问对问题 Asking the right questions

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Neil…
大家好，欢迎收听六分钟英语。我是尼尔。
… and I’m Alice. Now Neil, I’m a big fan of chat shows, as you know.But what do you think makes a good interview?
我是爱丽丝。你知道的，尼尔，我是访谈节目的狂热粉丝。但是你觉得什么样才是一次好的采访呢？
I like it when the interviewer asks a question that catches the guest off guard. You know – to surprise them so they’re embarrassed and don’t know what to say.
我喜欢采访者提问让嘉宾措手不及的问题。你懂得，就是问题让他们很惊讶，很尴尬，不知如何回答。
That’s not very nice!
这挺不好的啊！
I know. But it’s great TV. That’s what chat shows are all about, isn’t it?
我知道，但这就是电视节目啊。访谈节目不就是这样吗？
Well, I don’t agree, Neil! A chat show, by the way, is a TV or radio programme where a host – the person who presents the show – talks to guest celebrities about various topics.And what makes a good interview is the subject of today’s show.
我不同意！访谈节目是一种电视或广播节目，节目中主持人——也就是主持这个节目的人——与名人嘉宾谈论不同的话题。如何做好一次采访是今天节目的主题。
So what’s a good interview technique, Alice?
做好一次采访的技巧是什么呢？
Well, asking open questions – questions the celebrities can’t easily respond to with a short answer. Open questions give them the chance to talk and possibly reveal some juicy details about themselves!
提问开放性问题，也就是名人不容易用很短的答案回答的问题。开放性问题给予他们畅所欲言的机会，还有可能透露一些爆炸性的细节。
Juicy details means information you find interesting because it’s exciting or shocking.
爆炸性细节是指发现一些令人兴奋或震惊的有趣消息。
Yes. So let’s test your interviewing skills, Neil. Ask me something – see if you can get some juicy details.
没错，让我来测试一下你的访谈技巧。问我一个问题，看你能不能得到一些爆炸性细节。
OK… Hmm… How much do you weigh?
好吧，你多重？
How much do I weigh?
我多重？
Yeah.
是的。
How much do you weigh? Look, that’s a closed question – you’re going to get a short answer and no juicy details!And more importantly, Neil, it’s a rude question!
我多重？你看，这就是个封闭式问题，你得到的会是个很简短的问题，也不会有什么有趣信息。更重要的是，这个问题很无礼！
OK – bad choice. Sorry. But your reaction was juicy – you got pretty hot under the collar – and that means embarrassed or angry! I’ll try to think of a better question to ask you before the end of the show.
好吧，我选了很糟糕的问题，对不起。但是你的反应很有趣，你怒气冲冲的，也就是说很尴尬或很生气！节目结束前我会想一个更好的问题问你。
Alright then. Now, since you aren’t good at asking questions, perhaps you can answer one instead. Who developed a method of questioning around two and a half thousand years ago that aims to discover hidden truths?Was it…a) Hippocrates?b) Socrates?Or c) Aristotle?
好吧，既然你不善于提问，那你就回答一个问题吧。谁在两千五百年前发明了一种提问方法，来发现隐藏的真相？a) 希波克拉底?b) 苏格拉底?还是 c) 亚里士多德?
Well, I don’t know much about ancient history so I’m going to guess c) Aristotle.
我对古代史不太了解，我猜是c) 亚里士多德。
Well, we’ll find out if you picked the right answer later on– but now let’s listen to Larry King talking about the secret of his successful career as a TV chat show host.Can you spot a word that means to get or produce?
之后我们看你选得是否正确。现在我们来听听Larry King作为电视访谈节目的主持人，他成功的秘诀。你能听出哪个词是表示“得到”或“引起”吗？
If you ask good questions and you elicit thoughtful answers then you learn more about the person. If the interview’s hard – if I begin by saying, ’Why did you do that?’ I’d make you defensive. That may be thrilling television, but you don’t learn a lot. I learned that the more I drew back, asked good questions, listened to the answers, cared about the guest …you make the camera disappear.
如果你问一些很好的问题，你就能引出有深度的答案，就可以更了解这个人。如果采访的很艰难，比如我就直接以“你为什么这么做”开场，你会有一些防御心理。也许这样会收到不错的电视效果，但是你学不到什么。所以我学会保持些距离，问好的问题，聆听答案，关心嘉宾，你要使摄像机都消失了。
The word Larry King used is… elicit.
Larry King用的那个词是“引出”。
Right. And you elicited a defensive reaction from me when you asked a not very thoughtful question about my weight. Defensive means protecting yourself from criticism or attack.
是的。当你问我体重这种不太周到的问题时，你引发了我的防御反应。防御性的是指保护自己免收批评或攻击。
OK, I wouldn’t make a good chat show host then.
好吧，那我不适合做访谈节目主持人。
You’re right there. So good interviewers draw back – or move away – from being the centre of attention.They’re good listeners and care about their guests. Sound familiar?
没错。所以要想做优秀的采访者，要与话题中心保持距离。要做好的聆听者，关心他们的嘉宾。听起来熟悉吗？
Are you suggesting that you’re a good interviewer?
你在暗示你是一个合格的采访者？
Yup.
是的。
OK, well, so why aren’t you a top chat show host,?What does Larry mean when he says you have to make the camera disappear?
那你怎么不做顶尖访谈节目主持人？Larry说你要使摄像机消失，这是什么意思呢？
It means to make the conversation real – as if you were chatting with a friend – rather than performing to a TV audience. But let’s hear more from Larry King on the secret of his success.
这是指使谈话更真实，就像你和朋友一起聊天一样，而不是给电视观众表演。让我们进一步了解Larry King成功的秘诀。
I don’t want a ’no’. I don’t want a ’yes’. I want a ’why’. So in other words, I want to be a little kind of dumb. My friend Herbie said the secret of my success is being dumb. ’What do you mean by that?’
我不想要“不”，也不想要“是”这种答案。我想知道“为什么”。换句话说，我想尽量不说话。我的朋友Herbie说我成功的秘诀就是不说话。“你这么说是什么意思呢？”
So you have to ask dumb – or stupid – questions to make a great chat show host! I knew it!
所以笨一点，少说一点，提问一些看似傻的问题就能成为优秀的访谈节目主持人。我明白了！
Maybe there’s hope for you yet, Neil.
也许这就是你的希望。
Charming.
太迷人了。
Lovely. OK, here’s the answer to today’s quiz question. I asked: Who developed a method of questioning around two and a half thousand years ago that aims to discover hidden truths? Was it… a) Hippocrates? b) Socrates? Or c) Aristotle?
真美妙。回到今天问题的答案。我问你：谁在两千五百年前发明了一种提问方法，来发现隐藏的真相？a) 希波克拉底?b) 苏格拉底?还是 c) 亚里士多德?
And I said c) Aristotle.
我选的是c) 亚里士多德。
No, it was b) Socrates. All three were famous Greek philosophers but Socrates was the one who angered lots of important people by his probing – or investigative – questions– and this technique is called Socratic Dialogue. Socrates lived from 469 to 399 BC and he influenced philosophy so much that all previous thinkers have come to be known as Pre-Socratic.Despite this he declared "All I know is that I know nothing".
不，正确答案是b) 苏格拉底。这三个都是著名的希腊哲学家，但苏格拉底因其不断发觉问题，惹怒了不少重要人士，这种技巧被称为苏格拉底对话。苏格拉底生于公元前469，卒于公元前399年，他在哲学领域影响甚广，之前的思想家都被称为前苏格拉底哲学。尽管如此，他还宣称“我只知道我一无所知”。
Very noble. OK, a final question for you, Alice. What makes you happy?
真伟大。好了，最后一个问题问你。什么会使你开心？
Working with such a fantastic co-presenter, Neil.
就是和你这么棒的同事共事。
That’s nice! I’m embarrassed now.
答得真好！我现在有点尴尬了。
Can you tell us the words we heard today?
再回忆一下今天的单词吧？
Of course!
好的！
catch somebody off guard
让某人措手不及
chat show
访谈节目
host
主持人
open questions
开放性问题
juicy details
爆炸性细节
closed question
封闭式问题
hot under the collar
怒气冲冲
elicit
引出
defensive
防御性的
draw back
远离
make the camera disappear
让摄像机消失
dumb
不说话的
probing
探索
Well, that’s the end of today’s 6 Minute English. Please join us again soon.
今天的六分钟英语就到这里。我们下期节目再会。
Yes, do indeed!
没错！
Bye.
再见！