02 Four Choices for Young People

Four Choices for Young People Shortly before his graduation, Jim Binns, president of the senior class at Stanford University, wrote me about some of his misgivings. ―More than any other generation,‖ he said, ―our

generation views the adult world with great

skepticism… there is also an increased tendency to

reject completely that world.‖

Apparently he speaks for a lot of his

contemporaries.

During the last few years, I have listened to

scores of young people, in college and out, who were just as nervous about the grown-up world. Roughly, their attitude might be summed up about like this: ―The world is in pretty much of a mess,

full of injustice, poverty, and war.

The people responsible are, presumably, the

adults who have been running thing. If they can’t do

better than that, what have they got to teach our

generation? That kind of lesson we can do without.‖ There conclusions strike me as reasonable, at least from their point of view. The relevant question for the arriving generation is not whether our society is imperfect (we can take

that for granted), but how to deal with it.

For all its harshness and irrationality, it is the

only world we’ve got.

Choosing a strategy to cope with it, then, is the first decision young adults have to make, and usually the most important decision of their lifetime. So far as I have been able to discover, there are only four basic alternatives:

1. 1. Drop Out

This is one of the oldest expedients, and it can be

practiced anywhere, at any age, and with or without

the use of hallucinogens.

It always has been the strategy of choice for

people who find the world too brutal or too complex to be endured. By definition, this way of life is parasitic. In on way or another, its practitioners batten on the society which they scorn and in which they refuse to take any

responsibility.

Some of us find this distasteful – an undignified

kind of life.

But for the poor in spirit, with low levels of both

energy and pride, it may be the least intolerable choice

available.

青年人的四种选择

在毕业前不久，斯坦福大学四年级主席吉姆？宾司给我写了一封信，信中谈及他的一些不安。

他写道：―与其他任何一代人相比，我们这一

代人在看待成人世界时抱有更大的疑虑……同时越来越倾向于全盘否定成人世界。‖ 很明显，他的话代表了许多同龄人的看法。 在过去的几年里，我倾听过许多年轻人的谈话，他们有的还在大学读书，有的已经毕业，他们对于成人的世界同样感到不安。

大致来说，他们的态度可归纳如下：―这个世界乱糟糟的，到处充满了不平等、贫困和战争。

对此该负责的大概应是那些管理这个世界的成年人吧。如果他们不能做得比这些更好，他们又能拿什么来教育我们呢？这样的教导，我们根本不需要。‖ 我觉得这些结论合情合理，至少从他们的角度来看是这样的。

对成长中的一代人来说，相关的问题不是我们的社会是否完美（我们可以想当然地认为是这样），

而是应该如何去应付它。 尽管这个社会严酷而不合情理，但它毕竟是我们惟一拥有的世界。 因此，选择一个办法去应付这个社会是刚刚步入成年的年轻人必须作出的第一个决定，这通常是他们一生中最重要的决定。

根据我的发现，他们的基本选择只有四种：

1）脱离传统社会

这是最古老的方法之一，任何年龄的人无论在任何地方，也无论是否使用迷幻剂都可以采用。 那些认为这个世界残酷、复杂得令人难以忍受的人通常会选择这个办法。

实质上，这是一种寄生式的生活方式，采取此策略的人通过这样或那样的方式寄生于这个他们蔑视的社会，并且拒绝对这个社会承担责任

我们中的一些人对此很厌恶——认为这种生活方式很不光彩。 但对于那些卑微、懒惰又缺乏自尊的人来说，这也许是可行的最可以忍受的选择了。

2. 2. Flee 2）逃避现实社会

This strategy also has ancient antecedents. 这个策略早在远古就有先例。 Ever since civilization began, certain inpiduals 自文明诞生以来，就有人企图逃避文明社会，have tried to run away from it in hopes of finding a

希望寻求一种更为朴素、更富田园风情、更为宁静

simpler, more pastoral, and more peaceful life.

的生活。

与那些脱离传统社会的人不同，这些人不是寄Unlike the dropouts, they are not parasites.

生者。

他们愿意自食其力，愿意为社会作出贡献，可They are willing to support themselves and to

contribute something to the general community, but 是他们就是不喜欢这个文明世界的环境。确地说，they simply don’t like the environment of civilization; 不喜欢这充满丑恶和紧张的大都市。 that is, the city, with all its ugliness and tension.

The trouble with this solution is that it no longer 这种方法的问题在于无法大规模地进行实践。is practical on a large scale.

这种方法的问题在于无法大规模地进行实践。

不幸的是，在我们的地球上，高尚的野蛮人和Our planet, unfortunately, is running out of noble

未被破坏的自然景色已越来越少；除了两极地区以savages and unsullied landscaped; except for the polar

外已经没有未开发的土地了。 regions, the frontiers are gone.

A few gentleman farmers with plenty of money 少数富有的乡绅还可以逃避现实去过田园生can still escape to the bucolic life – but in general the 活——但总的说来，迁移的潮流是向相反的方向流stream of migration is flowing the other way. 动。

3. 3. Plot a Revolution 3）策划革命

This strategy is always popular among those who

在对民主进程单调乏味的运作方式毫无耐心

have no patience with the tedious working of the

或相信只有武力才能改变基本社会制度的那些人democratic process or who believe that basic

中，这一策略颇受欢迎。 institutions can only be changed by force.

它吸引了每一代年轻人中那些更为活跃和更It attracts some of the more active and idealistic

young people of every generation. 具理想主义的人。

To them it offers a romantic appeal, usually 对他们来说，这种策略具有浪漫的吸引力，通symbolized by some dashing and charismatic figure. 常以某位魅力非凡且令人振奋的人物为其象征。

It has the even greater appeal of simplicity: 这一策略简单明了并具有更大的吸引力：―既―Since this society is hopelessly bad, let’s smash it

然这个社会已经无可救药，那就让我们砸碎它，在

and build something better on the ruins.‖

它的废墟上面建一个更好的社会。‖

我最好的朋友中有些是革命者，他们中的一些Some of my best friends have been revolutionists,

人过得相当满足。 and a few of them have led reasonably satisfying

lives.

These are the ones whose revolutions did not 这部分人其实是那些革命并未成功的人，他们come off; they have been able to keep on cheerfully 可以继续兴高采烈地策划大屠杀，直至老态龙钟。 plotting their holocausts right into their senescence.

Others died young, in prison or on the barricades. 另外一些人年纪轻轻就死了，死在监狱里或街 垒旁。 But the most unfortunate are those whose

但最不幸的是那些革命成功的人。 revolutions have succeeded.

他们极度失望，看到他们推翻的权力机构又被They lived, in bitter disillusionment, to see the

新机构所替代，而新机构依旧是那样冷酷，那样毫establishment they had overthrown replaced by a new

无生机。 one, just as hard-faced and stuffy.

I am not, of course, suggesting that revolutions 当然，我并不是说革命一无所成。 accomplish nothing.

Some (The American Revolution, the French 一些革命（美国革命，法国革命）确实将事情Revolution) clearly do change things for the better. 变得越来越好。

My point is merely that the idealists who make

我只是想说革命无论成败，那些策划革命的革

the revolution are bound to be disappointed in either

命者们都注定要失望。 case.

因为胜利的曙光无论如何也不会照耀在他们For at best their victory never dawns on the

梦想中的那个摆脱了人类一切卑劣的灿烂的新世shining new world they had dreamed of, cleansed of

界上。 all human meanness.

Instead it dawns on a familiar, workaday place, 相反，它照在了一个熟悉的平庸的地方，这个still in need of groceries and sewage disposal. 地方仍旧需要食品杂货和污水排放。

The revolutionary state, under whatever political 无论贴着什么样的政治标签，革命后的国家都label, has to be run-not by violent romantics-but by

不是由激进的浪漫主义者来治理，而是由市场营

experts in marketing, sanitary engineering, and the

销、卫生工程和管理官僚机构的专家来治理。 management of bureaucracies.

对一些决心改造社会，但同时又希望能找到一For the idealists who are determined to remake

种比武装革命更可行的方法的理想主义者来说，还society, but who seek a more practical method that

armed revolution, there remains one more alternative. 有另外一种选择。

4. 4. Try to Change the World Gradually, One 4）循序渐进，逐步改变社会

Clod at a Time At first glance, this course is far from inviting. 乍一看，这一途径毫无吸引力。 It lacks glamour. It promises no quick results. 它缺乏魅力，并且见效很慢。 It depends on the exasperating and uncertain

它依靠劝说和民主决策这些令人恼火且不可

instruments of persuasion and democratic decision

靠的方法来实现。 making.

它需要耐心，可我们却总是缺乏耐心。它需要It demands patience, always in short supply.

耐心，可我们却总是缺乏耐心。

About all that can be said for it is that it sometimes 它惟一的好处是有时这方法行得通——在这works – that in this particular time and place it offers a 个特定的时间和地点，它比其他的任何策略都更有better chance for remedying some of the world’s 可能制止世界上的某些恶行。 outrages that any other available strategy. 至少历史事实似乎证明了这一点。 So at least the historical evidence seems to suggest.

我大学毕业的时候，我们这一代人也发现世界

When I was graduating from college, my generation

乱得一团糟。 also found the world in a mess.

The economic machinery had broken down almost

几乎所有地方的经济机构都已崩溃，在美国几everywhere: In this country nearly a quarter of the

乎四分之一的人口失业。 population was out of work.

A major was seemed all too likely. 一场大战似乎在所难免。 As a college newspaper editor at that time, I 当时作为校报编辑，对这些我曾经猛烈地抗议protested against this just as vehemently as student 过，像今天的学生积极分子一样。 activists are protesting today.

At the same time, my generation was discovering 与此同时，我们这一代人渐渐发现改造世界有that reforming the world is a little like fighting a 点像在亚平宁山区打仗一样。你刚刚占领一条山military campaign in the Apennines, as soon as you 脉，另一条山脉又在前方隐现。 capture one mountain range, another one looms just ahead.

As the big problems of the thirties were brought

当20世纪30年代的大问题刚刚勉强得到控

under some kind of rough control, new problems took

制，新的问题又出现了——富足社会中出现的崭新their place – the unprecedented problems of an,

问题，如种族平等，保证城市环境适于居住，应付affluent society, of racial justice, of keeping our cities

各种陌生伪装下的战争等等。 from becoming uninhabitable, of coping with war in

unfamiliar guises.

最令人不安的是我们发现了人口爆炸这一问Most disturbing of all was our discovery of the

population explosion. 题。

It dawned on us rather suddenly that the number 我们突然意识到我们这艘载人小飞船上的乘of passengers on the small spaceship we inhabit is 客数目大约每40年翻一倍。 doubling about every forty years.

So long as the earth’s population keeps growing

只要地球上的人口持续地按这个可怕的速度

at this cancerous rate, all of the other problems appear

增长，其他所有问题都将无法解决。 virtually insoluble.

我们的城市会变得越来越拥挤，景色会变得Our cities will continue to become more crowded

更加杂乱，空气和水也会变得愈发肮脏。 and noisome. The landscape will get more cluttered,

the air and water even dirtier.

The quality of life is likely to become steadily 所有人的生活质量都会不断恶化。 worse for everybody.

And warfare on a rising scale seems inevitable if 如果过多的人必须为了争夺日益减少的食物too many bodies have to struggle for ever-dwindling 份额和生存空间而争斗的话，战争的升级看来是无shares of food and living space. 法避免的。

So Jim Binns’ generation has a formidable job on

因此吉姆 宾司这代人要承担一项艰巨的任

its hands.

务。

却并不是无法克服。 But not, I think, an insuperable one.

根据过去的经验，我们可以采取以前解决社会On the evidence of the past, it can be handled in

the same way that hard problems have been coped 难题的方式——许多人一起一点一滴地，注重实效with before-piecemeal, pragmatically, by the dogged 地，做出不屈不挠的努力来改进社会。 efforts of many people.

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