特别广播英语第 171 课：Children's Self-esteem 孩子们的自尊心-1

Self-esteem is what people think about themselves - whether or not they feel valued - and when family members have self-respect, pride, and belief in themselves, 自尊是人们对自己的看法――他们是否感到受到重视――当家庭成员有了自尊、自豪、自信时，

this high self-esteem makes it possible to cope with the everyday problems or growing up. 这种高度的自尊使人们有可能妥善处理孩子们成长的日常问题。

Successful parenting begins by communicating to children that they belong, and are loved for no other reason than just because they exist. 成功的育儿之道是第一步是让孩子们知道，他们上家庭的一份子，他们受宠爱唯一的原因就是因为他们自身的存在。

Through touch and tone of voice parents tell their infants whether or not they are valued, special, and loved, and it is these messages that form the basis of the child's self-esteem. 通过抚摸和声音的语调，父母告诉他们的幼儿他们是否受到重视、是否很特别、是否被爱。正是这些信息形成了孩子自尊的基础。

When children grow up with love and are made to feel lovable despite their mistakes and failures, they are able to interact with others in a responsible, honest, and loving way. 当孩子们在爱的关怀下成长，不管他们是错误或失败，都使他们感觉到讨人喜爱时，他们就能用可依赖的、诚实的和爱的方式与别人交往。

A healthy self-esteem is a resource for coping when difficulties arise, making it easier to see a problem as temporary, manageable, and something from which the individual can emerge. 当出现困难时，他们就能用可依赖的、诚实的和爱的方式与别人交往。当出现困难时，健康的自尊心是一种解决困难的手段，使之容易把问题看作是暂的，能处理的，个人可以从中解脱出来。

If, however, children grow up without hove and without feelings of self-worth, they feel unlovable and worthless and expect to be cheated, taken advantage of, and looked down upon by others. 然而，如果孩子们盛开在没有爱、没有自我价值感的氛围当中，他们感到不讨人喜欢、没有价值，料想可能被别人欺骗、利用和看不起。

Ultimately their actions invite this treatment, and their self-defeating behavior turns expectations into reality. 他们的行为最终导致了这种结果，他们的自我挫败的行为把预想变成了现实。

They do not have the personal resources to handle everyday problems in a healthy way, and life may be viewed as just one crisis after another. 他们没有以健康的方式处理日常问题的个人对策，生活在他们看来是一个又一个危机。

Without a healthy self-esteem they may cope by acting out problems rather than talking them out or by withdrawing and remaining indifferent toward themselves and others. 由于没有健康的自尊心，他们在处理问题时，不是提出问题，而是用行动把问题表现出来，或是采取退缩以及对自己和他人保持冷漠的态度。

These individuals grow up to live isolated, lonely lives, lacking the ability to give the love that they have never received. 这些人长大以后过着与世隔绝的孤独生活，缺乏给予爱的能力，这种爱他们也从未得到过。