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散文 Happiness and Wealth

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发表于 2007-6-8 15:46 | 显示全部楼层 |阅读模式

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Living standards have soared during the twentieth century, and
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economists expect them to continue rising in the decades ahead. Does 6 d7 g+ O, w+ K5 V- B! X

! S, s- D+ Z7 k$ g0 g5 Ythat mean that we humans can look forward to increasing happiness? * [( Z$ X' O0 n$ p8 r
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+ p6 z! N! ]! l3 }/ INot necessarily, warns Richard A. Easterlin, an economist at the
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1 S5 P4 d5 _* S1 L5 n# BUniversity of Southern California, in his new book, Growth Triumphant:   C5 b/ \  H: Y5 R% w

- G7 a: W' n3 v7 L7 l2 j) QThe Twenty-first Century in Historical Perspective. Easterlin concedes
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- S+ `: p; p1 }2 x% E; ~that richer people are more likely to report themselves as being happy
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than poorer people are. But steady improvements in the American economy ) {* |3 |% w( G; v4 }2 [
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have not been accompanied by steady increases in people‘s self-
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assessments of their own happiness. "There has been not improvement in
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average happiness in the United States over almost a half century----a 9 {' U! |) v6 G/ m
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period in which real GDP per capita more than doubled," Easterlin
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reports./ n6 t1 F9 F! D6 n( F

5 k' f$ A8 M2 yThe explanation for this paradox may be that people become less
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4 b1 }& r0 T6 g) ]( Z4 _' M6 Esatisfied over time with a given level of income. In Easterlin‘s word:
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7 ^' Z  ]" N! H7 s! c4 r/ y, G"As incomes rise, the aspiration level does too, and the effect of this
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increase in aspirations is to vitiate the expected growth in happiness
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) x2 n" E1 T3 L8 a4 rdue to higher income."
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Money can buy happiness, Easterlin seems to be saying, but only if
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' |; I, L/ U3 l9 c7 R& Fone‘s amounts get bigger and other people aren‘t getting more. His
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4 U3 o( a: x( @& u  L" B3 R' b! ^analysis helps to explain sociologist Lee Rainwater‘s finding that 9 W% p& V% V3 C1 Y0 a

- W" m4 Y6 l! r: B' G- o# _/ Z# [Americans‘ perception of the income "necessary to get along" rose
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between 1950 and 1986 in the same proportion as actual per capita ( `, n/ ?4 o. Q' l

+ |8 Y4 l* d! l  }income. We feel rich if we have more than our neighbors, poor if we
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have less, and feeling relatively well off is equated with being happy.
) C' l. y- t# W% G% l  X6 G0 b! Z( i% W$ P! a  Y4 D5 w
Easterlin‘s findings, challenge psychologist Abraham Maslow‘s # `$ U8 Y  i' E2 Z2 h3 a

5 R) n! u: v! d5 H8 v6 f"hierarchy of wants" as a reliable guide to future human motivation. " k5 A, C2 U3 _1 m# s
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Maslow suggested that as people‘s basic material wants are satisfied - f) q) M3 F5 w) k! D

* o  u0 D2 ~/ h( X+ R( Rthey seek to achieve nonmaterial or spiritual goals. But Easterlin‘s
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1 p$ q' ~+ ?7 _evidence points to the persistence of materialism.
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"Despite a general level of affluence never before realized in the
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history of the world." Easterlin observes, "Material concerns in the 9 p, @% E) U5 a# a- {

; Q2 Z9 O1 f8 _$ f* zwealthiest nations today are as pressing as ever and the pursuit of
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material need as intense." The evidence suggests there is no evolution ! ?3 E% v2 }6 r0 C4 ?
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toward higher order goals. Rather, each step upward on the ladder of
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economic development merely stimulates new economic desires that lead
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4 G# ^9 @2 R( w; \# |% w# Fthe chase ever onward. Economists are accustomed to deflating the money
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value of national income by the average level of prices to obtain * }6 O& |9 P6 Z# c1 d2 l  n# s
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"real" income. The process here is similar----real income is being
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deflated by rising material aspiration, in this case to yield " |3 }9 v+ O- K) [. X6 l5 w

; Q( O2 @+ W" {5 J, }: Eessentially constant subjective economic well-being. While it would be ; }# [/ {+ ?4 [+ r
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pleasant to envisage a world free from the pressure of material want, a
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more realistic projection, based on the evidence, is of a world in
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which generation after generation thinks it needs only another 10% to " t/ S0 C& l2 k5 \  }* J1 ~" V

0 v0 U  V' l# c6 F20% more income to be perfectly happy., s+ E2 M3 Y' Y( g3 x4 k; M9 m
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Needs are limited, but not greeds. Science has developed no cure for
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envy, so our wealth boosts our happiness only briefly while shrinking
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that of our neighbors. Thus the outlook for the future is gloomy in
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! B5 y# m: h% t0 j1 J* MEasterlin‘s view.. g# B# R1 q' U  I  h! R1 ?

7 m3 t' E  G& E/ ]% U"The future, then, to which the epoch of modern economic growth is
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leading is one of never ending economic growth, a world in which ever 0 t! d. g& Y% W$ N  l
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growing abundance is matched by ever rising aspirations, a world in   T2 B% I) {  n* L
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which cultural difference is leveled in the constant race to achieve - F% [  _  |4 b" C: w$ g

$ r3 I6 ^+ K$ L, U( R1 @the goods life of material plenty, it is a world founded on belief in & y6 K7 J! R" v4 d( h, Y; w
+ [) [+ |& h  W5 V
science and the power of rational inquiry and in the ultimate capacity # @2 K: H5 ?' I% ?, E1 ~

" |( p3 j4 V3 bof humanity to shape its own destiny. The irony is that in this last ! _- y. }- g' S
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respect the lesson of history appears to be otherwise: that there is no
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1 f* G* c7 C0 Y  q; I9 ]choice. In the end, the triumph of economic growth is not a triumph of
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humanity over material wants; rather, it is the triumph of material
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wants over humanity."

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Die von den Nutzern eingestellten Information und Meinungen sind nicht eigene Informationen und Meinungen der DOLC GmbH.
 楼主| 发表于 2007-6-8 15:47 | 显示全部楼层

中文翻译

人们的生活水平在20世纪飞速提高,经济学家预计在未来的几十年里,人们
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2 ?, q/ q$ W& D1 w, i5 Y6 o( B的生活水平还会进一步提高。这是否意味着我们人类的日子有望越过越幸福呢?7 v& d" q7 k4 r& x/ ?
  未必如此,南加州大学一位经济学家理查德?A?伊斯特林在其新书《增长的胜: _+ a0 O: z$ N) R" c9 U
2 |  J) `9 S0 r0 `' w2 n$ B; {7 _
利:从历史的视角展望21世纪》中如是告诫世人。他承认,一般来说,富人比穷% f# v- b* k  s2 B$ o% [: [

! X  I  X1 e/ L6 m& w, S; Q人更有可能称自己是幸福的。然而,美国人对幸福感的自我评价并未伴随着美国
! h7 y" ]7 {, [% o6 `8 Y
7 G$ R' A6 n1 R1 a: C+ ~6 P& M/ J经济稳步发展而有所提高。伊斯特林指出:“过去近半个世纪中,美国的实际人
" _# C9 `6 g; m9 N9 p: a7 v
# d$ r: ]5 X* p+ P% L8 G均国内生产总值增加了2倍多,而人们并未感到比以往更幸福。”: }, _$ ]  {$ w  Q
  对于这种自相矛盾的现象也许可作如下解释,随着时间的推移,人们对一定
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+ S: n3 q: i. j: H  |的收入会越来越不满。用伊斯特林的话来说:“收入增加了,人们的期望值也相. d, o5 C7 O. L/ v$ A
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应提高了,期望值的提高会抵消收入提高所带来的预期有所增加的幸福感。”2 }8 x5 P; t$ \7 U1 o  Q7 e( d$ g
  伊斯特林似乎在说,金钱可以买来幸福,但这只有在自己金钱不断增多,而
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( h: M" N  }: u# q8 {: L/ B别人收入不变的情况才会如此。他的分析有助于人们理解社会学家李?雷恩沃特的# O3 x" z( S( ], K4 {

, ]) H1 z- Z  |0 b7 m调查结果----从1950年到1986年,在美国持收入“必须维持基本生活”观念的人  c0 v- L3 s$ S
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随着实际人均收入的增加而同比增长。如果收入比邻居多,我们就会感到自己富% |7 U# C$ ]/ g( C  q
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有;反之,则觉得自己贫穷。由此可见,人们把幸福感与相对富裕程度等同起来
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  伊斯特林的调查结果向心理理学家亚伯拉罕?马斯洛的“需要等级体系”理论
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提出了挑战,该理论为人类未来的动机提供了可靠指南。马斯洛认为:一旦人们
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的基本物质需求得到满足后,就会转而追求更高层次的精神需求。但伊斯特林的' }( x9 d! b% w$ b! H2 q. k1 s

# ^0 ?3 R6 f- `6 j7 \$ n' K$ u8 F  w论证却指出人类的物欲永无止境。5 E: _; E, D6 f6 d3 e& o
  伊斯特林还评述到:“尽管人类历史上从未实现过普遍水平的富裕,但今日
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最富有的那些国家对物质的关注还是那么迫切,对物质需要的追求还是那样的强
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烈。”这表明人类并未朝更高层次的精神目标进展。更确切地说,经济发展每上5 L. o: Z% a; q

7 u9 J: w, {2 A/ N一个台阶只会刺激新的经济需求,进而促进经济持续向前发展。经济学家通常用- \) i* \5 ^6 l2 i& ~
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国民收入的货币价值减去平均物价上涨额度来计算“实际”收入。同样,人们日' `* b4 X. D( S4 E/ g

- m3 j% x0 g/ j. D9 D益增长的物质欲望,在此主要是持续不断对经济富裕的主观要求,削减了实际收
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0 J2 E" w* p& y9 B0 p0 R9 X, N入。虽然设想一个没有物欲压力的世界是件惬意的事,但一个基于事实的更为现# o2 e. m7 X( C- F2 V

& l4 Q' b* [" ]5 L& j7 o. u实的想法是设想在这样一个世界里,世世代代的人们都认为只要将收入再提高' Q+ v4 \2 m2 B: \& R" ]6 d9 {
9 p, `0 U, D* z$ o
10%----20%,就可达到无比幸福的境界。
1 D  r& g4 y2 j- X# h  需求是有极限的,而贪欲却无止境。科学再进步也尚未研制出治疗嫉妒的良
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药,因此只有当我们的财富让邻居相形见绌的时候,我们才会感到片刻的幸福。# u7 k# z$ b; [' c: M
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所以在伊斯特林看来,未来的前景不容乐观:
+ {* K' {  i! t) a/ |9 u  “当今经济发展的趋势告诉我们,未来经济会不断发展、永不停歇,未来世
  l0 z; {0 e3 a, `% D
/ C/ h& _5 A& E8 E  w& U. K界会是一个财富不断增长而欲望节节上升的世界;一个为达到富裕不断角逐而导
: [" H1 _: {+ Q/ A
7 }; ?# L% C$ W4 }% ^致文化差异尽失的世界;一个建立在信仰科学和智力并相信人类有最大的能力塑% i- c! B$ g+ ?- q: Z7 N
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造自己命运的世界。具有讽刺意味的是,在最后一点上,历史的经验教训似乎告
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诉我们事物的发展并非如此:人类别无选择,并不能掌握自己的命运。最后,经0 p5 J: t6 e5 P* f$ N8 H6 y
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济发展的结果不是人性战胜物欲,而是物欲战胜人性。”
Die von den Nutzern eingestellten Information und Meinungen sind nicht eigene Informationen und Meinungen der DOLC GmbH.
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发表于 2007-6-16 17:10 | 显示全部楼层
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