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What Body Language Can Tell You That Words
Cannot
什么是肢体语言能告诉你而语言不能的
Interview With David Givens,
Anthropologist
By David Givens
Q. Mr. Givens, why is it important for
people to understand body
language--
that is, communication by means of movements and
gestures?
吉文斯先生，
为什么对人们来说理解用动作和姿势来沟通的体态语言
是重要的？
A. The best salespeople, the best
teachers, the best business managers have
an innate ability to read body language
and put it to profitable use. They
adapt their presentation to the
messages they pick up.
A
.
最好的推销员，最好的老师和最好的商务经理都有读体态语言的本
能，
而且应此受益匪浅。他们根据获得的信息来调节他们的演讲。
For example, the most
successful trial lawyers are those who can look at
a
jury and a judge and pick up little
cues that tip off what people are
thinking. An observant lawyer may
notice that the judge is compressing
his lips into a thin line as the lawyer
is speaking. This is a common sign
people use when they disagree or are
becoming annoyed. A smart lawyer
will
quickly try a new approach.
例如，最成功的出庭律师就是这样一个人。他们只要扫视一下
陪审团
和法官，就能看出暴露这些人思想的微妙的情绪变化。一个善于观察
的律师，在他说话的同时，可能会注意到法官正在把他的嘴唇越闭越
紧，这是
人们意见不一致，或是很恼火的时候的共同信号，聪明的律
师这时候会迅速地试试新方法
。
Such signals are used constantly, even
though people generally don't
realize
they are communicating through their movements,
posture and
mannerisms.
这些信号常常被运用，即使人们通常都不能意识到他们是通过
动作，
姿势和言谈举止来交流的。
Q. What kinds of information is
nonverbal language likely to reveal?
什么样的信息可能通过非言语语言显示出来？
A. Very often it signals a person's
true feelings, which may be contrary to
what is actually being spoken. For
example, a person may hunch the
shoulders, angle the head to one side
and compress the lips. That's a good
indication that he or she is uncertain
about an idea or perhaps disagrees
with
it, even without saying so in words.
常常它能传达人们的真实想法，
这种
想法很可能与人们实际表述的相
反。例如，一个人也许会耸着肩，把头偏向一侧，紧闭双
唇，即使不
用语言这已是一个很好的暗示，表明他不确定或是不同意某个主意。
Q. Would you give some examples
of the most common indicators of
approval and disapproval?
你能举一些最常见的关于赞成与反对的信号的例子吗？
A. When people show rapport with each
other, they swivel their upper
bodies
toward each other and align their shoulders in
parallel. They face
each other
squarely, they lean slightly toward each other,
and there is
more eye contact. If they
disagree, they unwittingly or unconsciously turn
their bodies away from each other. Such
signs are unmistakable forms of
body
language.
当人们表示
出相互相处融洽时，
会把上身转向对方使自己的肩膀与对
方平齐
，使脸正对着对方，身体微微倾向对方，并且会有更多的目光
接触。如果人们相互意见不
一，他们会不经意或无意识地将身体转离
对方，这些都是体态语言显而易见的传达方式。
Q. Do people more often
than not try to exhibit dominant behavior in the
presence of others?
在其他人面前，人们会经常设法表现出统治性的行为吗？
A. Some people do, but many also assume
a submissive stance. The head,
arms,
legs and feet tell the true intent. When the boss
pats an employee on
the back, the
employee's toes will invariably pigeon-toe inward
--a classic
sign of submission--and the
boss will toe out, a sign of dominance.
有些人会这样，但是很多人也会表
现出谦恭的姿态。头，手臂，腿和
脚都会述说人们真正的意图。当上司拍员工的后背时，
员工的脚趾总
是向内收的，这是一个典型的顺从的标志，而上司的脚趾是外伸的，
这是一个典型的统治性地位的标志。
By contrast, people in
submissive roles will tend to crouch slightly and
display self-protective stances. They
may fold their arms or hug
themselves,
cross their legs or reach up and touch their
throats. People
with a more dominant
attitude will use more-expansive gestures,
spreading the arms and legs, creating
an air of openness.
相比之下，处于顺从地位中的人们倾向于微微屈膝，表现出自我保护
的姿态。
他们会交叉双臂或者拥抱自己，交叉双腿或者伸手触摸自己
的喉咙。
处于统治性姿态的人们会使用更畅谈的姿势，
展开手臂和腿，
创造一种开放的氛围。
Q. What are some
other universal nonverbal signals?
还有一些其他的非语言性的信号吗？
A.
One is an
automatic raising of the eyebrows that a person
does when he
or she meets someone else.
It takes place very quickly at the instant when
recognition takes place, and it is a
natural and universal form of greeting.
一个例子是当人们遇见其他人的时候会无意识的提起眉毛。
这种行为
< br>发生得很快，
当你一认出对方它就发生了，
它是一种普遍
的打招呼的
方式
Another obvious
cue is known as the
uncertainty or
stress. When someone is disturbed or startled by
something, the first reaction is to
reach up and touch the back of the head.
It is a totally unconscious reflex.
另一个
明显的暗示被称为“手放头后”，它传达了人们没把握或紧
张的状态。当某人被某事打扰
或是惊吓到的时候，第一个反应就是
伸出手放到脑后，这是个完全无意识的反应。
About 125 nonverbal signals of
this type have been cataloged as
recognizable.
大概有
125
种这之类的非语言信号已经被编录为可识别的信号。
Q. Where do we get mannerisms such as
these? Are they learned as a part of
our culture?
我们从哪里学到像这样的举止的呢？我们是把它当成文化知识
的一
部分来学习的吗？
A.
No, they are
almost entirely inborn. Nonverbal behavior occurs
naturally,
without being taught, and
even shows up in newborn infants and in lower
animals. It is firmly grounded in
evolutionary development. It's
something that Mother Nature provides
to help us get along with each
other. <
/p>
不是的，它们基本上是我们与生俱来的。非语言行为是自然产生的，
无论是对于新生的婴儿还是低等动物，
这种行为都不需要被教导或是
< br>示范。
在人类的进化发展的过程中，
它已经被牢牢地打好
基础。
这是
自然力量给予我们互相融洽相处的帮助。
Nonverbal communication is also
what we call culture-free: it applies
worldwide. People can go anywhere and
understand these signals, even
if they
don't know the spoken language.
非语言交流也是
我们所说的非文化限制或影响的交流：它适用于全
世界。人们去到任何地方都能明白这种
信号即使它们不懂那儿的语
言。
Q.
Is courtship one of the situations that is
strongly influenced by nonverbal
skills?
求爱也是一种深受非语言技巧影响的情况吗？
A.
Yes. In fact,
early courtship is almost entirely made up of
nonverbal
actions. Men and women
unconsciously shrug their shoulders when they
find each other attractive. It is an
gesture that shows they are harmless. <
/p>
是的，
实际上，
早期的求爱几乎完全由非
语言行为构成。
男人和女人
会无意识地对着有吸引力的异性耸肩
。这是“我屈服”的信号，几乎
是以一种孩子般的姿态来表现他们没有恶意。
Early courtship is filled with shy,
juvenile, awkward behavior between
the
man and the woman. A woman attracted to a man will
tilt her head
down and to the side,
then look in his direction in a coy or coquettish
way. A man at a party or at a bar will
stake out his territory by putting
cigarettes or cash in front of him, to
show females his status relative to
other men.
男女之间早期的求爱充满了害羞，幼稚和笨拙的行为。女人吸
引男
人会将头斜向一边，然后用故作娇柔或是卖弄风情的眼神望过去。
< br>而男人在聚会或是酒吧上会把香烟或是现金放在面前以示自己的地
盘，从而向异性
展示出自己相对于其他男人的地位。
Q. What if
a woman decides that she isn't interested in a
man's overtures?
如果一个女人对男人的表示不感兴趣，她会怎样表示出来呢？
A. The simplest gesture is simply to
turn her body away from him. It's the
kingdom. It is really one of
the kindest yet most effective ways to dampen
someone's ardor. And men can use it,
too.
最简单的姿势就是完全
将她的身体转离他。
这是整个动物王国最可辨
认的姿态之一——
“冷漠”。
这确实是一个温和但却最有效的方式
抑制人的热情。当然男人也可以使用这种方式。
Q. Would you include touching in the
vocabulary of nonverbal
communication?
身体接触也被包括在非语言交流的例表中吗？
Yes. And it should be used very
carefully. Skin is our oldest sense organ,
and when it is touched by someone it
carries a strong emotional impact. It
is a very sexually loaded form of
communication.
是的。
这种接触要十分小心。
皮肤是我们最老的感觉器官，
被某人触
碰时它会产生强烈的情感冲击。
他在沟通中是性别上一种非常具有加
载性的形式。
In a business or social
setting, a casual touch can be almost electric,
even
in a professional relationship.
When someone is touched, he or she
immediately stops for an instant and
wonders,
such settings,
well-intentioned touch can be badly
misconstrued.
在商业或社会环境中，一个随意的接触都几乎能令人紧张兴奋
，即
使是在职业关系里。当某人被触碰后，他们很快会停顿片刻并疑惑：
“那是什么意思？”在这种情况下，
“收回手”是最精明的行为，因
为即使是一个出于好意的接触也可能会被严重地误解。
WORD STUDY
Approach v.
1.
to move, come, or go near
移动，到达，走近
The car
approached the traffic lights at top speed.
汽车以最快的速度接近了红绿灯。
As I approached, she gave me a nod of
greeting.
当我走近时，她点头向我打招呼
As
they
crossed
the
bridge,
they
heard
the
whistle
of
the
approaching
train.
过桥时，她们听见越来越近的火车所发出的汽笛声。
2.
to come or go
to in order to talk about, suggest, ask for
something
为了谈话，建议或要求某事而来或去
Have you approached the manager about
taking a day off next week?
你已经向经理说了下个星期请一天假的事情吗？
Approach to:
approximate
接近，近似
The number of new student this term
approaches to two thousand.
本学期的学生人数接近两千。
Approach n.
1.
the act of coming near
走近，接近
The boys
ran off at the approach of a policeman.
当警察靠近时男孩们跑走了。
2.
a road, path leading to a place
通向某地的通道或路
The approaches to the port of
Southampton are always busy.
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