Chapter 6 : Men Are Like Rubber Bands

第六章  男人象橡皮筋

 

将男人的亲密周期比做是橡皮筋是最恰当的隐喻，这个周期包括亲近、抽离，然后再亲近。

Men are like rubber bands. When they pull away, they can stretch only so far before they come springing back. A rubber band is the perfect metaphor to understand the male intimacy cycle. This cycle involves getting close, pulling away, and then getting close again.

 

许多女人都很惊讶知道，男人就算很喜欢一个女人，但在亲近之前，也需要周期性地抽离。男人能直觉到抽离的冲动，这既非选择，也非决定，而是自然发生的；这既非他的错，也非她的错，而是由自然的周期。

Most women are surprised to realize that even when a man loves a woman, periodically he needs to pull away before he can get closer. Men instinctively feel this urge to pull away. It is not a decision or choice. It just happens. It is neither his fault nor her fault. It is a natural cycle.

男人爱上女人时，他需要周期性的抽离。

 

女人通常误解男人“抽离”的意思，因为她们之所以会采取抽离的方式，其理由和男人不同。当她不相信他能了解她的感觉，当她受伤害或害怕再受伤害，或他做错了事令她失望时，她就采取抽离的方式。

Women misinterpret a man's pulling away because generally a woman pulls away for different reasons. She pulls back when she doesn't trust him to understand her feelings, when she has been hurt and is afraid of being hurt again, or when he has done something wrong and disappointed her.

 

男人抽离的理由有一部分也与女人相同，但另外不同的部分是，就算她没有错，他也会抽离。他可能爱她、相信她，但却突然抽离。他会像个橡皮筋般，远离出去后又自己回来。

Certainly a man may pull away for the same reasons, but he will also pull away even if she has done nothing wrong. He may love and trust her; and then suddenly he begins to pull away. Like a stretched rubber band, he will distance himself and then come back all on his own.

 

男人为了满足独立与自主而抽离。他抽离出去后，又会马上弹缩回来；当他完全分离后，他会忽然觉得需要爱，又再一次回复亲密关系。他会自动积极地给与爱和接受他需要的爱，男人弹缩回来时，他会恢复已拉开的亲密关系，而不需要重新熟悉。

A man pulls away to fulfill his need for independence or autonomy. When he has fully stretched away, then instantly he will come springing back. When he has fully separated, then suddenly he will feel his need for love and intimacy again. Automatically he will he more motivated to give his love and receive the love he needs. When a man springs back, he picks up the relationship at whatever degree of intimacy it was when he stretched away. He doesn't feel any need for a period of getting reacquainted again.

 

 

男人的亲密周期

WHAT EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MEN

 

若能了解男人的亲密周期，则能增进彼此关系，若不了解，将会增加不必要的问题。让我们探讨一个例子：

If understood, this male intimacy cycle enriches a relationship, but because it is misunderstood it creates unnecessary problems. Let's explore an example.

 

玛姬既苦恼、不安又迷惑。她和男朋友杰夫约会、六个月了，一切都美好浪漫。后来在没有任何明显理由下，他情绪化地疏远她。玛姬不了解他为何突然抽离，她告诉我：“前一分钟他十分殷勤，下一分钟却又不想跟我讲话，我试尽方法帮助他恢复，却好像只有愈试愈糟。他好像很冷淡。我不知道我做错了什么，我好害怕。”

Maggie was distressed, anxious, and confused. She and her boyfriend, jeff, had been dating for six months. Everything had been so romantic. Then without any apparent reason he began to distance himself emotionally. Maggie could not understand why he had suddenly pulled away. She told me, "One minute he was so attentive, and then the next he didn't even want to talk to me. I have tried everything to get him back but it only seems to make matters worse. He seems so distant. I don't know what I did wrong. Am I so awful?"

 

玛姬将杰夫的抽离当成私人问题，这是常见的反应。她责备自己一定做错了什么事，她想再补偿一些，但她愈想接近杰夫，杰夫就抽离得愈远。

When jeff pulled away, Maggie took it personally. This is a common reaction. She thought she had done something wrong and blamed herself. She wanted to make things "right again," but the more she tried to get close to Jeff the more he pulled away.

 

参加了我的研讨会后，玛姬才松了一口气，她的不安与迷惑马上烟消云散，最重要的是，她不再怪罪自已，她知道杰夫的抽离并非她的错。另外，她也知道他为何会抽离，处理他抽离的事有多容易。数月后在另一个研讨会上，杰夫谢谢我对玛姬的教导，他告诉我他们已订婚了。玛姬发琨了很少女人了解的男人秘密。

After taking my seminar Maggie was so relieved. Her anxiety and confusion immediately disappeared. Most important, she stopped blaming herself. She realized that when Jeff pulled away it was not her fault. In addition she learned why he was pulling away and how gracefully to deal with it. Months later at another seminar, Jeff thanked me for what Maggie had learned. He told me they were now engaged to be married. Maggie had discovered a secret that few women know about men.

 

玛姬知道当杰夫试着抽离时，若她想亲近他，就等于是在妨碍他弹出后再弹回来，紧跟着他只会妨碍他对她的需要，妨碍他的重要周期。为了保持亲密关系，在他抽离时，她要避免亲近他。

Maggie realized that when she was trying to get close while Jeff was trying to pull away, she was actually preventing him from stretching his full distance and then springing back. By running after him, she was preventing him from ever feeling that he needed her and wanted to be with her. She realized that she had done this in every relationship. Unknowingly she had obstructed an important cycle. By trying to maintain intimacy she had prevented it.

 

 

男人突然改变的原因

Now a Man Is Suddenly Transformed

 

男人若没有机会抽离，也就没机会感到想亲近的强烈欲望。女人必须了解，如果她坚持和抽离的他持续的亲热，或紧紧追着她们亲密的男性伴侣时，他几乎会想要逃跑或疏远，她就没有机会感受他对爱情的热烈渴望。

If a man does not have the opportunity to pull away, he never gets a chance to feel his strong desire to be dose. It is essential for women to understand that if they insist on continuous intimacy or "run after" their intimate male partner when he pulls away, then he will almost always be trying to escape and distance himself; he will never get a chance to feel his own passionate longing for love.

 

我在研讨会上以橡皮筋示范。想像你正拿着一条橡皮筋，现在开始将它向你的左边拉，这条特殊的橡皮筋可以拉到十二吋长。当拉到十二吋时，它只能弹回，不能再拉长了。当它弹日时，会有很大的力量和弹性。

In my seminars I demonstrate this with a big rubber band. Imagine that you are holding a rubber band. Now begin stretching your rubber band by pulling it to your right. This particular rubber band can stretch twelve inches. When the rubber band is stretched twelve inches there is nowhere left to go but back. And when it returns it has a lot of power and spring.

 

同样地，当男人弹离他的最大距离后，他也会以很大的力量和弹性缩回。当他抽离到他的极限时，他正在转变，他的全部态度都开始改变，这个似乎不再关心伴侣的男人(他正在抽离)，突然会觉得没有她就活不下去，他再次感到需要亲密，他的力量回来了，因为他爱与被爱的欲望复苏了。

Likewise, when a man has stretched away his full distance, he will return with a lot of power and spring. Once he pulls away to his limit, he begins to go through a transformation. Flis whole attitude begins to shift. This man who did not seem to care about or be interested in his partner (while he was pulling away) suddenly cannot live without her. He is now feeling again his need for intimacy. His power is back because his desire to love and be loved have been reawakened.

 

这也令女人迷惑，因为在她的经验里，如果抽离后再亲密，通常需要一段适应期。若不了解男人在这点上的差异，在他突然有亲密欲望时，她可能不信任他，而把他推拒出去。

This is generally puzzling for a woman because in her experience if she has pulled away, becoming intimate again reqw'res a period of reacquaintance. If she doesn't understand that men are different in this way, she may have a tendency to mistrust his sudden desire for intimacy and push him away.

 

男人也必须了解这种差异，当他弹回来时，女人在伸臂欢迎之前，通常需要时间与对谈。如果男人了解女人可能需要时间重获同样的亲密程度(特别是他抽离时，她觉得受到伤害)，他会比较容易转变，否则他可能会没有耐性，因为他能马上拾回过去的亲密强度，而她不能。

Men also need to understand this difference. When a man springs back, before a woman can open up again to him she generally wants and needs time and conversation to reconnect. This transition can be more graceful if a man understands a woman may need more time to regain the same level of intimacy‑especially if she felt hurt when he pulled away. Without this understanding of differences, a man may become impatient because he is suddenly available to pick up the intimacy at whatever level of intensity it was when he pulled away and she is not.

 

 

Why Men Pull Away

 

男人满足了他们对亲密的需求后，开始觉得需要独立自主。当他抽离时，她开始惊慌失措，她不知道他抽离满足了自主的需要后，又会马上想要亲密，男人会自动交替亲密与自主的需要。

Men begin to feel their need for autonomy and independence after they have fulfilled their need for intimacy. Automatically when he begins to pull away, she begins to panic. What she doesn't realize is that when he pulls away and fulfills his need for autonomy then suddenly he will want to be intimate again. A man automatically alternates between needing intimacy and autonomy.

 

　　男人会自动交替亲密与自主的需要。

　　

譬如，当他们关系开始时，杰夫强烈地充满欲望，他的橡皮筋全拉开了，他想给她好印象、满足她、取悦她、亲近她。他求爱成功后，她也想亲近他，当她打开心房时，他逐步亲近，他们亲密后，他感觉很美好，但在短时间内他就改变了。

For example, in the beginning of his relationship Jeff was strong and full of desire. His rubber band was fully stretched. He wanted to impress her, fulfill her, please her, and get close to her. As he succeeded she also wanted to get closer. As she opened her heart to him he got closer and closer. When they achieved intimacy he felt won derful. But after a brief period a change took place.

 

想像橡皮筋出了什么状况，橡皮筋疲乏了，它的力量和弹性消失了，再也拉不动了。这是达到亲密后，男人确实会有的现象。

Imagine what happens to the rubber band. The rubber band becomes limp. Its power and stretch are gone. There is no longer any movement. This is exactly what happens to a man's desire to get close after intimacy has been achieved.

 

男人虽然满足了亲近的欲望，但无可避免地要经历内在改变，他感到有股冲动力想抽离，短暂地满足了亲密的饥渴后，他会渴望独立出来，他可能会以为自已过于倚赖，甚至不知道他有想抽离的感觉。

Even though this closeness is fulfilling to a man, he will inevitably begin to go through an inner shift. He will begin to feel the urge to pull away. Having temporarily fulfilled his hunger for intimacy, he now feels his hunger to be independent, to be on his own. Enough of this needing another person. He may feel he has become too dependent or may not know why he feels a need to pull away.

 

 

女人为何惊慌失措

Why Women Panic

 

杰夫毫无解释地抽离后，玛姬很恐惧，她惊慌失措地倒过来追求他。她以为自己做错了事才使他离去。她想像他正期待她重建亲密关系，她怕他再也不回来。

As Jeff instinctively pulls away without any explanation to Maggie (or to himself), Maggie reacts with fear. She panics and runs after him. She thinks she has done something wrong and has turned him off. She imagines he is expecting her to reestablish intimacy. She is afraid he will never come back.

 

她无力使他回来，因为她不知自已做了什么使他离去的事。她不知道他的抽离只是他亲密周期的一部分。她问他出了什么事，他没有明确的答案，因而拒绝和她交谈，继续和她保持距离。

To make matters worse, she feels powerless to get him back because she doesn't know what she did to turn him off. She doesn't know that this is just a part of his intimacy cycle. When she asks him what's the matter, he doesn't have a dear answer, and so he resists talking about it. He just continues to distance her even more.

 

Why Men and Women Doubt Their Love

 

若不了解周期，男女很容易怀疑他们的爱情，若无视于玛姬阻碍了杰夫发现自己的热情，玛姬会轻易认为杰夫不爱她；杰夫若没有机会抽离，他会失去亲近的热情和欲望，以为自己再也不爱玛姬了。

Without an understanding of this cycle it is easy to see how men and women begin to doubt their love. Without seeing how she was preventing Jeff from finding his passion, Maggie could easily assume that Jeff didn't love her. Without getting the chance to pull away, Jeff would lose touch with his desire and passion to be close. He could easily assume that he no longer loved Maggie.

 

玛姬自从学习让杰夫拥有他的距离或“空间”后，发现他回来了。她练习在他孤立时不要紧追着他，并相信一切都会顺利。结果每次他都回来。

After learning to let Jeff have his distance or "space," Maggie discovered that he did come back. She practiced not running after him when he would withdraw and trusted that everything was OK. Each time he did come back.

 

她对他的信任提高后，就不再惊慌失措了。在他抽离时，她不再紧追着他，也不再以为出自己做错事。她接受杰夫亲密周期的部分，她愈接受他，他回来得愈快。杰夫了解他的改变与需求时，他对爱就更有信心，也更能够沟通。玛姬和杰夫感情成功的秘密是他们了解这种周期，也接受男人像橡皮筋一样。

As her trust in this process grew, it became easier for her not to panic. When he pulled away she did not run after him or even think something was wrong. She accepted this part of Jeff. The more she just accepted him at those times the sooner he would return. As Jeff began to understand his changing feelings and needs, he became more confident in his love. He was able to make a commitment. The secret of Maggie and Jeffs success was that they understood and accepted that men are like rubber bands.

 

NOW WOMEN MISINTERPRET MEN

 

女人若不了解男人像橡皮筋，就会很容易误解男人的反应。当她说：“让我们谈谈。”他却情绪性地疏远时，迷惑就更深了，这正是她想开放亲近，他却想抽离。我常听见这样的抱怨：“每次我想讲话，他就走开。”她误下定论，以为他不想跟她讲话。

Without an understanding of how men are like rubber bands, it Is very easy for women to misinterpret a man's reactions. A common confusion arises when she says "Let's talk" and immediately he emotionally distances himself. Right when she wants to open up and get closer, he wants to pull away. Commonly I hear the complaint "Every time I want to talk, he pulls away. I feel like he doesn't care about me." She mistakenly concludes that he doesn't ever want to talk to her.

 

橡皮筋理论可类推解释为何在女人表现十分关心后，男人会突然抽离。他抽离并非不想讲话，而是需要独处，需要一段没有责任负担的时间，在这段时间里他要照顾自己，等他回来后，他会愿意讲话。

This rubber band analogy explains how a man may care very much about his partner but suddenly pull away. When he pulls away it is not because he does not want to talk. Instead, he needs some time alone; time to be with himself when he is not responsible for anyone else. It is a time for him to take care of himself. When he returns then he is available to talk.

 

男人和伴侣相处到某一程度后会迷失由自己，他会因感觉她的需要、问题、感情，而与自己失去连系。抽离能帮他再次建立个人的界限，满足自主的需要。

To a certain extent a man loses himself through connecting with his partner. By feeling her needs, problems, wants, and emotions he may lose touch with his own sense of self. Pulling away allows him to reestablish his personal boundaries and fulfill his need to feet autonomous.

 

男人和伴侣相处到某一程度后会迷失自己。

 

有些男人对抽离有不同的描述，对他们而言，抽离又是一种：“我需要一些空间”或“我需要独处”的感觉。姑且不管他们怎么描述，当男人抽离时，他会很满意能照顾自己一段时间。

Some men, however, may describe this pulling away differently. To them it is just a feeling of "I need some space" or "I need to be alone." Regardless of how it is described, when a man pulls away, he is fulfilling a valid need to take care of himself for a while.

 

就像我们不会让自己饥饿一样，男人也不会有意地让自己抽离。抽离是股直接的冲动，他和配偶亲近到某一程度就迷失了，这时，他因觉得需要自主而抽离。女人若了解这个过程，就能正确的看待他的抽离行径。

Just as we do not decide to be hungry, a man does not decide to pull away. It is an instinctual urge. He can only get so close, and then he begins to lose himself. At this point he begins to feel his need for autonomy and begins to pull away. By understanding this process, women can begin correctly to interpret this pulling away.

 

 

为何你要亲近时，他就抽离

Why Men Pull Away When Women Get Close

 

有许多女人经历到每当想和男人讲话或亲近时，他就丝毫不差地抽离，这情形有两个原因：

For many women, a man tends to pull away precisely at the time when she wants to talk and be intimate. This occurs for two reasons.

 

一、女人在男人抽离时，无意中挑选了这时刻企图和他重建亲密的相处关系，她提出：“我们谈谈。”若他继续抽离，她就误下判断，以为他不想谈话或不关心她。

I. A woman will unconsciously sense when a man is pulling away and precisely at those times she will attempt to reestablish their intimate connection and say "Let's talk." As he continues to pull away, she mistakenly concludes that he doesn't want to talk or that he doesn't care for her.

 

　　二、女人开放分享更浓烈的亲密感觉时，可能会引发男人抽离的需求。男人在警钤声响，告诉他以抽离保持平衡前，他能掌握的亲密就是这么多。在最亲密的时刻，他可能会突然自动将需求转移到自主与抽离。

2. When a woman opens up and shares deeper and more intimate feelings it may actually trigger a man's need to pull away. A man can only handle so much intimacy before his alarm bells go off, saying it is time to find balance by pulling away. At the most intimate moments a man may suddenly automatically switch to feeling his need for autonomy and pull away.

 

　　女人因常说或做些引发他抽离的事而感到迷惑，通常女人有感而发时，男人就会有抽离的冲动，因为女人的有感而发会使男人与她更亲密，他却因太亲密而萌生自动抽离的念头。

It is very confusing for a woman when a man pulls away because something she says or does often triggers his departure. Generally when a woman starts to talk about thing with feeling a man starts to feel this urge to pull away. This is because feelings draw men closer and create intimacy, and when a man gets too dose he automatically pulls away. 

 

并不是他不想听她的感觉，如果换个周期时间，他需要亲近时，同样的感觉可能会让他和她更亲近，所以引发他抽离的不是她说“什么”，而是她“何时”说。

It is not that he doesn't want to hear her feelings. At another time in his intimacy cycle, when he is needing to get close, the same feelings that could have triggered his departure will draw him closer. It is not what she says that triggers his departure but when she says it.

 

 

女人受伤的心

WHEN TO TALK WITH A MAN

男人抽离时，就不适合和他说话或试图亲近他，过段时间后他会回来，他会更有爱心，更支持你，好像没发生什么事似的，这个时候才是讲话的时候。

When a man is pulling away is not the time to talk or try to get closer. Let him pull away. After some time, he will return. He will appear loving and supportive and will act as though nothing has happened. This is the time to talk.

 

在男人想要亲密和谈话的黄金时刻，女人常常不能主动交谈，这情形通常有三个原因：

At this golden time, when a man wants intimacy and is actually available to talk, women generally don't initiate conversations. This occurs for these three common reasons:

 

　　一、女人害怕交谈，因为上次她想谈话时，他抽离了。她误以为他不在乎、不想听。

　　二、女人害怕男人会因她而难过，她等待他主动谈他的感觉。她知道，如果他突然抽离她，在恢复以前，她需要谈出一些结果。她等待他主动谈让他难过的原因，但他不会去谈他的难过感觉，因为他根本不觉得难过。

三、女人有许多话要说，但她不要表现出无礼，只要一开始谈话，为了有礼，她不谈白自己的想法和感觉，反而错误地问他的想法和感觉。如果他没什么可说，她就以为他不想和她交谈。

I. A woman is afraid to talk because the last time she wanted to talk he pulled away. She mistakenly assumes that he doesn't care and he doesn't want to listen.

2. A woman is afraid the man is upset with her and she waits for him to initiate a conversation about his feelings. She knows that if she were suddenly to pull away from him, before she could reconnect she would need to talk about what happened. She waits for him to initiate a conversation about what upset him. He, however, doesn't need to talk about his upset feelings because he is not upset.

3. A woman has so much to say that she doesn't want to be rude and just begin talking. To be polite, instead of talking about ber own thoughts and feelings she makes the mistake of asking him questions about his feelings and thoughts. When he has nothing to say, she concludes he doesn't want to have a conversation with her.

女人有了这些误认男人为何不说话的错误信念，她会因男人而沮丧就一点也不足为奇了。

With all of these incorrect beliefs about why a man is not talking, it is no wonder that women are frustrated with men.

 

 

如何让男人说话

NOW TO GET A MAN TO TALK

 

女人想要说话或希望更亲近时，应该主动，不要期待男人会挑起话题。要主动交谈，就算他没什么话说，她也得先分享。只要她表示出感谢他的倾听，他就会有比较多的话说。

When a woman wants to talk or feels the need to get close, she should do the talking and not expect a man to initiate the conversation. To initiate a conversation she needs to be the first to begin sharing, even if her partner has little to say. As she appreciates him for listening, gradually he will have more to say.

 

男人其实可以很开放的和女人交谈，但女人不知道男人谈话是需要有理由的，他们不会只为单纯的分享而谈话，只要女人开了头，男人也会开放分享她所谈的事和他的关系。譬如，如果她谈这一天碰到的困难，他可能也会分享他这一天所碰到的困难，如果她谈对孩子的感觉，他可能也会谈对孩子的感觉。如果她保持开放，他没有感受到责备或压力，他也会逐渐开放。

A man can be very open to having a conversation with a woman but at first have nothing to say. What women don't know about Martians is that they need to have a reason to talk. They don't talk just for the sake of sharing. But when a woman talks for a while, a man will start to open up and share how he relates to what she has shared. For example, if she talks about some of her difficulties during the day he may share some of the difficulties of his day so that they can understand each other. If she talks about her feelings about the kids, he may then talk about his feelings about the kids. As she opens up and he doesn't feel blamed or pressured, then he gradually begins to open up.

 

 

别勉强男人说话

Now Wa~ Pressure Men to Talk

 

女人在分享她的想法时，通常也会激发男人说话，但他如果觉得自已是被要求说话，他心里就会觉得无话可说，就算有话要说，他也会反抗，因为他觉得她是在要求他。女人要求男人说话，其实就是在不知不觉间以询问的态度赶走他，尤其是在他觉得不需要说话时更是如此。女人常误以为男人“需要说话”，所以他们“应该说”，她忘了他从不认为自己应该说太多话。

A woman sharing her thoughts naturally motivates a man to talk. But when he feels a demand is being made that he talk, his mind goes blank. He has nothing to say. Even if he has something to say he will resist because he feels her demand. It is hard for a man when a woman demands that he talk. She unknowingly turns him off by interrogating him. Especially when he doesn't feel the need to talk. A woman mistakenly assumes that a man "needs to talk" and therefore "should." She forgets that he is from Mars and doesn't feel the need to talk as much.

 

她甚至觉得他不说话就是不爱她，可是男人要觉得对方肯接受他的方式，他才会开放。当她要他多说话或对他的抽离生气时，他会觉得自己没有被接受。一个在学习分享与开放之前需要多次抽离的男人，当务之急是多倾听。你要先感谢他的倾听，他才能渐渐开尊口。

She even feels that unless he talks, he doesn't love hen To reject a man for not talking is to ensure that he has nothing to say. A man needs to feel accepted just the way he is, and then he will gradually open up. He does not feel accepted when she wants him to talk more or resents him for pulling away.

 

女人愈试着让男人说话，男人就愈反抗。直接试着让他说话不是最好的方法，尤其是他正想要抽离时，比较合适让他开口的问题可能是：“我该怎么和你达成更好的亲密、交谈和沟通方式？”

The more a woman tries to get a man to talk the more he will resist. Directly trying to get him to talk is not the best approach, especially if he is stretching away. Instead of wondering how she can get him to talk a better question might be "How can I achieve greater intimacy, conversation, and communication with my partner?

 

如果女人觉得在两性关系上彼此应多谈话，那么她可以主动多交谈，但一定要理智地接受他有时可交谈，有时会自自然地抽离的状况。

If a woman feels the need for more talk in the relationship, and most women do, then she can initiate more conversation but with a mature awareness that not only accepts but also expects that sometimes he will be available and at other times he will instinctively pull away.

 

当他愿意谈时，她可以让他知道，即使他只是听，她也很感激。不要问他许多问题或要求他开口，甚至在开始时，她可以主动要求他不需要说话。

When he is available, instead of asking him twenty questions or demanding that he talk, she could let him know that she appreciates him even if he just listens. In the beginning she should even discourage him from talking.

 

譬如玛姬可以说：“杰夫，你可不可以听我说一会儿？我想谈谈今天的不顺利，好让心里好过一点。”玛姬谈了数分钟后可稍做停顿，然后再说：“很感谢你听我诉苦，这对我意义重大。”这份感激会更鼓舞男人愿意倾听。

For example, Maggie could say "jeff, would you listen to me for a while? I've had a hard day and I want to talk about it. It will make me feel much better." After Maggie talked for a couple of minutes then she could pause and say "I really appreciate when you listen to my feelings, it means a lot to me." This appreciation encourages a man to listen more.

 

如果没有得到感激与鼓舞，他可能会失去倾听的兴趣，因为他觉得自己只“听”“无法做”。可是他不知道他的倾听对她而言多有价值，大多数女人都直觉的知道倾听的重要性，要男人未经训练就知道倾听的重要，就等于要他像个女人;然而幸运的是，男人知道女人感激他的倾听后，他就学到了尊重谈话的价值。

Without appreciation and encouragement, a man may lose interest because he feels as though his "listening" is "doing nothing." He doesn't realize how valuable his listening is to her. Most women, however, instinctively know how important listening is. To expect a man to know this without some training is to expect him to be like a woman. Fortunately, after being appreciated for listening to a woman, a man does learn to respect the value of talking.

 

 

 

男人不说话时

WHEN A MAN WON'T TALK

 

珊蒂与劳瑞结婚二十年。珊蒂要离婚，劳瑞却不愿婚姻破灭。

Sandra and Larry had been married for twenty years. Sandra wanted a divorce and Larry wanted to make things work.

 

珊蒂说：“他怎能说要维持婚姻？他不爱我。他没感觉。我需要他讲话时，他走得远远的。他冷漠又没心肝。二十年来他压抑他的感觉，我不愿原谅他，我不要这婚姻了，我疲于尝试让他开放，我疲于与他分享感觉、疲于不断受伤害。”

She said, "How can he say he wants to stay married? He doesn't love me. He doesn't feel anything. He walks away when I need him to talk. He is cold and heartless. For twenty years he has withheld his feelings. I am not willing to forgive him. I will not stay in this marriage. I am too tired of trying to get him to open up and share his feelings and be vulnerable."

 

珊蒂不知道她也造成了他们的问题，她以为都是丈夫的错，她以为她尽力促进两人的亲密、交谈、沟通，而他却反抗了二十年。

Sandra didn't know how she had contributed to their problems. She thought it was all her husband's fault. She thought she had done everything to promote intimacy, conversation, and communication, and he had resisted her for twenty years.

 

在研讨会听到男人和橡皮筋的比喻后，她就泪如泉涌地原谅了丈夫。她知道“他的”问题是“他们的”问题，她也知道是她促成了他们之间的问题。

After hearing about men and rubber bands in the seminar, she burst into tears of forgiveness for her husband. She realized that "his" problem was "their" problem. She recognized how she had contributed to their problem.

 

她说：“我记得刚结婚那年，我很开放地谈自己的感觉，但他却走开，我想那表示他不爱我，屡试不爽后，我放弃了，我不愿再受伤害。我知道在某时候他会听我的感觉，但我没给他机会，我想停止受伤害，因此我总要求他在我开放之前就先开放。”

She said, "I remember in our first year of marriage I would open up, talk about my feelings, and he would just walk away. I thought he didn't love me. After that happened a few times, I gave up. I was not willing to be hurt again. I did not know that at another time he would be able to listen to my feelings. I didn't give him a chance. I stopped being vulnerable. I wanted him to open up before I would."

 

 

唱独角戏无济于事

One‑sided Conversations

 

珊蒂往往在唱独角戏，她试图以问一连串问题来引他说话，却在还没分享她要谈的事情以前，就因他的简短回答而气馁，终至等到她分享自己的感觉时，他却依然故我。她难过他从来没有开放、付出爱与分享过。

Sandra's conversations were generally one‑sided. She would try to get him to talk first by asking him a string of questions. Then, before she could share what she wanted to talk about, she would become upset with his short answers. When she finally did share her feelings, they were always the same. She was upset that he was not open, loving, and sharing.

 

唱独角戏可能像这样：

A one‑sided conversation might go like this:

 

珊蒂：今天好不好？

SANDRA:                 How was your day?

劳瑞：还好。

LARRY:                    OK.

珊蒂：有什么事？

SANDRA:                 What happened?

劳瑞：像平常一样。

LARRY*                   The usual.

珊蒂：这周末你想做什么？

SANDRA:                 What do you feel like doing this weekend?

劳瑞：我无所谓，你想做什么？

LARRY.                    I don't care. What do you want to do?

珊蒂：要不要请朋友来家里？

SANDRA:                 Do you want to invite our friends over?

劳瑞：我不知道……你知道电视节目表在哪里？

LARRY:                                I don't know      Do you know where the TV schedule is?

珊蒂：(难过)你为什么不跟我讲话？

SANDRA:                 (upset) Why don't you talk to me?

劳瑞：(不知所措、沉默。)

~M               (Stunned and silent.)

珊蒂：你爱我吗？

SANDRA:                 Do you love me?

劳瑞：我当然爱你，我娶了你。

LARRY.                    Of course I love you. I married you.

　　珊蒂：你算是爱我吗？我们从来没有畅所欲言。你怎能不吭一声只坐在那里。你无所谓吗？

SANDRA:                 How could you love me? We never talk anymore. How can you just sit there and say nothing. Don't you care?

 

劳瑞会为此起身去走一走，回来后，装作什么事也没发生过，珊蒂表面上风平浪静，内心却掏空了爱与温暖，她尽力表现爱，内心的愤恨却一直在增加。有时愤恨达到沸腾时，她会再唱独角戏询问丈夫的感觉。二十年来，她证明了他不爱她，她再也不愿被剥夺她应有的亲密。

At this point, Larry would get up and go for a walk. When he came back he would act as though nothing had happened. Sandra would also act as though everything was fine, but inside she would withdraw her love and warmth. On the surface she would try to be loving, but on the inside her resentment increased. From time to time it would boil up and she would begin another one‑sided interrogation of her husband's feelings. After twenty years of gathering evidence that he did not love her, she was no longer willing to be deprived of intimacy.

 

 

让男人成为好听众

Learning to Support Each Other Without Having to Change

 

研讨会上珊蒂说：“二十年来，我试着让他说话，要他开放、柔软，我不知道我错失的是一个“支持”我开放、柔软的男人。这才是我要的男人。这个周末我和丈夫分享了过去二十年从来没有过的亲密感觉。我深深被爱，却一直不知，过去我一直认为他应该改变，现在我知道他和我都没错，我们只是不知道该如何互相支持而已。”

At the seminar Sandra said, "I have spent twenty years trying to get Larry to talk. I wanted him to open up and be vulnerable. I didn't realize that what I was missing was a man who would support me in being open and vulnerable. That is what I really needed. I have shared more intimate feelings with my husband this weekend than in twenty years. I feel so loved. This is what I have been missing. I thought he had to change. Now I know nothing is wrong with him or me. We just didn't know how to support each other."

 

珊蒂过去总是抱怨劳瑞不说话，她相信是因他的沉默才使他们无法亲近。在研讨会里她学习分享感觉，不期待也不要求劳瑞回报；学习以感激取代拒绝他的沈默。因为如此，他渐渐成了一个好听众。

Sandra had always complained that Larry didn't talk. She had convinced herself that his silence made intimacy impossible. At the serninar she learned to share her feelings without expecting or demanding Larry to reciprocate. Instead of rejecting his silence she learned to appreciate it. It made him a better listener.

 

劳瑞学到倾听的艺术，他在倾听时尽量不给意见。教男人倾听比教他开放广纳意见更有效果。当他学习倾听他所关心的人，并得到感激的回报后，会逐渐开放自动分享。当男人因倾听受感激，不因没有多分享而遭拒绝时，他会逐渐开放；他若觉得不需要交谈时，便不会再多谈。

Larry learned the art of listening. He practiced listening without trying to fix her. It is much more effective to teach a man to listen than to open up and be vulnerable. As he learns to listen to someone he cares for and is appreciated in response, he gradually will open up and share more automatically.When a man feels appreciated for listening and he doesn't feel rejected for not sharing more, he will gradually begin to open up. When he feels as though he doesn't have to talk more, then naturally he will. But first he needs to feel accepted. If she is still frustrated by his silence she is forgetting that men are from Mars!

 

 

男人不抽离时

WHEN A MAN DOESN'T PULL AWAY

 

丽莎和吉米结婚两年，如胶似漆，从不分离。一段时间后，吉米变得性急、被动、忧郁和情绪化。

Lisa and Jim had been married for two years. They did everything together. They were never apart. After a while, Jim became increasingly irritable, passive, moody, and temperamental.

 

在一个私人咨询课程里，丽莎告诉我：“和他在一起没有乐趣了，我尽力取悦他，却徒劳无功。我要和他一起做些有趣的事，像是一起去餐馆、采购、旅行、游玩、聚会、跳舞等，但他都不要。我们不再同心共事了，只是看电视、吃、睡、工作。我试着爱他，却惹了一肚子火。他过去一向　　很迷人、很有情调，现在却像个懒虫。我不知该怎么办？他一点也不相心改变。”

In a private counseling session, Lisa told me, "He is no longer any fun to be with. I have tried everything to cheer him up, but it doesn't work. I want to do fun things together, like going to restaurants, shopping, traveling, going to plays, parties, and dancing, but he doesn't. We never do anything anymore. We just watch TV, eat, sleep, and work. I try to love him, but I am angry. He used to be so charming and romantic. Living with him now is like living with a slug. I don't know what to do. He just won't budge!"

 

知道了男人的亲密周期后(橡皮筋理论)，丽莎和吉米同时了解了问题症结。他们过于腻在一起，他们需要适度的分离。

After learning about the male intimacy cycle‑the rubber band theory‑both Lisa and Jim realized what had happened. They were spending too much time together. Jim and Lisa needed to spend more time apart.

 

当男人过于亲近没有抽离时，常见的症状就是情绪化、性急、消极和防卫。吉米没学过该如何抽离，而独处令他有愧疚感，他以为应该要与妻子分享每一件事。

When a man gets too close and doesn't pull away, common symptoms are increased moodiness, irritability, passiveness, and defensiveness. Jim had not learned how to pull away. He felt guilty spending time alone. He thought he was supposed to share everything with his wife.

 

丽莎也以为他们应该一起做任何事。咨询时，我问丽莎为什么花这么多时间和吉米相处。她说：“我怕我做其他有趣的事，他若不参与可能会难过。有一次我去采购，他对我很生气。”

Lisa also thought they were supposed to do everything together. In counseling I asked Lisa why she had spent so much time with Jim.

 

吉米说：“我记得那天，但我不是对你生气，我是难过在生意上损失了一笔钱。我确实记得那天，因为我那天因能独享全屋子而高兴，但我不敢告诉你，怕伤了你的心。”丽莎说：“我以为你不愿意我抛下你独自出去，那天你看来好冷淡。”

She said, "I was afraid he would get upset if I did anything fun without him. One time I went shopping and he got really upset with me."

Jim said, "I remember that day. But I wasn't upset with you. I was upset about losing some money in a Business deal. I actually remember that day because I remember noticing how good I felt having the whole house to myself. I didn't dare tell you that because I thought it would hurt your feelings."

Lisa said, "I thought you didn't want me to go out without you. You seemed so distant."

 

 

学习更加独立

Becoming More Independent

 

有了这个认识后，丽莎就不需太担心吉米。吉米的抽离也可帮助她更加独立自主，她开始多照顾自己，多从女伴那里得到支持。

With this new awareness, Lisa got the permission she needed not to worry so much about Jim. Jim pulling away actually helped her become more autonomous and independent. She started taking better care of herself. As she started doing the things she wanted to do and ~g more Support from her girlfriends she was much happier,

 

她过去把愤怒发泄在吉米身上，因为她对他期望过度，听了橡皮筋理论后她才知道，在他们的问题中她也有责任，她知道他需要更多时间独处。她想放弃爱情的念头不但妨碍他的抽离与弹回，她的倚赖也让他透不过气。

She released her resentment toward Jim. She realized that she had been expecting too much from him. Having beard about the rubber band she realized how she was contributing to their problem. She realized that he needed more time to be alone. Her loving sacrifices were not only preventing him from pulling away and then springing back but her dependent attitude was also smothering him.

 

丽莎开始独自做过去想做却一直没有做的有趣事情。晚上有时和女朋友共聚晚餐，有时出去玩一玩，有时则去参加宴会等等。

Lisa started doing fun things without Jim. She did some of the things that she had been wanting to do. One night she went out to cat with some girlfriends. Another night she went to a play. Another night she went to a birthday bowling party.

 

最令她惊讶的是，她和吉米的关系改变了。吉米比以前更注意她，也对她更有兴趣，几个礼拜后，吉米山自动弹回了，他想和她共同做一些有趣的事，计画约会，他的动力又全部回来了。

What amazed her was how quickly their relationship changed. Jim became much more attentive and interested in het Within a couple of weeks, Jim started to come back to his old self again. He was wanting to do fun things with her and started planning dates. He got his motivation back.

 

在咨询时他说：“我觉得很轻松，身心充满了爱......丽莎回来时，很高兴看到我，她出门后，对她的怀念让我如在初恋，这种初恋的感觉是我早就忘记的。丽莎过去总试着让我做些事、指使我或问我问题。”

In counseling he said, "I feel so relieved. I feel loved ... when Lisa comes Home she is happy to see me. It feels so good to miss ber when she is gone. It feels good to 'feel' again. I had almost forgotten what it was like. Before it seemed like nothing I did was good enough. Lisa was always trying to get me to do things, telling me what to do and asking me questions."

 

丽莎说：“我知道我因自己的不快乐而责骂他。当我为自己的快乐负责时，便体会了吉米的活力，这真像个奇迹。”

Lisa said, "I realized I was blaming him for my unhappiness. As I took responsibility for my Happiness, I experienced that Jim was more energetic and alive. It's like a miracle. "

 

 

妨碍亲密周期的行为

OBSTRUCTING THE INTIMACY CYCLE

 

女人可能会在不知不觉间以两种方式妨碍了男人的自然亲密周期(一)他抽离时，捕捉他；(二)处罚他的抽离。

There are two ways a woman may unknowingly obstruct her male partner's natural intimacy cycle. They are: (I) chasing him when he pulls away; and (2) punishing him for pulling away.

以下是女人常用的捕捉方式：

The following is a list of the most common ways a woman "chases a man" and prevents him from pulling away:

 

捕捉行为

CHASING BEHAVIORS

　　1.身体上：

I. Physical

当他抽离时，她形影追随。他可能会走到另一个房间，她也尾随其后。或如丽莎和吉米的例子，为了和他在一起，她放弃自己想做的事。

When he pulls away, she physically follows hirn. He may walk into another room and she follows. Or as in the example of Lisa and Jim, she does not do the things she wants to do so that she can be with her partner.

 

2.情感上：

2. Emotional

他抽离时，她的同情随他而去，她担心他，想帮助他舒服些。

When he pulls away, she emotionally follows him. She worries about hirn. She wants to help him feel better. She feels sorry for him. She smothers him with attention and praise.

另一个她可能会感情用事阻止他抽离的方法是，否定他独处的需要。透过否定，她也感情用事的把他拉回来。

Another way she may emotionally stop him from pulling away is to disapprove of his need to be alone. Through disapproving she is also emotionally pulling him back.

另一个方式是当他抽离时，有意或无意地去伤害他或以渴望的眼神望着他。她恳求他的亲密，但却觉得自己被控制。

Another approach is to look longingly or hurt when he pulls away. In this way she pleads for his intimacy and he feels controlled.

 

3.精神上：

3. Mental

 

她可能会以引起愧疚感的问题试着拉他回来，像是：“你怎能这样对待我？”或“你出了什么错？”或“难道你不知道你弃我不顾时，我被伤得有多深吗？”

She may try to pull him back mentally by asking him guilty‑inducing questions such as "How could you treat me this way?" or "What's wrong with you?" or "Don't you realize how much it hurts me when you pull away?"

另一个将他拉回的方式是赞美他。她变得肚量奇大，也试着让自己十全十美，好让他没理由抽离。她放弃自己，试图成为他想要的样子。

Another way she may try to pull him back is to try to please hirn. She becomes overly accommodating. She tries to be perfect so he would never have any reason to pull away. She gives up her sense of self and tries to become what she thinks he wants.

她怕他会离去，所以克制自己的真实感觉，以免使他难过。

She is afraid to rock the boat for fear that he might pull away, and so she withholds her true feelings and avoids doing anything that may upset him.

女人可能在不知不觉间阻碍男人亲密周期的第二个方法是，处罚他的抽离，以下是女人“处罚男人”及阻止他回来向她开放的常见方式。

The second major way a woman may unknowingly interrupt a man's intimacy cycle is to punish him for pulling away. The following is a list of the most common ways a woman "punishes a man" and prevents him from coming back and opening up to her:

 

处罚行为

PUNISHING BEHAVIORS

 

　　1.身体上：

I. Physical

他再度渴望她时，她拒绝他。她推拒了他的肉体之爱，拒绝他的性要求，不允许他碰她或亲近她。她可能藉着打他或摔东西来表现不高兴的情绪。当男人因抽离被处罚时，他再也不敢重蹈覆辙。这种恐惧使他以后不敢抽离，他的自然周期被破坏了，因此产生憎恨情绪而阻碍了他的亲密欲望，所以当他再度抽离时，很可能再也不回来。

When he begins to desire her again she rejects him. She pushes away his physical affection. She may reject him sexually She doesn't allow him to touch her or be dose. She may hit him or break things in order to show her displeasure. When a man is punished for pulling away, he can become afraid of ever doing it again. This fear may prevent him from pulling away in the future. His natural cycle is then broken. It may also create an anger that blocks him from feeling his desire for intimacy He may not come back when he has pulled away.

 

2.情感上：

2. Emotional

他回来后，她不高兴的责备他，不能原谅他忽略她，因为无法取悦她或使她高兴，所以觉得没有能力满足她，因此只好放弃。或者他回来后，她藉由声调、语言来讽刺他，用伤害的方式对待他。

When he returns, she is unhappy and she blames him. She does not forgive him for neglecting her. There is nothing he can do to please her or make her happy. He feels incapable of fulfilling her and gives up.

When he returns, she expresses her disapproval through words, tone of voice, and by looking at her partner in a certain wounded way.

 

3.精神上：

3. Mental

他回来后，她拒绝开放分享她的感觉。她既冷漠又生气他的抽离。她不再信任他的关心，也不让他能因倾听当个“好”男人来处罚他。他快乐的回到她身边，但却如身陷犬舍一般。

When he returns, she refuses to open up and share her feelings. She becomes cold and resents him for not opening up and talking. She stops trusting that he really cares and punishes him by not giving him a chance to listen and be the "good" guy. When he happily returns to her, he is in the doghouse.

男人如因抽离而遭到处罚，他可能会害怕再次抽离可能她就不爱他了。他会觉得如果抽离就不值得她再爱他；他也害怕再去寻找她的爱，因他已觉得自己不值得被爱，他认为会被拒绝。被拒绝的恐惧使他在洞穴里迟迟不敢出来。

When a man feels punished for pulling away, he can become afraid of losing her love if he pulls away. He begins to feel unworthy of her love if he pulls away. He may become afraid to reach out for her love again because he feels unworthy; he assumes he will be rejected. This fear of rejection prevents him from coming back from his journey into the cave.

 

 

过去如何影响他的亲密周期

NOW A MAN'S PAST MAY AFFECT HIS INTIMACY CYCLE

 

男人的自然周期有的在童年时就受到阻碍，可能因目睹母亲否定父亲的情感疏离，致使他长大后，也不敢抽离，这样的男人很可能误认自己不需要抽离，因此便由自然地发展了他女性阴柔的一面，但却压抑了男性的气概。他变得很敏感，极力尝试讨好别人与爱别人，却遗失了男子气概。抽离使他觉得愧疚，他糊里糊涂地失去了欲望、力量、热情，变得消极、过度倚赖。也有可能害怕进入洞穴独处，因为内心深处害怕失去爱而以为自己不喜欢独处。

This natural cycle in a man may already be obstructed from his childhood. He may be afraid to pull away because he witnessed his mother's disapproval of h's father's emotional distancing. Such a man may not even know that he needs to pull away. He may unconsciously create arguments to justify pulling away.

This kind of man naturally develops more of his feminine side but at the expense of suppressing some of his masculine power. He is a sensitive man. He tries hard to please and be loving but loses part of his masculine self in the process. He feels guilty pulling away. Without knowing what has happened he loses his desire, power, and passion; he becomes passive or overly dependent.

He may be afraid to be alone or to go into his cave. He may think he doesn't like being alone because deep inside he is afraid of losing love. He has already experienced 'n childhood his mother rejecting his father or directly rejecting him.

 

另有一些男人是不知该如何亲近，他很有男子气概，抽离对他而言不是问题，只是抽离后他日不来，也无法开放。他内心深处害怕自己不值得被爱、害怕别人太亲近他、太照顾他，他想像不出如果亲近别人，别人会如何喜欢他。这两种阴柔阳刚的男人都失去了他们中自然亲密周期的积极景象或经验。

While some men don't know how to pull away, others don't know how to get close. The macho man has no problem pulling away. He just can't come back and open up. Deep inside he may be afraid he is unworthy of love. He is afraid of being close and caring a lot. He does not have a picture of how welcomed he would be if he got closer. Both the sensitive male and the macho male are missing a positive picture or experience of their natural intimacy cycle.

 

不管男女，了解男人的亲密周期都十分重要。当男人抽离和弹回时，有些人因需把时间花在洞穴里而感觉愧疚，有些人则会更迷惑，他们可能误以为出自己出了什么错才惹得配偶不满的对待，了解男人的亲密周期可使男女双方都得到松懈。

 

 

聪明的配合之道

WISE MEN AND WOMEN

 

男人通常不知道他们的突然离去和回来，对女人会造成什么样的影响，但是知道之后，他也就了解愉快地听女人说话有多重要，当他不抽离时，他会主动问她的感觉以挑起话题。

Men generally don't realize how their suddenly pulling away and then later returning affects women. With this new insight about how women are affected by his intimacy cycle, a man can recognize the importance of sincerely listening when a woman speaks. He understands and respects her need to be reassured that he is interested in her and he does care. Whenever he is not needing to pull away, the wise man takes the time to initiate conversation by asking his female partner how she is feeling.

 

他渐渐明白了自己的周期，也会向她保证抽离后一定会自动弹回来，他可能会说：“我需要一些时间独处，然后再找时间和你好好相聚。”或者在她讲话时，他开始想抽离，可能会说：“我需要一点时间想想这个问题，以后再说，好不好？”

He grows to understand his own cycles and reassures her when he pulls away that he will be back. He might say "I need some time to be alone and then we will have some special time together with no distractions." Or if he starts to pull away while she is talking he might say "I need some time to think about this and then we can talk again."

 

男人会渐渐明白自己的周期，也会向她保证抽离后一定会自动回来。

 

他结束抽离，回来和配偶谈话时，她可能会试探他为何离去，如果他常常不确定自己离开的原因，可能就会说：“我不确定，我只是想自己静一静，不过现在我们可以继续谈了。”

When he returns to talk, she might probe him to understand why he left. If he's not sure, which is many times the case, he might say "I'm not sure. I just needed some time to myself. But let's continue our conversation."

 

他在不抽离的时候则更清楚她需要的是倾听。倾听也帮助了他了解在交谈时他想分享些什么。

He is more aware that she needs to be heard and he needs to listen more when he is not pulling away. In addition, he knows that lis telling helps him to become aware of what he wants to share in a conversation.

 

聪明的女人在挑起话题时，会记得别要求男人谈话，只要他倾听就好了。只要她的重点改变，他就得以轻松，她只要学习开放分享感觉，而不需要求他也说话。

To initiate a conversation the wise woman learns not to demand that a man talk but asks that he truly listen to her. As her emphasis changes, the pressure on him is released. She learns to open up and share her feelings without demanding that he do the same.

 

　　聪明的女人相信他一旦觉得被接受而又听她说话时，他会逐渐开放；她不处罚他，也不追捕他；她也了解有时候她的亲密感觉会使他抽离，但有时候(当他在回程上时)他也很能倾听她表达亲密的感觉。聪明的女人不会轻易放弃，她会用耐心与爱心坚定持续女人们少见的警觉。

She trusts that he will gradually open up more as he feels accepted and listens to her feelings. She does not punish him or chase after him. She understands that sometimes her intimate feelings trigger his need to pull away while at other times (when he is on his way back) he is quite capable of hearing her intimate feelings. This wise woman does not give up. She patiently and lovingly persists with a knowing that few women have.