名人文化让世人感觉更渺小

 　　A generation ago young people aspired¹ to become lawyers and doctors. Now they yearn² to be the next Oscar winner or celebrity³ pop star.

　　三十年前，年轻人都渴望成为律师或者医生。现在的年轻人则梦想成为下一位奥斯卡奖得主或成为流行歌星。

　　But one university psychologist has warned this is wreakinghavocwith our self-image and underminingour sense of self-worth.

　　但是一位大学心理学家警告说，这种名人崇拜将会严重干扰我们对自我形象的认识、破坏我们的自我价值感。

　　Over recent years people around the world have been suffering from an increasing fear of their own "insignificance⁴', according to Dr Carlo Strenger of Tel Aviv University.

　　特拉维夫大学的卡罗 斯特兰博士说，近年来，世界各地的人们越来越忧心地感觉到自己的渺小。

　　He began an interdisciplinary project on the phenomenon 10 years ago, after noticing a surge of this fear in his own patients. His findings, presented in a new book, notes hundreds of research projects that have charted an unprecedented⁵ increase in levels of anxiety and depression.

　　十年之前，当斯特兰博士发现他的病人中有越来越多的人陷入对自身渺小的忧虑之后，他就该现象展开了一个跨学科研究项目。他分析了上百个研究项目之后发现，人们的焦虑和抑郁水平都在以前所未有的速度上升。这一研究成果发表在他的新书上。

　　By using a wide-ranging framework Dr Strenger thinks he has pinpointedthe cause. 'The impact of the global infotainmentnetwork on the individual is to blame,' he said.

　　通过这一涉及多个领域、涵盖面很广的研究，斯特兰博士认为他已经发现了导致该现象的原因。他说：“全球化的资讯娱乐网络对个人的影响是罪魁祸首。”

　　'A new species is born: homo globalis - global man - and we are defined by our intimate connection to the global infotainment network, which has turned ranking and rating people on scales of wealth and celebrity into an obsession⁶.'

　　“一个新物种——世界人——诞生了。作为这一新物种，我们的身份贵贱取决于我们与全球资讯娱乐网络的关系亲疏。在这一网络的影响下，我们按财富和知名度给人们划分等级，并沉迷于其中。”

　　As humans we naturally measure ourselves to those around us, but now we live in a 'global village' we are comparing ourselves with the most 'significant' people in the world - and finding ourselves wanting.

　　斯特兰博士说，作为人类，我们自然而然地会和身边的人做比较。但是现在我们住在了“地球村”，我们比较的对象是全世界最受关注的人，这样一对比就发现了自己的不足。

　　Today, even high achievers constantly fear that they are insignificant⁷ when they compare themselves to success stories in the media 'This creates highly unstable⁸ self-esteem and an unstable society,' Dr Strenger said.

　　如今，即使是那些成就卓越的人也会经常觉得自己跟媒体描述的成功人士比起来显得渺小，斯特兰博士说，“这种渺小的感觉导致了极度脆弱的自尊和不稳定的社会。”

　　Instead, Dr Strenger says people should stop measuring their achievement through cultural fantasies of riches and celebrity, which cannot lead to fulfillment.

　　斯特兰博士认为，人们不应该用那些富豪和名人的文化传奇作基准来衡量自己的成就，这种比较并不会使他们获得成功。

　　The remedy is a process that he calls 'active self-acceptance' through a sustainedquest for self-knowledge through life.

　　斯特兰博士说，人们可以通过一个他称之为“积极自我接纳”的过程来治疗这种“渺小恐惧症”。“积极自我接纳”是一个在生活中不断地发现自我的过程。

　　The fear of insignificance can only be overcome through strong individual and cultural identity over and above measurable achievement. He believes that people need to invest as much time in developing their worldviewsas their careers.

　　这种“渺小恐惧症”只能通过超脱于有限的个人成就的强烈的个人和文化认同感来克服。斯特兰博士认为，人们应该花费和发展职业同样多的时间来培养他们的世界观。

　　'Stable meaning cannot be found in cheap paperbacks⁹. People should invest time and thought to their worldviews and self-understanding in the same way they invest in medical studies and law school,' Dr Strenger advises.

　　斯特兰博士建议说：“廉价的平装书中很难有真知，人们应该拿出他们学习医学和法学的时间和思想来培养他们的世界观和自我认知。”

1 aspired   

v.渴望，追求( aspire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She aspired to a scientific career. 她有志于科学事业。
• Britain,France,the United States and Japan all aspired to hegemony after the end of World War I. 第一次世界大战后，英、法、美、日都想争夺霸权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 yearn   

v.想念；怀念；渴望

参考例句：

• We yearn to surrender our entire being.我们渴望着放纵我们整个的生命。
• Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.现在的很多都市人向往那种田园化的生活。

3 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

4 insignificance   

n.不重要；无价值；无意义

参考例句：

• Her insignificance in the presence of so much magnificence faintly affected her. "她想象着他所描绘的一切，心里不禁有些刺痛。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• It was above the common mass, above idleness, above want, above insignificance. 这里没有平凡，没有懒散，没有贫困，也没有低微。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

5 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

6 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。

7 insignificant   

adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的

参考例句：

• In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季，这种作用是不明显的。
• This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。

8 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

9 paperbacks   

n.平装本，平装书( paperback的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This shop only sells paperbacks. 这家书店只出售平装本的书。 来自辞典例句
• Other paperbacks were selling for ten or 15 cents each. 其它的平装书每本才卖十或十五美分。 来自互联网