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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
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that mean that we humans can look forward to increasing happiness?
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Not necessarily, warns Richard A. Easterlin, an economist at the
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University of Southern California, in his new book, Growth Triumphant:
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! U! \6 h& M5 u9 W+ G! h: _9 xThe Twenty-first Century in Historical Perspective. Easterlin concedes
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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 & E  i% I3 A; i: N0 D/ t
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have not been accompanied by steady increases in people‘s self-. `3 J5 P& u$ m

5 C. e) F% M" i3 K1 _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
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4 f: s1 V% B/ K7 P2 N# Xperiod in which real GDP per capita more than doubled," Easterlin
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reports.' ^! V# G8 d- ]0 F1 B1 J

9 O9 L' d7 e1 f; s. G+ `The explanation for this paradox may be that people become less / t% y+ b; |9 c  P

) L9 N9 {. @+ D( b  Usatisfied over time with a given level of income. In Easterlin‘s word:
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"As incomes rise, the aspiration level does too, and the effect of this
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: k: Y2 R1 {: q3 |increase in aspirations is to vitiate the expected growth in happiness
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due to higher income."
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( A+ v7 X/ p, t' y* K2 g( z) k% |Money can buy happiness, Easterlin seems to be saying, but only if
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one‘s amounts get bigger and other people aren‘t getting more. His
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- Q9 J( y, @/ _5 Z  c0 H, fanalysis helps to explain sociologist Lee Rainwater‘s finding that
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# |6 l! z6 w3 T8 b% KAmericans‘ perception of the income "necessary to get along" rose " i1 m% E! e3 g$ F- E; M
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between 1950 and 1986 in the same proportion as actual per capita 4 O" u8 O, U) r! j) O
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income. We feel rich if we have more than our neighbors, poor if we
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/ b; M- o# S+ G  mhave less, and feeling relatively well off is equated with being happy.
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Easterlin‘s findings, challenge psychologist Abraham Maslow‘s
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"hierarchy of wants" as a reliable guide to future human motivation.
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& X4 f2 p. v  o* G8 N( \5 _& VMaslow suggested that as people‘s basic material wants are satisfied
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. j3 L5 u( g  e; xthey seek to achieve nonmaterial or spiritual goals. But Easterlin‘s
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evidence points to the persistence of materialism.
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7 N. S6 T: h; H' N"Despite a general level of affluence never before realized in the 8 y1 X3 N4 q( m* o
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history of the world." Easterlin observes, "Material concerns in the
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0 @2 I+ X& z4 _% v1 d& ewealthiest nations today are as pressing as ever and the pursuit of ' s5 N8 B) L1 y0 d

. {6 k8 D. J8 p1 }material need as intense." The evidence suggests there is no evolution
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toward higher order goals. Rather, each step upward on the ladder of 0 [7 e2 Q$ S; z( Q

$ s; y8 d! o9 {& V2 Leconomic development merely stimulates new economic desires that lead
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the 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
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: W  A2 ~3 p, m"real" income. The process here is similar----real income is being
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; C4 f+ O1 q% _* Z8 Y! Ideflated by rising material aspiration, in this case to yield
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essentially constant subjective economic well-being. While it would be : U' c9 J) x/ x

7 C* a; s. t* I" J3 M0 W7 O: `% Mpleasant to envisage a world free from the pressure of material want, a
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8 L( U% f/ f- S) T6 d. S6 qmore realistic projection, based on the evidence, is of a world in
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5 I, U! Y* L- h( e* \, J+ E( cwhich generation after generation thinks it needs only another 10% to . ?! _* U7 i6 F! \9 `

7 l  B' f; H( b1 L6 n1 ]% n* o20% more income to be perfectly happy.  p9 W( w' n! B

* O5 _' k& ^- d  S" s( x' a# F2 uNeeds are limited, but not greeds. Science has developed no cure for
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' M# j, b, o3 j" \3 r; g: zenvy, so our wealth boosts our happiness only briefly while shrinking 5 p, j+ Z1 n+ R( j0 k$ i! O: z

" K5 Y( Z' |7 ithat of our neighbors. Thus the outlook for the future is gloomy in , b5 N" U6 c5 K) W. X: X

& }! Z; I6 K1 p# Z& H; REasterlin‘s view.
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5 W( x- t1 d1 @! c"The future, then, to which the epoch of modern economic growth is 0 l/ h6 d/ \; O( ~
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leading is one of never ending economic growth, a world in which ever % A, N+ `) N) @, q

# o( h7 u; p, F1 [# v6 W* V( Xgrowing abundance is matched by ever rising aspirations, a world in 6 c9 }' E+ E3 Q3 E" W$ u6 z
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which cultural difference is leveled in the constant race to achieve ! ]' y/ U+ b) H7 }" w

  W4 ?$ d2 e0 Xthe goods life of material plenty, it is a world founded on belief in
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6 V* \* b# O% y% D7 p" X$ yscience and the power of rational inquiry and in the ultimate capacity
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8 F" V' Q2 B( |; C0 `! xof humanity to shape its own destiny. The irony is that in this last 5 ?/ S& Z) C0 M- o0 Y7 u. y

$ s" Q- E+ F- U4 Q- n9 Q4 hrespect the lesson of history appears to be otherwise: that there is no 3 Z) p# r, P. g: M; v
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choice. In the end, the triumph of economic growth is not a triumph of 6 r% d0 W' m* S5 V9 M, J2 m- E
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humanity over material wants; rather, it is the triumph of material
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; `. V8 j* A0 _  Z7 e" jwants 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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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?
3 r/ B( W1 _' W( N7 [0 n! l  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
: m4 m! x  a6 ^. a( K5 m7 B# P+ S# y5 x8 [9 ]- g+ E
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
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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
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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2 @4 t) |+ N2 X- {
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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。”& j1 A7 Y9 |0 b% ]
  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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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) O* C' z1 ~' d, C$ d3 t4 K
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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。”1 H$ F7 \- A% K0 F5 n
  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' L6 F2 W2 J3 v  d! j

' d7 v! z4 K. @: B9 P: @0 U; c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
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0 \& l* E2 ^" m. C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
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# n* k" v3 U2 e  G  r  e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
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0 k) S7 w( W/ v5 m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& b/ E5 z0 S& Y" m, v% O: }/ Z

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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3 p7 }9 ?) N. s3 T1 v; N! L

- z1 G( w$ c, w  C( J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0 t) ]8 c% A! ?7 ?7 B% Q& V

! D! ]; h7 y0 U% w( a# ^, x论证却指出人类的物欲永无止境。: l- C. q! Q" 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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8 g% i2 O% x- @# F- p) J! x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6 A+ B' z* B% M4 s5 t

/ F' M7 b3 g* H; ?# k% F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
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9 p7 G: n) F( h$ P% i( w  Y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
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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& t8 i# y: _$ M0 ^, R. ~8 I
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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+ q8 f. O/ {# V  x! h! Y

2 n  s, d0 ^) O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
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7 I) _5 s1 T# x3 L5 I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
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/ z( i# C! h2 n. l; L10%----20%,就可达到无比幸福的境界。
6 q1 i6 D( u7 d# D! m  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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6 R& B$ c. A+ r- P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。
: \9 I8 k) U( U+ j8 U' m/ y+ p2 v5 P) D
所以在伊斯特林看来,未来的前景不容乐观:
# T9 F4 h6 j3 X2 N5 \% u! F7 o  t  “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; G2 I2 p7 Z) _/ G$ [8 |  o
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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
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3 W6 b# N, ?9 ^' R- S( H. z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2 T8 e: S( }- |

0 V' s6 B0 M2 O# b) P+ ?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" Y, H$ D! o* {7 A2 O9 k

- f" X: Q2 U( m* u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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