怎样报坏消息

字幕原文

Mr. Harris had been working overseas for six months, 哈里斯先生在海外工作了六个月，

and when he stepped off the train, 当他走下火车时，

there was his old steward, Jack, waiting on the platform. 只见他的老管家杰克正在站台上等候。

"Jack! “杰克！

Good to see you. 见到你真高兴。

So, how are things back home?" 家里一切都好吧？”

Jack cleared his throat. 杰克清了清嗓子。

"Not great, sir. “不太好，先生。

The magpie died." 喜鹊死了。”

"Oh, poor old Mag. “哎呀，可怜的小喜鹊。

What happened?" 怎么搞的？”

"Ate too much, sir. “吃太多撑死了，先生。

Horse meat." 吃了马肉。”

"Horse meat? “马肉？

Where on earth did he get that?" 它到底从哪儿弄来的？”

"From your father's horses, sir. “吃的是您父亲的马，先生。

They all died, worked to death hauling water." 马全死了，为了运水活活累死的。”

"Hauling water? “运水？

What for?" 运水干什么？”

"For the fire, sir. “灭火啊，先生。

The house burned down." 宅子全烧光了。”

Mr. Harris stopped dead. 哈里斯先生猛地僵住了。

"The house? “宅子？

How?" 怎么烧的？”

"The candles, sir. “是因为蜡烛，先生。

At your mother's funeral." 在您母亲的葬礼上。”

"My mother's dead?" “我母亲去世了？！”

"I'm afraid so. “恐怕是的。

She never got over losing your father." 她一直没能挺过失去您父亲的打击。”

"My father too?" “我父亲也走了？！”

"Yes, sir. “是的，先生。

He took to his bed the moment he heard the news." 他一听到那个消息就一病不起了。”

"What news?" “什么消息？”

"Well, sir, the bank's gone under, “哎，先生，银行倒闭了，

and you haven't got a penny left. 您连一分钱都没剩下了。

I thought you'd rather hear it from me." 我想着您宁愿听我亲口告诉您。”

Poor Jack meant well. 可怜的杰克本意是好的。

He'd simply started with the smallest piece and let everything else come tumbling out, 他只是想先从最不起眼的小事说起，结果后面的事全跟着一股脑儿倒了出来，

one disaster at a time. 一个噩耗接着一个噩耗。

There's no painless way to break bad news. 传达坏消息从来就没有不痛苦的法子。

But drip-feeding it doesn't soften the blow; 但像挤牙膏一样一点点往外倒并不能减轻打击；

it just makes the other person take the hit again and again. 只会让对方一次又一次地承受打击。