TED演讲 第21期:说服 让利他精神成为你的准则(1)

 So we humans have an extraordinary potential for goodness,  人类为善的潜力没有尽头，

but also an immense power to do harm.  但为恶的能力也不可小觑。

Any tool can be used to build or to destroy.  任何工具，在人类手里都可用于行善， 也都可用于作恶。

That all depends on our motivation.  这完全取决于我们内心的动机。

Therefore, it is all the more important to foster an altruistic¹ motivation rather than a selfish one.  因此，心怀利他精神，而不是自私的念头，比什么都重要。

So now we indeed are facing many challenges in our times.  当今世界我们确实面临着太多挑战。

Those could be personal challenges.  其中有我们自身的挑战，

Our own mind can be our best friend or our worst enemy.  我们的思想可以是我们最善良的朋友， 也可以是最危险的敌人；

There's also societal challenges:  也有社会层面的挑战：

poverty in the midst of plenty, inequalities, conflict, injustice².  贫富分布不均、不平等、战乱、不公平；

And then there are the new challenges, which we don't expect. 还有很多尚未料到的新的挑战。

Ten thousand years ago, there were about five million human beings on Earth.  一万年前，地球上只有大概五百万人，

Whatever they could do,  无论那时的人做了什么，

the Earth's resilience would soon heal human activities.  地球的恢复力都会让人类的影响消于无形。

After the Industrial and Technological³ Revolutions,  自工业技术革命开始以来，

that's not the same anymore.  这种情况就不复存在了。

We are now the major agent of impact on our Earth.  人类成为了破坏地球最主要的因素。

We enter the Anthropocene, the era of human beings.  我们迎来了人类纪，即人类的纪元。

So in a way, if we were to say we need to continue this endless growth,  从某种角度来看，如果我们持续这种无节制的发展，

endless use of material resources,  持续不断地消耗资源，

it's like if this man was saying and I heard a former head of state, I won't mention who, saying Five years ago, we were at the edge of the precipice⁴.  我们就会像这位,我从一位前国家元首那听来的， 我不会说是谁—说的这样，五年前，我们站在悬崖边，

Today we made a big step forward. 今天我们又跨出了一大步。

So this edge is the same that has been defined by scientists as the planetary boundaries. 这个悬崖边，就是科学家们定义的地球限度。

And within those boundaries, they can carry a number of factors.  在限度以内—这个限度是由多种因素决定的。

We can still prosper⁵, humanity can still prosper for 150,000 years if we keep the same stability of climate as in the Holocene for the last 10,000 years. 我们仍然可以繁荣发展，如果维持曾经持续了一万年的 全新纪的环境稳定性，人类可以再发展十五万年。

But this depends on choosing a voluntary simplicity,  但这决定于我们的选择，

growing qualitatively⁶, not quantitatively⁷.  要自发地求简、求质，而不是求数量。

So in 1900, as you can see, we were well within the limits of safety.  在二十世纪初，你们能看到， 我们还处在安全的限度以内。

Now, in 1950 came the great acceleration⁸.  到二十世纪五十年代， 社会的发展速度有了极大提升。

Now hold your breath, not too long, to imagine what comes next.  请屏住呼吸，快速想一下， 接下来会发生什么吧。

Now we have vastly overrun some of the planetary boundaries.  如今我们在很多方面大幅超出地球限度，

Just to take biodiversity, at the current rate,  以生物多样性来说吧，按现有速度，

by 2050, 30 percent of all species on Earth will have disappeared.  到2050年，地球上30%的物种将会消失。

Even if we keep their DNA⁹ in some fridge, that's not going to be reversible.  即便我们冷藏其DNA，消失的物种也不能复原。

So here I am sitting in front of a 7,000-meter-high, 21,000-foot glacier¹⁰ in Bhutan. 照片中的我坐在不丹境内七千米高，也就是两万一千英尺高的冰川前。

At the Third Pole, 2,000 glaciers¹¹ are melting fast, faster than the Arctic.  在第三极点，两千米高的冰川在迅速融化， 速度比北极融化的还要快。

So what can we do in that situation?  这种情况下我们能做些什么呢？

Well, however complex politically, economically, scientifically the question of the environment is,  环境问题尽管充斥着政治、经济、学术等诸多因素，

it simply boils down to a question of altruism¹² versus¹³ selfishness.  但可以归结为一点：是利他，还是利己。

I'm a Marxist of the Groucho tendency.  我是格劳乔马克思主义者。

Groucho Marx said, "Why should I care about future generations?  格劳乔马克思说过，我为什么要为后代考虑呢？

What have they ever done for me?  他们为我做过什么吗？

1 altruistic   

adj.无私的，为他人着想的

参考例句：

• It is superficial to be altruistic without feeling compassion.无慈悲之心却说利他，是为表面。
• Altruistic spirit should be cultivated by us vigorously.利他的精神是我们应该努力培养的。

2 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

3 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。

4 precipice   

n.悬崖，危急的处境

参考例句：

• The hut hung half over the edge of the precipice.那间小屋有一半悬在峭壁边上。
• A slight carelessness on this precipice could cost a man his life.在这悬崖上稍一疏忽就会使人丧生。

5 prosper   

v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣

参考例句：

• With her at the wheel,the company began to prosper.有了她当主管，公司开始兴旺起来。
• It is my earnest wish that this company will continue to prosper.我真诚希望这家公司会继续兴旺发达。

6 qualitatively   

质量上

参考例句：

• In other words, you are to analyze them quantitatively and qualitatively. 换句话说，你们要对它们进行量和质的分析。
• Electric charge may be detected qualitatively by sprinkling or blowing indicating powders. 静电荷可以用撒布指示粉剂的方法，予以探测。

7 quantitatively   

adv.数量上

参考例句：

• With the ease, radiation detectors can be used semi-quantitatively in the field. 使用射线探测器可以很方便地进行野外半定量测定。 来自辞典例句
• In other words, you are to analyze them quantitatively and qualitatively. 换句话说，你们要对它们进行量和质的分析。 来自辞典例句

8 acceleration   

n.加速，加速度

参考例句：

• All spacemen must be able to bear acceleration.所有太空人都应能承受加速度。
• He has also called for an acceleration of political reforms.他同时呼吁加快政治改革的步伐。

9 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

10 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

11 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

12 altruism   

n.利他主义，不自私

参考例句：

• An important feature of moral behaviour is altruism.道德行为一个重要特点就是利他主义。
• Altruism is crucial for social cohesion.利他主义对社会的凝聚是至关重要的。

13 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。