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Kana's英語のことわざ・名言手帖

By Kana Ishiguro / 石黒 加奈

世界の名言やことわざの意味を、石黒加奈さんが自分自身の体験を例に挙げながら解説してくれます。注釈・ミニクイズ付きです。
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筆者へお便りを送る

Kana Ishiguro

Vol. 9 : Tell all the Truth but tell it slant

(真実をそっくり語りなさい、しかし斜めに語りなさい)

 

This week, I'd like to introduce a line from Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), one of America's finest poets: Tell all the Truth but tell it slant.

It's the first line from one of her poems. Here's the rest of the poem (although don't be worried if you don't understand it, it's difficult): Success in Circuit lies / Too bright for our infirm Delight / The Truth's superb surprise / As Lightning to the Children eased / With explanation kind / The Truth must dazzle gradually / Or every man be blind

My take on the poem is that sometimes the truth can be too harsh to take. It can just be overwhelming if you're presented with it all at once. So when you tell people a difficult truth, you should break it to them gradually and gently, through implication and innuendo. Eventually they will understand.

I always try to keep this quote in mind when I want to give someone some advice. Empathy is key. You shouldn't just say whatever you want without thinking of the listener's circumstances or his or her state of mind.

It reminds me of this guy at my dad's riding center. Let's say his name was Taro. Taro loved riding, and above all, he loved horses. He took care of them and he was quite good at training them. But when it came to riding in horse-riding shows, he just didn't have that special something. It was nerves. He was just crippled by anxiety when performing in competitions. He would forget his routine and he would never finish in time.

My dad is very strict, but he tried to help Taro. He spent a lot of time talking to him. He suggested meditation and sent him to do Zen meditation at a local temple. He even found him a counselor to help him, but it was to no avail. Soon, my dad realized that Taro wasn't cut out for competition.

Telling Taro this straight out would have destroyed him. He lived for horses and horse riding. My dad realized this, so he never directly told Taro that he didn't have it in him to ever be a top-class competitive rider. Instead, through various hints and suggestions over a long period of time, he tried to guide Taro into thinking of horse riding as more of a hobby he could do at his leisure.

It worked, and fortunately this story has a happy ending. Taro changed to a different career and now he's a doctor with a very popular clinic.

 

Q1 "Tell all the Truth but tell it slant," because:
A1) Bluntly telling people the truth could hurt them, even if you mean well.
A2) It's more fun telling lies than telling the truth.
A3) People usually don't believe you if you tell them the real stuff.



Q2 Kana's dad tried to help Taro do better in competitions by:
A1) Suggesting ways to overcome his nervousness.
A2) Telling him he should make horse racing his hobby.
A3) Introducing him to a veterinarian.



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