TED演讲:新美国梦(1)

 I'm a journalist, so I like to look for the untold¹ stories, the lives that quietly play out under the scream of headlines. 我是一名记者，因此我乐于探寻那些鲜为人知的故事，那些夸张头条背后的平静生活。

I've also been going about the business of putting down roots, choosing a partner, making babies. 同时我也安家落户，结婚生子。

So for the last few years, I've been trying to understand what constitutes the 21st-century good life, 因此在过去的几年中，我一直试图理解是什么构成了21世纪的美好生活

both because I'm fascinated by the moral and philosophical² implications,  因为我对其道德以及哲学上的含义非常感兴趣

but also because I'm in desperate need of answers myself. We live in tenuous³ times. 并且我自己也迫切的想要知道答案。我们处于脆弱的年代。

In fact, for the first time in American history, the majority of parents do not think that their kids will be better off than they were. 事实上，大部分父母都不认为自己孩子的未来生活会更好。这在美国历史上还是第一次。

This is true of rich and poor, men and women. Now, some of you might hear this and feel sad. 不论贫富、性别，都是如此。可能有些人听到这种说法后感到难过。

After all, America is deeply invested in this idea of economic transcendence, 毕竟，美国正致力于实现经济超越，

that every generation kind of leapfrogs the one before it, earning more, buying more, being more. 让每一代都超越上一代，收入更多、支出更多、工作更好。

We've exported this dream all over the world, so kids in Brazil and China and even Kenya inherit our insatiable expectation for more. 这一梦想也走向世界，于是巴西、中国、甚至肯尼亚的儿童也逐渐变得难以满足。

But when I read this historic poll for the first time, it didn't actually make me feel sad. 但是，当我第一次看到这个历史性的调查结果，我没有感到难过。

It felt like a provocation⁴. "Better off" -- based on whose standards? 而是有些愤怒。“生活安逸”一词，究竟是根据什么标准来定的？

1 untold   

adj.数不清的，无数的

参考例句：

• She has done untold damage to our chances.她给我们的机遇造成了不可估量的损害。
• They suffered untold terrors in the dark and huddled together for comfort.他们遭受着黑暗中的难以言传的种种恐怖，因而只好挤在一堆互相壮胆。

2 philosophical   

adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的

参考例句：

• The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
• She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。

3 tenuous   

adj.细薄的，稀薄的，空洞的

参考例句：

• He has a rather tenuous grasp of reality.他对现实认识很肤浅。
• The air ten miles above the earth is very tenuous.距离地面十公里的空气十分稀薄。

4 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。