TED演讲：温和的成功哲学(3)

 　　There are other reasons why it's perhaps harder now to feel calm than ever before. 还有一些其他理由让我们比过去更难获得平静。

　　One of these, and it's paradoxical, because it's linked to something that's rather nice, is the hope we all have for our careers.  有些矛盾，因为拥有自己的事业是一件不错的事，

　　Never before have expectations been so high about what human beings can achieve with their lifespan. 但同时人们也从未对自己的短暂一生有过这么高的期待。

　　We're told, from many sources, that anyone can achieve anything. 这个世界用许多方法告诉我们，我们无所不能。

　　We've done away with the caste system, we are now in a system where anyone can rise to any position they please. 我们不再受限于阶级，而是只要靠着努力就能攀上我们想到的高度。

　　And it's a beautiful idea. Along with that is a kind of spirit of equality; we're all basically equal. 这是个美丽的理想。出于一种生而平等的精神，我们基本上是平等的。

　　There are no strictly¹ defined hierarchies². 没有任何明显的阶级存在。

　　There is one really big problem with this, and that problem is envy. 这造成了一个严重的问题，这个问题是嫉妒。

　　Envy, it's a real taboo³ to mention envy, but if there's one dominant⁴ emotion in modern society, that is envy. 嫉妒在今日是一种禁忌话题，但这个社会上最普遍的感受，便是嫉妒。

　　And it's linked to the spirit of equality. 嫉妒来自生而平等的精神。

　　Let me explain. I think it would be very unusual for anyone here, or anyone watching, to be envious⁵ of the Queen of England. 这么说吧。我想在场的各位或是观看这个影片的众位，很少有人会嫉妒英国女皇。

　　Even though she is much richer than any of you are, 虽然她比我们都更加富有，

　　and she's got a very large house, the reason why we don't envy her is because she's too weird⁶. 住在一个巨大的房子里，我们不会嫉妒她的原因是她太怪异了。

　　She's simply too strange. We can't relate to her, she speaks in a funny way, she comes from an odd place. 她太怪了。我们无法想象自己与她扯上关系，她的语调令人发噱，来自一个奇怪的地方。

　　So we can't relate to her, and when you can't relate to somebody, you don't envy them. 我们与她毫无关联，当你认为你与这个人毫无关联时，你便不会嫉妒。

　　The closer two people are -- in age, in background, in the process of identification -- the more there's a danger of envy, 越是两个年龄、背景相近的人，越容易陷入嫉妒的苦海，

　　which is incidentally why none of you should ever go to a school reunion, 所以千万避免去参加同学会，

　　because there is no stronger reference point than people one was at school with. 因为没有比同学更强烈的参照点了。

　　The problem of modern society is it turns the whole world into a school. 今日社会的问题是，它把全世界变成了一个学校。

　　Everybody's wearing jeans, everybody's the same. And yet, they're not. 每个人都穿着牛仔裤，每个人都一样。但并非如此。

　　So there's a spirit of equality combined with deep inequality, which can make for a very stressful situation. 当生而平等的概念遇上现实中悬殊的不平等，巨大的压力就出现了。

1 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

2 hierarchies   

等级制度( hierarchy的名词复数 )； 统治集团； 领导层； 层次体系

参考例句：

• That's a trip of two hierarchies. 那是两个领导层之间的互访。
• Hierarchies of authority, spans of control, long-range plans, and budgets. 等级森严的权力机构，控制范围，长期计划，预算。 来自英汉文学 - 廊桥遗梦

3 taboo   

n.禁忌，禁止接近，禁止使用；adj.禁忌的；v.禁忌，禁制，禁止

参考例句：

• The rude words are taboo in ordinary conversation.这些粗野的字眼在日常谈话中是禁忌的。
• Is there a taboo against sex before marriage in your society?在你们的社会里，婚前的性行为犯禁吗？

4 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

5 envious   

adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的

参考例句：

• I don't think I'm envious of your success.我想我并不嫉妒你的成功。
• She is envious of Jane's good looks and covetous of her car.她既忌妒简的美貌又垂涎她的汽车。

6 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。