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打印
The great recession may be over, but this era of high joblessness is probably beginning.
大蕭條也許結束了，但高失業率可能正在抬頭。
Before it ends, it will likely change the life course and character of a generation of young adults.
在情況沒有變好之前，這將可能改變人生的過程和剛成年一代人們的特點。
And ultimately, it is likely to reshape our politics, our culture, and the character of our society for years.
最終，這種情況還有可能改變我們長期形成的政策，文化以及社會的特點。
No one tries harder than the jobless to find silver linings in this national economic disaster.
沒有人會比失業者更想在全國經濟災難中看到希望。
Many said that unemployment, while extremely painful, had improved them in some ways:
許多人說，雖然痛苦，失業也能提升自己：
they had become less materialistic and more financially prudent; they were more aware of the struggles of others.
他們不再物質至上，更加節儉；他們更加注意到其它人的辛苦。
In limited respects, perhaps the recession will leave society better off.
在有限的方面，蕭條可以使社會得到好轉。
At the very least, it has awoken us from our national fever dream of easy riches and bigger houses,
至少，使我們從暴富和大別墅的狂熱幻境中蘇醒過來，
and put a necessary end to an era of reckless personal spending.
及時結束揮金如土的消費時代。
But for the most part, these benefits seem thin, uncertain, and far off.
但對于大多數人，這些好處似乎不夠，不確定，而且離個人太遠。
In The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth, the economic historian Benjamin Friedman argues that both inside and outside the U.S.,
Benjamin Friedman是經濟歷史學家，在《經濟增長的道德結果》一書中，他認為不管美國還是其它國家，
lengthy periods of economic stagnation or decline have almost always left society more mean-spirited and less inclusive,
長期經濟滯后或下跌總是使得社會人民更加小心眼，不能全面看問題，
and have usually stopped or reversed the advance of rights and freedoms.
經常使得人權和自由的停滯不前或者倒退。
Anti-immigrant sentiment typically increases, as does conflict between races and classes.
反移民情緒尤其高漲，種族矛盾，階層矛盾也高漲。
Income inequality usually falls during a recession, but it has not shrunk in this one.
蕭條期的收入不均的情況通常會好轉，但這次沒有。
Indeed, this period of economic weakness may reinforce class divides,
的確，這次經濟衰退可能會加強階級隔閡，
and decrease opportunities to cross them-- especially for young people.
減少彌補的機會--尤其對于年輕人來說。
The research of Till Von Wachter, the economist in Columbia University,
哥倫比亞大學經濟學家Till Von Wachter的研究表示，
suggests that not all people graduating into a recession see their life chances dimmed:
不是所有人都畢業就進入蕭條，就看到自己的人生機會渺茫：
those with degrees from elite universities catch up fairly quickly to where they otherwise would have been if they had graduated in better times;
從精英大學畢業的人會快速趕上他本該擁有的職位；
it is the masses beneath them that are left behind.
落后的人不是別人，正是他們底下的普通大眾。
In the internet age, it is particularly easy to see the resentment that has always been hidden within American society.
在互聯網時代，很容易看到美國社會的各種憤怒之聲。
More difficult, in the moment, is discerning precisely how these lean times are affecting society's character.
這個時候，更難區分清楚這些艱難困苦是如何影響社會國民性格的。
In many respects, the U.S. was more socially tolerant entering this recession than at any time in its history,
從很多方面來講，美國進入這次蕭條要比歷史上任何時期都更有社會容忍度，
and a variety of national polls on social conflict since then have shown mixed results.
但此后對社會沖突的各種全國民意調查喜憂參半。
We will have to wait and see exactly how these hard times will reshape our social fabric.
我們還得等等看，這些困難時如何重塑我們的社會結構的。
But they certainly will reshape it, and all the more so the longer they extend.
但是，這些困難肯定會重塑美國，而且時間越長影響越大。
