If you use them poorly, bad idea. Right?

所以你千万别弄巧成，对吧？

Beyond a certain level, extra effort seems to be self-defeating.

超过一定水平后，额外的努力似乎会弄巧成。

But to extend an arm's-length approach to ordinary research would be self-defeating.

但是，将保持距离的方法延伸到普通的研究将会弄巧成。

Even well-meaning attempts to sugarcoat the truth are self-defeating, because they spread mistrust, rumours and, ultimately, fear.

即便是善意粉饰真相的企图也会弄巧成，因为粉饰会传播不信任、，终是恐惧。

But companies themselves are prone to bend reality out of shape in ways that are self-defeating.

但企业本身往往会扭曲现实并弄巧成。

Right. I mean, today our whole goal was to impress you. We made fools of ourselves.

对啊，比如我们今天本来的目标是要给你留下好印象，结果弄巧成。

Former President Obama criticized the decision as " cruel" and " self-defeating."

前总统奥巴马批评这一决定是“残忍的”和“弄巧成的”。

Or we could take the threat seriously enough that it becomes a self-defeating prophecy.

或者我们可以认真对待这个威胁，以至于它变成一个弄巧成的预。

Now, sometimes we get stuck in a cynical and self-defeating narrative.

现在，有时我们会陷入愤世嫉俗和弄巧成的叙述中。

She tried to look picturesque, but only succeeded in being untidy.

她试图显得别具一格，却只是弄巧成，显得邋遢不堪。

Sometimes, despite the best intentions, we still get it wrong.

有时候，尽管我们出于好意，却仍可能弄巧成。

And it can even be self defeating.

它甚至可能弄巧成。

And it keeps literally, in some cases, blowing up in his face.

而在某些情况下，这确实让他自食其果，弄巧成。

Many shortcuts are self-defeating; they waste the reader's time instead of conserving it.

很多捷径都是弄巧成的；他们浪费了读者的时间而不是节省了时间。

The important thing to remember is that jumping the gun is usually self-defeating.

重要的是要记住，操之过急通常会弄巧成。

That seems especially puzzling and self-defeating, since a microbe that kills its host kills itself.

这似乎特别令人费解和弄巧成，因为杀死宿主的微生物也会杀死自己。

It's easy to make things worse.

很容易弄巧成。

You know I do try to do everything right, and sometimes I just get it wrong.

你也知道我尽量让一切都运转正常，但有时候我却弄巧成。

But desperate efforts to induce creativity can be self-defeating, in the same way that telling yourself that you must get to sleep is bound to keep you awake.

但是，不顾一切地激发创造力的努力可能会弄巧成，就像告诉自己必须睡觉一定会让你保持清醒一样。

And so that's one that you probably need to work on that enough that you're not going to like shoot yourself in the foot playing to your strengths.

因此，你可能需要在这方面付出足够的努力，以免在发挥自己的优势时弄巧成。