評論
打印
There are several reasons for this low status
美國的老人地位如此低
of the elderly in the U.S.
有幾個原因。
One is our Protestant work ethic
一是我們新教的工作倫理
which places high value on work,
這個倫理給予“工作”很大的價值，
so older people who are no longer working
所以不再能工作的老年人
aren't respected.
不被尊重。
Another reason is our American emphasis
另一個原因是我們美國人強調
on the virtues of self-reliance and independence,
自主和獨立的美德
so we instinctively look down on older people
所以我們本能地看不起
who are no longer self-reliant and independent.
不再自力更生而獨立的老年人。
Still a third reason is our American cult of youth,
第三個原因是我們美國式的，對年輕的崇拜，
which shows up even in our advertisements.
甚至在我們的廣告中就顯示了這點。
Ads for Coca-Cola and beer always depict
可口可樂和啤酒的廣告總是描繪
smiling young people,
微笑著的年輕人，
even though old as well as young people
即使老人象年輕人一樣
buy and drink Coca-Cola and beer.
會去買可口可樂和啤酒。
Just think, what's the last time you saw
想一想，你最后一次看到
a Coke or beer ad depicting smiling people
可樂或者啤酒的廣告描繪微笑著的
85 years old? Never. 85
歲老人是什么時候？從來沒有。
Instead, the only American ads
相反，唯一以白發老人
featuring white-haired old people
為主角的美國廣告
are ads for retirement homes and pension planning.
是眼淚院和養老計劃的廣告。
Well, what has changed in the status
今天老人的地位
of the elderly today
與他們在傳統社會中的地位
compared to their status in traditional societies?
相比起來有什么變化？
There have been a few changes for the better
有一些好的變化
and more changes for the worse.
更多的方面變得更糟糕了。
Big changes for the better
好的變化中，大的方面
include the fact that today we enjoy
包括今天我們享受
much longer lives,
更長的生命這一事實，
much better health in our old age,
我們比過去的老年人更健康，
and much better recreational opportunities.
和有更好地娛樂的機會。
Another change for the better is that we now have
另一個更好的變化是，我們現在有
specialized retirement facilities
專門的退休設施
and programs to take care of old people.
和政策來照顧老人們。
Changes for the worse begin with the cruel reality
更糟的變化開始于
that we now have
我們現在，比以往任何時候
more old people and fewer young people
都有更多的老人和更少的年輕人
than at any time in the past.
這一殘酷現實。
That means that all those old people
這意味著，那些老人
are more of a burden on the few young people,
對這些較少的年輕來說是個負擔，
and that each old person has less individual value.
并且每個老人的個體價值也就更少。
Another big change for the worse in the status of the elderly
另一個老年人地位惡化的大變化是
is the breaking of social ties with age,
隨著年齡的增長，社會紐帶的斷裂，
because older people, their children,
因為老人，他們的孩子，
and their friends,
和他們的朋友，
all move and scatter independently of each other
在他們的生命過程中多次搬家
many times during their lives.
并彼此獨立地四散各處。
We Americans move on the average
我們美國人平均
every five years.
每五年就搬家一次。
Hence our older people are likely
因此我們的老人很有可能
to end up living distant from their children
最終生活在遠離他們的孩子
and the friends of their youth.
和他們青年時期朋友的地方。
Yet another change for the worse in the status of the elderly
另一個老年人地位惡化的變化是
is formal retirement from the workforce,
從勞動力中正式退休，
carrying with it a loss of work friendships
同時失去在工作中建立的友誼
and a loss of the self-esteem associated with work.
以及從工作而來的自尊。
Perhaps the biggest change for the worse
或許，最大的（老人地位）惡化的改變是
is that our elderly are objectively
我們的老人都客觀地
less useful than in traditional societies.
相比在傳統社會中沒那么有用了。
Widespread literacy means that they are no longer
文化普及意味著他們不再
useful as repositories of knowledge.
是有用的知識寶庫。
When we want some information,
當我們想要某些信息時，
we look it up in a book or we Google it
我們從書里面查，或是上網搜索
instead of finding some old person to ask.
而不是詢問老人。
The slow pace of technological change
在傳統社會中，
in traditional societies
技術變革的緩慢速度
means that what someone learns there as a child
意味著在孩童時代學習的東西
is still useful when that person is old,
在老年時仍然有用
but the rapid pace of technological change today
而今天技術的快速改變
means that what we learn as children
意味著我們在孩童時代學習的東西
is no longer useful 60 years later. 60
年后已經不再有用。
And conversely, we older people are not fluent
反過來，我們老人對于
in the technologies essential for surviving
現代社會中生存必需的技術
in modern society.
并不擅長。
For example, as a 15-year-old,
例如，做為一個15歲的孩子，
I was considered outstandingly good at multiplying numbers
別人覺得我非常擅長乘法
because I had memorized the multiplication tables
因為我記得乘法表，
and I know how to use logarithms
知道如何使用對數，
and I'm quick at manipulating a slide rule.
并且可以快速地操作計算尺。
Today, though, those skills are utterly useless
然而，今天，這些技能基本完全無用
because any idiot
因為任何一個白癡
can now multiply eight-digit numbers
也可以將八位數的數字
accurately and instantly with a pocket calculator.
準確快速地用一個袖珍計算器相乘。
Conversely, I at age 75
相反地，我在75歲時
am incompetent at skills
無法駕馭日常生活中
essential for everyday life.
所必須的技能。
