每日英语练习 - 2026-06-20（周六）
📌 今日主题
名人演讲名段 — George Saunders：What I Regret Most in My Life Are Failures of Kindness
乔治·桑德斯（George Saunders）是当代美国最受尊敬的小说家之一，2017 年凭《林肯在中阴界》（Lincoln in the Bardo）获布克奖。2013 年他在雪城大学毕业典礼上发表了这篇不到 10 分钟的演讲，被《纽约时报》转载后广为流传，被誉为”最好的毕业演讲之一”。演讲以幽默自嘲开头，层层递进到关于善良（kindness）的深刻反思——语言简洁日常、情感真挚，非常适合口语模仿和情感表达练习。
📝 英文原文
Source: George Saunders, Commencement Address at Syracuse University (2013)
In seventh grade, this new kid joined our class. In the interest of confidentiality, her Convocation Speech name will be “ELLEN.” ELLEN was small, shy. She wore these blue cat’s-eye glasses that, at the time, only old ladies wore. When nervous, which was pretty much always, she had a habit of taking a strand of hair into her mouth and chewing on it.
So she came to our school and our neighborhood, and was mostly ignored, occasionally teased (“Your hair taste good?” — that sort of thing). I could see this hurt her. I still remember the way she’d look after such an insult: eyes cast down, a little gut-kicked, as if, having just been reminded of her place in things, she was trying, as much as possible, to disappear. After awhile she’d drift away, hair-strand still in her mouth.
And then — they moved. That was it. No tragedy, no big final hazing.
One day she was there, next day she wasn’t.
End of story.
Now, why do I regret that? Why, forty-two years later, am I still thinking about it? Relative to most of the other kids, I was actually pretty nice to her. I never said an unkind word to her. In fact, I sometimes even (mildly) defended her.
But still. It bothers me.
So here’s something I know to be true, although it’s a little corny, and I don’t quite know what to do with it:
What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness.
Those moments when another human being was there, in front of me, suffering, and I responded … sensibly. Reservedly. Mildly.
Or, to look at it from the other end of the telescope: Who, in your life, do you remember most fondly, with the most undeniable feelings of warmth?
Those who were kindest to you, I bet.
It’s a little facile, maybe, and certainly hard to implement, but I’d say, as a goal in life, you could do worse than: Try to be kinder.
🔍 重点词汇
| 单词/短语 | 音标 | 中文释义 | 例句 |
|---|---|---|---|
| confidentiality | /ˌkɒnfɪˌdenʃiˈæləti/ | 保密；匿名 | ”In the interest of confidentiality, her name will be ‘ELLEN’.“ |
| strand | /strænd/ | （头发）一缕 | ”She had a habit of taking a strand of hair into her mouth.” |
| tease | /tiːz/ | 取笑，戏弄 | ”She was mostly ignored, occasionally teased.” |
| insult | /ɪnˈsʌlt/ | 侮辱，冒犯 | ”I still remember the way she’d look after such an insult.” |
| gut-kicked | /ɡʌt kɪkt/ | 深受打击的，心如刀割 | ”Eyes cast down, a little gut-kicked, as if trying to disappear.” |
| drift away | /drɪft əˈweɪ/ | 慢慢走开；疏远 | ”After awhile she’d drift away, hair-strand still in her mouth.” |
| hazing | /ˈheɪzɪŋ/ | 捉弄，欺侮（新生/新人） | “No tragedy, no big final hazing.” |
| corny | /ˈkɔːrni/ | 老套的，俗气的 | ”It’s a little corny, and I don’t quite know what to do with it.” |
| failure | /ˈfeɪljər/ | 失败，失误 | ”What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness.” |
| reservedly | /rɪˈzɜːrvdli/ | 有所保留地，克制地 | ”I responded… sensibly. Reservedly. Mildly.” |
| undeniable | /ˌʌndɪˈnaɪəbl/ | 不可否认的 | ”With the most undeniable feelings of warmth.” |
| facile | /ˈfæsaɪl/ | 过于简单的；肤浅的 | ”It’s a little facile, maybe, and certainly hard to implement.” |
💡 实用表达
-
“In the interest of…” — 为了…起见。非常实用的介词短语，用于说明做某事的理由。例：“In the interest of time, let’s skip the introductions.”（为了节省时间，我们跳过自我介绍吧。）
-
“Eyes cast down” — 垂着眼（表示羞愧/难过）。优美的文学描述。例：“When criticized, he would stand with his eyes cast down.”（被批评时，他垂着眼站着。）
-
“One day she was there, next day she wasn’t.” — 简单四句话构成强烈对比。这种极简并列句是演讲中制造情感冲击力的利器。
-
“What I regret most in my life are failures of ______.” — 替换 kindness 可以变成各种自省句式。例：“What I regret most in my life are failures of patience / courage / honesty.”
-
“You could do worse than ______.” — 委婉推荐句式，意为”做到这个就不错了”。比 “you should” 更谦虚优雅。例：“You could do worse than reading this book.”（读这本书总不会错。）
🎯 练习步骤
- 通读全文：先完整读一遍英文原文，理解大意
- 精读标记：逐句阅读，标记不熟悉的词汇和表达
- 跟读练习：大声朗读 3 遍，注意断句、重音和语调。尤其注意 Saunders 的节奏：短句连击（“sensibly. Reservedly. Mildly.”）的力度
- 脱稿复述：合上文本，用自己的话复述大意（中英文都可以）
- 结构化输出：用以下框架组织你的复述：
- 这段话在说什么？—— 一个人对自己几十年前没有挺身而出的善意感到遗憾
- 主要观点是什么？
- 我们一生中最后悔的往往不是失败或耻辱，而是善良的缺失
- 身边最温暖的人，往往是那些对我们最友善的人
- “Try to be kinder” 可以成为一个简单而有力的人生目标
- 我的感受/看法？—— 这个演讲之所以动人，是因为它用最具体的故事讲述最普世的道理
🗣️ 口才小贴士
George Saunders 的”意外转折”技巧：注意 Saunders 的演讲结构——他先用一大段幽默的自嘲列举了各种”不后悔”的事（穷过、当苦力、掉水里、球场出丑），然后突然话锋一转：“But here’s something I do regret”，引出 ELLEN 的故事。这一”从笑到哭”的转折就是演讲中经典的 “But” 转折法。
口才建议：在演讲或日常表达中，如果你想让听众真正记住你要说的重点，试试先铺垫一些轻松的、甚至有趣的背景，然后用一个有力的 “But / And yet / The thing is” 突然转向你的核心观点。这种从轻松到严肃的节奏变化，会让你的关键词更有冲击力。下次你在朋友聚会或团队分享中，可以先说”我觉得这些都不算什么，但有一件事我到现在还记得……”然后讲你的故事，效果远超直接切入主题。