你会选择一种没有痛苦的生活吗？- Hayley Levitt 和 Bethany Rickwald：英语精读讲义

Imagine if you could plug your brain into a machine 講解

想象一下，如果你能把大脑连接到一台机器上，

that would bring you ultimate pleasure for the rest of your life.

这台机器能在你的余生中为你带来终极的快乐。

If you were given the choice to sign up for that kind of existence, 講解

如果让你选择是否愿意过上这样的生活，

would you?

你会愿意吗？

That's the question philosopher Robert Nozick posed

这就是哲学家罗伯特·诺齐克提出的问题，

through a thought experiment he called the experience machine. 文化背景

他通过一个被称为“体验机”的思想实验来探讨。

The experiment asks us to consider a world

这个实验让我们设想这样一个世界：

in which scientists have developed a machine

科学家们研发了一台机器，

that would simulate real life

它可以模拟真实生活，

while guaranteeing experiences of only pleasure and never pain. 語法

同时保证你只会体验到快乐，永远没有痛苦。

The catch? 表達脈絡

代价是什么呢？

You have to permanently leave reality behind. 短語動詞

你必须永远把现实抛在脑后。

But you'll hardly know the difference.

但你几乎察觉不到区别。

Your experiences will be indistinguishable from reality. 用詞

你的体验将与现实真假难辨。

Life's natural ups and downs 習語

生活中自然的起起落落，

will just be replaced with an endless series of ups. 習語

都将被无尽的“起”所取代。

Sounds great, right? 語氣意圖

听起来很棒，对吧？

It may seem like a tempting offer,

这似乎是一个诱人的提议，

but perhaps it's not as ideal as it sounds.

但也许它并没有听起来那么理想。

The experiment was actually designed to refute a philosophical notion called hedonism. 講解

实际上，这个实验是为了反驳一种被称为“享乐主义”的哲学观念而设计的。

According to hedonists,

根据享乐主义者的观点，

maximizing net pleasure is the most important thing in life 文化背景

实现净快乐最大化是生命中最重要的事情，

because pleasure is the greatest good

因为快乐是生活能提供的

that life has to offer.

最大的善。

For hedonists,

对享乐主义者来说，

the best choice that a person could make for himself

一个人能为自己做出的最佳选择，

is one that brings him the greatest possible amount of pleasure

就是那个能给他带来最大可能数量的快乐，

while bringing him no pain.

同时不带来任何痛苦的选择。

Limitless pleasure minus zero pain equals maximum net pleasure,

无尽的快乐减去零痛苦等于最大的净快乐，

or in other words, 表達脈絡

换句话说，

the exact scenario the experience machine offers.

这正是体验机所提供的场景。

Therefore,

因此，

if hedonism is your philosophy of choice,

如果享乐主义是你信奉的哲学，

plugging in would be a no-brainer. 講解

那么连上这台机器简直是闭着眼睛都能做的决定。

But what if there's more to life than just pleasure? 語法

但如果生活中除了快乐还有更多东西呢？

That's what Nozick believed he was demonstrating

诺齐克认为，这正是他

through his experience machine thought experiment.

通过体验机思想实验所要证明的。

Despite the machine's promise of maximum net pleasure, 語法

尽管这台机器承诺了最大化的净快乐，

he still found reason not to plug in,

他仍然找到了不去连接的理由，

as do many other experimenters who consider the proposition. 語法

许多思考过这个提议的其他实验参与者也是如此。

But what could possibly dissuade us from choosing a future of ultimate pleasure? 用詞

但是，究竟是什么能劝退我们去选择一个充满终极快乐的未来呢？

Consider this scenario.

考虑一下这个场景。

Betsy and Xander are in a loving committed relationship.

贝特西和赞德正处于一段充满爱意且坚定的关系中。

Betsy is head over heels and has never felt happier. 習語

贝特西爱得神魂颠倒，觉得从未如此幸福过。

However, unbeknownst to Betsy, 用詞

然而，贝特西不知道的是，

Xander has been romancing her sister Angelica

赞德一直和她的妹妹安吉丽卡暗送秋波，

with love letters and secret rendezvous 用詞

写情书、秘密幽会，

for the duration of their relationship. 短語搭配

这种情况贯穿了他们两人的整个交往过程。

If Betsy found out, 語法

如果贝特西发现了真相，

it would destroy her relationships with both Xander and Angelica,

这将摧毁她和赞德以及安吉丽卡的关系，

and the experience would be so traumatic,

这种经历会是极具创伤性的，

she would never love again.

她可能再也不会爱了。

Since Betsy is in blissful ignorance about Xander's infidelity, 習語

既然贝特西对赞德的不忠一无所知，活在幸福的无知中，

hedonists would say she's better off remaining in the dark 講解

享乐主义者会说，她最好继续被蒙在鼓里，

and maintaining her high level of net pleasure.

保持她高水平的净快乐。

As long as Betsy never finds out about the relationship, 語法

只要贝特西永远不发现这段背叛的关系，

her life is guaranteed to go on as happily as it is right now. 語法

她的生活就能保证像现在一样幸福地继续下去。

So, is there value in Betsy knowing the truth of her situation? 語法

那么，让贝特西知道自己处境的真相有价值吗？

Imagine if you were Betsy.

想象如果你是贝特西。

Would you prefer to know the truth?

你会更想知道真相吗？

If the answer is yes,

如果答案是肯定的，

you'd be choosing an option that sharply decreases your net pleasure. 短語搭配

那么你就是在选择一个会大幅减少你净快乐的选项。

Perhaps then you believe that there are things in life

也许这就意味着你认为生活中有些东西

with greater intrinsic value than pleasure. 用詞

拥有比快乐更大的内在价值。

Truth, knowledge, authentic connection with other human beings,

真相、知识、与其他人类之间真实的联系，

these are all things that might make the list.

这些可能都会在这个列表上。

By never learning the truth, 語法

通过永远不知道真相，

Betsy is essentially living life in her own personal experience machine, 文化背景

贝特西实际上就生活在她个人的体验机中，

a world of happiness that's not based in reality.

一个不建立在现实基础上的幸福世界。

This love triangle is an extreme example, 用詞

这段三角恋虽然是一个极端的例子，

but it mirrors many of the decisions we make in day-to-day life. 表達脈絡

但它反映了我们在日常生活中做出的许多决定。

So, whether you're making a choice for Betsy or for yourself,

所以，无论你是为贝特西还是为你自己做选择，

why might you feel reality should be a factor?

为什么你可能会觉得现实应该是一个考量因素呢？

Is there inherent value in real experiences,

真实的体验是否存在着内在价值，

whether pleasurable or painful? 語法

无论它是快乐的还是痛苦的？

Do you yourself have more value

当你经历现实生活中的快乐与痛苦时，

when you're experiencing real life's pleasures and pains?

你自己本身是否具有了更多的价值？

Nozick's experiment may not provide all the answers, 表達脈絡

诺齐克的实验或许没有提供所有的答案，

but it forces us to consider whether real life,

但它迫使我们去思考：真实的生活，

though imperfect,

尽管不完美，

holds some intrinsic value 用詞

是否拥有某种内在价值，

beyond the pleasure of plugging in.

超越了连接机器所带来的快乐。