of strangers; it is what your name will mean to those who don't know you, who spend almost

你的名字對那些不認識你的人意味著什麼？

no time thinking of you. It's what you will get reduced to when you aren't illuminated

沒時間想你。當你不被照亮的時候，你就會淪落到這個地步。

by love. How your reputation is assessed depends on the extent to which you have fulfilled,

由愛。如何評估你的聲譽，取決於你的滿足程度。

or violated, the ideals and aspirations of your society. Most of us are properly known

或違反了你們社會的理想和願望。我們中的大多數人都被恰當地稱為

to, and liked by, five to ten people. When it comes to everyone else, reputation is what

到，並被五到十個人喜歡。當涉及到其他人的時候，聲譽是什麼？

will decide what we have been worth. The Hubble Space Telescope in orbit

將決定我們的價值。哈勃太空望遠鏡在軌道上。

Reputation can't buy us love, but it can provide us with those valuable

聲譽不能給我們買來愛情，但它可以為我們提供那些寶貴的。

proxies: respect, honour and politeness. Those who are kind to us may not mean it, but they

代理：尊重、榮譽和禮貌。那些對我們好的人可能不是故意的，但他們... ...

are at least making an effort. Not all of us crave equally the warmth that comes with

至少是在努力。並非所有人都同樣渴望溫暖，這來自於

a good reputation. Those with a particularly strong need for applause tend to be those

好的名聲。那些對掌聲有特別強烈需求的人往往是那些

with a weak sense of their own acceptability. The cheer of the crowd is asked to compensate

與自己微弱的接受感。民眾的歡呼聲是被要求補償的。

for an innate feeling of shame. We seek the validation of the world when we are inside

為一種天生的羞恥感。我們尋求世界的驗證，當我們在裡面的時候

unconvinced that we are quite deserving. The more we have been humiliated, especially when

不服氣，我們是相當值得的。我們越是被羞辱，特別是當

young, the more the good will of strangers will matter; and – conversely – the more

年輕的時候，陌生人的善意越是重要；反過來說，越是如此。

we have tasted genuine affection, the less interesting reputation can be.

我們嚐到了真情的滋味，名聲就可以不那麼有趣了。

Reputation is gossamer thin; or like a soapy bubble or an unstable chemical

信譽是薄薄的，或像肥皂泡，或像不穩定的化學物質。

compound, some metaphor to suggest the ease with which it can be torn or destroyed. It

複合，一些隱喻來暗示它可以被撕裂或破壞的容易程度。它

is so prone to disappear because it isn't based on knowledge or experience of one's

之所以容易消失，是因為它不是建立在對自己的知識和經驗的基礎上。

deep self, it's made up of the candyfloss of hearsay and third hand gossip. It's the

深深的自我，它是由道聽途說的糖花和第三手八卦組成的。它是...

unconscious supposition of people who haven't thought very deeply about who one is and have

沒有深思熟慮過自己是誰的人的無意識的假設，有

absolutely no wish to do so either; it's what people who don't care about us think

無心插柳 柳暗花明又一村

about us. This is what makes reputation so delightful when it is going our way. Our nobility

關於我們。這就是當聲譽向我們發展的時候，它是如此令人高興。我們的高貴

becomes part of the unthinking common-sense of the community. But this is also what makes

成為社會不假思索的常識的一部分。但這也是使

things so tricky when reputation falls apart. The only way in which our good name might

名聲一落千丈，事情就變得棘手了。唯一的辦法，我們的好名聲可能

be rescued in the minds of others is if they gave us some thought – which is precisely

在別人的心目中得到拯救，是他們給我們一些思考--這正是

what they have never done before and won't now begin to either.

他們以前從未做過的事，現在也不會開始做。

Reputation will rise and fall according to how closely we track or depart from the ideals of our

聲譽的興衰取決於我們對理想的追隨或背離程度。

society – and these tend to be pegged to financial success, sexual propriety, decorum,

社會--而這些往往與經濟上的成功、性的禮節、禮儀掛鉤。

marriage, sobriety, the sanctity of family and the purity of children. The more of these

婚姻、清醒、家庭的神聖和孩子的純潔。越是在這些方面

ideals one flouts, the harsher will be the penalties. Unfortunately, we are – all of

一個人對理想的藐視越大，懲罰就越嚴厲。不幸的是，我們是--所有的

us – error prone animals or, to put it more bluntly, idiots. We should say sorry to the

我們--容易出錯的動物，或者更直白地說，是白痴。我們應該向

universe every day, given how we are. We're impulsive, greedy, lustful, vain and selfish.

宇宙的每一天， 鑑於我們是如何。我們衝動、貪婪、好色、虛榮、自私。

Which means that every year, a small but significant section of the population makes an apparently

這意味著，每年都有一小部分人，但很重要的一部分人，做出了明顯的。

minor mistake that causes terrible damage to others and blows up their life along the

小錯不斷，大錯不改

way. Not for nothing does western civilisation have at its heart the example of Greek tragedy,

的方式。西方文明的核心不是沒有希臘悲劇的例子。

which tells us of averagely good people brought low by highly understandable, everyday kinds

它告訴我們，一個普通的好人被高度可理解的、日常的種類帶到了谷底。

of folly – for which they pay an ultimate price. When Reputation disappearsThe whole

的愚蠢--他們為此付出了最終的代價。當聲譽消失時，整個

community hears in an instant and one is done for. The punishment may be financial or legal,

社會瞬間聽到，一個人就完蛋了。懲罰可能是經濟上的，也可能是法律上的。

but the ultimate damage is psychological: one becomes a pariah. In the minds of all

但最終的傷害是心理上的：一個人變成了一個賤民。在所有人的心目中

those who don't think about us properly (which is almost everyone), one is now a monster

不把我們放在眼裡的人（幾乎是所有人），現在都成了怪物。

or a numbskull. For life.From now on, we will need to be looked at through the eyes of love

或者說是麻木不仁的人從現在開始，我們需要用愛的眼光來看待我們的生活

before we re-emerge as in any way human, that is, deserving of even a little pity or understanding.

在我們以任何方式重新成為人類，也就是說，值得哪怕是一點點的憐憫或理解之前。

Only through love can we be remembered to have once been baby, who was innocent, who

只有通過愛，才能讓我們記住曾經的寶貝，誰是無辜的，誰是

struggled, and who later made mistakes from passing weakness rather than evil. Only through

掙扎，而後來犯錯的人，是因為一時的軟弱而不是邪惡。只有通過

love are there any other sides of the story. As a result, all those who are not our intimates

愛情是否還有其他方面的問題。是以，所有不是我們親密的人

become sources of sure-fire damning judgement. We know from the outset that they will hate

變成了肯定會有損害性判斷的來源。我們從一開始就知道，他們會憎恨。

or condemn us. It becomes impossible to go to a party or (even) walk down the street.

或譴責我們。變得不可能去參加聚會或（甚至）走在街上。

One probably has to move town. Suicidal thoughts become harder to push away. Ambitions have

一個人可能要搬到城裡去。自殺的念頭就更難推開了。雄心壯志

to change entirely. Everything that depends on the minds of people in general is now impossible.

要完全改變。一切依靠一般人的思想，現在已經不可能了。

'What people might think' disappears from the calculation; it's a foregone conclusion.

'人們可能會怎麼想'從計算中消失，這是一個必然的結論。

They'll think – always – that one is a demon. When the reputation-less rediscover

他們會認為--始終認為--那個人是個惡魔。當沒有名聲的人重新發現

close friends and family (and they almost always do), it isn't coincidental or a cheap

親密的朋友和家人（他們幾乎總是這樣做），這不是巧合，也不是廉價的。

excuse: it's because they can see, more clearly than ever, that these are the people,

藉口：因為他們比以往任何時候都能更清楚地看到，這些人。

the only people, who know them properly and can therefore examine them with any degree

唯一的人，誰正確地瞭解他們，並是以可以檢查他們的任何程度。

of subtlety, as one might a character in a novel. For everyone else, one has disappeared

的微妙，就像小說中的人物一樣。對於其他人來說，一個人已經消失了

into a single word of insult. Image result for rings of saturn The Lack of RedemptionIn

變成了一句話的侮辱。土星環的影像結果 贖罪的缺失

older, more religious societies, there was the possibility of apology before a divine

在較古老、宗教性較強的社會中，有可能在神靈面前道歉。

being, a period of penance and then, eventually forgiveness. But thats one of the handy mechanisms

一段懺悔期，然後，最終獲得寬恕。但這是一個方便的機制

we unknowingly dismantled when we decided that God was a fiction. We have been left

當我們認定上帝是個虛構的東西時，我們就不知不覺地拆除了。我們已經離開了

with only one tool, the legal system, which levies fines and prison sentences, but isn't

只有一個工具，即法律制度，它徵收罰款和監禁，但並不是所有的人都能做到。

in the business of restoring reputation – and doesn't get involved in most of the errors

在恢復名譽的業務 - 並不參與大多數錯誤的。

which cause it to be lost in the first place. There is, quite literally, in most cases,

導致它首先丟失。在大多數情況下，實際上是有的。

no way to recover reputation. The sentence is life-long. We suffer also because we live

沒辦法恢復名譽。判決是終身的。我們受苦也是因為我們活

in such vast societies. Recovery of reputation might have been possible when we lived in

在這樣龐大的社會中。當我們生活在這樣一個龐大的社會中時，恢復名譽也許是可能的。

tribes of a hundred or so. You could go around and explain things in person, tent by tent.

一百多人的部落。你可以到各地去，一個帳篷一個帳篷地親自解釋。

No such chance when it's a case of having a few hundred million minds to change. Life

如果是有幾個億的心思去改變，就沒有這樣的機會。人生

without ReputationSo begins that peculiar challenge, leading a life without a reputation,

沒有名聲所以開始了這種特殊的挑戰，過著沒有名聲的生活。

a feat in its way as arduous as hanging on to a cliff-face with bare hands in high wind.A

艱辛的壯舉，就像在大風中徒手掛在懸崖峭壁上一樣。

few moves suggest themselves. For a start, acceptance: of oneself, of the situation,

有幾項舉措值得借鏡。首先，接受：對自己，對環境。

of one's misdeeds and of the darkness. Then, the construction of a new kind of communal

的惡行和黑暗。然後，在建設新型的公

life, one built around astonishing sincerity and vulnerability. One says it like it is.

生活，一個建立在驚人的真誠和脆弱周圍的生活。一個人說的是事實。

There is no need for yet more shame. A whole new set of friends is called for – before

不需要更多的恥辱。需要一個全新的朋友----------之前

whom one can be truly oneself, in a way one never could be before things fell apart. It

一個人可以成為真正的自己，在事情崩潰之前，一個人永遠無法成為自己。它

helps immensely if these friends have themselves lost reputation. Ex-convicts might be an idea.

如果這些朋友本身就名聲掃地的話，幫助很大。前科犯可能是一個想法。

And fallen business people and politicians. They will have a kindness to them open only

還有倒下的商人和政客。他們會對他們敞開仁慈的懷抱。

to those who have suffered infinitely for their errors. There is only so empathetic

對那些為自己的錯誤而遭受無限痛苦的人。只有這樣的同情心

and thoughtful that blameless people can ever be. Animals are good too; they rarely judge.

和體貼，無愧於心的人所能做到的。動物也是好的，它們很少評判。

The immense open spaces of nature offer valuable perspective, as do history books. On good

巨大的自然開放空間提供了寶貴的視角，歷史書也是如此。在良好的

days, one feels that there might almost be a kind of relief and freedom now that there

幾天，感覺到現在可能幾乎有一種解脫和自由的感覺，現在有了

is nothing left to lose, and impressing the world is – perhaps for the first time since

沒有什麼可失去的了，給世界留下深刻印象是--也許是第一次，自...

one was an infant – truly off the agenda. We enjoy the particular lightness and indifference

一個是嬰兒--真正的不在議程之內。我們享受特別的輕盈和冷漠。

that is the privilege of all those with a reputational calamity to their name.Lots of

那是所有那些有名聲災難的人的特權.很多的

thoughts have to be avoided in order not to howl with agony. It isn't the life anyone

為了不痛苦地嚎啕大哭，必須避免這種想法。這不是任何人的生活

would have wanted at the high water mark, but it's a life nevertheless – and one

但這也是一種生活，而且是一種...

we should all contemplate, whatever our situation, to prepare ourselves for the day (which can't

我們都應該思考，無論我們的情況如何，為自己的一天做好準備（這不能

be guaranteed never to come) when we might be forced to walk the earth without the cloak of a reputation.

保證永遠不會來）的時候，我們可能會被迫在沒有名聲的情況下行走在大地上。

We believe that confidence is a skill we can all learn. Our confidence prompt cards are designed to help us master this essential skill. Click now to learn more.

我們相信，自信是一種技能，我們都可以學習。 我們的信心提示卡就是為了幫助我們掌握這項基本技能而設計的。 點擊現在瞭解更多。