Unit 3 Whatever Happened to Manners 课文翻译 综合教程一

Unit 3 Whatever Happened to Manners?

Do you remember a time when people were a little nicer, a little softer, a little gentler with

each other? I certainly do, and I feel that much of the world has somehow gotten away from that. I

see such a difference in New York City, for example, from when I first moved here more than 20

years ago: people rushing into elevators without giving those inside a chance to get off first, never

saying

you.

when

others

hold

a

door

open

for

them,

or

when

they

want

a

coworker

to

hand

them

something,

never

giving

a

wave

or

nod

of

appreciation

when

another

motorist lets them pull out into traffic.

We get lazy, and in our laziness we think that something like a simple

really matter. But it can matter very much. The fact is that no matter how nicely we dress, how

beautifully we decorate our homes, or how lovely our dinner parties are, we can't be truly stylish

without good manners.

In fact, I think of good manners as a sort of hidden beauty secret. Haven't you noticed that the

kindest, most generous people seem to keep getting prettier? They become Cary Grant or Lauren

Bacall right before our eyes. It's funny how that happens, but it does.

Take

the

long-lost

art

of

saying

you.

Like

wearing

a

little

lipstick

or

making

sure

your

hair

is

neat,

getting

into

the

habit

of

saying

you.

can

make

you

feel

better

about

yourself, and then you look better to everyone around you. A gracious manner not only sets an

excellent example for your children and grandchildren but it adds priceless panache to your image.

Positive Thanking

Of

course,

saying

you.

does

wonders

for

the

person

on

the

receiving

end

too.

I

recently got a thank-you note from a guest who attended a 40th birthday party that Frank and I

hosted

for

Frank's

daughter-in-law.

The note

was

lovely

enough, but

even

lovelier

was

the

fact

that the guest had also included a recipe for a dish I'd complimented her on at an earlier gathering.

It was a sweet gesture that made me feel terrific and put me in a great mood. What a gift!

Many of us know we should write thank-you notes, but we think we don't have the time or

energy. Now, I know we all have busy lives, but I bet the note my guest sent me didn't take long to

write. If you feel like a feel because you've put off sending a card, write a note that says,

have done this two weeks ago, but I didn't want to let another day go by without telling you how

much I enjoyed your party.

Magic Words

Just as powerful as a thank-you note is the simple phrase

when

someone

knocks

an

enormous

carry-on

bag

into

your

head

when

he's

barreling

down

the

aisle to board an airplane

—

and then doesn't bother to say he's sorry? But when someone does stop

and turn around and genuinely apologizes, doesn't it melt away most

—

if not all

—

of the irritation

you felt?

Same for holding the door open for others when you see their hands are full. I'll even do this

for a hotel bellman carrying my luggage. Just because his job is to carry my bags doesn't mean he

doesn't appreciate a little gesture that makes his life a wee bit easier. And punctuality is not a thing