现代绅士必备的39个技能

Texting an emoji to a loved one or riding astride a galloping horse. Both are skills that, apparently, should come with ease to the modern gentleman.
发短信时给你爱的人发个表情符号，或是策马奔腾，对现代绅士来说，这些都应该是信手拈来的事情。

Or at least that is the message in the latest edition of Country Life.
至少，最新版《乡村生活》杂志是这么说的。

The weekly magazine has published its '39 steps' reflecting what it deems to be the ground rules for male manners in today's bewildering world of social media, high-tech gadgets and constantly shifting trends.
该周刊杂志发布了在今天这个社交媒体和高科技小玩意儿充斥的世界，以及不断变换的潮流之中，男性应该具有的39项基本礼仪规则。

It comprises a range of topics, including male grooming, technology use and competency in the great outdoors.
这一套礼仪规则包括不同的话题，包括男性美容、技术使用和户外运动能力。

The inclusion of pursuits like sailing and horse-riding are listed and chime with historic gentlemanly conventions, while other suggestions firmly reflect 21st century trends.
其中，划船和骑马等技能也被列出，这与传统上的绅士形象倒也一直。其余的建议则明确反映了21世纪的潮流趋势。

One rule drawn up by Rupert Uloth, the magazine's deputy editor, is that a gentleman should 'know when to use an emoji', the smiley faces that can be copied into text messages and emails.
《乡村生活》杂志副主编鲁伯特•尤罗思提出一个规则：绅士应该“知道什么时候使用表情符号”，表情符号指可以复制到短信和电子邮件中的笑脸表情。

He insists they should never be used in professional life.
鲁伯特•尤罗思坚持认为，表情符号不应该用于职业生活中。

'The point about that one is that it's good to be able to communicate with one's children, godchildren, nephews and nieces, and to show that you know what an emoji is,' said Mr Uloth.
“使用表情符号好处在于能跟孩子们、教子教女、侄子侄女们交流，让他们知道你了解这件事。”尤罗思先生说道。

The magazine also says a gentleman 'never blow dries his hair', never wears sandals, 'can tie his own bow tie' and polishes his shoes. Lilac socks, it says, are poor taste.
该杂志还列出一些，绅士“从不吹干头发”，从不穿凉鞋，“可以自己打领结”，会自己擦鞋。杂志表示，淡紫色的袜子，并不是好品味的体现。

As for the opposite sex, the magazine insists that a gentleman always 'breaks a relationship face to face' but while he is in that relationship he should be able to 'undo a bra with one hand'.
至于如何对待女性，杂志坚持认为，一名绅士总是“当面说分手”，而如果他处在恋爱中，他也应该能“单手解内衣”。

The modern gentleman should also have read Pride and Prejudice and 'cooks an omelette to die for.'
现代绅士也应该读过《傲慢与偏见》，也能“做出特别好吃的煎蛋”。

And another point that perhaps comes from a woman's point of view: he 'demonstrates that making love is neither a race nor a competition.'
另外还有一条规则或许是来自女性：他应该“表现出做爱既不是比赛也不是竞争。”

Perhaps surprisingly the magazine takes a relaxed view on tattoos, though it urges men to remember 'facial hair is temporary, but a tattoo is permanent'.
令人惊讶的是，该杂志对于纹身的态度较为宽松，不过还是对男性提出了警告：要记得“面部毛发是暂时的，而纹身确实永久的”。

Mr Uloth said: 'We mean don't be stuffy about it, but it's about remembering that it's pretty difficult to get rid of tattoos. We're not saying that you shouldn't have one.'
尤罗思先生说：“我们的意思是，对待纹身不要太刻板了。我们只是要你明白，一旦有纹身，再想去掉就相当困难了。我们并没有说，不应该有纹身。”

Mark Hedges, the magazine's editor, said: 'There is no higher accolade than to call a man a gentleman.'
杂志主编马克•赫奇斯说：“把一个男人称为绅士是一项至高荣耀。”

What constitutes gentlemanliness is a topic touched upon by great British writers throughout history.
绅士素质的构成一直是英国的大作家们热衷于讨论的一个话题。

Oscar Wilde said a gentleman was one 'who never hurts anyone's feelings unintentionally', while George Bernard Shaw said a gentleman always 'puts more into the world than he takes out'.
奥斯卡•王尔德说，绅士“从不会无意之间伤害别人的感情”，而萧伯纳说，绅士总是“向世界贡献的多，索取的少。”

Paula Lester, features editor of Country Life, said the most important points on the the magazine's list were the ones that revolved around being kind and caring.
《乡村生活》的特刊主编宝拉•莱斯特说，该杂志列出的清单中，绅士素质最重要的是友善和体贴。

These include rules such as that a gentleman 'carries house guests' luggage to their rooms', 'wears his learning lightly', 'never lets a door slam in someone's face' and 'turns his mobile phone to silent at dinner'.
反映这两项素质的礼仪包括：绅士“会帮客人把行李拿进他们的房间”、“不随意显摆自己的学问”、“从不在别人前面摔门”以及“吃饭时把手机静音”。

Ms Lester said: 'Our magazine has been going for 120 years, so we've got a pretty good idea about what makes a gentleman.
莱斯特女士说：“我们的杂志已经有120年历史，所以，我们非常明白如何造就一名绅士。”

'It's almost the ones that you don't have to think about that are the most important: being kind and in control, having courtesy and charm, and being able to put people at their ease in any kind of social situation.'
“最重要的素质是那些你想都不用想就能列出来的：待人随和，脾气温和，有礼貌、有魅力，无论在何种社交情况下都能让人们感到舒适。”

Vocabulary

chime with: 与……一致
emoji: 表情符号
omelette: 煎蛋卷，煎蛋饼，炒蛋
accolade: 荣誉