新詞"愛問鬼"來襲 你是"Askhole"嗎

A friend of mine in Singapore recently sent me this new (to me, anyway) English word and its definition:

一位新加坡朋友最近告訴我一個英文新詞（至少對我來說是個新詞）：

Askhole;

Askhole（愛問鬼）；

a person who constantly asks for your advice, yet always does the opposite of what you told them

意思是一個老愛向別人徵求建議，卻又不聽建議，老是對着幹的人。

I’m not sure if this word was invented in Singapore, which has its own distinctive brand of spoken English (e.g. ending many English sentences with “lah”; and expressing numbers such as “40-over” rather than “over 40”, “forty-plus”, or “More than forty”. I doubt “askhole” was invented in Singapore, simply because the behavior is so widespread around the world.

我不清楚這個詞是不是新加坡人發明的，新加坡的英語口語帶有明顯的地方特色（比如很多英語句子以“啦”結尾，說數字常用“40-over”代替“over 40”、“forty-plus”或者“more than forty”。我很懷疑“askhole”這個詞是不是新加坡人發明的，原因很簡單，因爲這種行爲在全世界都很普遍。

It didn’t take me long to think of a few askholes that I know. I’m sure stock brokers and lawyers can quickly think of dozens of askholes from among their clientele. That’s not to mention management consultants, counsellors, teachers, parents, and so on — all of whom have dealt with askholes.

我馬上就能想起很多認識的“askholes”。我敢肯定，股票經紀人、律師也很快就能想起一大票“askholes”客戶，更不用說那些管理顧問、諮詢師、教師、父母等等——他們全都遭遇過askholes。

Obviously the intended humor surrounding this word derives from its close similarity to another English word in which the “k” in “askhole” is replaced by an “s”. That’s a word we were taught not to use in polite company, although that rule may be suspended while driving your car, if some other driver suddenly cuts in front of you or engages in some other stupidly dangerous driving.

顯然，“askhole”一詞的詼諧之處就在於它和另外一個英文單詞很接近，只不過它用“k”替換了那個詞中的“s”。至於那個詞，我們被告知在文明的公司裏是禁用的，但如果開車有人突然加塞兒或者做出其他危險駕駛舉動，禁令就可以暫時解除。

The similarity with that not-so-polite word automatically gives “askhole” a negative connotation. On the other hand, I would rise to the defense of the askholes of the world, because I think there’s a lot to be said in favor of asking lots of questions, whether in search of advice or otherwise.

與那個不敬之辭搭上關係讓“askhole”一詞自動蒙上了貶義色彩。但另一方面，我要站出來爲全世界的“askhole”辯護，因爲無論是不是爲了徵求意見，都有很多理由可以支持多多提問。

If someone really asked my advice often and then did the opposite every time, I guess I would be inclined to turn off the “free advice” switch at some point. It’s a matter of degree and situation. Some people face very big challenges when trying to take good advice. Think of compulsive gamblers, drug addicts, alcoholics, or people suffering from mental disorders. We sometimes forget that they’re people too, often struggling with a serious illness.

假如某人經常問我的意見，又回回都反其道而行之，我想到了一定階段我肯定會關上“免費建議”的開關，但這也要看程度和情形。有些人在接受忠告時面臨着巨大的挑戰。想想那些患強迫症的賭徒、癮君子、酗酒者，或者精神錯亂患者。有時我們忘了他們也是人，而且還經常要和嚴重的疾病抗爭。

But my main point here is to sing the praise of asking questions in general.

但我主要還是想爲多提問題唱讚歌。

Most people are afraid to ask questions in case they might sound like dumb questions, which makes the asker in turn sound like a dumb person. This fear should be on everyone’s “Most Wanted” list, like the list of criminals “most wanted” by the police. This fear of asking questions is a major enemy of learning. It deserves to be identified, captured, and executed. Unless you prefer to stay dumb, which is how we all start out and how you will remain if you’re afraid to ask questions.

很多人害怕提問，擔心自己的問題聽上去很蠢，讓人覺得自己也很蠢。這種恐懼就像警察發出的罪犯“通緝令”一樣，是每個人的心腹大患。但害怕提問是學習的大敵，值得指出、引起注意並解決，除非你想一直當個傻瓜。一開始我們大家都是傻瓜，但如果不敢提問，就會一直這樣傻下去。

I think this is a universal fear which people in most societies have to overcome at some point. The challenge is greater in cultures where “face” is a relatively bigger or more complex issue.

我覺得這種恐懼普遍存在，在很多社會，人們都需要在某個時刻克服這種恐懼。但在某些“面子”問題更加重要和複雜的文化中，所要面臨的挑戰就更大。

I learned a lot growing up at home and in school, which had a big impact on shaping who I am and what values I hold dear. I have also been fortunate to have worked — in business as well as non-profit organizations — alongside some great mentors. Sometimes, due to the difference in age and rank, it’s obvious who is the mentor and who is the mentee in a working relationship. But lots of times it’s not. All sorts of people around you are potential mentors, and they may not even realize it.

我在家庭和學校的成長過程中學會了很多，對我的個人定形和價值觀的形成造成了極大的影響。我也有幸——在企業和非贏利組織中——與一些優秀的導師共事過。有時因爲年齡和級別的差異，很容易在工作中界定導師和學生的身份。但很多時候，情況並非如此。身邊的各色人等都是潛在的導師，也許他們還沒有意識到。

It’s up to you to explore, by asking questions. The difference in your learning results might be compared to an old steam locomotive versus today’s high speed railway trains. Some people may prefer the pace of the old-fashioned steam engines, but in today’s super competitive, shrink-wrapped world, I’d opt for the faster learning track. A lot will come from home, and school; but beyond that, a huge amount depends on you asking questions, including dumb ones.

這些都要通過你的提問去發現，而學習成果的差異就好比蒸汽機車與高鐵的區別。有些人可能青睞老式蒸汽機的節奏，但在當今高度競爭、濃縮的世界中，我寧願選擇學習的快車道。家庭和學校爲我們提供了很多知識，但大量學習還要靠提問，包括問愚蠢的問題。

That doesn’t make you an askhole, by the way.

順便說一句，這並不會讓你成爲“askhole”。

As I am fond of saying to younger friends and colleagues, the only dumb question is the one you don’t ask.

正如我最愛對年輕朋友和同事們說的，只有沒問出口的問題纔是愚蠢的問題。