Paradox of our times 是一片批判現實主義的散文。其中大量的排比給人以強烈的感受。
現在是高中生必讀必備的篇目之一。
基本介紹
作品原文,譯文,
作品原文
We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less common sense; more knowledge, but less judgement; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.
We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get to angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too often, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too little and lie too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years.
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space. We've split the atom, but not our prejudice; we write more, but learn less; plan more, but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but lower morals. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies, but have less communication. We are long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men and short character; steep profits and shallow relationships. More leisure and less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition; two incomes, but more divorce; fancier houses, but broken homes.
This is a strange and confusing age. There are so many paradoxes in our time that we hardly know who we are, where we are and where to go.
譯文
我們居住的房屋越來越寬敞，家庭卻越來越小型化；可以享受的生活便利日益增多，屬於自己的時間卻日趨減少；我們獲得了一張又一張學位證書，卻愈加頻繁地陷入對常識的茫然中；我們廣泛地涉獵各類知識，卻越來越缺乏對於外界事物的準確把握和判斷；專家越來越多，問題卻也日漸增加；藥物越吃越多，健康卻每況愈下。
我們花錢太瘋，笑容太少，開車太快，發怒太急，熬夜太晚，起身太累，文章讀得太少，電視看得太勤，禱告做得太少。
我們不斷聚斂物質財富，卻逐漸丟失了自我價值。我們的話語太多，真愛太少，謊言泛濫。我們掌握了謀生手段，卻不懂得生活真諦；我們讓年華付諸流水，卻不曾將生命傾注其中。
我們的住房越來越好，脾氣卻越來越糟；我們行駛的道路越來越寬闊，眼光卻越來越狹隘。我們付出很多，可獲得的很少；我們購買了很多，可從中得到的樂趣卻很少。
我們學會了追趕時間，卻沒學會耐心等待；我們擁有的財富越來越多，道德品質卻日益淪喪。我們生產更多的電腦用於存儲更多的信息和製造更多的拷貝，而相互間的交流與溝通卻越來越少。我們擁有的是數量，缺乏的是質量。
這是一個快餐食品和消化遲緩相伴的時代；一個體格高大和性格病態並存的時代；一個追名逐利和人情冷漠相生的時代。我們的休閒多了，樂趣卻少了；食品種類多了，營養卻少了；雙薪家庭增加了，離婚率也激升了；居室的裝修華麗了，家庭卻殘缺破碎了。
這是一個奇怪的，讓人茫然的時代。 如此多的尷尬以至於我們甚至不清楚我們自己是誰，在哪裡以及往哪去。
