《了不起的盖茨比》丨谣言，谎言与流言蜚语
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在工作场合，学校，以及无处不在的互联网上，我们耳边经常出现这样的谣言，比如；
不管什么时候，当我们与一群人在一起时，嫉妒总伴随着出现，性格不合，办公室政治等因素也会引发各种人际冲突。在这些情况下，我们经常寻找机会让别人看起来特别糟糕，以便于我们在这样的生活中获得地位和popularity（受欢迎程度）。
由佛朗西斯·司各特·菲兹杰拉德写的《了不起的盖茨比》（The Great Gatsby）是美国最杰出的小说之一。故事写于1925年，讲述了杰伊·盖茨比，来自贫穷落后家庭的背景，却迫切希望致富......并且想象着他自己一直以来都是上流社会的一员。经过一些失败的尝试后，他加入了一战的战争队伍中。
佛朗西斯·司各特·菲兹杰拉德
《了不起的盖茨比》于1974年改编成电影，由演员罗伯特·雷德福（Robert Redford）主演，在2013年再次上映，由演员莱昂纳多·迪卡普里奥（Leonardo DiCaprio）主演，两大主演都是演的盖茨比这个角色。
盖茨比爱上了来自富裕家庭的黛西，也爱黛西所代表的上层社会的礼仪、风格和上层社会的认可。在盖茨比参加战争之后，黛西嫁给了一个从耶鲁大学毕业的有钱人。
盖茨比后来因非法销售酒精和非法销售秘密得到的债券而变得“伟大”。他积聚了一大笔财富，在距离纽约市不远的长岛购买了一座豪宅。他的豪宅成为纽约精英社交生活的中心，豪华奢侈的派对吸引了许多贵宾。他这样做只是为了吸引黛西，并让黛西看到自己的付出与价值。
The Great Gatsby 2013
盖茨比并不希望人们过多的了解他卑微的家庭背景，因此，许多关于他神秘过去的谣言流传开来，比如：
公众对于盖茨比的猜想与实际是不符的。他与威廉二世并无关系，而是来自一个贫穷的家庭。他服务与军队，英勇善战，被提升为少校，没有任何的证据可以表明他是一个间谍或杀过人。他不是从牛津大学毕业的，而是与其他一些官员一起被派到牛津大学学习五个月。
换句话说，这些谣言是基于不完整的信息的，后来这些不完整的信息被夸大了，错误的描述了盖茨比。这就是谣言的作用：不正确或不公平的描绘一个人。谣言是一种可以摧毁他人的毒药。
当我们听到有关我们的同学或同事的谣言时，我们很容易重复这些谣言，即使我们不确定他们是否真实。我们可以从告诉别人关于老板或老师的“流言蜚语”中获得一些满足感。如果某人犯了一个错误或在某件事情上失败了，我们通常会很glee（高兴）地与他人分享这些信息。也许这就是人性使然。
与此同时，也有很多人爱管闲事，喜欢煽风点火。我们都知道至少有一个busybody（爱管闲事的人）喜欢重复他们知道的部分是正确的事情，故意省略某些细节来证明他们的观点。然后我们就会打电话给朋友说；“你听说了吗？关于我听到他的一些事情”或者“嘿，我有些关于他的劲爆的消息”
你可能会要求你的朋友保守秘密，但大多数情况下，谣言会肆意传播——信息只有在被分享时才有价值。不管他们怎么说，故事总是会偏离原本的轨道。事情会被夸大。大的东西会被夸得更大，糟糕的事情会越来越糟糕。随着故事的流传，它变得如此的不堪甚至被misconstrue（误解），以至于极少的一部分是真实的。
我曾经和一群人一起吃过午饭，他们喜欢在背后说他们老板的坏话，抱怨公司，诋毁别人的朋友。我看得出他们喜欢挑拨离间，窥探别人的隐私。他们似乎对每件事都有自己的看法。但在内心深处，这些人试图掌控别人的生活，但往往无法掌控自己的生活。
当他们与我们分享信息时，我们感到很荣幸，就好像我们在接受“内部消息”。这种信息共享可能会产生一种亲密感。但请别搞错，如果他们在面前谈论别人，他们也会在别人面前谈论你。友谊不应是cloak（披着）流言蜚语的外衣的。
当你听到流言蜚语时，你有两种选择：火上浇油或让谣言止于你。
下次有人对你说：“你听说过他吗？”一个更好的回答是，“不，如果不好，我不想听。”另一种选择是“突然”接到一个电话，然后以此为借口走开。这可能很难，因为我们都好奇我们周围的人，但最终，你将拯救自己于麻烦之中。
有很多理由让你停止谣言的传播。首先，正如我们在《了不起的盖茨比》中看到的，许多谣言都是被夸大的，不真实的，或者是基于片面的信息。间接听到的信息可能不真实，如果你从第三或第四手听到这些信息，其准确性可能会进一步下降。最好是寻找出真相并了解真相。
第二，当你参与八卦时，你就成了故事的一部分。人们会对别人说：“我从（你那里）听说他考试作弊了。”如果你故事里的那个人没有欺骗你，那么你就会因为散步谣言而出名-即使你是从别人那里听到的。当你传播虚假信息时，你自己的声誉也会受到损害。
《圣经·箴言篇》第11章第13节提示我们：“往来传话的人，必泄露秘密；心地诚朴的人，方能不露实情。”
也许你站在谣言的另一边，有人在说你的闲话，让别人反对你。这是一种欺凌的行为，而且随着它的传播，它可能是非常阴险的。
如果你是谣言的受害者，找一个值得信任的人（比如，老师、主管、共同的朋友）谈谈，他们可以帮助你出谋划策，并对肇事者采取行动。和支持你的朋友聊天。试着树立你自己的自信，从你自己的价值而不是别人的意见中汲取内在的力量。
或者你可以直接跟对方谈话。这是有挑战性的，但却是很有效的。保持冷静，像这样说：“我知道我们相处得不是很好，你不一定要喜欢我，但是你不能再在背后说我的坏话了。我会尊重你，我也要求你尊重我”
《了不起的盖茨比》结束时，盖茨比被乔治·威尔逊谋杀，威尔逊认为盖茨比与妻子有染。具有讽刺意味的是，这个消息是乔治从那个实际上与乔治妻子有染的男人那里间接听到的。乔治没有调查事实，而是杀死了盖茨比，这表明谣言和间接消息是多么致命。
我的朋友，说别人的坏话和让自己陷入谣言的漩涡是很容易的。它可能会让我们自我感觉更好，也可能让我们感觉更接近那些我们告诉别人的人，但最终，我们只会贬低了自己，损害自己的名声。下次你听到谣言时，试着走开。你要对自己说：“即使别人无下限，我们仍要守底线。”当这样做时，你会好很多的。
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Rumors, lies, and gossip:
are you fueling the fire?
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「 Hello, my friend！
I'm John Smagula. 」
At work, school, and now all over the Internet, we hear lots of rumors, like:
Whenever we are together with a group of people, jealousies come about, personalities clash, and office politics will pit certain people against others. And in these cases, we often look for opportunities to make people look bad to gain status or popularity in our own lives.
The Great Gatsby: Rumors, lies, and gossip
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the greatest American novels. Written in 1925, the story tells us about Jay Gatsby, who comes from a poor background but desperately wants to get rich…and appear as if he always had been part of the upper class. After some failed attempts to get ahead, he joins the army and fights in World War I.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby was adapted into a movie in 1974, starring Robert Redford, and then again in 2013, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, each acting as the eponymous Gatsby.
Gatsby falls in love with Daisy, who comes from a wealthy family. He also loves what Daisy represents: the manners, style, and favor of the upper class. After Gatsby goes off to fight in the war, Daisy marries a wealthy man who graduated from Yale.
Gatsby later becomes “great” by bootlegging (selling illegal alcohol) and selling stolen bonds. He amasses a fortune and buys a mansion in Long Island, not far from New York City. His palace becomes a center of the New York elites’ social life, with his lavish parties attracting many VIPs. He does this simply to attract Daisy and show his worth to her.
The Great Gatsby 1974
Gatsby did not want people to know too much about his humble background, and as a result, many rumors circulated about his mysterious past, such as:
The Great Gatsby 2013
Public perception of Gatsby was different from reality. He was not related to Kaiser Wilhelm, but rather, came from a poor family. He served heroically in the military, getting promoted to major, with no record of having been a spy or killing anyone. He did not graduate from Oxford, but rather, was sent there to study for five months along with some other officers.
In other words, the rumors were based on incomplete information, which later become exaggerations that falsely depicted Gatsby. This is what rumors do: paint inaccurate or unfair pictures of the people they portray. They are a poison that can ruin others.
When we hear rumors about our classmates or coworkers, it’s tempting to repeat them, even if we’re not sure if they are true. We may get some satisfaction from telling others the “dirt” we heard about the boss or a teacher. Or if someone makes a mistake or fails at something, we often share this information with glee to others. Perhaps it’s just human nature.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of people who are nosy and like to stir things up. We all know at least one busybody who likes to repeat things that they know are only partially true, intentionally omitting certain details to prove their point. We then call our friends and say, “Did you hear what I heard about him?” Or, “Hey, I’ve got some juicy information about her!”
You may ask your friend to keep it secret, but most often, the rumor will spread. Information is only valuable when it is shared. No matter how they tell it, the story will never be the same. Things will get exaggerated. What’s big will get bigger; what’s bad will get worse. As the story goes through the grapevine, it becomes so tainted or misconstrued that very little of it is true.
I once had lunch with a group of people who reveled in badmouthing their boss, complaining about their company, and trashing other people’s friends. I could tell they loved to sow discord and pry into people’s affairs. They seemed to have an opinion about everything. But deep down, these kinds of people try to run everybody else’s life but often can’t run their own.
When they share information with us, we feel privileged, like we’re receiving “inside information.” This information sharing may create a sense of intimacy with them. But make no mistake, if they talk about someone else in front of you, they’ll talk about you in front of somebody else. Friendship is not cloaked in gossip.
When you hear gossip, you have two options: pour gasoline on it to add fuel to the fire, or pour water on it and let the rumor stop with you.
The next time someone says to you, “Did you hear about him?” A better response would be, “No, and if it’s not good, I don’t want to hear.” Another option is to “suddenly” receive a phone call and use that as an excuse to step away. It may be hard, as we are all curious to know about those around us, but in the end, you’ll be saving yourself from trouble.
There are many reasons to let a rumor stop with you. First, as we saw in The Great Gatsby, many rumors are exaggerated, untrue, or based on partial information. Information that is heard second-hand may not be true, and if you heard the information third- or fourth-hand, its accuracy may have decreased even further. It’s best to seek out and know the truth.
Second, when you get involved in gossip, you become a part of story. People will say to others, “Well, I heard from [you] that he cheated on his exam.” And if the person in your story did not in fact cheat, then you will become known for spreading lies—even if you heard it from somebody else. When you spread false information, your own reputation will be harmed.
Proverbs 11:13 reminds us, “One who slanders reveals secrets, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.
Perhaps you’re on the other side of the rumor, where someone is gossiping about you to turn others against you. This is a form of bullying, and it can be very insidious as it spreads.
If you are the victim of a rumor, talk to a trusted authority figure (e.g., a teacher, a supervisor, a mutual friend) who can counsel you and take action against the perpetrator. Talk with your friends, who can support you. Try to build your own self-confidence, drawing inner strength from your own self-worth and not others’ opinions.
You can also speak to the person directly. This is challenging, but can be effective. Keep calm and say something like, “I know we don't get along. You don't have to like me, but you need to stop spreading rumors about me and talking behind my back. I will respect you, and I ask that you respect me."
As the novel ends, Gatsby is murdered by George Wilson, who believed that Gatsby was having an affair with his wife. George heard this information second hand, ironically, from the man who was in fact having the affair with George’s wife. Rather than investigate the facts, George killed Gatsby, showing how rumors and second-hand information can be deadly.
The Great Gatsby 1974
My friend, it’s easy to trash other people and get caught up in the rumor mill. It may make us feel better about ourselves, or it may help us feel closer to those we tell, but in the end, we only cheapen ourselves and damage our reputations. The next time you hear a rumor, try to walk away. Think to yourself, “When they go low, we go high.” You’ll feel better that you did.
{ 今日英文速记卡 }
1.Popularity
\ˌpä-pyə-ˈler-ə-tē \
a)含义：n. 普及；流行
b)例句：
i.And in these cases, we often look for opportunities to make people look bad to gain status or popularity in our own lives.
在这些情况下，我们经常寻找机会让别人看起来特别糟糕，以便于我们在这样的生活中获得地位和受欢迎程度。
ii.Despite the popularity of games on the Net, we must admit that there are still many proposals for adventure, almost 50% of the time.
因为且不论这种交友方式在网上的普及程度，我们必须承认对于奇遇，还有很多建议，将近50%是关于时间的。
c)近义词： favor, prominence, renown
2.Glee \ˈglē \
a)含义：n. 快乐；欢欣
b)例句：
i.Or if someone makes a mistake or fails at something, we often share this information with glee to others. Perhaps it’s just human nature.
如果某人犯了一个错误或在某件事情上失败了，我们通常会很高兴地与他人分享这些信息。也许这就是人性使然。
ii.Many will look upon this international funding mismatch with glee and salute the government for having spent so generously on Olympic medals.
许多人会无比欢欣地看待政府在体育上超过世界各国的投资规模，并为政府在奥运夺金事业上的慷慨投资而敬礼。
c)近义词： cheer, joyfulness, jubilance
3.Busybody
\ˈbi-zē-ˌbä-dē \
a)含义：n. 好事的人
b)例句：
i.We all know at least one busybody who likes to repeat things that they know are only partially true, intentionally omitting certain details to prove their point.
我们都知道至少有一个爱管闲事的人喜欢重复他们知道的部分是正确的事情，故意省略某些细节来证明他们的观点。
ii.Mrs. Paul was a stay-at-home mom, longtime Girl Scout troop leader, and self-described “busybody” who prided herself on knowing exactly what everyone was doing.
保罗太太是家庭主妇、长期担任女童子军首领，自称爱管闲事，并很自豪地能准确知道每个人都在干什么。
c)近义词： blabber, gossip, meddler
4.Misconstrue
\ˌmis-kən-ˈstrü \
a)含义：v. 误解
b)例句：
i.As the story goes through the grapevine, it becomes so tainted or misconstrued that very little of it is true.
随着故事的流传，它变得如此的不堪甚至被误解，以至于极少的一部分是真实的。
ii.Do not misconstrue it as an effort to exert force or pressure.
不要把它误解为需要卯尽全力或施加压力的苦差事。
c)近义词： misconceive, misinterpret, misunderstand
5.Cloak \ˈklōk \
a)含义：v. 遮掩
b)例句：
i.Friendship is not cloaked in gossip.
友谊不应是披着流言蜚语的外衣的。
ii.The other kind of response is built on illusions; it is the closed, nationalistic, radical response, in many cases clothed in the cloak of religion.
另一种应对则建立在错觉之上。 它是一种封闭的、民族的和激进的回应，在很多情况下还披着宗教的外衣。
c)近义词： conceal, cover, shield
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