VIP Class Notes (Vicki)

Pope Francis has said gossiping is worse than COVID-19. He said gossip is a danger that divides communities. He added that the devil is the “biggest gossiper” who is seeking to create division with his lies. The Pope spoke about the dangers of gossiping during his weekly blessing at the Vatican. He said: “Please brothers and sisters, let’s try to not gossip. Gossip is a plague worse than COVID. Worse. Let’s make a big effort. No gossiping.” The Pope has regularly spoken about the dangers of gossiping, especially on social media. He advises people not to listen to Internet trolls, saying: “If something goes wrong, offer silence and prayer for the brother or sister who make a mistake, but never gossip.”

The Pope was making his first public audience since the pandemic started. His latest speech on gossip is not the first time he has made strong remarks on the topic. In 2016, he warned people not to “fuel the terrorism of gossip”. He urged people to resist the temptation to spread gossip. He said: “If you get an urge to say something against a brother or a sister, to drop a gossip bomb, bite your tongue. Hard.” Two years later he brought the subject up again. He told worshippers in St Peter’s Square that gossip is lethal “because the tongue kills, like a knife”. A visitor to the Vatican agreed. She said: “Gossips are nothing but scandalmongers and busybodies.”

Vocabulary

sleep deprivation – lack of sleep
i.e. I can see that you are suffering from sleep deprivation.

plague – deadly disease
i.e. The virus is like the plague that’s going around the world.

troll – someone who always has negative comments
i.e. He always criticizes everyone, he is such a troll.

Internet troll – jian pan xia
i.e. We should ignore the Internet trolls because they are stupid.

urge (v.) – I am urging to tell you about sth.

urge (n.) – I have an urge to tell you about sth.

scandalmonger – someone who likes to gossip
i.e. She is such a scandalmonger that she is always talking about other people.

busybody – someone who likes to meddle
i.e. He is such a busybody because he always like to meddle with others’ business.

meddle – mix things up
i.e. We should not meddle in other people’s business because it is not polite.

meddler – someone who likes to get in and make things complex
i.e. We should avoid meddlers because they always make the problem worse.

resist – to say no to sth.
i.e. I need to resist sugar because I am trying to lose weight.

temptation – you huo
i.e. I have the temptation to eat cake.

encounter – experience / meet
i.e. When I first encountered this app, I thought it was pointless.

keep in the dark – hide
i.e. We need to keep our relationship in the dark because the office does not allow workplace relations.

manner – values + personality
i.e. She has such good manners that she always acts so proper.

proper – elegant and correct
i.e. It is proper to use knife and fork instead of our hands.

show off – xuan yao
i.e. I want to show off my diamond ring because it is so shiny.

relevant (adj.) – up to date, new and related to current situation
i.e. I think your comment is not relevant to my problem.
i.e. The lesson we learned from this historical event is still relevant today.

afford – able to pay
i.e. I can not afford this house.

sweet-tooth – someone who likes to eat sweet / bad tooth

A: Can you tell me about one piece of good advice or comment someone had told you?

I think in my life the best comment for me was that one of my ex colleagues told me my manners are better than my boss’s. And she suggested me not to show off my manners express too much about in front of the boss.

A: Which do you think is better, advice from one’s family members or advice from one’s friends?

I think both are good for me because friends and families always stand by me. They can tell you the most objective advice for you. In addition / Moreover, they can directly tell you about your fault or your failures to you.

A: On what topics do you think young people might ask their friends for advice?

I think young people can ask friends about their relationships with their boyfriends because sometimes it is difficult to talk about it with family. And sometimes we can ask friends about the problems with our family relationship with their parents.

A: Do people, such as your family or friends, generally offer advice to you or do you usually need to ask for advice?

Sometimes I ask my mother for advice. For example, this year when I wanted to quit my job, I asked my mother at first. And my mother told me if you are not happy with this job at work, you can leave, you can quit the job and then find another job, there is no don’t need to hurry up.

A: When you are given advice, do you usually follow that advice or do you make your own decisions?

Mostly I can make my own decision and just refer to the advice which I was given. However, for example, if I got some advice from my boss, I always follow the advice at work, because she has worked longer than me so she knows the problem better than me and knows how to figure out the problem.

A: Do you think people should get advice from others before they decide on what career to follow?

I think if possible you can think about the problem  which your advice for yourself and think about what kind of things do you like to do or want to do. And then you can get some advice from your friends or family but it is better to make decision by yourself so you would not regret so much.

A: Do you think that the advice that people gave 50 years ago is still relevant today?

For example, if the advice is about the relationships, it is not relevant today. But for example, “to buy a house is the best investment” is still relevant today. I think at least in China buying a house is the best investment.