苗淑华

To many people， being “better” means smiling all the time， being quiet and polite and doing all their chores2 without being asked. You may think “being good” as going to school， saying please and thank you and never doing anything to hurt3 another person. It means being sweet and agreeable4.

对许多人来说，“更好”意味着一直微笑，保持安静和礼貌，主动做完所有家务。你可以把“做好人”当成去上学，说声“请”和“谢谢”，不要做任何伤害他人的事。这意味着变得嘴甜，会迎合他人。

Well， those actions are part of being a better person. Many times， to be a “better person” you need to say： NO.

好吧，这些行为是成为一个更好的人的一部分。很多时候，要想成为一个“更好的人”，你需要说：不。

Life can be so easy if you always say yes. Yes， youll run out of gym class. Yes， youll try to hit passing cars with rocks5. Yes， youll see if you can take something without paying for it. By saying yes， you go with the flow6. You follow the lead of someone else. You know what you are doing is wrong， but when a group of friends is looking at you， waiting for your answer， being “good” can be hard.

如果你总是轻易答应的话，生活会很容易。是的，你会逃体育课。是的，你会试着用石头砸过往的汽车。是的，你会试试看能不能不付钱就拿走某个东西。说“是”，你就跟随大流，跟着别人走。你知道正在做的事是错的，但是当一群朋友盯着你，等待你的回答时，做一个“好人”可能很难。

Saying NO can sound mean. Saying NO can make your friends unhappy. They might not even want to be friends anymore. That can make you unhappy. Being a good person sometimes means standing up for what is right， even when everyone else seems against7 you. Being good means saying NO.

说“不”可能听起来很不友好。拒绝会让你的朋友不高兴。他们可能不想再做你朋友了，那会让你不开心。做一个好人有时意味着坚持正确的事情，即使其他人都反对你。做好人意味着拒绝别人。

Saying NO can be hard. As your friends are looking at you， saying NO can be the hardest thing you will ever do. The problem is that saying yes can be even harder—but not at the time. After all， when you say yes， everyone laughs and slaps8 you on the back.

说“不”可能很难。当你的朋友看着你，说“不”可能是你最难做的事。问题是，说“是”可能会更难，但不是在当时。毕竟，当你说是的时候，每个人都会大笑，然后拍拍你的后背。

But by saying yes to your friends， you could put yourself in danger. You could get in trouble9. Saying yes to bad habits might not seem like a big deal10， but it could costs you much.

但如果你答應了你的朋友，你会把自己置于危险之中，可能会惹上麻烦。对坏习惯说“是”似乎没什么大不了的，但可能会让你付出惨痛代价。

Saying NO can hurt. It can make people yell11 at you. It can make you seem like a chicken when in fact saying NO can take all the strength12 in your body. People talk about being better people—and saying NO can feel like the wrong way to do it. Thats a mistake13.

说“不”会刺伤别人，会让人们对你大喊大叫。表面上它能让你看起来很弱小，而事实上，说“不”会调动你体内的一切力量。人们谈论做个更好的人，说“不”会让人觉得这样做是不对的。实际上那才是错的。

Saying NO tells the world that you are able to think for yourself. It tells the world that you are working hard to be a good person， even when being a good person can hurt.

说“不”，就是告诉世界，你可以自己思考。它告诉世界，你正在努力成为一个好人，即使当一个好人会有痛苦。

Talk to your parents about saying NO. Talk to your friends about how hard it can be to stand up to bullies14 by saying NO. By learning early on when to say that little word， you are on your way to being a better person.

和父母谈谈如何拒绝别人的事。和你的朋友谈谈，对霸凌说“不”是多么困难的事。通过尽早学会说那个字，你才会成为一个更好的人。

（英语原文选自：safesearchkids.com）