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RenataSalecl_2013G-_我们对选择的固执_
When I was preparing for this talk, 我特别喜欢的,
I went to search for a couple of quotes that I can share with you. 我搜索了几个引用句 可以与跟大家分享。
quotes:n.引用,引号;报价(quote的复数);v.报价(quote的第三人称单数);引用;复述;
Good news: I found three that I particularly liked, the first by Samuel Johnson, who said, 好消息是,我找到三个 我特别喜欢的, 第一句是来自约翰逊博士,
particularly:adv.特别地,独特地;详细地,具体地;明确地,细致地;
When making your choice in life, do not forget to live, the second by Aeschylus, who reminded us that happiness is a choice that requires effort, and the third is one by Groucho Marx who said, I wouldn't want to choose to belong to any club that would have me as a member. 「当在生活中要做出选择时, 不要忘了生活 」。 第二句来自 (古希腊悲剧诗人)埃斯庫罗斯,提醒我们, 「 幸福是需要努力的选择」。 第三句是来自(喜剧演员)格劳乔·马克思, 他说,「 我不想选择属于任何一个 会接受我成为会员的俱乐部」。
reminded:v.提醒;使想起;(remind的过去分词和过去式)
Now, bad news: 现在,坏消息是:
I didn't know which one of these quotes to choose and share with you. 我不知道该选择哪一个引用句 来和大家分享。
The sweet anxiety of choice. 那甜美的选择焦虑。
anxiety:n.焦虑;渴望;挂念;令人焦虑的事;
In today's times of post-industrial capitalism , choice, together with individual freedom and the idea of self-making, has been elevated to an ideal. 选择,与个人自由 和自我决策的思想连在一起, 已经提升到一种理想主义。
post-industrial:adj.后工业化的; capitalism:n.资本主义; individual:n.个人;有个性的人;adj.单独的;个别的; elevated:adj.提高的;高尚的;欢欣的;v.提高;振奋;提拔;(elevate的过去分词和过去式)
Now, together with this, we also have a belief in endless progress. 现在,连同这一点,我们同时也有着 永无止境地进展的信念。
endless:adj.无止境的;连续的;环状的;漫无目的的;
But the underside of this ideology has been an increase of anxiety, feelings of guilt, feelings of being inadequate , feeling that we are failing in our choices. 但这种意识形态的另一面 是焦虑一直在增加, 内疚感, 认为自我不足, 感觉我们选择的差错。
underside:n.下面;阴暗面; ideology:n.意识形态;思想意识;观念学; inadequate:adj.不充分的,不适当的;
Sadly, this ideology of individual choice has prevented us from thinking about social changes. 可悲的是,这个人选择的思想意识 妨碍了我们思考社会的变革。
It appears that this ideology was actually very efficient in pacifying us as political and social thinkers. 看来,这种思想实际上是非常有效地 安抚我们 作政治和社会思想家。
efficient:adj.有效率的;有能力的;生效的; pacifying:v.使平静;平息;抚慰;使实现和平;(pacify的现在分词)
Instead of making social critiques , we are more and more engaging in self-critique, sometimes to the point of self-destruction . 我们越来越多从事自我批判, 而不是批评社会, 有时还直到自我毁灭的地步。
critiques:评论; engaging:adj.有趣的; v.吸引住(注意力、兴趣); (engage的现在分词) self-destruction:n.自毁;自杀;
Now, how come that ideology of choice is still so powerful, even among people who have not many things to choose among? 现在,为什么选择的意识, 仍是如此强大有力, 即使对那些没有 太多东西选择的人都如是?
How come that even people who are poor very much still identify with the idea of choice, the kind of rational idea of choice which we embrace ? 为什么很穷的人 还有鉴别选择的想法, 那种我们对有理性选择 的信奉?
identify:v.识别:鉴定:确认:发现: rational:n.理性;人类;合理的事物;[数]有理数;adj.合理的;理性的;明智的;理智的; embrace:n.拥抱,怀抱;v.拥抱;乐意采纳(思想、建议等);信奉;包括;
Now, the ideology of choice is very successful in opening for us a space to think about some imagined future. 然而, 选择的意识非常成功地 开放了我们对未来的 一些想像空间。
Let me give you an example. 让我给你举个例子。
My friend Manya, when she was a student at university in California, was earning money by working for a car dealer . 我的朋友玛雅, 当她还是个在加州上大学的学生, 当时她是在做 汽车经销商赚钱。
dealer:n.交易商;贸易商;贩毒者;毒品贩子;
Now, Manya, when she encountered the typical customer, would debate with him about his lifestyle, how much he wants to spend, how many children he has, what does he need the car for? 当玛雅遇到 她的典型客户,会跟他辩论 他的生活方式, 他有几个小孩, 为什么他需要车？
encountered:v.遭遇,遇到;偶然碰到;意外地遇见;(encounter的过去分词和过去式) typical:adj.典型的;特有的;象征性的; debate:n.辩论;争论;考虑;v.辩论;争论;考虑;
They would usually come to a good conclusion what would be a perfect car. 他们通常会得出一个好的结论 哪一辆是最适当的车。
conclusion:n.结论;结局;推论;
Now, before Manya's customer would go home and think things through, she would say to him, 在玛雅的客户回家 考虑之前, 她就对他说,
The car that you are buying now is perfect, but in a few year's time, when your kids will be already out of the house, when you will have a little bit more money, that other car will be ideal. 「你现在会买的那辆车是最最适当的, 但过几年时间, 当你的孩子们将已搬了家, 你会有多一点钱, 那另一辆车将会更理想,
But what you are buying now is great. 但现在你所购买的已是很棒了。」
Now, the majority of Manya's customers who came back the next day bought that other car, the car they did not need, the car that cost far too much money. 大多数玛雅的客户 第二天回来 都会买另一辆车, 那辆他们并不需要的车, 那辆花费太多钱的车。
majority:n.大部分:大多数:多数票:成年人:
Now, Manya became so successful in selling cars that soon she moved on to selling airplanes . 现在,玛雅畅销汽车如此成功, 不久后她会转移到卖飞机。
airplanes:n.(美)[航]飞机(airplane的复数);
(Laughter) （笑声）
And knowing so much about the psychology of people prepared her well for her current job, which is that of a psychoanalyst . 理解这么多关于人的心理 为她准备好她目前的工作, 这便是一个精神分析学家。
psychology:n.心理学;心理状态; psychoanalyst:n.精神分析学家;心理分析学家;
Now, why were Manya's customers so irrational ? 为什么玛雅的客户会这样不理智呢？
irrational:adj.不合理的;无理性的;荒谬的;n.[数]无理数;
Manya's success was that she was able to open in their heads an image of an idealized future, an image of themselves when they are already more successful, freer, and for them, choosing that other car was as if they are coming closer to this ideal in which it was as if Manya already saw them. 玛雅成功在于她能够 在他们的思维开设一个 理想化的未来形象, 一个他们自己 已经更成功的形象,更自由, 对他们来说,选择那另一辆车 就如他们更接近这个理想, 就像玛雅已经看见了他们的那个形象。
idealized:v.将…视为理想;将…理想化;(idealize的过去式和过去分词)
Now, we rarely make really totally rational choices. 我们其实很少真正做出完全理性的选择。
rarely:adv.很少地;难得;罕有地;
Choices are influenced by our unconscious , by our community . 选择是由我们的潜意识影响, 由我们的社会影响。
influenced:v.影响;对…起作用;支配;左右;(influence的过去分词和过去式) unconscious:adj.无意识的;失去知觉的;未发觉的; community:n.社区;[生态]群落;共同体;团体;
We're often choosing by guessing, what would other people think about our choice? 我们的选择经常通过猜测, 通过猜测,别人会怎样想 我们的选择呢？
Also we are choosing by looking at what others are choosing. 此外,我们会通过 看别人怎么选择而选择。
We're also guessing what is socially acceptable choice. 我们也在猜什么是社会可以接受的选择。
acceptable:adj.认同的;可接受的;令人满意的;
Now, because of this, we actually even after we have already chosen, like bought a car, endlessly read reviews about cars, as if we still want to convince ourselves that we made the right choice. 正因如此,我们其实 即使已经选择了, 就像买了一辆车, 仍然会无休止地阅读关于汽车的评论, 如我们仍然要说服自己, 确定我们做出了正确的选择。
endlessly:adv.不断地;无穷尽地; reviews:n.综述; v.回顾; convince:v.使确信;使相信;说服,劝说;
Now, choices are anxiety-provoking. 选择是会引起焦虑。
They are linked to risks, losses. 它们会联系到的风险,损失。
They are highly unpredictable . 它们是高不可预测的。
highly:adv.高度地;非常;非常赞许地; unpredictable:adj.不可预知的;不定的;出乎意料的;n.不可预言的事;
Now, because of this, people have now more and more problems that they are not choosing anything. 正因如此, 人们现在有越来越多的问题, 因为他们没有选择任何东西。
Not long ago, I was at a wedding reception, and I met a young, beautiful woman who immediately started telling me about her anxiety over choice. 不久以前,我在一个婚礼上, 我遇见了一个既年轻,又漂亮的女人, 她立刻开始跟我谈起她对选择的焦虑。
She said to me, I needed one month to decide which dress to wear. 她对我说,「我需要一个月的时间 决定穿哪一套裙。」
Then she said, For weeks I was researching which hotel to stay for this one night. 然后她说,「几个星期以来我正在研究, 在哪一间酒店留宿一晚。
And now, I need to choose a sperm donor . 现在,我需要选择一个精子捐赠者。」
sperm:n.精子;精液;鲸蜡油; donor:n.捐赠者;供者;赠送人;adj.捐献的;经人工授精出生的;
(Laughter) （笑声）
I looked at this woman in shock. 我震惊地看着这个女人。
Sperm donor? What's the rush? 「捐精者？急什么？」
She said, I'm turning 40 at the end of this year, and I've been so bad in choosing men in my life. 她说,「我在今年年底便40岁, 但我对男人的选择一直糟糕。」
Now choice, because it's linked to risk, is anxiety-provoking, and it was already the famous 选择,因为它联系到风险, 是会引起焦虑, 这已经是着名的
Danish philosopher S?ren Kierkegaard who pointed out that anxiety is linked to the possibility of possibility. 丹麦哲学家索伦?克尔凯郭尔谁 指出,焦虑是因为我们联系 可能性的可能性。
Danish:adj.丹麦的;丹麦人的;丹麦语(文)的;n.丹麦语; philosopher:n.哲学家;深思的人;善于思考的人;
Now, we think today that we can prevent these risks. 今时今日,我们觉得我们能避免这些风险。
We have endless market analysis , projections of the future earnings . 我们有无尽的市场分析, 未来盈利的预测。
analysis:n.分析;分解;验定; projections:n.预测;设想;投影;投影图;(projection的复数) earnings:n.收益;收入;利润;赢利;
Even with market, which is about chance, randomness , we think we can predict rationally where it's going. 即使是市场,关于机会的市场, 有随机性,我们认为我们可以合理地 预测其去向。
randomness:n.随意;无安排;不可测性; rationally:adv.理性地;讲道理地;
Now, chance is actually becoming very traumatic . 现今,机会其实是变得非常痛苦。
traumatic:adj.外伤的;创伤的;n.外伤药;
Last year, my friend Bernard Harcourt at the University of Chicago organized an event, a conference on the idea of chance. 去年,我的朋友伯纳·哈考特 在芝加哥大学举办活动, 会议是关于对机会的思想。
organized:adj.有组织的; v.组织; (organize的过去分词和过去式) conference:n.会议;研讨会;商讨会;体育协会(或联合会)
He and I were together on the panel , and just before delivering our papers — we didn't know each other's papers — we decided to take chance seriously. 我和他一起在小组上, 在介绍我们的论文之前一刻 — 我们不知道对方的论文 — 我们决定真的把机会当认真。
panel:n.镶板;仪表盘;钣金;(衣服上的)镶条;v.镶板(用木或玻璃板等镶嵌或装饰);
So we informed our audience that what they will just now hear will be a random paper, a mixture of the two papers which we didn't know what each was writing. 所以我们告诉我们的听众, 他们听到的将是 一篇随机的论文, 这两篇论文是 我们不知内容的混合物。
informed:adj.见多识广的; v.通知; (inform的过去分词和过去式) mixture:n.混合;结合体;混合物;集合体;
Now, we delivered the conference in such a way. 我们以这样的方式表发论文。
Bernard read his first paragraph, 伯纳读他的第一段,
I read my first paragraph, 我读我的第一个段落,
Bernard read his second paragraph, 伯纳读他的第二段,
I read my second paragraph, in this way towards the end of our papers. 我读我的第二段, 这样的直到论文结束。
Now, you will be surprised that a majority of our audience did not think that what they'd just listened to was a completely random paper. 你会惊奇地发现, 我们大多数的观众没有想到, 他们刚刚听了的 是一篇完全随机的论文。
They couldn't believe that speaking from the position of authority like two professors we were, we would take chance seriously. 他们简直不相信, 从两位像我们 有权威的教授, 我们对机会这样严肃。
authority:n.权威;权力;当局;
They thought we prepared the papers together and were just joking that it's random. 他们以为我们一起准备好论文, 以为我们说随机的只是在开玩笑。
Now, we live in times with a lot of information, big data, a lot of knowledge about the insides of our bodies. 现在,我们生活在一个有大量信息, 大数据, 对我们身体内部有大量知识的时候。
We decoded our genome . 我们已经解码了我们的基因组。
decoded:译解; genome:n.基因组;染色体组;
We know about our brains more than before. 我们对大脑比以前多了理解。
But surprisingly , people are more and more turning a blind eye in front of this knowledge. 但奇怪的是,在这知识当前 人们越来越视而不见。
surprisingly:adv.令人惊讶地;出乎意料地
Ignorance and denial are on the rise. 无知和否认有上升的趋势。
Ignorance:n.无知,愚昧;不知,不懂; denial:n.否认;否定;剥夺(应有的权利);拒不承认(令人不快、痛苦的事);
Now, in regard to the current economic crisis , we think that we will just wake up again and everything will be the same as before, and no political or social changes are needed. 现在,考虑到当前的经济危机, 我们以为,只要我们再次醒来, 一切都会和以前一样, 而不需要任何政治或社会的变迁。
economic:adj.经济的,经济上的;经济学的; crisis:n.危机;危险期;决定性时刻;adj.危机的;用于处理危机的;
In regard to ecological crisis, we think nothing needs to be done just now, or others need to act before us. 至于生态危机, 我们认为此刻没有什么需要做的, 或者是别人比我们需要更先采取行动。
ecological:adj.生态的,生态学的;
Or even when ecological crisis already happens, like a catastrophe in Fukushima, often we have people living in the same environment with the same amount of information, and half of them will be anxious about radiation and half of them will ignore it. 甚至当生态危机已经发生, 就像在福岛灾难, 往往有人生活在同一个环境中, 收到同数量的信息, 其中一半是担心辐射, 另一半会忽略它。
catastrophe:n.大灾难;大祸;惨败; radiation:n.辐射;放射线;放射疗法; ignore:v.驳回诉讼;忽视;不理睬;
Now, psychoanalysts know very well that people surprisingly don't have passion for knowledge but passion for ignorance. 不过,精神分析学家也很清楚, 人出奇地热爱的 不是知识, 而是热爱无知。
psychoanalysts:n.精神分析学家;(psychoanalysts是psychoanalyst的复数); passion:n.激情;热情;酷爱;盛怒;
Now, what does that mean? 这是什么意思？
Let's say when we are facing a life-threatening illness, a lot of people don't want to know that. 比方说,当我们面对 一个危及生命的疾病, 很多人并不想知道。
life-threatening:adj.威胁生命的;
They'd rather prefer denying the illness, which is why it's not so wise to inform them if they don't ask. 他们宁愿否认生病, 这就是为什么如果他们不问, 告诉他们其实不是那么明智的做法。
prefer:v.更喜欢;宁愿;提出;提升; denying:v.否认;否定;拒绝承认;拒绝给予;(deny的现在分词)
Surprisingly, research shows that sometimes people who deny their illness live longer than those who are rationally choosing the best treatment . 出人意料的是,研究表明, 有时有些否认自己病情的人 会活得比那些合理地选择 最佳治疗方案的人跟更长久。
treatment:n.治疗;疗法;对待;处理;讨论;
Now, this ignorance, however, is not very helpful on the level of the social. 但是这种无知, 不是对社会水平非常有幫助。
on the level:诚实的;可靠的;坦率地;老实说;
When we are ignorant about where we are heading, a lot of social damage can be caused. 当我们不知道我们正朝着哪里, 这可以引起大量的社会伤害。
ignorant:adj.无知的;愚昧的;
Now, on top of facing ignorance, we are also facing today some kind of an obviousness . 除了面对无外, 我们今天还面临着 一些那种显而易见的事情。
obviousness:n.显而易见;明显;显著性;
Now, it was French philosopher 它便是法国哲学家
Louis Althusser who pointed out that ideology functions in such a way that it creates a veil of obviousness. 阿尔都塞所指出, 意识形态的一种功能, 它创造了一瓣显而易见的面纱。
veil:n.面纱;面罩;遮蔽物;托词;v.遮蔽;掩饰;以面纱遮掩;用帷幕分隔;
Before we do any social critique, it is necessary really to lift that veil of obviousness and to think through a little bit differently. 在我们做任何社会批判之前, 有必要真正解除显而易见性的面纱, 并通过一点不同的想法。
think through:彻底地想清楚;
If we go back to this ideology of individual, rational choice we often embrace, it's necessary precisely here to lift this obviousness and to think a little bit differently. 如果我们要回到 我们常接受的思想, 个人 和理性的选择, 有必要在这里 解除这一种显见, 并添一点点不同的思想。
Now for me, a question often is why we still embrace this idea of a self-made man on which capitalism relied from its beginning? 对我来说,有一个问题往往就是, 白手兴家的构想, 根本是起源于对资本主义的依赖, 为什么我们仍然接受这种构想?
self-made:adj.自制的;自力更生的;自造的; relied:v.依赖;依靠;信赖;信任;(rely的过去分词和过去式)
Why do we think that we are really such masters of our lives that we can rationally make the best ideal choices, that we don't accept losses and risks? 为什么我们认为我们真的精通了生活, 我们可以理性地做出 最佳最理想的选择, 令到我们因此不接受损失和风险？
And for me, it's very shocking to see sometimes very poor people, for example, not supporting the idea of the rich being taxed more. 对我来说,是非常令人震惊地看到有时很贫穷的人, 例如,不支持对富有的人 纳税更多的想法。
Quite often here they still identify with a certain kind of a lottery mentality . 经常在这性质的事例,他们仍然 认同某种彩票的心态。
lottery:n.彩票;碰运气的事,难算计的事;抽彩给奖法; mentality:n.心态;[心理]智力;精神力;头脑作用;
Okay, maybe they don't think that they will make it in the future, but maybe they think, my son might become the next Bill Gates. 好吧,也许他们不认为他们将在未来会成功, 但也许他们认为, 我的儿子会成为下一个比尔·盖茨。
And who would want to tax one's son? 谁会愿意儿子被征税？
Or, a question for me is also, why would people who have no health insurance not embrace universal healthcare ? 或者,另一个问题是, 为什么没有医疗保险的人 不支持全民医疗？
insurance:n.保险;保险业;保险费;保费;adj.胜券在握的; universal:adj.普遍的;全体的;全世界的;共同的; healthcare:n.医疗保健;健康护理,健康服务;卫生保健;
Sometimes they don't embrace it, again identifying with the idea of choice, but they have nothing to choose from. 有时他们的确不接受它, 再一次是选择的想法识别, 即使他们没有什么选择。
identifying:n.识别,标识;标识关系;v.识别;(identify的现在分词)
Now, Margaret Thatcher famously said that there is nothing like a society. 戴卓尔夫人的一句名言, 没有什么像一个社会。
Thatcher:n.盖屋匠; famously:adv.著名地;极好地;
Society doesn't exist, it is only individuals and their families. 社会并不存在,存在的只是个人 及其家庭。
individuals:n.[经]个人;[生物]个体(individual的复数);
Sadly, this ideology still functions very well, which is why people who are poor might feel ashamed for their poverty . 可悲的是,这种意识还是非常好的运作, 这就是为什么穷人可能会对 自己贫穷感到羞愧。
ashamed:adj.惭愧;尴尬;因惭愧而不情愿; poverty:n.贫困;困难;缺少;低劣;
We might endlessly feel guilty that we are not making the right choices, and that's why we didn't succeed. 我们可能会无休止地对没有做出 正确的选择感到内疚, 并认为这就是我们没有成功的原因。
guilty:adj.有罪的;内疚的;
We are anxious that we are not good enough. 我们担心我们做得不够好。
That's why we work very hard, long hours at the workplace and equally long hours on remaking ourselves. 这就是为什么我们非常努力, 在工作花上长时间, 在重塑自己上花同样的长时间。
workplace:n.工作场所;车间; remaking:v.重新制作,改编;重做;(remake的现在分词)
Now, when we are anxious over choices, sometimes we easily give our power of choice away. 但当我们对选择急于忧虑, 有时我们很容易地放弃了我们的选择权力。
We identify with the guru who tells us what to do, self-help therapist , or we embrace a totalitarian leader who appears to have no doubts about choices, who sort of knows. 我们信赖着 告诉我们该怎么做的大师, 自助治疗师, 或者我们依赖一个 对选择似乎毫不犹疑的, 全知的极权主义领袖。
guru:n.古鲁(指印度教等宗教的宗师或领袖);领袖;专家; self-help:n.自助;自救;自立;adj.自助的; therapist:n.临床医学家;治疗学家; totalitarian:adj.极权主义的;n.极权主义者;
Now, often people ask me, 经常有人问我,
What did you learn by studying choice? 「那你通过学习选择学到什么呢？」
And there is an important message that I did learn. 我确实学到了一个重要的信息。
When thinking about choices, 当考虑选择时,
I stopped taking choices too seriously, personally . 我个人避免太沉重的对待选择。
personally:adv.个人;亲自;本人;就本人而言;
First, I realized a lot of choice I make is not rational. 首先,我意识到很多我做的选择 是不理性的。
It's linked to my unconscious, my guesses of what others are choosing, or what is a socially embraced choice. 它连接到我的潜意识, 我猜测别人怎么选择的, 或是一个社会接受的选择。
embraced:v.拥抱;欣然接受,乐意采纳;信奉;包含;(embrace的过去分词和过去式)
I also embrace the idea that we should go beyond thinking about individual choices, that it's very important to rethink social choices, since this ideology of individual choice has pacified us. 我也接受到, 我们应该超越 想着个人的选择, 而是非常重要的重新思考社会的选择, 因为个人选择这种意识已经平息了我们。
rethink:v.重新考虑;再想;n.重新考虑;反思;新想法; pacified:vt.使平静;安慰;平定;
It really prevented us to think about social change. 阻止了我们思考社会变革。
We spend so much time choosing things for ourselves and barely reflect on communal choices we can make. 我们花那么多时间为自己挑选东西, 只勉强反映 我们可以做到的公共选择。
barely:adv.仅仅,勉强;几乎不;公开地;贫乏地; reflect on:仔细考虑,思考;反省;回想,回顾;怀疑; communal:adj.公共的;公社的;
Now, we should not forget that choice is always linked to change. 不过,我们不应该忘记,选择 和改变总是连在一起的。
We can make individual changes, but we can make social changes. 我们可以把个人变化, 我们可以把社会变革。
We can choose to have more wolves. 我们可以选择有更多狼。
We can choose to change our environment to have more bees. 我们可以选择改变我们的环境 有更多蜜蜂。
We can choose to have different rating agencies . 我们可以选择不同的评级机构。
agencies:n.代理;代理处(agency的复数);
We can choose to control corporations instead of allowing corporations to control us. 我们可以选择控制, 而不是让企業控制我们的公司。
corporations:n.[贸易]公司,[经]企业(corporation的复数形式);
We have a possibility to make changes. 我们有可能做出改变。
Now, I started with a quote from Samuel Johnson, who said that when we make choice in life, we shouldn't forget to live. 我开始时引用了约翰逊的名句, 说到当我们在生活中做出选择时, 我们不应该忘记生活。
Finally , you can see 最后,你可以看到
Finally:adv.终于;最终;(用于列举)最后;彻底地;
I did have a choice to choose one of the three quotes with which I wanted to start my lecture . 我确实在演说开始时的 三个名句中 作出了一个选择。
lecture:n.演讲;讲座;讲课;谴责;v.开讲座;讲授;讲课;指责;告诫
I did have a choice, such as nations, as people, we have choices too to rethink in what kind of society we want to live in the future. 我确实有一个选择, 如国家,作为人民, 我们有太多选择,我们实在要 重新思考在未来要活在什么样的社会。
Thank you. 谢谢。
(Applause) (掌声)