baby, or to lonely salesman fishing out pictures of his

family. The ability has earned her friends all over the world.

It's strange how chary we are about praising. Perhaps it's because few of us know

how

to accept compliments gracefully. Instead, we are embarrassed and shrug off the

words

we

are

really

so

glad

to

hear.

Because

of

this

defensive

reaction,

direct

compliments are surprisingly difficult to give. That is why some of the most valued pats

on the

back are those which come to us indirectly, in a letter or passed on by a friend.

When one thinks of the speed with which spiteful remarks are conveyed, it seems a pity

that there isn't more effort to relay pleasing and flattering comments.

It's

especially

rewarding

to

give

praise

in

areas

in

which

effort

generally

goes

unnoticed or unmentioned. An artist gets complimented for a glorious picture, a cook for

a perfect meal. But do you ever tell you laundry manager how pleased you are when the

shirts are done just right? Do you ever praise your paper boy for getting the paper to you

on time 365 days a year?

Praise is particularly appreciated by those doing routine jobs: gas-station attendants,

waitresses - even housewives. Do you ever go into a house and say,

Hardly anybody does. That's why housework is considered such a dreary grind. Comment

is

often

made

about

activities

which

are

relatively

easy

and

satisfying,

like

arranging

flowers; but not about jobs which are hard and dirty, like scrubbing floors. Shakespeare

said,

praises

are

our

wages.

Since

so

often

praise

is

the only

wage

a

housewife

receives, surely she of all people should get her measure.

Mothers know instinctively that for children an ounce of praise is worth a pound of

scolding. Still, we're not always as perceptive as we might be about applying the rule. One

day

I

was

criticizing

my

children

for

squabbling.

you

never

play

peacefully?

I

shouted. Susanna looked at me quizzically.

notice us when we do.

Teachers agree about the value of praise. One teacher writes that instead of drowning

students'

compositions

in

critical

red

ink,

the

teacher

will

get

far

more

constructive

results by finding one or two things which have been done better than last time, and

commenting favorably on them.

something above his usual standard,

brief comment in the margin to show him that the teacher is aware of it, too.

Behavioral scientists have done countless experiments to prove that any human being

tends to repeat an act which has been immediately followed by a pleasant result. In one

such experiment, a number of schoolchildren were divided into three groups and given

arithmetic tests daily for five days. One group was consistently praised for its previous

performance; another group was criticized; the third was ignored.

Not surprisingly, those who were praised improved dramatically. T

hose who were

criticized

improved

also,

bus

not

so

much.

And

the

scores

of

the

children

who

were

ignored hardly improved at all. Interestingly the brightest children were helped just as

much

by

criticism

as

by

praise,

but

the

less

able

children

reacted

badly

to

criticism,

needed praise the most. Yet the latter are the very youngsters who, in most schools, fail to

get the pat on the back.

To give praise costs the giver nothing but a moment's thought and a moment's effort

- perhaps a quick phone call to pass on a compliment, or five minutes spent writing an

appreciative letter. It is such a small investment

- and yet consider the results it may

produce.

So, let's be alert to the small excellences around us - and comment on them. We will

not only bring joy into other people's lives, but also, very often, added happiness into out

own.