Ever told someone their cooking was ‘delicious’ when it really wasn’t? Congratulations, you’re a liar – but maybe that’s not such a bad thing! This intermediate text explores the tricky moral territory of lying.
Key vocab
善意 – shànyì – good intentions / goodwill
谎言 – huǎngyán – lie / falsehood
难过 – nánguò – sad / upset
犹太人 – yóutàirén – Jewish people
士兵 – shìbīng – soldier
生命 – shēngmìng – life
相信 – xiāngxìn – to believe / to trust
伤害 – shānghài – to hurt / to harm
诚实 – chéngshí – honest / honesty
说谎对不对？
# 说谎对不对？
大家从小就听过这句话：”说谎不对。”但是，说谎真的永远不对吗？
有一种说谎，我们叫做”善意的谎言“。就是说，你说谎不是为了自己，而是为了不让别人难过。比如，你的朋友做了一顿饭，但是不好吃。你会怎么说？很多人会说：”很好吃！”这是说谎，但是大多数人觉得这样做没有问题。
历史上也有很多这样的例子。第二次世界大战的时候，有些人把犹太人藏在自己家里。当德国士兵来问的时候，他们说：”这里没有人。”这也是说谎。但是这个谎言救了很多人的生命。这种说谎，对不对？
当然，说谎也可以造成很大的问题。如果一个人经常说谎，别人就不会再相信他了。而且，有些谎言会伤害别人，或者让事情变得更复杂。一个小谎言，有时候会变成很多个谎言。
所以，说谎对不对，可能没有一个简单的答案。也许最重要的问题不是”你说谎了吗”，而是”你为什么说谎，结果是什么”。有时候，诚实是最好的选择。但是有时候，一个善意的谎言，可以让世界变得好一点。
Is Lying Right or Wrong?
# Is Lying Right or Wrong?
Everyone has heard this phrase since childhood: ‘Lying is wrong.’ But is lying really always wrong?
There is a type of lying that we call ‘white lies.’ That is to say, you lie not for yourself, but to avoid making others feel bad. For example, your friend cooked a meal, but it doesn’t taste good. What would you say? Many people would say: ‘It’s delicious!’ This is lying, but most people think there’s no problem with doing this.
There are also many examples like this in history. During World War II, some people hid Jewish people in their homes. When German soldiers came to ask, they said: ‘There’s no one here.’ This is also lying. But this lie saved many people’s lives. Is this kind of lying right or wrong?
Of course, lying can also cause big problems. If a person often lies, others won’t trust them anymore. Moreover, some lies can hurt others, or make things more complicated. One small lie can sometimes turn into many lies.
So, whether lying is right or wrong may not have a simple answer. Perhaps the most important question is not ‘Did you lie?’ but rather ‘Why did you lie, and what was the result?’ Sometimes, honesty is the best choice. But sometimes, a white lie can make the world a little bit better.
