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　　泛读原文（盲听1遍，泛读1遍，对照文本听1遍）

　　When it comes to first impressions, we all want to make a good one. And that’s why we tend to focus on our best traits and qualities. However, we often fall into the trap of thinking that everything about us needs to be perfect. But that’s just unrealistic. We all have imperfections. It’s part of being human. And while it’s easy to believe that our ‘supposed flaws and imperfections’ make us less attractive, here are some that can actually make us seem more appealing to others:

　　A samurai is found dead in a quiet bamboo grove. One by one, the crime’s only known witnesses recount their version of the events that transpired. But as they each tell their tale, it becomes clear that every testimony is plausible, yet different. And each witness implicates themselves.

　　This is the premise of “In a Grove,” a short story published in the early 1920s by Japanese author Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. Though many know this tale of warring perspectives by a different name: “Rashomon.” In 1950, Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa adapted two of Akutagawa’s stories into one film. This movie introduced the world to an enduring cultural metaphor that has transformed our understanding of truth, justice and human memory.

　　The Rashomon effect describes a situation in which individuals give significantly different but equally conceivable accounts of the same event. Often used to highlight the unreliability of eyewitnesses, the Rashomon effect usually occurs under two specific conditions. The first: there’s no evidence to verify what really happened. And the second: there’s pressure to achieve closure, often provided by an authority figure trying to identify the definitive truth.

　　But the Rashomon effect undermines the very idea of a singular, objective truth. In the source material, Akutagawa and Kurosawa use the tools of their media to give each character’s testimony equal weight, transforming each witness into an unreliable narrator. Without any hints on who’s sharing the most accurate account, the audience can’t tell which character to trust. Instead, each testimony takes on a truthful quality, and the audience is left doubting their convictions as they guess who ended the samurai’s life.

　　Some might find this frustrating because the plot subverts expectations of how mysteries usually end. But by refusing to provide a clear answer, these two artists capture the messiness and complexity of truth and human memory.

　　Neuroscientists have found that when we form a memory, our interpretation of visual information is influenced by our previous experiences and internal biases. Some of these biases are unique to individuals, but others are more universal. For example, egocentric bias can influence people to subconsciously reshape their memories in ways that cast a positive light on their actions. Even if we were able to encode a memory accurately, recalling it incorporates new information that changes the memory. And when we later recall that event, we typically remember the embellished memory instead of the original experience.

　　

　　These underlying psychological phenomena mean that the Rashomon effect can pop up anywhere. In biology, scientists starting from the same dataset and applying the same analytical methods, frequently publish different results. Anthropologists regularly grapple with the impact personal backgrounds can have on an expert’s perception. In one famous case, two anthropologists visited the Mexican village of Tepoztlan. The first researcher described life in the town as happy and contented, while the second recorded residents as paranoid and disgruntled.

　　Experts aside, the Rashomon effect can also impact the general public, particularly when it comes to the perception of complicated world events. For example, following a 2015 security summit between the United States and leaders from the Arab States, media reports about the summit varied enormously. Some stated that it had gone smoothly, while others called it a complete failure.

　　It’s tempting to fixate on why we have competing perceptions, but perhaps the more important question the Rashomon effect raises is, what is truth anyway? Are there situations when an “objective truth” doesn’t exist? What can different versions of the same event tell us about the time, place and people involved? And how can we make group decisions if we’re all working with different information, backgrounds, and biases? Like most questions, these don’t have a definitive answer. But the enduring importance of Akutagawa’s story suggests there may be value in embracing the ambiguity.

　　精读原文

　　When it comes to first impressions, we all want to make a good one. And that’s why we tend to focus on our best traits and qualities. However, we often fall into the trap of thinking that everything about us needs to be perfect. But that’s just unrealistic. We all have imperfections. It’s part of being human. And while it’s easy to believe that our ‘supposed flaws and imperfections’ make us less attractive, here are some that can actually make us seem more appealing to others:

　　重点词汇：

　　witness [n.] - 目击者 例句：The police are still searching for witnesses to the crime.

　　plausible [adj.] - 看似可信的 例句：Her explanation for being late seemed plausible, but I still had my doubts.

　　enduring [adj.] - 持久的 例句：The enduring popularity of classic literature shows that great stories never go out of style.

　　metaphor [n.] - 隐喻 例句：The phrase "life is a journey" is a common metaphor used to describe the ups and downs of life.

　　unreliable [adj.] - 不可靠的 例句：The eyewitness's testimony was deemed unreliable due to inconsistencies in their story.

　　subvert [v.] - 颠覆 例句：The film's plot twist completely subverted the audience's expectations.

　　bias [n.] - 偏见 例句：Her political bias made it difficult for her to see the other side's point of view.

　　perception [n.] - 感知 例句：Our perception of reality can be influenced by our personal experiences and beliefs.

　　ambiguity [n.] - 模糊不清 例句：The ambiguity of the instructions made it difficult to complete the task.

　　definitive [adj.] - 最终的 例句：The definitive answer to the question has yet to be determined.

　　长难句：

　　Without any hints on who’s sharing the most accurate account, the audience can’t tell which character to trust.这是一个复合句，主句为“The audience can't tell which character to trust”，其中“which character to trust”为一个宾语从句，修饰“can't tell”。从句中，“who's sharing the most accurate account”为一个定语从句，修饰“character”。

　　Even if we were able to encode a memory accurately, recalling it incorporates new information that changes the memory.这是一个复合句，主句为“recalling it incorporates new information”，其中“that changes the memory”为一个定语从句，修饰“information”。从句中，“even if we were able to encode a memory accurately”为一个条件状语从句，表示假设条件。

　　多项选择阅读理解题目：

　　What is the Rashomon effect?

　　A. A situation in which individuals give different accounts of an event.

　　B. A situation in which individuals give identical accounts of an event.

　　C. A situation in which there is evidence to verify what really happened.

　　D. A situation in which there is no pressure to achieve closure.

　　What psychological phenomena contribute to the Rashomon effect?

　　A. The influence of previous experiences and internal biases on memory.

　　B. The accuracy of eyewitness testimony.

　　C. The use of analytical methods in scientific research.

　　D. The impact of personal backgrounds on perception.

　　What questions does the Rashomon effect not raise?

　　A. What is truth?

　　B. Are there situations when an "objective truth" doesn't exist?

　　C. What can different versions of the same event tell us about the animals involved?

　　D. How can we make group decisions if we're all working with different information, backgrounds, and biases?

　　滑动查看答案

　　答案

　　AAC

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