2. 外语
  3. There has been a fair amount in the news lately about apologies, particularly whether the chief executives of financial institut

There has been a fair amount in the news lately about apologies, particularly whether the chief executives of financial institut

admin2010-11-29  42
问题     There has been a fair amount in the news lately about apologies, particularly whether the chief executives of financial institutions have been contrite enough about the role they played in bringing about this recession. But whether it be an apology from a public figure to an anonymous mass of people or a private one between you and your spouse, a good apology has the same essentials.
    These include an acknowledgment of the fault or offense, regret for it and responsibility for it — and, if possible, a way to fix the problem, said Holly Weeks, a communications consultant and author of "Failure to Communicate: How Conversations Go Wrong and What You Can Do to Right Them" (Harvard Business Press, 2008).
    We’re taught when we’re very young to say, "I’m sorry," when we steal someone’s pail in the sandbox or lock our sister in a closet (hypothetically speaking). But somehow, as we grow up, our apologies often become more abstract, more defensive and less an acceptance of responsibility than a demand that the wronged person forgive us.
    The act of contrition sometimes comes wrapped in self-congratulation. For example, Ms. Weeks said that she analyzed the speech by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York when he publicly admitted wrongdoing and resigned. Only 17 percent of that speech was apology. The rest "was about how great he was," she said. In my opinion, the apology sent by e-mail or text message is also a cowardly way out, except for the most minor of incidents. Do it in person, or at least over the phone.
    An apology should not be thought of in terms of an expression of regret or getting something off your chest, which is more like a monologue, Ms. Weeks said. Rather, it has to be thought of as a communication between people. "Take the focus off yourself and keep it on your counterpart," she said. Apologizing has been complicated over the years by the threat of liability. This has led to apologies that have been carefully parsed to remove any real regret or accountability. "So many apologies are constructed by legal or P.R. people" as a defensive mechanism, not as a sincere expression of remorse, Ms. Weeks said. This can be true for politicians, doctors and business executives, but also for you or me if we’re, say, involved in a traffic accident. Should we say we’re sorry? Is that admitting fault?
In the last paragraph, "the threat of liability" means "______".
选项 A、To apologize may indicate a sense of guilt
B、To apologize is to express that we are sorry
C、Apology may not be well received by others
D、Politicians, doctors and business executives should not apologize
答案A
解析 指代题。 “the threat of liability”其实指的是前文所说的律师和公共关系从业人员灌输给他们的客户的关于道歉即认罪的想法。
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