现代大学英语精读第二版（第二册）学习笔记（原文及全文翻译）——5B - Hooked on the Quick Fix（迷恋快速解决法）

邹浩

2023-12-01

Unit 5B - Hooked on the Quick Fix

Hooked on the Quick Fix

Mary Ellen Strote

Ten pounds down. Twenty-five to go. With the help of a personal trainer, former yo-yo dieter Nancy H. had been making steady progress toward a healthier weight. But when her trainer told her she needed more aerobic exercise and a better diet, Nancy, 31, hesitated. She didn't have the patience to wait a whole year to feel better about the way she looked. Instead, she paid the first of several visits to a cosmetic surgeon, where she signed up for a liposuction plus tummy tuck, then more on her thighs and torso, and hey, while she was at it, a breast reduction.

With Internet shopping and 30-minute pizza delivery, we've come to expect, even demand, instant gratification. If we can turn our work around in a flash with the help of laptops, pagers, cell phones, faxes and e-mail, why shouldn't we expect to turn ourselves around—physically, mentally or emotionally—with the same expedience? Well, because that is not the way self-improvement happens.

A Culture of Convenience

Those of us who succumbed to short cuts have centuries' worth of company. Two and a half millennia ago, Plato saw our tendency to seek the easy way out. "He noted that people would use cosmetics to make themselves look better rather than improve themselves with the efforts of gymnastics," says Elizabeth Asmis, PhD, a classics professor at the University of Chicago.

Not much has changed since, except that our opinions have multiplied. We can trace the American penchant for self-improvement at least partly to our unique history. Our continent was settled by people in a rush to reinvent themselves, and as self-betterment became a national preoccupation, entrepreneurs made fortunes by guaranteeing instant enhancements—often at the expense of their customers' health. Well into the 1930s, patent medicines promised youthful pep and vigor without noting that they contained cocaine; and beauty preparations guaranteed whiter complexions without mentioning that the active ingredients were poisonous lead, sulfur, arsenic or mercury. Today, government regulations try to protect our well-being, but the seductive claims still thrive: A New Body in One Day! Flatter Abs in Five Minutes! Face Lift in a Jar! Fast!! Easy!! Convenient!!

"The promise is that we can transform our lives by altering something simple, such as the way we smile or handshakes," says Paul Stolz, PhD, author of Adversity Quotient: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities (John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1997). The problem is that quick fixes don't last.

You can freshen an old house with paint, but unless you spend a week preparing the surface first, the paint cracks and peels.

You can put down sod for an instant lawn, but if you didn't cultivate the hard soil, the grass won't take root.

Fast Change, Woe Remains

No matter how predictable, each failure exacerbates the problem it was designed to solve, which in most cases is a lousy self-image. We look for someone to blame and find her/him in the mirror, says John Gray, PhD, author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus (Harper Collins, 1992)

"Think about all the romance you see in movies", he says. "Watching them, you are reminded over and over of what you don't have, and you think, 'There must be something wrong with me.' It always comes back to the attitude that you are not worthy." Trying to keep up with society's demands can give the most self-assured woman/man fits of insecurity. Attempting to play too many roles, we fall behind. "This is a time of great stress," Gray says. "The more conveniences we have, the more complex our lives become. Especially among women, there is an epidemic of feeling overwhelmed." The desire for a quick fix, then, isn't always neurotic, but when it comes to the big issues of health and financial security, self-acceptance and spiritual growth, we're better off with the slow solution.

Slow and Steady Wins

Most of us hesitate to make any serious alteration in our lives, and with good reason. "Past experience has convinced us that change is risky and filled with uncertain outcomes," says motivational speaker Anthony Parinello, author of The Power of Will: Key Strategies to Unlock Your Inner-Strengths and Enjoy Success in All Aspects of Life (Chandler House, 1998).

When we finally make the move, our tendency is to get it over with in one fell swoop. "But real change is an ongoing process with a recognizable pattern," warns Parinello. "Anyone who manages it successfully has to take much the same steps."

Say you have been inactive for several years and now wanted to get fit. You'd need a plan of action, Parinello says. Maybe you'd start reviewing your successes: What has motivated you in the past? Which sport seems made for your body? Next, you'd study your options. You might consider a spa weekend as a jump-start, but you'd also check out the nearest aerobics classes, survey potential workout partners, locate the local hiking trail. Then you'd try those options one at a time avoiding the temptation to do everything in one great rush. Periodically, over the next weeks and months, you'd ask yourself how you are doing and adjust your plan accordingly.

Using a similar methodical, step-by-step technique can earn you more money, help you get better at your job, or even improve your relationships. If the process doesn't sound appealing or even possible, ask yourself why. "Change takes a commitment to yourself that's difficult for some people," says Ditta M. Oliker, PhD, a clinical psychologist in private practice in Los Angeles. "Maybe you don't trust that you have the discipline for self-improvement. Maybe you are afraid of success."

Or maybe you are addicted to the thrill of quick fix. "We are exposed to so many unreal images in the media that it's hard to visualize what real change actually requires," says Oliker. "Quick fixes lend themselves nicely to the fantasy of self-perfection. The fantasy is one of always becoming someone or something else rather than being who you are, and it keeps you in a constant state of excited anticipation. Meanwhile, it takes you away from your real life, which you could be using to make real change."

After her complete failure, Nancy had to face what she had done. She had altered her metabolism so drastically that even with strength training, aerobic exercise and limited calories, she needed a year to regain her normal body shape. That was only the beginning of her process of self-repair. While she worked on her physical self, she also quit a job she hated, entered therapy and started classes at massage school, where she learned for the first time how to offer and receive a healing touch.

And because she is no longer spending her life on the verge of sudden change, she takes much more pleasure in the present moment.

In our focus on getting somewhere fast, many of us deny ourselves the joy of learning and forget to enjoy the journey. Author and rock climber Paul Stolz, who sees his sport as a metaphor for life, notes that whatever your goal, there is no point in getting there fast, because the payoff isn't at the end. "The payoff is the awareness you get during the climb," he says. "It's the feeling of being intensely alive, with every sense heightened, of perceiving your bond with a rock and being humbled, grateful that the rock has granted you the privilege of climbing it that day."

参考译文——迷恋快速解决法

迷恋快速解决法

玛丽·埃伦·斯特罗特

已经减掉了10磅，还需要再减25磅。在私人教练的帮助下，原先节食减肥总是反弹的南希·H.的体重正稳步达到更健康的水平。但是当教练告诉她还需要做更多的有氧运动，并且进一步节食时，31岁的南希犹豫了。她还需要再这样坚持一整年的时间才能对自己的样子感觉更好，她没有这份耐心。于是南希拜访了一位整形医师，接下来还拜访了很多次。她在整容医师那里报名做了吸脂手术和收腹手术，然后又进行了美腿手术和美体手术。最后，嘿，一不做二不休，还进行了缩乳手术。

随着网上购物和披萨30分钟送上门这些事成为现实，我们开始期盼甚至要求即时的满足。既然我们能够借助手提电脑、呼机、手机、传真和电子邮件很快地完成我们的工作，那么我们为什么不能期望我们的身心及情感靠同样的速效方法得到改善呢？那是因为那不是自我完善应该发生的方式。

便利文化

屈服于捷径的人自古有之。2500年前，柏拉图就看到了人类寻求捷径的趋势。“他指出，比起通过体育运动锻炼身体来，人们更愿意用化妆品去改善自己的相貌，”芝加哥大学的一位古典学教授伊丽莎白·阿斯米斯博士这样说。

从那时起，我们美国人除了思想变得多元化了以外，其他方面并没有发生多大的变化。我们可以把美国人对自我改善的喜好至少部分归因于我们独特的历史。定居在我们大陆上的人们急切渴望重塑自我。随着自我完善成为整个国家的关注点，企业通过保证即刻见效来牟利，而这种做法通常是以牺牲消费者的健康为代价的。进入20世纪30年代后，许诺使人永葆青春活力的专利药品出现了，但对药品中含有可卡因一事只字不提；同样，声称有美白效果的护肤霜也对其有效成分是铅、硫磺、砒霜或汞不作任何声明。如今，政府的规章制度试图来保护我们的健康，但是有诱惑力的声音依然叫得起劲：一天就让你的身材焕然一新！五分钟让腹部更平坦！一瓶即可提拉面部皮肤！！快速！！简单！！方便！！

“给出的承诺是我们可以通过改变一些简单的事情来彻底改变我们的生活，比如改变我们微笑或握手的方式，”《逆商：变障碍为机遇》（约翰·威立父子出版公司，1997年版）的作者保罗·斯托尔兹博士说。可问题是这种改变持续不了多长时间。

你可以用油漆使旧房子焕然一新，但除非你先花一周的时间清理好表面，否则粉刷上的油漆就会开裂、脱落。

你可以铺上草皮从而在短时间内拥有一块草坪，但如果不好好开垦坚硬的土壤，草是不会生根的。

变化快，痛犹在

不管失败多么容易被预测到，每次失败都会使本应该解决的问题更加严重，很多情况下这种问题是不佳的自我形象。《男人来自火星，女人来自金星》（哈珀柯林斯出版集团，1992年版）的作者约翰·格雷博士认为，我们失败的时候会找一个“替罪羊”，于是我们看到了镜中的自己。

他说：“想想你在电影中看到的所有浪漫剧情。看到那些就会使你一遍又一遍地想起你所没能拥有的，于是你就会想：‘我肯定是有什么问题’，并最终回到‘自己真没用’这个看法上。”努力满足社会的需求会让极度自信的人也产生阵阵不安全感。试图扮演多种角色会让我们落后。格雷说：“这是一个充满压力的时代。我们得到的便利越多，我们的生活就变得越复杂。尤其是女性，她们普遍感到压抑。”因此，渴望快捷之道并非总是神经质的表现，但是，当涉及健康、财务安全、自我接受和心理成长等这些重大问题时，我们用慢方案比较好。

慢而稳者操胜券

我们大多数人在生活中做出任何重大改变时都会犹豫不决。我们这样做有着充分的理由。“过去的经历让我们确信，改变都是有风险的，并且结果有着太多的不确定性，”励志演说家，《意志的力量：激发潜能，享受全方位成功》（Chandler House出版社，1998年版）一书的作者安东尼·帕里内洛如是说。

当我们最终决定行动的时候，我们往往希望一下子就完成。但帕里内洛警告说：“真正的改变是一个持续的过程，有明显的模式。要想成功地改变，任何人都必须采取几乎同样的步骤。”

你或许会从回顾你的成功经历开始：过去是什么一直激励着你？哪种运动适合你？下一步你要研究一下你的可选项。你可能会想到周末去泡一下温泉作为预热启动，同时也会查一下最近的有氧健身课程，找一起锻炼的伙伴，考察一下附近的徒步旅行路线。接下来你就要一次尝试一项，避免一下子做完所有项。在接下来的几周或几个月里，定期地问问自己进行得如何，然后根据情况调整计划。

用类似的井井有条、循序渐进的方法可以让你赚到更多的钱，有助于你把工作做得更好，甚至能够改善你的人际关系。如果这个过程听起来不够吸引人，甚至不可能实现，自问一下原因。“改变需要你对自己作出承诺，这对一些人来说很困难。或许你不相信自己有自我提高所需的自制力，或许你惧怕成功。”洛杉矶一家私人诊所的临床心理学家迪塔·M.奥利克博士说。

或许你还沉溺于快速解决之道的兴奋中。奥利克指出，“我们通过媒体接触了太多脱离实际的意象，这使得我们很难认识到真正的改变究竟需要什么。快速解决之道有助于人们产生完美自我的幻想，这种幻想通常是成为某人、某物，而不是做你自己。这种幻想使你一直处于极度兴奋的期望之中。同时，它让你脱离了现实生活，而做出真正的改变是需要现实生活的。”

整形瘦身宣告彻底失败以后，南希不得不面对自己行为的后果。由于南希的新陈代谢系统发生了很大的变化，即使通过力量训练、有氧运动、减少卡路里的摄入等方法，她也需要一年的时间才能恢复正常的体形。这只是她自我修复过程的开始。在重塑自我形体的同时，南希辞掉了自己讨厌的那份工作，进入治疗行业，开始在一所按摩学校学习。在那里，南希第一次学习接受和给他人治疗抚触。

由于不再生活在突然转变的边缘，她从现在的时光中享受到了更多的乐趣。

当我们专注于快速抵达某地的时候，我们中的许多人放弃了学习的快乐，也忘记了享受整个旅程。作家保罗·斯托尔兹是一位攀岩爱好者，他把攀岩比喻成人生。他指出，不管你的目标是什么，快速地到达都是没有意义的，因为收获并不在终点。他说：“你的收获就是在攀爬过程中获得的认识。你的收获就是你感觉到充满活力，每种感官都增强，感知到你和岩石之间的联系，意识到自己有多渺小，并感激这块岩石让你在那天爬到它的上面去。”

Key Words:

reduction [ri'dʌkʃən]

n. 减少，缩小，(化学)还原反应，(数学)约分

steady ['stedi]

adj. 稳定的，稳固的，坚定的

v. 使稳固

delivery [di'livəri]

n. 递送，交付，分娩

gratification [.grætifi'keiʃən]

n. 满足，喜悦

surgeon ['sə:dʒən]

n. 外科医生

cell [sel]

n. 细胞，电池，小组，小房间，单人牢房，(蜂房的)巢室

patience ['peiʃəns]

n. 耐心，忍耐，毅力

poisonous ['pɔizənəs]

adj. 有毒的，恶意的

patent ['peitənt, 'pætənt]

n. 专利，特许

adj. 专利的，显著的

penchant ['pentʃənt]

n. 喜好(倾向)

classics ['klæsiks]

n. 古希腊、古罗马的文学著作名词classic的复数

jar [dʒɑ:]

n. 不和谐，刺耳声，震动，震惊，广口瓶

tendency ['tendənsi]

n. 趋势，倾向

except [ik'sept]

vt. 除，除外

prep. & conj.

unique [ju:'ni:k]

adj. 独一无二的，独特的，稀罕的

contained [kən'teind]

adj. 泰然自若的，从容的；被控制的 v. 包含；遏制

protect [prə'tekt]

vt. 保护，投保2

sod [sɔd]

n. (一块)草皮，草地 n. 鸡奸者 vt. 用草皮覆

solve [sɔlv]

v. 解决，解答

adversity [əd'və:siti]

n. 不幸，灾难

transform [træns'fɔ:m]

vt. 转换，变形

vi. 改变

predictable [pri'diktəbl]

adj. 可预知的

blame [bleim]

n. 过失，责备

vt. 把 ... 归咎于，

cultivate ['kʌltiveit]

vt. 培养，耕作，栽培，结交(朋友), 促进增长，教养

lawn [lɔ:n]

n. 草地，草坪

security [si'kju:riti]

n. 安全，防护措施，保证，抵押，债券，证券

spiritual ['spiritjuəl]

adj. 精神的，心灵的，与上帝有关的

solution [sə'lu:ʃən]

n. 解答，解决办法，溶解，溶液

epidemic [.epi'demik]

n. 传染病，流行病

adj. 流行的，传染性

complex ['kɔmpleks]

adj. 复杂的，复合的，合成的

n. 复合体

stress [stres]

n. 紧张，压力

v. 强调，着重

insecurity [,insi'kjuərəti]

n. 不安全；不牢靠；无把握；心神不定

convinced [kən'vinst]

adj. 信服的

motivational [,məuti'veiʃənəl]

adj. 动机的；激发性的；有关动机的；[法]动机说明

recognizable ['rekəgnaizəbl]

adj. 可认识的，可承认的，可辨别的

tendency ['tendənsi]

n. 趋势，倾向

pattern ['pætən]

n. 图案，式样，典范，模式，型

v. 以图案

steady ['stedi]

adj. 稳定的，稳固的，坚定的

v. 使稳固

uncertain [ʌn'sə:tn]

adj. 不确定的

motivated ['məutiveitid]

adj. 有动机的；有积极性的 v. 使产生动机；激发…

potential [pə'tenʃəl]

adj. 可能的，潜在的

n. 潜力，潜能

inactive [in'æktiv]

adj. 不活动的；不活跃的；怠惰的；闲置的

appealing [ə'pi:liŋ]

adj. 引起兴趣的，动人的

locate [ləu'keit]

vt. 把 ... 设置在，使坐落于，找出

methodical [mə'θɔdikəl]

adj. 有条不紊的，井然的

discipline ['disiplin]

n. 训练，纪律，惩罚，学科

vt. 训练，惩

psychologist [sai'kɔlədʒist]

n. 心理学家

technique [tek'ni:k]

n. 技术，技巧，技能

clinical ['klinikəl]

adj. 临床的

constant ['kɔnstənt]

adj. 经常的，不变的

n. 常数，恒量

healing ['hi:liŋ]

n. 康复，复原 adj. 有治疗功用的

altered ['ɔ:ltəd]

v. 改变（alter的过去分词） adj. 改变了的；

anticipation [æn.tisi'peiʃən]

n. 预期，预料

regain [ri'gein]

v. 恢复，重回，复得

limited ['limitid]

adj. 有限的，被限制的

动词limit的过

exposed [iks'pəuzd]

adj. 暴露的，无掩蔽的，暴露于风雨中的 v. 暴露，

therapy ['θerəpi]

n. 疗法，治疗

fantasy ['fæntəsi]

n. 幻想

grateful ['greitfəl]

adj. 感激的，感谢的

privilege ['privilidʒ]

n. 特权，特别恩典，基本人权，荣幸

metaphor ['metəfə]

n. 隐喻，暗喻

awareness [ə'wɛənis]

n. 认识，意识，了解

bond [bɔnd]

n. 债券，结合，粘结剂，粘合剂

vt. 使结

climber ['klaimə]

n. 登山者；攀缘植物；尽力改善自己社会地位的人

参考资料：

现代大学英语精读(第2版)第二册:U5B Hooked on the Quick Fix(8)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语

现代大学英语精读第二版（第二册）学习笔记（原文及全文翻译）——5B - Hooked on the Quick Fix（迷恋快速解决法）

Unit 5B - Hooked on the Quick Fix

参考译文——迷恋快速解决法

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