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Your words are all that we, your friends, have to know and judge you by. You have no other medium for telling us your thoughts — for convincing us, persuading us, giving us orders.
你的词汇就是我们——你的朋友——借以了解和判断你所具有的全部。你没有别的媒介用来告诉我们你的思想——用来说服我们，规劝我们，命令我们。
Words are explosive. Phrases are packed with TNT. A simple word can destroy a friendship,land a large order. The proper phrases in the mouths of clerks have quadrupled the sales of a department store. The wrong words used by a campaign orator have lost an election. For instance, on one occasion the four unfortunate words, “Rum,Romanism and Rebellion” used in a Republican campaign speech threw the Catholic vote and the presidential victory to Grover Cleveland. Wars are won by words. Soldiers fight for a phrase. “Make the world safe for Democracy.” “All out for England.” “V for Victory. ” The “ Remember the Maine” of Spanish War days has now been changed to “Remember Pear Harbor. ”
言词具有爆炸性。短语里装满了梯恩梯烈性炸药。一句简单的话可以摧毁友谊，也可以获得一大笔定单。店员们口中得体的话语使一家百货商店的销售额增加了三倍。一位竞选演说家用词不当致使竞选失败。例如，有一次，在一篇共和党的竞选演说中使用不当的四个词“朗姆酒、天主教和反叛”就使天主教教徒的选票投给了格罗弗·克利夫兰，使他赢得了总统选举的胜利。战争往往依靠言词取得胜利。士兵们常为了一个短语而战。“为了民主打出一个 安全世界。”“全力拯救英格兰。”“V代表胜利。”西班牙战争时期的“牢记‘缅因号’事件”而今已改为“牢记珍珠港事件”。
