2020年经济学人 悲观情绪VS科技发展(3)

 

That points to another lesson, which is that the remedy to technology-related problems very often involves more technology. Airbags and other improvements in safety features, for example, mean that in America deaths in car accidents per billion miles travelled have fallen from around 240 in the 1920s to around 12 today. AI is being applied¹ as part of the effort to stem the flow of extremist material on social media. The ultimate example is climate change. It is hard to imagine any solution that does not depend in part on innovations in clean energy, carbon capture and energy storage.

这就引出了另一个教训，即解决技术相关问题通常需要更多的技术。例如，安全气囊和其他安全设施的改进意味着，在美国，每行驶十亿英里的交通事故死亡人数已经从20世纪20年代的240人左右下降到今天的12人左右。人工智能正在被应用，作为阻止极端主义材料在社交媒体上流动的努力的一部分。最后一个例子是气候变化。很难想象有什么解决方案不部分依赖于清洁能源、碳捕获和能源储存方面的创新。

The most important lesson is about technology itself. Any powerful technology can be used for good or ill. The internet spreads understanding, but it is also where videos of people being beheaded go viral. Biotechnology can raise crop yields and cure diseases— but it could equally lead to deadly weapons.

最重要的教训是技术本身。任何强大的技术都可以用于好的方面，也可以用于坏的方面。互联网传播信息，但这里也是人们被砍头的视频被疯传的地方。生物技术可以提高作物产量，治愈疾病，但同样可以制造致命武器。

Technology itself has no agency: it is the choices people make about it that shape the world. Thus the techlash is a necessary step in the adoption² of important new technologies. At its best, it helps frame how society comes to terms with innovations and imposes rules and policies that limit their destructive potential (seat belts, catalytic converters and traffic regulations), accommodate change (universal schooling³ as a response to industrialisation) or strike a trade-off (between the convenience of ride-hailing and the protection of gig-workers). Healthy scepticism means that these questions are settled by a broad debate, not by a coterie⁴ of technologists.

技术本身没有中介：正是人们对此做出的选择塑造了这个世界。因此，技术鞭策是采用重要新技术的必要步骤。处于最佳状态，它有助于构建社会如何对待创新，并实施规则和政策来限制它们的破坏性潜力（安全带、催化转换器和交通规则），适应变化（对于工业化的回应——普及教育）或达成平衡（在叫车的方便和非正式员工的保护之间）。健康的怀疑主义意味着这些问题是通过广泛的辩论来解决的，而不是由一群技术专家来解决的。

Fire up the moral engine

点燃道德引擎

Perhaps the real source of anxiety is not technology itself, but growing doubts about the ability of societies to hold this debate, and come up with good answers. In that sense, techno-pessimism⁵ is a symptom of political pessimism. Yet there is something perversely⁶ reassuring⁷ about this: a gloomy debate is much better than no debate at all. And history still argues, on the whole, for optimism. The technological⁸ transformation⁹ since the Industrial Revolution has helped curb¹⁰ ancient evils, from child mortality to hunger and ignorance. Yes, the planet is warming and antibiotic¹¹ resistance is spreading. But the solution to such problems calls for the deployment¹² of more technology, not less. So as the decade turns, put aside the gloom for a moment. To be alive in the tech-obsessed 2020s is to be among the luckiest people who have ever lived.

也许焦虑的真正来源不是技术本身，而是人们越来越怀疑社会是否有能力控制住辩论，并拿出好的答案。从这个意义上说，技术悲观主义是政治悲观主义的症状。然而，这里面有一种令人不安的安慰:一场悲观的辩论总比没有辩论强。总的来说，历史仍然为乐观主义辩护。工业革命以来的技术变革帮助遏制了从儿童死亡率到饥饿和无知等各种古老的罪恶。是的，地球正在变暖，抗生素耐药性正在蔓延。但是解决这些问题需要更多的技术部署，而不是更少。因此，在这十年即将到来之际，先把悲观情绪放在一边。生活在痴迷科技的21世纪20年代，是有史以来最幸运的人之一。

1 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

2 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

3 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

4 coterie   

n.(有共同兴趣的)小团体，小圈子

参考例句：

• The name is known to only a small coterie of collectors.这个名字只有收藏家的小圈子才知道。
• Mary and her coterie gave a party to which we were not invited.玛利和她的圈内朋友举行派对，我们没被邀请。

5 pessimism   

n.悲观者，悲观主义者，厌世者

参考例句：

• He displayed his usual pessimism.他流露出惯有的悲观。
• There is the note of pessimism in his writings.他的著作带有悲观色彩。

6 perversely   

adv. 倔强地

参考例句：

• Intelligence in the mode of passion is always perversely. 受激情属性控制的智力，总是逆着活动的正确方向行事。
• She continue, perversely, to wear shoes that damaged her feet. 她偏偏穿那双挤脚的鞋。

7 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

8 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

9 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

10 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

11 antibiotic   

adj.抗菌的；n.抗生素

参考例句：

• The doctor said that I should take some antibiotic.医生说我应该服些用抗生素。
• Antibiotic can be used against infection.抗菌素可以用来防止感染。

12 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。