Because the man was well-qualified, the board gave him a second interview -- and demanded a fuller explanation of his weak spots. He said he had been 'unprepared for that question and nervous about coming out with a big fatal flaw,' then described his tendency to make decisions too fast during workplace crises. Board members' doubts disappeared, and they picked him for the nonprofit's top job.

但因為這位申請人其他條件很好，董事會給了他第二次面試機會，并要求他對自己的缺點作更充分的說明。他說，他第一次面試時“對那個問題毫無準(zhǔn)備，擔(dān)心會說出什么大的致命缺陷，”隨后，他向面試官提到自己在工作遇到危急關(guān)頭時，往往會過于倉促地做出決策。董事會的擔(dān)心消除了，最后安排他擔(dān)任了這家非營利機構(gòu)的負責(zé)工作。

Ideally, your reply also should exclude the word 'weakness' and cover your corrective steps. Dubbing your greatest fault a 'window of opportunity' signals your improvement efforts should benefit the workplace, says Oscar Adler, a retired Maidenform Brands sales executive and author of the book, 'Sell Yourself in Any Interview.' For instance, he suggests, a salesman might note that he sold more after strengthening his facility with numbers.

理想的情況是，你在回答中應(yīng)盡量避免使用“缺點”這樣的詞，同時還可以提到改正措施。Maidenform Brands銷售主管、《在面試中推銷自己》(Sell Yourself in Any Interview)一書的作者阿德勒(Oscar Adler)說，將你最大的缺點轉(zhuǎn)化為“機會之窗”，表明你的改善措施將使工作受益。比如他建議說，銷售人員可以說，在強化數(shù)學(xué)能力后，銷售業(yè)績上升了。

When an interviewer pops this nerve-wracking query, your body language counts as well. The wrong nonverbal cues undercut your credibility. Certain candidates hunch over, glance furtively around the room or wring their sweaty palms. 'They sort of look like they're being asked a question they can't handle,' says Mr. Adler.

當(dāng)面試官突然提出這樣的刁鉆問題時，你的身體語言也能反映一些問題。不當(dāng)?shù)闹w語言會削弱你的可信度。某些求職者會蜷縮身體，茫然地瞟著房間四周，或是扭動出汗的手掌。阿德勒說，他們看起來就有點像遇到了他們沒法對付的問題。

Maintaining eye contact, regular breathing and a broad smile impress employers that 'you're prepared for the weakness question,' says psychotherapist Pat Pearson, author of 'Stop Self-Sabotage!'

心理學(xué)家皮爾森(Pat Pearson)說，保持視線接觸、正常呼吸和明朗的微笑可以讓雇主覺得“你對有關(guān)弱點的問題有所準(zhǔn)備”。皮爾森著有《停止自我摧毀》(Stop Self-Sabotage!)一書。

For the same reason, you seem thoughtful if you pause before responding. But don't wait too long. 'If you're going to take a minute,' Mr. Morrow cautions, 'I've just identified your weakness.'

同理，如果你回答問題前稍作停頓會讓你看起來深思熟慮。不過不要時間過長。莫羅警告說，如果你的停頓時間長達一分鐘，那我已經(jīng)能發(fā)現(xiàn)你的弱點了。

（中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 Jennifer 編輯）