Day 45: On Honesty
第45天：关于诚信
I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.
我希望我能拥有足够的坚定和美德，以保持我认为最令人羡慕的头衔——一个诚实的人。
—George Washington
For many people, one of the hardest challenges for their self-discipline is the resolution to stop lying. We constantly encounter opportunities to lie, wherever we go and whatever we do. It seems it’s even socially permissible to lie a little, whether by telling a white lie, making yourself look better on a resume, or tweaking your height, weight, and financial situation on online dating sites.
对许多人来说，自律最难的挑战之一就是下决心停止撒谎。
无论走到哪里，无论做什么，我们都会不断遇到撒谎的机会。
撒点小谎似乎是社会所允许的，无论是说一个善意的谎言，让自己简历上看起来更好，还是在在线约会网站上调整自己的身高、体重和财务状况。
As the old saying goes, honesty is the best policy — and it’s also one of the best ways to strengthen your character. It’s one thing to deny yourself a piece of cake, and it’s a completely different thing to tell the truth when you think it will make you look bad or threaten the relationship you have with someone. Yet, over the long-term, the truth always emerges — and if not, it still eats away at your conscience, so why postpone the discomfort you’ll eventually feel anyway?
俗话说得好，诚信是最好的为人之道，也是强化人格的最佳方式之一。
拒绝给自己一块蛋糕是一回事，当你认为说出真相会让你难堪或威胁到你与某人的关系时，说出真相又是另一回事。
然而，从长远来看，真相总会浮出水面——即使没有浮出水面，它也会侵蚀你的良知，那么，为什么要推迟你最终会感到的不适呢？
Vow to tell the truth no matter the circumstances (except for extreme situations, such as your life being in danger).
发誓无论在什么情况下都要说真话（极端情况除外，比如你有生命危险）。
Please note that being honest doesn’t mean that you need to share everything about yourself with other people. that Telling them, “I don’t feel like answering that question” (without giving any justifications — it’s your right to not explain any of your decisions) is a simple way to remain honest when a person asks you a question you’d normally answer with a lie.
请注意，诚实并不意味着你需要把自己的一切都告诉别人。
当别人问你一个你通常会用谎言来回答的问题时，告诉他们 "我不想回答这个问题"（不要给出任何理由——你有权不解释你的任何决定）是保持诚实的一个简单方法。
