And I'm Rob.

我是羅勃。

Rob, when you were a child, did you

羅勃，在你小時候，

have a pet?

你有養過寵物嗎？

Yes, we had a few pets. My favourite

有啊，我曾養過一些動物。

was a little fluffy hamster.

我最喜歡的寵物是倉鼠。

And what happened to your

那你的倉鼠後來怎麼了？

hamster?

Well one day I got home from school and he

嗯 ... 有一天我從學校回到家後，

wasn't in his cage. I was worried for

牠沒有在籠子裡，

a bit in case he'd escaped or got hurt,

我很擔心牠，怕他逃走了或是受傷了。

but it was alright. My mum told me that

但是還好，媽媽跟我說，

he had gone to live on a farm so that he

牠去一個農場生活，

could run around with other animals.

可以和其他動物一起奔跑玩耍。

Really?

真的嗎？

Yes, really.

對，真的。

A hamster. Went to live on a farm. To

一隻倉鼠跑去農場生活，

be with other animals. Really?

和其他動物在一起，真的嗎？

Oh, well, when you put it like that.

嗯 ... 如果你這麼想的話。

I think that was probably one of

我想這是其中一個善意的謊言。

those lies that parents tell their children

父母對小孩說謊，

so as not to make them sad.

為了不要讓他們難過。

Well I'm sad now.

好吧！我現在難過了。

Well maybe having a go at this quiz

也許我們現在來個小考，

will cheer you up.

會讓你好過點。

According to a study by a US

根據一個美國心理學家的研究，

psychologist, what percentage of people

有百分之幾的人們，

will lie in a typical

會在十分鐘的對話中，

ten minute conversation? Is it:

說謊呢？

a) 40% b) 50%, or c) 60%.

a) 40%、b) 50% 或是 c) 60%。

I think most people don't lie that

我想大部分的人不太會說謊，

much so I'll say 40%.

所以我猜 40%。

We'll reveal the answer a little later in

我們會在節目最後揭曉答案。

the programme.

So today we are talking about lies

今天我們要探討的主題是說謊。

and particularly the lies that parents

尤其是父母對小孩說謊。

tell children.

The topic was discussed on the BBC

曾在《BBC Radio 4 programme - Woman's Hour》中，

Radio 4 programme, Woman's Hour.

探討這個主題。

A guest on that programme was

有個在節目上的貴賓叫 Chris Boyle 博士。

Doctor Chris Boyle, a psychologist at

是埃克塞特大學的心理學家。

Exeter University. He talks about a

他說到有一個特別類型的謊言。

particular kind of lie. We tell these lies not

我們會說這類型的謊言，

because we want to hurt people.

並不是因為我們想要傷害他人。

What colour are these lies called?

這些謊言我們會用什麼顏色作代表？

A white lie is just a

白色謊言只是在沒有惡意的情況下，

distortion of the truth without malicious

改變事實的真相。

intent – as long as there's

只要不是出於惡意，

not malicious intent I think it's something

我想這是我們平常會做的。

that we do. It's almost a societal norm

這幾乎是一種比較能被大家接受的

that it's become where it is acceptable

社會規範。

that we do tell certain lies at certain

我們會在特定的時間說特定的謊言。

times.

Dr Chris Boyle there. What colour is

Chris Boyle 博士在這個節目上，

the kind of lie he was talking about?

他說到什麼樣顏色的謊言？

It's a white lie. He says a white lie is just

是白色謊言。

a distortion of the truth. Distortion here

他說白色謊言只是扭曲事實。

means a changing or bending of the truth.

Distortion 在這表示改變或扭曲事實。

These kind of lies are OK as long as we

只要我們是出於善意不告訴他們真相，

don't tell them because we won't to hurt

這種謊言是可以的。

someone.

He used the phrase malicious intent

他使用片語 malicious intent (惡意)。

to talk about a bad reason for doing

意思是有某種不好的意圖，

something, didn't he?

所以做某事。

Yes, intent is the reason or purpose

沒錯，intent (意圖) 是做某件事情的原因或目的。

for doing something and malicious

malicious (惡意的)，

is an adjective which means cruel or

是形容詞，表示殘忍的或討厭的。

nasty. So without malicious intent

所以如果沒有 malicious intent (惡意)，

means without wanting to hurt or be

意思是不想要傷害他人。

cruel to someone.

He said that this kind of white lie

他說這就是一種白色謊言，

was almost a societal norm. Can you

像是一個社會規範。

explain what he means by that?

你可以解釋他的意思是什麼嗎？

Yes, something that is the norm is

某些事是符合 norm (規範)，

something that is expected, it's

是指大家所遵循的某標準，

regular and usual. The adjective 'societal'

是很平常且正常的。

comes from the noun society.

societal (社會的) 從名詞的 society (社會) 演變而來的形容詞。

So a societal norm is something that is

所以社會的規範，

regular and common in your culture or

是指某標準常見於你的文化或社會中。

society.

So do you think your mum's story

所以你媽媽告訴你，

about the hamster and the farm was

有關倉鼠和農場的故事，

a little white lie?

算是個白色謊言嗎？

Yes, I'm sure it was. She didn't do it

是，我確定那是白色謊言。

with malicious intent - she didn't want

她不是出於惡意這麼說的，

to hurt me. In fact, just the opposite, she

她不想讓我難過。

wanted to protect me.

事實上，相反的，她只是想保護我。

Yes, that's one kind of white lie that

沒錯，這就是一種父母會說的白色謊言，

parents tell, to protect children.

為了保護小孩。

There are also a couple of other reasons.

也有其他原因會這麼說。

One being the parent's convenience.

有一個就是為了父母方便。

Yes, I remember my mum telling me

沒錯，我記得有一段日子，

on certain days, the park wasn't open.

媽媽告訴我公園沒開，

I know now that it never closed, I guess at

我現在才知道公園不曾關過。

the time she was just too busy to take me.

我猜她那時一定是太忙沒時間帶我去公園玩。

And then there are the cultural lies

然後還有父母會對小孩說的，

that parents tell children.

文化的謊言。

What do you mean by that?

那是什麼意思？

Well first, if you have any children

嗯 ... 首先，

listening to this right now, you might want

如果你的小孩現在正在聽這個影片，

to cover their ears for a few seconds.

你一定想要短暫地摀住他們的耳朵。

Rob I'm talking about, for example,

羅勃，我舉個例子，

Father Christmas and the Tooth Fairy.

聖誕節和牙仙子，

Yes, there's no malicious intent in

對，這是沒有出於惡意，

telling children those stories. It is a

告訴小孩的故事。

cultural and societal norm.

這是文化和社會的規範。

Let's listen to Dr Chris Boyle again

我們再聽一次 Chris Boyle，

talking about white lies.

談論有關白色謊言的事情。

A white lie is just a

白色謊言只是在沒有惡意的情況下，

distortion of the truth without

改變事實的真相。

malicious intent – so as long as there's

只要不是出於惡意，

not malicious intent I think it's something

我想這是我們平常會做的。

that we do. It's almost a societal norm that

這幾乎是一種社會規範。

it's become where it is acceptable that we

比較能被大家接受的，

do tell certain lies at certain

我們會在特定的時間說特定的謊言。

times.

So now back to our question at the

現在我們回到一開始的考題。

top of the programme. I asked what

我問了，

percentage of people will lie in a typical

有百分之幾的人們，

ten minute conversation.

會在十分鐘的對話內說謊？

Was it: a) 40%, b) 50%, or c) 60%?

a) 40%、b) 50% 或是 c) 60%？

What did you say Rob?

羅勃，你說了什麼？

I said a) just 40%.

我說 a) 只有40%。

Well I'm afraid the answer was 60%.

很可惜，答案是 60%。

Really? Goodness 60%! That's more

認真？天啊！60%！

than I expected.

比我想的還多。

Right, well before we go, let's recap

沒錯，在我們結束節目前，

the vocabulary we talked about today. The

我們來複習一下今天提到的單字。

first expression was 'white lie'. A lie we

第一個是 white lie (白色謊言)。

tell without meaning to hurt someone, for

我們沒有出於惡意而說了一個謊。

example when I say to you – you look

舉個例子，

nice today!

當我說你今天看起來很帥氣！

Wait, what did you say?

等一下，你說了什麼？

But that is actually a distortion of the

但事實上這是扭曲事實。

truth. A changing or bending of the truth.

改變或扭曲事實的意思。

Mmmm. This makes me think of the

嗯 ...，這讓我想到下一個單字。

next expression,

'malicious intent'. Intent is the reason or

malicious intent (惡意)，

purpose for doing something, and doing

intent (意圖) 是指做某事的原因或目的。

something with a malicious intent is

惡意去做某事的意思，

doing it deliberately to be cruel or to hurt

故意做某件事去傷害別人。

someone. I think you have a malicious

我覺得你是惡意告訴我，

intent, telling me that when

當你說我很帥的時候，

you say I look nice, it's just a lie!

這只是個謊言！

I'm just kidding!

我只是開玩笑的！

That's the norm for you, isn't it, just

這是你的常態，不是嗎？只是個玩笑。

kidding. A 'norm' is the standard or

norm (規範) 是某種標準，

'normal' way that something is. In the clip

或是正常的方式。

we heard 'societal norm' which is the

在節目裡我們聽到 societal norm (社會的規範)，

or 'normal' way something is done in

是ㄧ般來說在社會上遵守的標準。

society.

For example, telling children about

舉例來說，

Father Christmas.

告訴小孩關於聖誕節的故事，

Sssh!

噓 ...

Well, sadly this isn't a lie but that's

我們的節目到此結束。

all for this programme. For more, find us

如果想要看更多內容，

on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and our

請上我們的 Facebook、Twitter、Instagram、

YouTube pages, and of course our

和 YouTube 頻道。

website bbclearningenglish.com

當然也可以上我們的官網 website bbclearningenglish.com。

where you can find all kinds of other

你可以找到所有的節目、

audio programmes, videos, and quizzes,

影片和題目，

to help you improve your English. Thanks

這些可以增進你的英文能力！

for joining us and goodbye!

謝謝你今天的收看，拜拜！

Bye.

拜拜！