一提到英国人，我们会联想到高冷、古板、矜持、克制等一系列关键词，这是我们对英国人的刻板印象，也是他们不管走到哪里都如影随形的枷锁。英国人的矜持，和斯多葛主义一脉相承，可以在危机到来之时，升级为一种坚忍的精神，一种面对苦难不低头的态度。关于英国人的矜持，我们有哪些误解？英国人真的一向如此高冷吗？一起来听今天的讲解。
British Stoicism
英国人的斯多葛主义
By Olivier Guiberteau
We all lug stereotypes around, our perennial ball and chain. We British, according to many outsiders, are reserved, repressed, resilient, unemotional and self-controlled. Categorised by our “stiff upper lip” – the famous but now out-of-fashion form of extreme British stoicism – we are often pigeonholed as stunted stoics.
刻板印象总是和我们如影随形，是我们挣脱不掉的枷锁。在许多外人看来，我们英国人保守、克制、坚韧、不苟言笑，且有自制力。“绷紧的上唇”这一标签，是英国人极度矜持的代名词，虽然这种说法现在已经过时，但曾经人尽皆知。因为这个标签，英国人通常被看作是情感发育不良的斯多葛主义者。
Stoicism, which has its roots in Ancient Greece, originated as a philosophy of understanding pain and hardship and being able to deal with them without complaint. And it’s certainly true that there is a charming stoicism about the British, from the well-worn British mantra “keep calm and carry on” to the vehement belief that a cup of tea is the only appropriate response to a crisis.
斯多葛主义缘起于古希腊时期的一个哲学流派，主张去体会痛苦和磨难，并能够做到毫无怨言地应对。可以肯定地说，存在一种关于英国人的迷人的斯多葛主义，从“保持冷静，继续前进”这种老生常谈的口号，到“危机面前，饮饮茶”这种笃定的信念。
Visitors to the UK will notice that our lexicon comes with a wonderfully wide variety of phrases that encourage or urge on in the face of adversity. “Muddle through”, “plug away”, “chin up”, “soldier on”, to name just a few. Facing adversity with one’s head held high is an intoxicating image for British people.
游客们会注意到，英国的语汇里有大量各式各样鼓舞鞭策我们直面困难的短语。比如“扛过去”，“坚持不懈”，“振作起来”，“迎难而上”。面对苦难不低头，是令英国人陶醉的自我形象。
British stoicism reached its zenith during the first half of the 20th Century. The country emerged victorious from both World Wars but was appallingly scarred – both socially and economically.
英国人的斯多葛主义精神在20世纪前半叶达到了顶峰。虽然英国在两次世界大战中都获胜了，但是英国社会和经济都受到了空前的重创。
应版权方要求，此内容仅对英国以外地区开放。
【内容拓展】
Brit
UK /brɪt/ US /brɪt/
n. a short way to say a British person
You could tell by their accents that they were Brits.
你可以从他们的口音听出他们是英国人。
生词好句
1.stoicism
英 [ˈstəʊɪsɪzəm] 美 [ˈstoʊɪsɪzəm]
n. stoicism is when you experience pain or trouble without complaining or showing your emotions
拓展:
stoic
UK /ˈstəʊɪk/ US /ˈstoʊɪk/
n. someone who does not complain or show their emotions; adj. determined not to complain or show your feelings
He’s such a stoic.
他是一个如此坚忍的人。
she has a very stoic attitude.
她的态度很坚忍。
2.lug
英 [lʌɡ] 美 [lʌɡ]
vt. to carry or pull something with effort or difficulty because it is heavy
拓展:
其后既可接具体名词也可接抽象名词
I have been lugging this suitcase around all day.
我一整天都拖着这只箱子。
She has been lugging her problems around for years.
多年来，她一直被自己的问题所累。
3.perennial
英 [pəˈreniəl] 美 [pəˈreniəl]
adj. lasting for a very long time
拓展:
She had to care for her three younger brothers for many years. It was her perennial ball and chain.
多年来，她不得不照顾她的三个弟弟，这是她一直以来的负担。
4.ball and chain
an idiom meaning something that stops you doing something / something that limits your freedom
拓展:
Caring for the young children was a huge responsibility for her. It was like a ball and chain.
照顾年幼的孩子对她来说是很大的负担，就像一个枷锁。
5.stiff upper lip
Someone who has a stiff upper lip does not show their feelings when they are upset or in trouble or in danger.
拓展:
to keep a stiff upper lip（绷紧上唇）沉着冷静，处变不惊
At school, we were taught to keep a stiff upper lip, no matter what happens.
在学校里，我们被教导无论发生什么事都要沉着冷静。
6.pigeonhole
英 [ˈpɪdʒənhəʊl] 美 [ˈpɪdʒənhoʊl]
vt. put something or someone in a category / to classify someone as something
拓展:
The young actor always played a criminal in his early films - he is now pigeonholed as the classic ‘film villain’.
这位年轻的演员在他早期的电影中总是扮演罪犯的角色，现在被封为经典的"荧屏恶棍"。
7.stunted
英 [ˈstʌntɪd] 美 [ˈstʌnɪd]
adj. not developed in a normal way (not emotionally developed / emotionally abnormal)
8.well-worn
英 [ˌwel ˈwɔːn] 美 [ˌwel ˈwɔːrn]
adj. if something is well-worn, it is used a lot or maybe too much
拓展:
In his writing, he uses too many well-worn idioms and expressions.
他在写作中使用了太多老套的习语和表达。
9.mantra
英 [ˈmæntrə] 美 [ˈmæntrə]
n. a word, sentence or phrase that is often repeated and expresses a particular strong belief
10.vehement
英 [ˈviːəmənt] 美 [ˈviːəmənt]
adj. if something is vehement, it expresses strong feelings
拓展:
Despite her vehement protests, she was fired from her position in the company.
尽管她强烈抗议，她还是被公司解雇了。
His new novel has received vehement criticism from the media.
他的新小说受到了媒体的强烈批评。
11.lexicon
英 [ˈleksɪkən] 美 [ˈleksɪkən]
n. a list of all the words in a language or about a subject, or in a dictionary
拓展:
The lexicon of a wine expert contains many words to describe fruity smells.
葡萄酒专家的字典里有很多描述果香的词汇。
He didn’t have any romantic expressions in his lexicon.
他的字典里没有任何浪漫的词汇。
12.muddle through
If you muddle through, you try to do something even when you don’t really know how to do it or when you don’t have the ability or the resource to do something.
拓展:
I know it’s difficult, but you’ll just have to muddle through somehow.
我知道这很难，但你总得设法应付过去。
13.plug away
to work hard in a determined way, especially at something that you find difficult
拓展:
She keeps plugging away at English, even though she finds it very difficult.
尽管她发现英语很难，她还是坚持不懈地学习。
14.chin up
something you say to someone in a difficult situation to encourage them to be brave and try not to be sad
拓展:
完整形式：keep your chin up（to keep your head held up high）
Chin up! The exams will soon be over.
坚持一下！考试马上就要结束了。
15.soldier on
to continue doing something although it is difficult
拓展:
She soldiered on even when her business was losing lots of money.
即使做生意亏了很多钱，她也一直坚持不放弃。
16.zenith
英 [ˈzenɪθ] 美 [ˈzenɪθ]
n. the zenith of something is the highest point or peak of something
拓展:
The sun reaches its zenith at midday.
太阳在中午升到最高。
His career is now at its zenith.
他的事业现在正处于巅峰时期。
At its zenith the Roman empire covered almost the whole of Europe.
罗马帝国在其鼎盛时期几乎覆盖了整个欧洲。