名人传记

He just heard a lot of people making a lot of promises

许多人跟他承诺了许多事

and telling him, 'lt's no big deal. '

跟他说 没什么大不了的

like, 'Pay them the money, it's like a quarter to you.

'付钱就是了 对你来说不过是点小钱

The reason they did it was because Michael was out on tour,

原因是因为迈克尔当时正在巡回

they had accused him of this terrible thing,

他们又作出这种指控

and they didn't want to stop the tour, so they just paid it off.

他们不想终止巡回 所以才决定和解

lt was too late. He got some of the worst advice, probably, in the music business.

但太迟了 最糟的建议 恐怕是来自音乐界

l interviewed Michael right after he made the settlement,

我在和解不久后访谈迈克尔

and l asked him, 'Why did you do it?

我问他 你为什么这么做?

'Don't you realise that

你难道不明白

from this moment on, people are going to believe you were guilty?

'现在所有人都会认为你有罪吗?

And Michael said he didn't care.

迈克尔说他不在乎

He said, "lt's my life, it's my career, it's my choice."

他说 这是我的人生 我的事业 我的选择

l discussed it with him many years later and he did regret the settlement.

多年后我们再聊起这事时 他坦承很后悔当初庭外和解

lt was one thing in the moment, you know, when you're in pain

当下很痛苦的时候

and you're making a decision based on the pain of the moment,

这痛苦影响了你所作出的决定

it's another thing when years go by and you look back on it and you think,

但多年后再回想起来 就会觉得

'Why did l do that?

'当初怎会这么做?

And it wasn't about the $17 million, that meant nothing to him.

重点不在那一千七百万 他根本不在乎那钱

lt was paid out in an instalment plan, like he was buying a refrigerator.

还是分期付的 就像买冰箱一样

lt really meant nothing to him.

他真的不在乎那个

lt was just the fact that people believed he settled because he was guilty

而是大众认为他庭外和解 是因为作贼心虚

that really pissed him off.

这点令他很愤怒

重点讲解

1、pay off

偿清，还清（债务）

It would take him the rest of his life to pay off that loan.

他得用余生来还清那笔贷款。

还清债务；用钱打发

his bid to raise funds to pay off his creditors.

他为还清债款而努力筹集资金

In societies where corruption is endemic, decision-making is slowed as more politicians and officials have to be paid off.

在腐败泛滥的社会中，由于要花钱打点更多的政客和官员，决策的制定会被拖慢。

成功；赢利

Sandra was determined to become a doctor and her persistence paid off.

桑德拉决心成为医生，她的坚持取得了成功。

2、settlement

(争议双方的)正式协议，和解

Our objective must be to secure a peace settlement.

我们一定要达成和平协议。

They are not optimistic about a settlement of the eleven year conflict.

他们不是很有信心能和平解决这场长达 11 年的纷争。

(通过赔偿等达成的)庭外和解

She accepted an out-of-court settlement of ￡4,000.

她同意支付 4,000 英镑的庭外和解赔偿金。

a libel settlement.

一宗诽谤案的庭外和解

定居点;聚居地

The village is a settlement of just fifty houses.

这个村子里只住了 50户人。

a Muslim settlement.

穆斯林聚居区

3、instalment

(分期付款的)一期付款

The first instalment of ￡1 per share is payable on application.

每股1英镑的首期付款应在申请时交付。

the first month's interest instalment on the loan.

贷款第一个月的利息还款

(故事、计划等的)部分;(分期出版的)分册

the disappointing third instalment of the Highlander series.

“挑战者”系列令人失望的第三部