正文翻譯
If you’re an introvert or usually not much of a talker, you』ve probably been asked, 『Why are you so quiet?』. You』ve also probably wondered how to respond to this question.
You might feel this question is annoying, rude or not polite, feel that you’re being judged for being quiet or silent. Or judged for simply not being in the mood to talk in a world that favours extroverts and sees quietness as weird and not normal.
你可能會覺得這個問題很煩人、粗魯或不禮貌，覺得你被打上了安靜或沉默的標籤。或者因為僅僅沒有心情說話就被評判而感到生氣，覺得這個世界偏愛外向的人，把安靜視為怪異和不正常。
Some ask the question because they are concerned you are too quiet. Or they want to have a conversation with you to get to know you. Whatever the reason, it can be challenging to come up with a response.
I’m an introvert who isn’t always talkative. When I’m around others I’m usually the listener or can’t get a word in if everyone’s talking loudly. And I』ve copped my fair share of 『Why are you so quiet?』, coupled with the fact that I’m Chinese and some assume I fit the quiet Asian stereotype.
我是一個內向的人，並不總是健談。當我在別人身邊時，我通常是傾聽者，或者如果每個人都在大聲說話，我就插不進去話。而且我已經收到過不少「你為什麼這麼安靜？」的問題，再加上我是華裔，有些人認為我符合亞洲人很安靜的刻板印象。
我個人並不介意這個問題，但總是需要花一些時間來做出回應。
How you respond can depend on who’s asking the question, where you are and context. If the question’s coming from someone you don’t know well, maybe you’re inclined to give a detached response. If you’re hanging out with friends, maybe you might respond more casually.
你如何回答取決於提問者、你在哪裡以及所處的環境。如果問題來自一個你不太了解的人，你可能傾向於給出一個客觀的回答。如果你和朋友出去玩，也許你會更隨意地回應。
你可以通過以下方式回應「你為什麼這麼安靜？」。其中一些回應是禮貌的，一些是隨意的，還有一些不太常規。
1. 『I』ve got nothing to say.』
1. 「我無話可說。」
Or 『I don’t have anything to say.』 Sometimes you hear what others are saying and don’t have anything to add, or what’s being discussed is not something you’re interested in and so you can’t say much.
In situations where I am not familiar with the topic of discussion, I rather say nothing than say something and it turns out to be ignorant and offensive.
在我不熟悉討論話題的情況下，寧可什麼也不說，也好過說了之後被認為是無知和無禮的。
2. 『I’m listening.』
2.「我在聽你說。」
You might be interested in what someone is talking about, so you listen. You might be listening and learning about the topic that’s intriguing to you. Or you could be trying to keep up the pace with the conversation, and if you’re an introvert, you might need some quiet to follow along.
3. 『I’m focusing.』
3.「我正在集中注意力。」
Following on from listening, sometimes maybe you don’t talk much in a conversation because you’re trying to understand what is being said. After all, you have to understand what is being said before you can form an opinion, contribute your opinion and ask questions.
在聆聽之後，有時你可能不會在談話中說太多，因為你正在試圖理解別人所說的內容。畢竟，在形成意見、發表意見和提出問題之前，你必須先理解別人所說的內容。
我是那種會花時間仔細思考別人在說什麼，試圖從不同角度看問題，然後確定我的立場的人。我很少會下定決心立即說出自己的想法。
4. 『Why are you so loud?』
4.「你為什麼說話這麼大聲？」
If you’re an introvert and like quietness, this can be a way of asserting your personality. If you’re annoyed by 『Why are you so quiet?』 and are enjoying your own company, this response can subtly let the other person know how you feel.
如果你是一個內向的人並且喜歡安靜，這可能是一種彰顯你個性的回答方式。如果你對「你為什麼這麼安靜？」這個問題感到惱火，並且很享受獨處，這種回應可以巧妙地讓對方知道你的感受。
5. 『Don’t you like quiet or silence?』
5.「難道你不喜歡安靜嗎？」
This is another response to stand up for quietness or if you’re a talkative person who doesn’t want to talk all the time. You may be an introvert or someone wanting to enjoy quiet time reading or a quiet lunch to unwind, and could ask the person talking to you why they want a conversation.
如果你是一個健談的人，但不想一直說話，這是另一種讓自己保持安靜的回應。如果你是一個內向的人，或者想要享受安靜的閱讀時間或安靜的午餐時間來放鬆的人，你可以問那個和你說話的人為什麼他想和你聊天。
原創翻譯：龍騰網 http://www.ltaaa.cn 轉載請註明出處
6. 『What?』
6. 「什麼？」
Maybe you didn’t expect to hear 『Why are you so quiet?』 and get caught off guard. Maybe you didn’t realise the other person was expecting you to speak up – and you’re not a fan of being put on the spot and expected to speak up. And the question is a rather ambiguous question as there are many reasons why someone may not be all that talkative.
也許你沒想到會聽到「你為什麼這麼安靜？」這個問題並感到措手不及。也許你沒有意識到對方在期待你說出來——而且你不喜歡被逼著說話並感到很尷尬。這個問題是一個相當模稜兩可的問題，因為有很多原因可能導致某人不那麼想說話。
So 『What?』 would be a natural instinctive response, querying why the question is being asked and also where the other person is really coming from.
所以「什麼？」將是一種自然的本能反應，詢問為什麼要問這個問題以及對方的真正目的。
7. 『I don’t want to talk about that.』
7. 「我不想談這個。」
Some topics are more sensitive than others and not all topics you want to talk about. When such topics are brought up, they probably strike a chord emotionally and you rather stay quiet. Or perhaps it’s a topic you don’t want to comment on or get involved in because you’re uncomfortable with it. Being quiet could be your safety net.
有些話題比其他話題更敏感，並不是你想要談論的話題。當別人談論這樣的話題時，它們可能會引起情感上的共鳴，而你寧願保持沉默。 或者也許這是一個你不想評論或參與的話題，因為你對這個話題感到不舒服。保持安靜可能是你的安全網。
8. Say nothing.
8.什麼都不說
Silence is an answer in itself. With silence, nothing really can be held against you. You’re always entitled to choose to not say anything, especially when you’re around a creepy stranger or you』ve got a bad feeling about the people you’re talking to.
沉默本身就是一種回答。一旦你選擇沉默，就沒有什麼可以真正打擾到你了。你總是有權選擇什麼都不說，尤其是當你在一個令人毛骨悚然的陌生人身邊，或者你對與想和你交談的人有一種不好的感覺時。
9. 『I don’t know. I’m just me.』
9.「我不知道，但這就是我的個性。'
Being quiet is not a weakness. It’s often a strength in quiet disguise: perhaps you’re listening, thinking and strategising when you’re keeping quiet, or you’re protecting your energy and honouring your need for solitude.
安靜不是缺點。這通常是一種隱藏在安靜中的力量：當你保持安靜時，也許你在傾聽、思考和制定策略，或者你在保護你自己並試圖獨處。
10. 『I』ve been raised by librarians.』
10.「我是由圖書管理員撫養長大的。」
Borrowing this response, maybe for a small minority of you this is true. Maybe you spent a lot of time in libraries growing up or quietness has always been ingrained within the proud introvert in you. Maybe you just want to use this response for a laugh.
這個回答也許對你們中的一小部分人來說是正確的。也許你在圖書館裡度過了大量的成長時光，或者安靜在你驕傲內向的內心深處根深蒂固。但也許你只是想用這個回答來搞笑。
原創翻譯：龍騰網 http://www.ltaaa.cn 轉載請註明出處
11. 『I’m Chewbacca. I’m listening and being there for you.』
11.「我是丘巴卡，我在聽，我就在你身邊。
Most of the time you mean no harm by being quiet. Sometimes you are quiet because you genuinely feel the other person is important. You genuinely want to give the other person the time of the day, and do so by being attentive and listen to them. This response can be a very direct way of letting them know you care about them.
大多數時候，保持安靜並無害處。有時你很安靜是因為你真的覺得對方很重要。你真誠地想把一天中的時間留給對方，並通過專心傾聽他的講話來做到這一點。這種回應是可以讓他知道你在關注他的一種非常直接的方式。
* * *
There’s no right or wrong way to answer 『Why are you so quiet?』. Apart from where you are and who you’re with, how you answer can depend on your mood and if you’re actually up for a chat.
回答「你為什麼這麼安靜？」沒有正確或錯誤的方式。 除了你在哪裡以及和誰在一起之外，你如何回答還取決於你的心情以及你是否真的想要聊天。
People have different ways of communicating and expressing themselves. For some talking isn’t their strong suit so they might be quieter. Some don’t mind talking and can talk for hours. Others might like talking but for shorter periods in quiet spaces.
人們有不同的交流和表達方式。對於某些人來說，說話不是他們的強項，所以他們可能會更安靜。有些人不介意說話，可以聊上幾個小時。而有些人可能喜歡在安靜的地方聊天，但時間較短。
Quietness encourages more contemplation and reflection, and being quiet can be due to genetics and also temperament and external influences. There’s the interesting fact that Asian students are generally quieter than their Western peers in the classroom. Research has explored ways to encourage Asian students to speak up as part of learning, and suggested their quietness is due to cultural factors. A study has also shown Asian Americans are quiet when responding to racial discrimination.
安靜可以讓自己進行更多的沉思和反思，而安靜可能是由於遺傳，也可能是氣質和外部影響。有趣的是，亞洲學生在課堂上通常比西方學生安靜。一些研究探索了鼓勵亞裔學生在學習過程中暢所欲言的教學方法，並表明他們的沉默是由於文化因素造成的。一項研究還表明，亞裔美國人在遭遇種族歧視時通常會保持沉默。
In addition, research has found compared to extroverts, introverts tend to have more brain activity in their frontal lobe regions of the brain. These regions are stimulated when doing more introspective activities such as planning and problem solving as opposed to sensory and emotional stimulation. A study also found extroverts have a more sensitive dopamine system and respond more towards external rewards compared to introverts.
此外，研究發現，與外向的人相比，內向的人往往在大腦額葉區域有更多的大腦活動。這些區域在進行更多的思考活動時會被激活，例如計劃和解決問題，而不會被感官和情緒變化激活。一項研究還發現，與內向者相比，外向者的多巴胺更敏感，對外部舒適活動的反饋也更多。
In other words, sometimes being quiet and not talking all the time can’t be helped. It’s inherently ingrained in you, whether it’s due to your temperament, how you were raised, your environment or what you choose to believe in.
換句話說，有的時候一直保持安靜不說話也是由於無可奈何。這是與生俱來的，無關你的氣質，你的成長方式，你所處的環境或你選擇相信什麼。
原創翻譯：龍騰網 http://www.ltaaa.cn 轉載請註明出處
Growing up in a traditional-minded Chinese family, I was always taught to listen to my parents, elders and teachers. I was taught that speaking up or speaking against their opinion was disrespectful. I grew to embrace being quiet. Though over the years I do like speaking up and stating my opinion bluntly, I very much like keeping quiet most of the time and listening, trying to suss out who people are beyond the surface and their motivations.
在一個傳統思想的中國式家庭中長大，我總是被教導要聽父母、長輩和老師的話。 我被告知說出反對他們的意見是不尊重的。所以我漸漸喜歡上了安靜。雖然多年來我確實喜歡大聲說出來並直截了當地表達我的觀點，但我非常喜歡在大部分時間保持安靜並傾聽別人的說話，試圖弄清楚人們的外表和他們的動機。
原創翻譯：龍騰網 http://www.ltaaa.cn 轉載請註明出處
When I’m around people who are highly expressive and talking with much energy, that wears me down quickly. If I pipe up and try to match their energy, that wears me down faster and at times is triggering to me – and I crave for quietness and retreating into the shadows.
當我周圍的人都非常善於表達並且精力充沛時，我很快就會感到疲憊不堪。如果我大聲說話，試著加入到他們的談話，那就會更快地消耗我的精力，有時還會觸發我的固有屬性——我渴望安靜並躲到陰影里。
For some of you, keeping quiet in conversation is natural. Or you could feel the need to keep quiet for your own sanity. And it’s a choice you make. Being quiet shouldn’t be questioned. Instead being quiet and not talking all the time should be accepted, and respected.
對於你們中的一些人來說，在談話中保持安靜是很自然的。或者你可能會覺得有必要出於理智而保持安靜。這是你自己的選擇。安靜不應該被質疑。相反，保持安靜，不要一直說話應該被接受和尊重。
Have you been asked, 『Why are you so quiet?』 How did you respond?
有人問過你:「你為什麼這麼安靜?」嗎？你是怎麼回答的?