现代世界如何让我们患上心理疾病：英语精读讲义

The modern world is wonderful in many ways.

现代世界在很多方面都非常美好。

Dentistry is good,

牙科技术发达，

cars are reliable.

汽车也很可靠。

We can so easily keep in touch from Mexico with our grandmother in Scotland. 短語搭配

我们在墨西哥也能轻松地和苏格兰的祖母保持联系。

But it's also powerfully and tragically geared to causing a high background level of anxiety 講解

但它同样以一种强大且悲剧性的方式，不可避免地导致了普遍的高焦虑

and widespread low-level depression.

以及广泛存在的轻度抑郁。

There are six particular features of modernity that have this psychologically disturbing effect.

现代社会有六个显著特征造成了这种心理困扰。

Each one has a potential cure,

每一个都有潜在的解药，

which we will only collectively put into action 短語搭配

而我们能够集体将其付诸行动的前提，

when we know more about the disease in question. 短語搭配

是我们对相关“疾病”有了更多的了解。

Here are the six.

以下就是这六个特征。

1. Meritocracy.

1. 唯才是举。

Our societies tell us that everyone is free to make it if they have the talent and energy. 習語

我们的社会告诉我们，只要有才华和精力，每个人都能自由地获得成功。

The downside of this ostensibly liberating and beautiful idea is that any perceived lack of success 用詞

这种表面上自由而美好的想法，其缺点是任何明显的失败

is taken to be, 語法

都会被认为，

not as in the past, 語法

不像过去那样，

an accident or misfortune,

是意外或不幸，

but as a sure sign of a lack of talent or laziness.

而被看作是缺乏才华或懒惰的确凿证据。

If those at the top deserve all their success, 表達脈絡

如果那些身居高位的人理应获得他们所有的成功，

then those at the bottom must surely deserve all their failure.

那么那些处于底层的人也必然理应承受他们所有的失败。

A society that thinks of itself as meritocratic

一个自认为是精英管理体制的社会

turns poverty from a problem to evidence of damnation, 表達脈絡

会把贫穷从一个问题变成被诅咒的证据，

and those who have failed

并且把那些失败的人

from unfortunates to losers.

从不幸者变成失败者。

The cure is a strong

解决之道是一种强烈的、

culturally endorsed belief in two big ideas:

获得文化认可的、对两个重要观念的信念：

luck, which says success doesn't just depend on talent and effort, 語法

一是运气，即成功不仅仅取决于才华和努力；

and tragedy, which says good decent people can fail

二是悲剧，即善良正直的人也可能会失败，

and deserve compassion rather than contempt. 短語搭配

他们理应得到同情而不是鄙视。

2. Individualism.

2. 个人主义。

An individualistic society preaches that the individual and their achievements are everything 用詞

一个个人主义的社会宣扬个人及其成就是一切，

and that everyone is capable of a special destiny.

每个人都能拥有不凡的命运。

It's not the community that matters,

社区并不重要，

the group is for no hopers. 用詞

群体是留给没有希望的人的。

To be ordinary is regarded as a curse.

平庸被视为一种诅咒。

The result is that the very thing that most of us will end up being, 短語動詞

结果是，我们大多数人最终的样子，

statistically speaking, 短語搭配

从统计学上讲，

is associated with freakish failure.

却被与怪异的失败联系在了一起。

The cure is a cult of the good

解决之道是推崇美好、

ordinary life and proper appreciation

敬重平凡生活，并恰如其分地欣赏

of the pleasures and quiet heroism of the everyday. 習語

日常生活中的乐趣与默默无闻的英雄主义。

3. Secularism.

3. 世俗主义。

Secular societies cease to believe in anything that is bigger than or beyond themselves. 習語

世俗社会不再相信任何比自己更伟大或超越自己的事物。

Religions used to perform the useful service of keeping our petty ways and status battles in perspective. 習語

宗教曾提供过一项有用的服务，即让我们客观看待自己微不足道的行事方式和地位之争。

But now,

但现在，

there is nothing to awe or relativize humans, 用詞

再没有什么能让人类感到敬畏或相对渺小的事物了，

whose triumphs and mishaps

人类的成功与不幸

end up feeling like the be-all and end-all. 習語

最终感觉就像是唯一的全部。

A cure would involve regularly using sources of transcendence

解决之道将包括经常利用超验的力量

to generate a benign relativizing perspective on our personal sorrows. 用詞

针对我们的个人悲伤产生一种温和而又相对的视角。

Music,

音乐，

the stars at night,

夜空的繁星，

the vast spaces of the desert or the ocean

沙漠或海洋的广阔空间

would humble us all in consoling ways. 用詞

都会以令人欣慰的方式让我们感到谦卑。

4. Romanticism.

4. 浪漫主义。

The philosophy of romanticism

浪漫主义的哲学思想

tells us that each of us has one very special person out there 表達脈絡

告诉我们，世界上有一个非常特别的人

who can make us completely happy.

能够让我们彻底感到幸福。

Yet, mostly,

然而，大多数情况下，

we have to settle for moderately bearable relationships 短語動詞

我们不得不妥协于一段勉强过得去的关系，

with someone who is very nice in a few ways

对方在某些方面非常好，

and pretty difficult in many others.

但在许多其他方面却相当难搞。

It feels like a disaster in comparison with our original huge hopes.

与我们最初的巨大期望相比，这感觉就像是一场灾难。

The cure is to realize that we didn't go wrong. 短語搭配

解决之道是认识到我们并没有做错什么。

We were just encouraged to believe in a very improbable dream.

我们只是被鼓励去相信一个极不可能实现的梦。

Instead,

相反，

we should build up our ambitions around friendship and non-sexual love. 短語動詞

我们应该把我们的抱负建立在友谊和非性的爱之上。

5. The media.

5. 媒体。

The media has immense prestige and a huge place in our lives,

媒体在我们的生活中享有极高的声望并占据着巨大的地位，

but it routinely directs our attention to things that scare, worry, panic, and enrage us 短語搭配

但它却经常把我们的注意力引向那些让我们害怕、担忧、恐慌和愤怒的事情上，

while denying us agency or any chance for effective personal action. 用詞

同时又剥夺了我们的主观能动性或任何采取有效个人行动的机会。

It typically attends to the least admirable sides of human nature 短語動詞

它通常关注人性的阴暗面，

without a balancing exposure to normal good intentions, 短語搭配

而没有平衡地展示正常的好意、

responsibility, and decency.

责任感和体面。

At its worst, 表達脈絡

在最糟糕的情况下，

it edges us towards mob justice. 講解

它将我们推向网络暴民的私刑。

The cure would be news that focused on presenting solutions rather than generating outrage, 語法

解决之道是关注呈现解决方案而非引发愤怒的新闻，

that was alive to systemic problems 習語

对系统性问题保持敏感，

rather than gleefully emphasizing scapegoats or emblematic monsters, 習語

而不是幸灾乐祸地强调替罪羊或典型的怪物，

and that would regularly remind us that the news we most need

并且定期提醒我们，我们最需要的新闻

comes from our own lives and direct experiences.

来源于我们自己的生活和直接经历。

6. Perfectibility.

6. 完美主义。

Modern societies stress that it is within our remit to be profoundly content, sane, and accomplished. 用詞

现代社会强调，获得深深的满足、理智和成功是我们的职责所在。

As a result, 表達脈絡

结果，

we end up loathing ourselves, 短語動詞

我们最终讨厌自己，

feeling weak, and sensing that we've wasted our lives.

感到虚弱，并觉得我们虚度了光阴。

A cure would be a culture that endlessly promotes the idea that perfection is not within our grasp, 習語

解决之道是一种不断宣扬完美是我们遥不可及的文化，

that being mentally slightly and at points very unwell is an inescapable part of the human condition, 講解

宣扬精神上有些许、有时甚至非常不适是人类境况中不可避免的一部分，

and that what we need above all 短語搭配

宣扬我们最需要的

are good friends with whom we can sit and honestly discuss 語法

能够坐下来诚实讨论的真正好朋友，

our real fears and vulnerabilities.

谈论我们真实的恐惧和脆弱。

The forces of psychological distress in our world 習語

在我们的世界中，导致心理困扰的力量

are currently much wealthier and more active than the needed cures.

目前比所需的解决之道要丰富和活跃得多。

We deserve tender pity for the price we have to pay 習語

我们为生在这个现代所付出的代价

for being born in modern times.

理应得到温柔的怜悯。

But, more hopefully, 表達脈絡

但是，更令人充满希望的是，

cures are now open to us individually and collectively 短語搭配

治疗方法现在对我们个人和集体都是开放的，

if only we recognize with sufficient clarity 語法

只要我们能足够清晰地认识到

the sources of our true anxieties and sorrows.

造成我们真正焦虑和悲伤的根源。

Did you know

你知道吗，

The School of Life is a real place

The School of Life 是一个真实存在的地方，

with classes, events, and a shop?

里面有各种课程、活动和一家商店？

Visit our website to learn more.

访问我们的网站了解更多。