一起翻譯一本書，公眾號“追隨己心”將帶領大家一起翻譯《Beyond Feelings: A Guide to Critical Thinking》，將學習了多年的英語真正用起來，體會原版書籍和英文的美。

Characteristics of Critical Thinkers

批判性思維者的特點

A number of misconceptions exist about critical thinking. One is that being able to support beliefs with reasons makes one a critical thinker. Virtually everyone has reasons, however weak they may be.The test of critical thinking is whether the reasons are good and sufficient.

對批判性思考存在不少誤解。一是認為，能夠通過推理來支持自己的信念，就可成為批判性思考者。實際上，每個人都有自己的推理，無論這些推理是多么的不充分。對批判性思考的檢驗是看這些推理是不是好的推理、是否充分。

Virtually??adv. ?實際上，實質上，事實上，幾乎; 無形中; 無形;

sufficient??adj. ?足夠的; 充足的; 充分的;

misconceptions??n. ?誤解; 錯覺; 誤解，錯誤想法，錯誤印象( misconception的名詞復數 );

Another misconception is that critical thinkers never imitate others in thought or action. If that were the case, then every eccentric would be a critical thinker. Critical thinking means making sound decisions, regardless of how common or uncommon those decisions are.

另一個誤解是批判性思考者從不模仿他人的思想和行動。如果事實如此，那每個古怪的人都會是批判性思考者。批判性思考意味著作出合理的決定，無論這些決定是多么的普普通通。

eccentric?adj. ?古怪的，異常的; 偏離軌道的; 離心的;

It is also a misconception that critical thinking is synonymous with having a lot of right answers in one’s head. There’s nothing wrong with having right answers, of course. But critical thinking involves the process of finding answers when they are not so readily available.

第三個誤解是，批判性思考等同于一個人頭腦中擁有許多正確的答案。當然，有正確答案沒有什么錯。但是，當正確答案不易獲得時，批判性思考還包括尋找答案的過程。

synonymous??adj. ?同義的，類義的; 同義詞的;

readily??adv. ?樂意地; 快捷地; 輕而易舉地; 便利地;

And yet another misconception is that critical thinking cannot be learned, that one either has it or does not. On the contrary, critical thinking is a matter of habit. The most careless, sloppy thinker can become a critical thinker by developing the characteristics of a critical thinker. This is not to say that all people have equal thinking potential but rather that everyone can achieve dramatic improvement.

還有一個誤解是批判性思考不能通過學習來獲得，人們要么“有”、要么沒有批判性思考。恰恰相反，批判性思考是一個習慣問題。通過培養批判性思考者的特性，最疏忽、草率的思考者也能成為一名批判的思考者。這不是說所有人都有同等的思考潛力，而是說每個人都可以實現引人注目的提高。

dramatic??adj. ?戲劇的，戲劇性的; 引人注目的; 突然的; 巨大的;

sloppy??adj. ?懶散的，草率的; 稀薄的; 多雨的，泥濘的; 過于傷感的;

We have already noted one characteristic of critical thinkers—skill in asking appropriate questions. Another is control of one’s mental activities. John Dewey once observed that more of our time than most of us care to admit is spent “trifling with mental pictures, random recollections, pleasant but unfounded hopes, flitting, half-developed impressions.” 7 Good thinkers are no exception. However, they have learned better than poor thinkers how to stop that casual, semiconscious drift of images when they wish and how to fix their minds on one specific matter, examine it carefully, and form a judgment about it. They have learned, in other words, how to take charge of their thoughts, to use their minds actively as well as passively.

我們已經注意到了批判性思考者的一個特征—提出恰當問題的技巧。另一個則是控制人的心智活動。約翰·杜威(John Dewey)曾指出，我們把比大多數人在意的更多的時間，承認浪費在了“瑣碎的腦海圖景，隨機的回憶，愉悅但無根據的希望，掠過的、半生不熟的印象”。好的思考者也不例外。但是，只要他們愿意，他們就會比差的思考者更好地學會如何停止隨意的、恍惚的景象漂移，以及如何把自己的心智固定在一個具體的問題上，仔細地考察它，并形成關于它的判斷。換言之，他們已經學會如何控制自己的思想，積極和消極地運用心智。

Here are some additional characteristics of critical thinkers, as contrasted with those of uncritical thinkers:

下面是補充的有關批判性思考者的特征，和那些非批判性思考者的對比。

As the desirable qualities suggest, critical thinking depends on mental discipline. Effective thinkers exert control over their mental life, direct their thoughts rather than being directed by them, and withhold their endorsement of any idea—even their own—until they have tested and confirmed it. John Dewey equated this mental discipline with freedom. That is, he argued that people who do not have it are not free persons but slaves to whim or circumstance:

正如所提倡的這些可取的品質表明的，批判性思考依靠的是心智的自律。有效的思考者對自己的精神生活施加控制，引導自已的思維而不是受其控制，在他們檢驗并證實任何思想觀念（即使是他們自己的）之前，拒絕對其予以認可。約翰-杜威把這種心智自律等同于自由。也就是說，他認為沒有心智自律的人不是一個自由的人，而是情緒、環境的奴隸：

desirable??adj. ?令人滿意的; 值得擁有的; 可取的; 性感的;

withhold?vt. ?扣留; 拒絕給予; 抑制（某事物）; 制止，阻擋;

endorsement??n. ?背書; 擔保; 認可;

equated??v. ?認為某事物（與另一事物）相等或相仿( equate的過去式和過去分詞 ); 相當于; 等于; 把（一事物） 和（另一事物）等同看待;

whim??n. ?一時的興致; 突然的念頭; 怪念頭，奇想; 幻想;

If a man’s actions are not guided by thoughtful conclusions, then they are guided by inconsiderate impulse, unbalanced appetite, caprice, or the circumstances of the moment. To cultivate unhindered, unreflective external activity is to foster enslavement, for it leaves the person?at the mercy of appetite, sense, and circumstance.

人的行動如果不受深思熟慮的結論所指導，那就受不假思索的沖動，不平衡的偏好，怪念頭或一時的情境所引導。養成不愛限制、不假思索的外部行為習慣就是助長奴性，因為它把人置于喜好、感覺和情境的控制之下。

cultivate??vt. ?耕作，種植; 教養，栽培; 改善; 交朋友;

unhindered??adj. ?不受妨礙的，不受阻礙的; 順暢;

inconsiderate??adj. ?不替別人著想的; 不體諒別人的; 輕率的; 考慮不周的;

appetite??n. ?欲望; 胃口，食欲; 嗜好，愛好;

enslavement??n. ?奴役，強制;

foster??v. ?培養; 撫育; 促進; 代養;

at the mercy of??任…擺布，在….前毫無辦法

記：看到上面的文章，有沒有發現是對自己以往的剖析，呵呵；批判性思考對人生的方方面面的影響太大了，思考的質量決定人生的質量這句話一點也沒有言過其實。踐行克制，練習自律，掌控自己的注意力、情緒和大腦，然后才能掌控自己的人生。當我們不再受外界的影響，甚至是來自內心的某些欠缺深思熟慮、經不起推敲的想法左右時，也許離真正的自由和幸福就更進一步啦。