We tend to hear words pleasant to the ear but have displeasure and resentment at words harsh to the ear. A man, especially one occupying an important position, needs tolerance and magnanimity to lend an ear to truthful yet offensive words with heartfelt admiration so as to gain wisdom from them, and those qualities can be only cultivated through the nurturing of the soul and the restraint in human weaknesses. Otherwise, opportunities are exploited to the advantage of those with sweet words on the lips to tickle the ear of others, only to hurt those loyal people outspoken in their remarks.
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Intellectually, we are probably willing to believe in the ancient truths that we’ ll be enlightened if we listen to both sides and we will be benighted if we heed only one side, that honest advice, though unpleasant to the ear, benefits conduct. Also, we are delightfully convinced of Laotzi’s philosophy that true words are not embellished and the embellished words are not true. However, in our behaviours, we tend to depart from those estabilished maxims, reluctant to accept and follow those uncomfortable truths until eventually grave errors are committed.
【參考譯文】
人們通常喜歡聽好聽的話，一聽到拂耳之言就容易產生不悅甚至慍怒。一個人特別是身居要職的人要能夠心悅誠服地傾聽逆耳之良言并從中獲得智慧，就需要一種容忍和大度的雅量，而這往往依賴于人們的心性修養(yǎng)和對人性缺陷的克制;否則，就會給那些善于運用花言巧語和投其所好的人提供可乘之機，并傷害那些直言不諱的忠誠之人。
資料來源考試網(wǎng)校老師主講教材精講班課程，完整講義下載進入個人中心>>
