雙語(yǔ) ● 家的等式　The Paradox of Our Time

■ 家的等式　The Paradox of Our Time

◎ George Carlin

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more but enjoy less.

我們處于歷史上的矛盾時(shí)代：我們擁有更高的建筑，卻有更暴的脾氣；我們擁有更寬闊的高速公路，卻有更狹隘的觀點(diǎn)；我們花費(fèi)得更多，卻擁有得更少；我們購(gòu)買得更多，卻享受得更少。

We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

我們的房子越來(lái)越大，家庭卻越來(lái)越小；便利越來(lái)越多，時(shí)間卻越來(lái)越少；學(xué)位越來(lái)越多，感覺(jué)卻越來(lái)越少；知識(shí)越來(lái)越多，觀點(diǎn)卻越來(lái)越少；專家越來(lái)越多，問(wèn)題也越來(lái)越多；藥物越來(lái)越多，健康卻越來(lái)越少。

We drink too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

我們喝得太多，花錢大手大腳，笑得太少，開車太快，易怒，熬夜，賴床，書讀得太少，電視看得太多，并很少向上帝祈禱。

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; we’ve added years to life, not life to years.

我們常?？淇淦湔劊瑓s很少付出愛(ài)心，并仇恨得太多。我們掌握了謀生手段，卻不懂得生活的真諦；我們延長(zhǎng)了生命的期限，而不是生活的期限。

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space; we’ve done larger things, but not better things.

我們登上了月球并成功返回，卻不能穿過(guò)街道去拜訪新鄰居。我們開始探索太空，卻發(fā)現(xiàn)不了自己的內(nèi)心；我們的事業(yè)越做越大，質(zhì)量卻沒(méi)有提高。

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less; we plan more, but accomplish less.

我們清潔了空氣，卻污染了靈魂；我們分離了原子，卻無(wú)法去除自己的偏見；我們寫得更多，學(xué)到的卻更少；我們的計(jì)劃更多，完成的卻更少。

We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but, lower morals. 我們學(xué)會(huì)了追趕時(shí)間，卻忘記了如何等待；我們的收入越來(lái)越高，道德水平卻越來(lái)越低。

We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; we’ve become long on quantity, but short on quality. 我們制造了更多的計(jì)算機(jī)來(lái)存儲(chǔ)更多的信息，制造了最多的副本卻減少了交流；我們開始注重?cái)?shù)量，但忽視了質(zhì)量。

These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but more broken homes. 這個(gè)時(shí)代有雙收入，但也有更高的離婚率；有更華麗的房屋，卻有更多破碎的家庭。

These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. Where are we heading ...?

這個(gè)時(shí)代有快速旅游、免洗尿布、道德的缺失、一夜情、超重的身體，以及可以從快樂(lè)中走向靜止和自殺的藥物。我們將走向何方？

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

如果我們明天就死去，我們?yōu)橹ぷ鞯墓究赡茉趲滋靸?nèi)很輕易地找人代替我們的位置。但當(dāng)我們離開家人后，他們的余生將會(huì)在失落中度過(guò)。

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family an unwise investment indeed.

考慮一下吧，我們將自己的時(shí)間更多地投入到工作中，而放棄與家人在一起的時(shí)光，實(shí)在不是明智之舉。

So what is the morale of the story?

那么，這則故事的主旨是什么？

Don’t work too hard ... and you know what’s the full word of family?

不要工作得太辛苦，你知道家的全稱嗎？

FAMILY = (F) ATHER (A) ND (M) OTHER, (I) (L) OVE (Y) OU.

家＝爸爸媽媽，我愛(ài)你們。

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