生活英语听力文章：你的言语对别人有分量吗？
Is Your Word Really Your Bond?
你的言语和自己真的融合吗?
The stories told, daily lessons posted, and life experiences shared are all about helping you grow in every area of your personal and professional life.
这些故事告诉我们日常课程和生活经验都可以使人在生活和工作中的各个领域都成长起来。
In today’s lesson, I want to bring attention to one of the core elements of your character—being a person of your word. There are very few subjects more important than your personal character. Being known as a person who honors your word is as simple as doing what you said you would do when you said you would do it.
今天的课程中，我想要大家注意自己身上特质的关键因素--成为你自己。很少课程会比个人特质更加重要。成为一个尊重自己的人就和什么时候应该说什么和应该做什么一样简单。
Why Your Word Matters
你的言语为什么重要?
In short, honoring your word plays a powerful role in how you are viewed by others. In the longer-term, it also plays a large part in how you view yourself. And, quite frankly, it dictates whether you are a person who is respected and accepted or disrespected and scorned.
总之，尊重自己的言语在别人怎么看待你方面起了重要的作用。长期来看，言语也在你怎么看待自己方面起了很重要的作用。坦率的说，其也表明了你是否被人尊重、认可或者是不尊重、被嘲讽的人。
It’s ironic that although nearly everyone will admit to valuing the importance of keeping your word, fewer and fewer people actually do it. As a result, when I see people who consistently live up to their commitments, my respect for them soars.
讽刺的是，即使每个人都觉得保留自己重要的言语是非常有价值的，然而越来越少人能真正做到。因此，当我看到对自己的承诺始终如一的人时，我对他们的崇拜瞬间飙升。
While honoring your word does include big things like marriage and business agreements, it also includes the little things you say you will do—such as calling when you said you would, remembering to let your neighbor’s pet in as you promised, and getting the report turned in on time.
然而，说话算话不但包括像婚姻合同和商业合同这样的大事，还包括你要做到的一些小事--比如，别人叫你做的事情，或者因为你承诺过同意你的邻居养宠物，还有把成绩单及时上交。
Just as there are benefits to doing what you say you will, there are repercussions when you don’t. When we allow ourselves to back out of our commitments, it usually results in guilt and time wasted in our attempt to avoid those we’ve let down. I’ve learned it takes more time and emotional energy to circumvent or repair a damaged relationship when we’ve shirked a commitment than it does to keep it!
因为言行一致有很多好处，言行不一致时会带来麻烦。当我们言行不一时，我们常常会心里内疚而且会浪费那些我们辜负的人的时间。我知道的是，当我们逃避而不是面对那些辜负的人时，会绕道而走或者是修复一段破裂的关系要花更多的时间和精力。
Keep Your Commitments
遵守承诺
Undoubtedly there have been and will continue to be times when you agree to do something that you later regret. However, once you have agreed to do something, don’t back out or procrastinate. Don’t hope the other party will forget or wait for them to remind you. When you have given your word that you will do something, you must do it and do it when it is expected.
毫无疑问的是，你事先承诺事后反悔的次数屡见不鲜。然而，一旦你答应了别人，不要食言或者耽搁，也不要妄想别人会忘记这件事或是等别人提醒你。当你已经给出承诺时，你就必须要做到并且使其尽善完美。
After you have fulfilled your obligation (however painful), learn from the experience. Why was it so hard to follow through? Was it a matter of time, or were you ill-equipped in the first place? Whatever the reason, figure it out and know that it should factor into the next time you are asked to do something similar.
在你履行了自己的职责(却是痛苦的)，你可以从中学到很多。为什么这么难坚持到底呢?是时间问题吗?还是你自己无能为力?不管原因是什么，找到真正的原因并且避免下一次犯相同的错误。
Not only is living up to your commitments vital in building the trust and respect of others, but it is critical in building your own self-respect. Whether you realize it or not, when you fall back on your promises, it erodes your self-image and self-esteem. Think of the last commitment you failed to fulfill? How did this experience make you feel about yourself?
做出诺言让别人对你产生信任和尊重是很开心的，但是并不利于自己自尊心的发展。你的食言会不利于你的形象和自尊，不知你是否意识到了这一点。回想你自己最后一次食言的时候，你会对自己怎么看?
Think Before You Commit
做出承诺前要仔细思考
Becoming a person whose word can be trusted and relied upon boils down to a few basic things.
成为一个说到做到的人是做人的基础。
1. Think before you commit. With very few exceptions, you don’t have to immediately say yes or no to a request. Take an hour, an evening, or a day to think it through. Consider all that is involved and decide whether or not it’s something you are willing to commit your time and energy to. If not, politely decline.
做出承诺前仔细思考。因为期待越小，就不会贸然给出答案。花一个小时、一个晚上或者一天细细思考。考虑到所有因素看看你无时间和精力帮助别人再做决定，没有就礼貌的拒绝。
2. Once you have given your word, don’t give yourself the option to back out.
一旦你话已出口，不要妄想收回承诺。
I have asked myself hundreds of times, “What was I thinking when I made that commitment?” When this happens, I muster everything I have to uphold my end of the bargain. I do that because I feel so strongly that honoring my word is essential to who I am. It’s one of my core values. As a result, I am very careful with the commitments I make.
我问过自己无数次：“我做出承诺的时候我在想什么?”当事情发生的时候我就会聚集一切能够让我守诺的所有事物，因为我觉得遵守承诺代表了我个人。这是我的核心价值，因此我非常注意我所给出的承诺。
My Challenge to You
我给你的挑战
Starting today, become a person who lives up to your word and does what you say you will even when circumstances change.
Uphold your word with a good attitude. Remember that it was you who said “yes” in the first place.
Take every opportunity to learn from your commitments so that you can make better decisions in the future.
Finally, do you have any unfulfilled commitments? Do them now. You will feel better.
Keeping your word is one of the most effective ways to earn the respect of others and build a solid reputation, both personally and professionally.
从今天开始，成为一个守诺的人也可以说是对当状况改变的该说什么的挑战。赞成自己的言语是一种好的态度。要记得是你自己在第一时间答应别人。抓住每一个从自己的诺言中学习的机会，你就可以在未来做出更好的决定。最后，你还有未兑现的承诺吗?现在就兑现，你会感觉更好。一种最有效的方法之一是--言出必行，可以赢得别人尊重并获得崇高的荣誉。
