TED演讲 大人能从小孩身上学到什么(3)

 Now, our inherent wisdom doesn't have to be insider's knowledge. Kids already do a lot of learning from adults, and we have a lot to share. 我们先天的智慧，堪比内行人的知识。小孩已经从大人身上学到许多，而我们也有很多东西可以和大人共享。

I think that adults should start learning from kids. Now, I do most of my speaking in front of an education crowd -- teachers and students, 我认为大人应该开始向小孩学习。听我演讲的观众大都是教育圈子里的，这其中有老师和学生。

and I like this analogy: It shouldn't be a teacher at the head of the class, telling students, "Do this, do that." 我喜欢这个类比。不应该只是老师站在教室讲台上告诉学生做这个做那个。

The students should teach their teachers. Learning between grown-ups and kids should be reciprocal. 学生亦应教育他们的老师。成人和儿童之间应该互相学习。

The reality, unfortunately, is a little different, and it has a lot to do with trust, or a lack of it. 不幸的是，在现实里，情况是截然不同的。这跟信任的关系很大，或者说是缺乏信任的结果。

Now, if you don't trust someone, you place restrictions² on them, right? If I doubt my older sister's ability to pay back the 10 percent interest I established on her last loan, 如果你不信任某人，你就给他们设限，对吧。如果我怀疑我姐姐没有能力偿还我给她的上一笔贷款的百分之十的利息时，

I'm going to withhold³ her ability to get more money from me, until she pays it back. True story, by the way. 我将要限制她再向我借钱，直到她还清借款为止。顺便提一下，这是个真实的例子。

Now, adults seem to have a prevalently restrictive attitude towards kids, from every "Don't do that, don't do this" in the school handbook, to restrictions on school Internet use. 大人呢，似乎普遍地对小孩持限制性的态度，从学校手册里的 “不能做这个”、“不能做那个” 到学校互联网使用的各种限制性规定。

As history points out, regimes become oppressive when they're fearful about keeping control. 历史告诉我们，当政体害怕统治失控时，它就会变得暴虐。

And although adults may not be quite at the level of totalitarian regimes, kids have no or very little say in making the rules, 虽然大人可能不会像独裁政权一样心狠手辣，但小孩在制定规则方面是几乎没有话语权的。

when really, the attitude should be reciprocal, meaning that the adult population should learn and take into account the wishes of the younger population. 而正确的态度应该是两者相互尊重的，也就是说成人群体应该了解，并认真对待年幼群体的愿望。

Now, what's even worse than restriction¹, is that adults often underestimate kids' abilities. 然而比限制更糟糕的是，大人常常低估小孩的能力。

We love challenges, but when expectations are low, trust me, we will sink to them. 我们喜欢挑战，但假如大人对我们期望很低的话，说真的，我们就会不思进取。

My own parents had anything but low expectations for me and my sister. Okay, so they didn't tell us to become doctors or lawyers or anything like that, 我自己的父母对我和姐姐抱很高的期望。当然，他们没有让我们立志成为医生或律师诸如此类的，

but my dad did read to us about Aristotle and pioneer germ-fighters, when lots of other kids were hearing "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round." 但我爸经常读关于亚里斯多德和先锋细菌斗士的故事给我们听，而其他小孩大多听的是《公车的轮子转呀转》。

Well, we heard that one too, but "Pioneer Germ Fighters" totally rules. 其实我们也有听这个，但《先锋细菌斗士》实在是比那个强多了。

 

1 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 withhold   

v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡

参考例句：

• It was unscrupulous of their lawyer to withhold evidence.他们的律师隐瞒证据是不道德的。
• I couldn't withhold giving some loose to my indignation.我忍不住要发泄一点我的愤怒。