我们这个时代的悖论(英译汉,译文著作权属于博主本人,转载须经本人同意...

来自 : 新浪博客 发布时间：2021-03-25

美国著名作家兼喜剧明星乔治·卡林是脱口秀节目的鼻祖，以幽默睿智的口才著称。其《聪明思考法》一书长期在世界各地书店的书架上被列为推荐畅销书。卡林有很多俏皮话含蓄隽永，引人深思。以下内容就是“卡林语录”的部分精华。

The paradox of our time in history is that wehave taller buildings but shorter tempers,wider freeways,butnarrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, butenjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families,moreconveniences,but less time. We have more degrees but less sense,more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yetmore problems, more medicine, but lesswellness.

我们身处的时代是历史上一个充满悖论的时代。房子越来越高，脾气却越来越糟；道路越来越宽，视野却越来越窄。我们花钱很多，却拥有很少；我们可以买到很多东西，但我们失去了太多乐趣。我们的房子越来越大，但家庭却越来越小。我们享受到很多生活便利，但可支配的时间却很少。我们学历越来越高，但心智却越来越低；我们知识面越来越广，但判断力却越来越差。专家漫天飞，问题却处处有。医学越来越发达，但我们的健康却每况愈下。

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend toorecklessly, laugh too little,drive too fast, get too angry, stay uptoo late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, andpray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reducedour values. We talk too much and lie too often, love too seldom,and hate too often.

我们饮酒过量，我们吸烟过度，我们消费无节制。我们笑容太少，我们开车太快，我们动辄生气。我们睡得太晚，起得太迟。读书太少，祈祷太少，整天耗在电视上。物质财富成倍增长，但自我价值却不断降低。空谈太多，谎话连篇；缺乏爱心，仇恨泛滥。

We\'ve learned how to make a living, but not alife. We\'ve added years to life not life to years. We\'ve been allthe way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the streetto meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not innerspace.

我们掌握了谋生手段，却不懂得生活真谛！我们让岁月白白流逝，却未能让生命得以充实。我们可以在月球与地球之间来去往返，却很难到马路那边给新搬来的邻居问一声安。我们征服了外层空间，却走不进内心世界。

We\'ve done larger things, but not better things.We\'ve cleaned up the air,but polluted the soul. We\'ve conquered theatom, but not our prejudice.

我们做事只求最大，不求最好（咱们小品里给引申为“买东西不求最好，但求最贵”）；我们让空气洁净，但却让灵魂蒙污。我们可以改变原子结构，但却对偏见歧视束手无策。

We write more, but learn less. We plan more, butaccomplish less.

我们写得太多，学到太少；计划太多，完成太少。（这句话象是对我辈热衷写博客的人说的）

We\'ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We havehigher incomes, but lower morals. We build more computers to holdmore information, to produce more copies than ever, but wecommunicate less and less. We are long on quantity, but short onquality.

我们学会了只争朝夕，却学不会耐心等待。我们收入日益丰厚，但道德品质却日益低下。我们造了更多的计算机，信息处理越来越多，文件复制得越来越多，但沟通与交流却越来越少。我们有了数量，缺了质量。

These are the times of fast foods and slowdigestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallowrelationships. More leisure and less fun;morekinds of food but less nutrition.These are thedays of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but brokenhomes.

这是一个快餐食品和消化迟缓相伴的时代；是一个体格高大和性格缺陷并存的时代；是一个惟利是图、人情如纸的时代。是一个休闲多了，乐趣却少了的时代；是食品种类越来越多，营养越来越少的时代。是双薪家庭增加，离婚率却不断攀升的时代；是居室装修富丽堂皇，家庭却残缺破碎的时代。

These are days of quick trips, disposablediapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies,and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, tokill.

这是一个旅行来去匆匆，尿布即用即扔的时代，是一个道德观念弃之九霄云外的时代，是一夜情泛滥的时代，是营养过剩、身体发福的时代，是迷幻药、安定片和避孕药大行其道的时代。

It is a time when there is much in the showroomwindow and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology canbring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either toshare this insight, or to just hit delete.

这是一个做秀花样不断、股市却空空如也的时代。是一个虽然高科技可以把这文章传送给你，但你却有权选择是跟人分享还是按键删除的时代。