经济学人166:传统社会 不绕弯子

　　Traditional societies
传统社会
No beating about the bush
不绕弯子
America's best-known geographer¹ shows what there is to learn from early man
美国最为知名的地理学家认为我们应该向早期人类学习
The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?
昨日世界：传统社会有何借鉴之处？》
1 JARED DIAMOND has made a name for himself explaining why some societies do well and others do not. In “Guns, Germs and Steel”, his 1997 bestseller, he brushed aside the arrogant² view that ascribed Europe's dominance to human biology, stressing instead the continent's environmental advantages, notably³ its native wheat and barley⁴ and its easily domesticated⁵ animals. He followed this up eight years later with “Collapse”, another exhaustive study, this time about how certain societies caused their own demise⁶ by ruining the environs that sustained them. Read together, these are civilisation-scale books about survival.
贾雷德戴蒙德因为分析了一些社会运行良好一些社会难以为继的原因而名声大噪。他执笔的《枪炮、病菌与钢铁》是1997年的畅销书。书中，他对 “欧洲社会之所以运行良好，是因为其主导了人类生物学领域” 这一自负论断不屑一顾，在他看来，欧洲大陆的昌盛是因为欧洲优越的环境特别适合种植小麦、大麦以及饲养家畜。八年后，他奉献了耗时良久的又一力作-《崩溃:社会如何选择成败兴亡》。书中主要内容是介绍一些人类社会是如何毁掉自己赖以生存的周遭环境，进而导致自己灭亡的。两本书都是文明层面上有关人类生存的书籍。
But they cover only a small portion of the human story. In his new book Mr Diamond, a geographer at UCLA, points out that life on this scale is a recent phenomenon. For most of history human beings lived in small groups as hunter-gatherers. Agriculture began 11,000 years ago; state government not even half as recently.But Mr Diamond, who has spent years studying in the jungles of Papua New Guinea and learning from local tribes people, argues that mankind retains important links to its distant past and can still learn a thing or two from traditional societies.
不过，这两本书中写到的只是人类故事的冰山一角。现任教于美国加州洛杉矶分校地理学系的贾雷德.戴蒙德在他的新书中写到人类今天以这种模式生存只是近代才有的一种现象。在历史的大部分时期，人们一直以类似于狩猎者一样聚居的方式生存，毕竟人类开始从事农业生产的历史也才11,000多年，国家政府也是在近代5500多年前才出现。戴蒙德教授花了八年时间呆在巴布亚新几内亚的丛林里，研究当地的部落居民，得出了这样的结论：人类仍旧与遥远的过去保持着重要的联系，传统社会有很多事情值得我们借鉴。
Mr Diamond writes, for example, that most societies have held on to some form of religion as a way of maintaining social order, comforting the anxious and teaching political obedience⁷. Tribal⁸ societies in New Guinea rarely, if ever, fight over religious matters. These societies also tend to be more multilingual, helpful for diplomacy⁹ perhaps, and as it turns out, also a way of protecting against Alzheimer's. There are 1,000 different languages in New Guinea alone. Traditional societies resolve disputes by making do entirely¹⁰ without the state. In stark¹¹ contrast to the American criminal-justice system, the leopard-skin-draped chief of Sudan's Nuer people has no role in settling disputes but works to facilitate mediation¹² and calculate traditional forms of compensation.
比如，戴蒙德教授在书中就这样写到：大部分人类社会都保留了某种宗教形式，用于维持社会治安、安抚社会急躁情绪、 维持政治统治。不过， 新几内亚的部落居民却从未因为宗教事务发生过冲突。这些原始的部落使用的语言不止一种， 或许这样有助于人们交往。事实上证明，使用多种语言也是防治老年痴呆症的好方法。单单在新几内亚就有1000多种语言。传统社会一般在没有国家机器的状态下，就能解决所有冲突。与美国刑事司法系统截然不同的是，苏丹身穿豹纹皮的努尔部落首领没有权力解决纠纷，但是可以采用传统的计算方法核算补偿，从中进行调停。
Other things have changed, not all of them for the better. The gluttonous¹³ industrialised world could benefit from a more Palaeolithic diet. Traditional societies have hardly a trace of the West's main non-communicable diseases, such as heart attacks, strokes, diabetes¹⁴ and many forms of cancer—the hallmarks of a diet rich in salt and saturated¹⁵ fat.Thanks to a cuisine¹⁶ of mainly low-sodium bananas, Brazil's Yanomamo Indians consume only 50 milligrams of salt a day. One Big Mac would give them a month's worth. Tribespeople who adopt a sedentary lifestyle and eat processed food show a sharp increase in the same diseases that afflict¹⁷ Westerners. A third of urbanised Australian aboriginals¹⁸ suffer from type-2 diabetes, and among the Wanigela in Port Moresby, New Guinea's modern capital city, the figure is closer to 40%.
很多事情已经改变，但是并不尽如人意。 生活在贪婪的工业社会的人们可以多学学旧石器时代的饮食习惯，相信会受益良多。生活在传统社会的人，几乎没人得过类似于心脏病、中风、糖尿病和多种癌症等困扰西方人的常见非传染疾病。这些疾病是食用含盐量高和脂肪饱和食物的有力证明。多亏了食用含钠较低的香蕉，巴西的雅诺玛莫印度人一天食盐摄入量只有仅仅50毫克。一个大苹果，就能让他们大快朵颐。那些习惯了长时间坐着工作、食用加工食品生活方式的部落居民，患上那些困扰西方人疾病的几率聚居上升。生活在城里的澳大利亚原住民，有三分之一患上了Ⅱ型糖尿病。生活在巴布亚新几内亚的现代化首都摩尔贝斯港的Wanigela人，患该类糖尿病的比例将近40%。
Mr Diamond is at his most impressed when it comes to tribal family life. He writes of missionary¹⁹ children who prefer the playgroups of traditional societies that bring together children of different ages to the solitary²⁰ fixation on video games that are common back home. Raising children is a communal²¹ affair in which the elderly are deeply involved, unlike what happens in most Western countries. He cites studies that show that an African Aka pygmy infant, for example, is looked after by at least seven people and babies in the Efe tribe by as many as 14.At the same time, he writes, children in traditional households seem to enjoy more autonomy. In the Kalahari the !Kung do not resort to physical punishment; instead children are allowed to slap and insult their parents. And New Guinea Highlander²² children are encouraged to play with knives and with fire, precisely²³ so that they are able to learn from their mistakes.
最让戴蒙德教授印象深刻的是部落的家庭生活。他书中写到，比起一回到家一律死盯着电动游戏的孩子相比，传教士的孩子更喜欢在传统社会的操场上玩，在那里，不同年纪的孩子能在一起嬉闹追逐。与大部分西方国家不同的是，在部落家庭里，抚养孩子是集体的事情，老人是这个过程中绝对的主角。有研究显示，非洲地区的阿卡俾格米矮人族的婴儿由至少7人照顾，埃菲社里的婴儿至少由14个人照顾。他书中就引用了这项研究。同时，他还写到，传统家庭长大的孩子似乎想要更多的自主性。喀拉哈沙漠 the Kung人种不会体罚孩子，相反允许孩子侮辱、打骂家长。为了让孩子可以从错误中切身地汲取教训，新几内亚的高地人鼓励孩子玩火，耍刀。
In all this, the author's argument is not that we should abandon our modern way of life—he certainly has not—nor does he romanticise traditional people as earth-loving peaceniks. A tribal life can, after all, be nasty and brutish. Few people live past the age of 50, mostly because of curable diseases. For the !Kung, infanticide has been permitted in order to preserve resources in lean times. Bolivia's Siriono Indians abandoned their elderly once they became a burden. North American Crow Indians encouraged them to commit suicide. Tribal warfare²⁴ may kill far fewer than 21st-century mechanised versions, but there is still a constant fear of raids and revenge killings²⁵. And a higher percentage of the population dies fighting.
作者这么写，不是说人们应该放弃现代生活方式，他也没有这层意思。他也没有把传统社会生活的人们美化成和平分子。毕竟，部落里的生活是不文明而且残酷的。部落里的人很少有活过50的，大部分死于可以治疗的疾病。在the！kung 民族里，收成不好的时节，为了节省资源，人们可以屠杀婴儿。玻利维亚的西瑞诺娜民族会遗弃拖累族群的老人。北美的客如印第安人鼓励孩子杀人。部落争斗中丧生的人大大少于21世纪机械化战争中死亡的人数，但是部落居民一直都有遭受突袭、仇杀之类的担忧。部落人口中很大一部分死于部落斗争。
Nor is subsistence living for the faint- hearted. Shortages can mean starvation. Taro²⁶, a tropical-root vegetable, is the staple²⁷ food of the Kaulong people of New Britain, an island off Papua New Guinea. But in the dry season they are forced to scour²⁸ the forest for insects, snails²⁹ and unpalatable plants. Toxic³⁰ wild nuts must be soaked in water for days to leach³¹ out the poison.
书中，他也没有说胆小鬼有生存的可能。物资短缺可意味着要挨饿。巴布亚新几内亚群岛附近的一座名为新英格兰的岛生活着卡隆民族，他们的主食就是热带根茎蔬菜芋头。但是一到旱季，他们就得去森林捉昆虫，蜗牛以及不怎么美味的植物充饥。他们还会把有毒的野生坚果浸在水里数日，溶解毒性后食用。
Mr Diamond's book is mostly a fascinating survey of a rapidly fading world. Only when it tries to pose as a handbook for tribal living does it fall flat. Comparing traditional strategies for maximising crop yields with modern ways of managing financial investments is more banal³² than original. Our forebears have been around for a lot longer than we have; learning how they did so should be lesson enough.
很大程度上来说，戴蒙德教授的新书是对快速消亡世界的一次引人入胜的探寻。如果把这本书当成部落生活的手册，那么这本书就完全算不上好书。把最大程度上提高收成的传统方法与现代金融投资管理方式相比是一种没有创意而且很迂腐的行为。我们的祖先先于我们存在很久，弄明白他们是如何做到这一点就足够我们学一辈子的了。

1 geographer   

n.地理学者

参考例句：

• His grandfather is a geographer.他的祖父是一位地理学家。
• Li Siguang is a famous geographer.李四光是一位著名的地理学家。

2 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

3 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

4 barley   

n.大麦，大麦粒

参考例句：

• They looked out across the fields of waving barley.他们朝田里望去,只见大麦随风摇摆。
• He cropped several acres with barley.他种了几英亩大麦。

5 domesticated   

adj.喜欢家庭生活的；（指动物）被驯养了的v.驯化( domesticate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He is thoroughly domesticated and cooks a delicious chicken casserole. 他精于家务，烹制的砂锅炖小鸡非常可口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The donkey is a domesticated form of the African wild ass. 驴是非洲野驴的一种已驯化的品种。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 demise   

n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。

7 obedience   

n.服从，顺从

参考例句：

• Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
• Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

8 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

9 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

10 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

11 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

12 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

13 gluttonous   

adj.贪吃的，贪婪的

参考例句：

• He is a gluttonous and lazy guy.他是个好吃懒做之徒。
• He is a selfish, gluttonous and lazy person.他是一个自私、贪婪又懒惰的人。

14 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

15 saturated   

a.饱和的，充满的

参考例句：

• The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。
• a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液

16 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。

17 afflict   

vt.使身体或精神受痛苦，折磨

参考例句：

• I wish you wouldn't afflict me with your constant complains.我希望你不要总是抱怨而使我苦恼。
• There are many illnesses,which afflict old people.有许多疾病困扰着老年人。

18 aboriginals   

（某国的）公民( aboriginal的名词复数 )； 土著人特征； 土生动物（或植物）

参考例句：

• He remained fascinated by the Aboriginals' tales. 他一直对澳大利亚土著居民的传说极感兴趣。
• They drove the aboriginals out of their lands at sword point. 他们以武力将土著人赶出他们的家园。

19 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

20 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

21 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

22 highlander   

n.高地的人，苏格兰高地地区的人

参考例句：

• They call him the highlander, he is Rory McLeod! 他们叫他寻事者，他是罗瑞·麦克劳德！ 来自互联网

23 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

24 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

25 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

26 taro   

n.芋，芋头

参考例句：

• Main grain crop has taro,corn,banana to wait.主要粮食作物有芋头、玉米、芭蕉等。
• You celebrate your birthday with taro,red bean and butter.用红豆、芋头和黄油给自己过生日。

27 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

28 scour   

v.搜索；擦，洗，腹泻，冲刷

参考例句：

• Mother made me scour the family silver.母亲让我擦洗家里的银器。
• We scoured the telephone directory for clues.我们仔细查阅电话簿以寻找线索。

29 snails   

n.蜗牛；迟钝的人；蜗牛( snail的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think I'll try the snails for lunch—I'm feeling adventurous today. 我想我午餐要尝一下蜗牛——我今天很想冒险。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Most snails have shells on their backs. 大多数蜗牛背上有壳。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

31 leach   

v.分离，过滤掉；n.过滤；过滤器

参考例句：

• Liquid water can leach soluble materials from the interface.液态水能够从界面溶解出可溶性物质。
• They believe that the humic materials are leached from decaying plant materials.他们认为腐植物料是从腐烂的植物体浸沥而来。

32 banal   

adj.陈腐的，平庸的

参考例句：

• Making banal remarks was one of his bad habits.他的坏习惯之一就是喜欢说些陈词滥调。
• The allegations ranged from the banal to the bizarre.从平淡无奇到离奇百怪的各种说法都有。