时代周刊:美国如何落到今天这步田地?(1)

My Generation was Supposed to Level America's Playing Field

我们这代人本该为美国创造公平的竞争环境

Instead, We Rigged it for Ourselves

结果却将它变成了私欲的出口

BY STEVEN BRILL

文/史蒂夫·布里尔

LATELY, MOST AMERICANS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR POLITICAL leanings,

最近，大多数美国人，无论政治倾向如何，

have been asking themselves some version of the same question: How did we get here?

都在扪心自问同一个问题：我们是如何落到今天这步田地的？

How did the world's greatest democracy and economy

世界上最大的民主国家，最大的经济体是如何

become a land of crumbling¹ roads, galloping² income inequality, bitter polarization and dysfunctional government?

变成了一个道路破败、收入不平等加剧、两极分化严重、政府功能失调的国家的？

As I tried to find the answer over the past two years, I discovered a recurring³ irony⁴.

过去两年，我一直在寻找这个问题的答案，在这个过程中发现了一个反复出现的可笑之处。

About five decades ago, the core values that make America great began to bring America down.

那就是，大约50年前，曾经成就了美国的核心价值观开始将美国推上了衰败之路。

The First Amendment⁵ became a tool for the wealthy to put a thumb on the scales of democracy.

宪法第一修正案成了富人操控民主的工具。

America's rightly celebrated⁶ dedication⁷ to due process was used as an instrument to block government from enforcing job-safety rules,

公认的，美国对一心执行正当法律程序的热忱被用作了阻碍政府落实职业安全条规，

holding corporate⁸ criminals accountable and otherwise protecting the unprotected.

追究法人罪犯的责任，保护未受保护人群等的工具。

Election reforms meant to enhance democracy wound up undercutting democracy.

选举改革不仅没能加强民主建设，反而削弱了民主。

Ingenious financial and legal engineering turned our economy

别出心裁的金融和法律工程也把我们的经济

from an engine of long-term growth and shared prosperity into a casino with only a few big winners.

从一个驱动长期增长和共同繁荣的引擎变成了只有少数几个大赢家的赌场。

These distinctly American ideas became the often unintended instruments for splitting the country into two classes: the protected and the unprotected.

这些带有鲜明的美国特色的思想沦为了，往往还是无意之间变成的，将这个国家分裂成两个阶级——被保护阶级和未被保护阶级的工具。

The protected overmatched, overran and paralyzed the government.

被保护阶级战胜、超越并麻痹了这个国家的政府。

The unprotected were left even further behind.

未未被保护阶级则被远远地甩在了后面。

And in many cases, the work was done by a generation of smart, hungry strivers

而且，很多时候，实施这些改变的都是头脑聪明又充满渴望，

who benefited from one of the most American values of all: meritocracy.

享受到了美国最重要的价值观之一——精英统治的红利的奋斗一族。

This is not to say that all is rotten in the United States.

但这并不等于说美国的一切都在腐坏。

There are more opportunities available today for women, nonwhites and other minorities than ever.

因为今天的女性、有色人种和其他少数群体已经有了比以往任何时候都多的机会。

There are miracles happening daily in the nation's laboratories,

而且，这个国家每天都有奇迹在发生，无论是在实验室里，

on the campuses of its world-class colleges and universities,

世界一流大学的校园里，

in the offices of companies creating software for robots and medical diagnostics,

开发机器人和医疗诊断软件的公司的办公室里，

in concert halls and on Broadway stages,

还是在音乐厅和百老汇的舞台上，

and at joyous⁹ ceremonies swearing in proud new citizens.

在充满欢乐的，宣誓新公民身份的仪式上。

Yet key measures of the nation's public engagement, satisfaction and confidence—

然而，衡量国家民众参与、民众满意度和民众信心的关键指标——

voter turnout, knowledge of public-policy issues,

投票率，对公共政策问题的了解，

faith that the next generation will fare better than the current one,

相信下一代会比现在这一代过得更好的信念，

and respect for basic institutions, especially the government—

尊重基本制度，尤其是对政府的尊重等——

are far below what they were 50 years ago, and in many cases have reached near historic lows.

已经远远落后于50年前，还有很多已经达到了历史低点。

It is difficult to argue that the cynicism is misplaced.

你很难说这样的讽刺不合时宜。

From matters small—there are an average of 657 water-main breaks a day, for example—to large,

无论是从小的方面——比如平均每天有657个水管断裂——还是大的方面来看，

it is clear that the country has gone into a tailspin over the last half-century,

很明显，从半个世纪以前，也就是约翰·肯尼迪的新边疆没有试图把握当下，

when John F. Kennedy's New Frontier was about seizing the future, not trying to survive the present.

而是放眼未来的时候起，这个国家就开始逐步陷入了混乱。

1 crumbling   

adj.摇摇欲坠的

参考例句：

• an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
• The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。

2 galloping   

adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下，它就奔驰起来了。
• Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速，日新月异。

3 recurring   

adj.往复的，再次发生的

参考例句：

• This kind of problem is recurring often. 这类问题经常发生。
• For our own country, it has been a time for recurring trial. 就我们国家而言，它经过了一个反复考验的时期。

4 irony   

n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄

参考例句：

• She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
• In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。

5 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

6 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

7 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

8 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

9 joyous   

adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的

参考例句：

• The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
• They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。