Now, let me spend the rest of my time on the third big problem,
現在,讓我把余下的時間花在對第三個重大問題的探討上。
because it's more subtle and perhaps difficult to grasp.
因為這個問題更加微妙,也可能難以把握。
Think about some time in your life --
試著回憶一下你生命中的某些時刻——
some people might never have experienced it -- but some people,
有些人可能從未體會過——但有些人
there are just those moments that you have experienced where life was fantastic.
在他們生命的某些時刻體會到生命的美妙。
It might have been at the moment of some great, creative inspiration
它可能是當你進入心流體驗時
you might have had when you just entered this flow stage.
所經歷的很棒的、產生創造性靈感的時候。
Or when you understood something you had never done before.
或者是當你弄懂了某件以往從未涉足的事情的時刻。
Or perhaps in the ecstasy of romantic love.
或者是浪漫愛情中那銷魂迷醉的時刻。
Or an aesthetic experience -- a sunset or a great piece of art.
或者是一種對美感的欣賞——如一次落日,或一幅名畫。
Every once in a while we have these moments,
時不時的,我們便會經歷這樣的時刻,
and we realize just how good life can be when it's at its best.
我們意識到,生命最美好的時刻是多么令人陶醉。

And you wonder, why can't it be like that all the time?
然后你就想,為什么生活不能總是那么美好呢?
You just want to cling onto this.
你就是想抓住此刻不放。
And then, of course, it drifts back into ordinary life and the memory fades.
然后呢,當然,生活又回到了常態,美好記憶悄然消退。
And it's really difficult to recall, in a normal frame of mind, just how good life can be at its best.
對我們來說,以一顆平常之心是非常難以回想生活在最精彩的時候是多么的美好,
Or how bad it can be at its worst.
或在最差勁的時候是多么的糟糕。
The third big problem is that life isn't usually as wonderful as it could be.
第三個重大問題是,生命通常達不到它可能達到的美妙狀態。
I think that's a big, big problem.
我想這是一個非常,非常大的問題。
It's easy to say what we don't want.
我們很容易指出出我們不喜歡的東西。
Here are a number of things that we don't want
以下都是我們避之而不及的東西
illness, involuntary death, unnecessary suffering, cruelty,
疾病、非自愿死亡、不必要的痛苦、殘酷、
stunted growth, memory loss, ignorance, absence of creativity.
發育停滯、健忘癥、無知,以及缺乏創造力。
Suppose we fixed these things -- we did something about all of these.
假設我們解決了這些問題——我們對所有這些都采取些措施。
We were very successful. We got rid of all of these things.
我們對此非常成功。我們擺脫了所有這些難題。
We might end up with something like this,
我們可能會變成這樣。
which is -- I mean, it's a heck of a lot better than that.
我的意思是,這將比原來的境況要好一百倍,
But is this really the best we can dream of?
但是,這真的是我們能想到的最好結果嗎?
Is this the best we can do?
這真的是我們所能做的最好程度嗎?
Or is it possible to find something a little bit more inspiring to work towards?
還是有可能找到一些更加鼓舞人心的目標來為之奮斗?
And if we think about this,
如果我們這樣想,
I think it's very clear that there are ways in which we could change things,
我認為,有一點非常明確,那就是如果想改變現狀,
not just by eliminating negatives, but adding positives.
除了消除負面因素,還可以增加積極因素。
On my wish list, at least, would be:
至少在我的愿望清單上會有——
much longer, healthier lives, greater subjective well-being,
更長久、更健康的幸福,更美滿的康樂安寧,
enhanced cognitive capacities, more knowledge and understanding,
更強的認知能力,更多的知識和領悟力,
unlimited opportunity for personal growth
超越目前人類生物極限的無限的個人成長機會,
beyond our current biological limits, better relationships,
更好的人際關系,
an unbounded potential for spiritual, moral and intellectual development.
更寬廣的精神,道德以及才智方面的發展空間。
If we want to achieve this, what, in the world, would have to change?
如果我們想達到這些目標,世界應如何改變?
And this is the answer -- we would have to change.
答案是——該改變的是我們。
Not just the world around us, but we, ourselves.
不僅僅改變我們周圍的世界,更應該改變我們自己。
Not just the way we think about the world, but the way we are -- our very biology.
不僅僅改變我們看待世界的方式,還有我們自身存在的方式——我們自身的生物特性。
Human nature would have to change.
人類本質必須要改變。