美國一直有問題嗎?還是過去更好?（下）
Has the United States always had problems or was it better in the past?
譯文簡介
網(wǎng)友：對誰更有利？如今，當(dāng)我們回顧過去，往往會理想化1950年代和1960年代。無疑，那被視為美國的“黃金時(shí)代”。但縱觀歷史，任何國家、地區(qū)或文化的黃金時(shí)代都是短暫的。美國黃金時(shí)代的繁榮并不是平等地惠及所有美國人……
正文翻譯
Has the United States always had problems or was it better in the past?
美國一直有問題嗎?還是過去更好?
美國一直有問題嗎?還是過去更好?
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Better for whom?
Most of the “back in the day” stuff you see today idolizes the 1950s and 1960s. These were, unquestionably, America’s “golden age.” Any long view of history will tell you that golden ages happen for countries or regions or cultures from time-to-time but that they don’t last. The prosperity of the American golden age didn’t fall equally an all Americans and while the 50s and 60s might have been a simpler time, they weren’t prosperous BECAUSE of that simplicity.
Let’s unpack what made the 1950s and 1960s such a great time for the United States and what we mean when we say that.
對誰更有利？
如今，當(dāng)我們回顧過去，往往會理想化1950年代和1960年代。無疑，那被視為美國的“黃金時(shí)代”。但縱觀歷史，任何國家、地區(qū)或文化的黃金時(shí)代都是短暫的。美國黃金時(shí)代的繁榮并不是平等地惠及所有美國人，盡管50年代和60年代可能是一個(gè)簡單的時(shí)代，但這種簡單并不是繁榮的原因。
讓我們深入探討是什么讓1950年代和1960年代成為美國的輝煌時(shí)期，以及當(dāng)我們說這個(gè)的時(shí)候到底意味著什么。
When we think about the golden age of the 50s and 60s, certain ideas come to mind. Let’s take this meme which I pulled off a right-wing Facebook account for example:
Now, ignoring grandpa who presumably has some stories from World War 1, there are some insights here. Yes, home ownership was within easy reach for a lot of Americans and families could live comfortably on a single income.
All across 1950s and 1960s America, small towns clustered around local industries. Those factories paid good wages for fundamentally unskilled labor. People who worked there could support their families, even if they didn’t have a high school degree. And landing that job wasn’t unusual; those factories were always hiring.
美國黃金時(shí)代的背后
當(dāng)我們回顧50年代和60年代的黃金時(shí)代時(shí)，一些畫面會浮現(xiàn)在腦海中。比如，我們可以從一些右翼Facebook賬號上看到這樣的梗：
忽略掉可能經(jīng)歷過一戰(zhàn)的祖父輩的故事，這里其實(shí)有一些深刻的見解。的確，許多美國人能夠輕松擁有自己的住房，家庭可以靠一份收入過上舒適的生活。
在1950年代和1960年代的美國，小鎮(zhèn)通常圍繞著當(dāng)?shù)氐墓I(yè)而建。那些工廠為基本沒有技能的工人支付了不錯(cuò)的工資。哪怕他們沒有高中文憑，在那里工作的人可以養(yǎng)活家庭。而且，找到這樣的工作并不難；那些工廠總是在招聘。
Well, for starters, from 1939 to 1945 the focus of the industrial might of the entire world was on converting European and Asian cities into burning rubble. If you wanted to make ANYTHING in the post-war world you had no choice but to do it in the United States. This advantage really can’t be overstated. There was a whole world that needed rebuilding and the only place that could make the tools, materials, and supplies it needed was the United States… and that meant that the factories and ports and mines doing all that work had no choice but to hire American workers.
So the golden age of the American middle class was also the golden age of the American labor movement. Fully one-third of American jobs in the 1950s were unxized. Those unxs fought for worker rights including generous pay and benefits.
但……為什么會這樣呢？
首先，從1939年到1945年，全世界的工業(yè)重心都集中在將歐洲和亞洲的城市變?yōu)閺U墟。如果你想在戰(zhàn)后的世界制造任何東西，你只能在美國制造。這個(gè)優(yōu)勢怎么強(qiáng)調(diào)都不為過。戰(zhàn)后的世界需要重建，而唯一能生產(chǎn)所需工具、材料和物資的地方就是美國……這意味著那些工廠、港口和礦山必須雇傭美國工人。
因此，美國中產(chǎn)階級的黃金時(shí)代也是美國勞工運(yùn)動(dòng)的黃金時(shí)代。1950年代，三分之一的美國工作都是工會化的。這些工會為工人爭取了包括高薪和福利在內(nèi)的權(quán)益。
Of course, this prosperity didn’t fall equally on everyone. The 1950s and 1960s was also a time in which participation in the American workforce was very limited. Racism and Sexism kept black people and women either out of the workforce or in low paying jobs. If you were a white man, this worked out very well for you indeed.
Women’s exclusion from the workforce meant that many women were economically dependent on their husbands for their and their kids’ survival. This power imbalance was behind much of the “domestic tranquility” that we recollect from the 50s and 60s. With divorce requiring demonstration of “fault” and with women economically handicapped, getting out of a broken or even abusive marriage was extremely difficult.
不平等的繁榮
當(dāng)然，這種繁榮并沒有平等地惠及每個(gè)人。1950年代和1960年代也是美國勞動(dòng)力參與度非常有限的時(shí)期。種族主義和性別歧視使黑人和女性要么被排除在勞動(dòng)力市場之外，要么只能從事低薪工作。如果你是白人男性，這個(gè)時(shí)代對你來說確實(shí)很好。
女性的勞動(dòng)力市場參與度低意味著許多女性在經(jīng)濟(jì)上依賴她們的丈夫。這種權(quán)力失衡是50年代和60年代我們所回憶的“家庭安寧”背后的原因之一。由于離婚需要證明“過錯(cuò)”，女性在經(jīng)濟(jì)上處于不利地位，因此擺脫一個(gè)破碎的或甚至是虐待的婚姻極其困難。
So… I think the answer to your question is that the past probably was a better time for white, male America. But that “better” was built upon the devastation of a global war, the marginalization of the other sex, and the systemic oppression of an entire race of people.
On balance, probably not a better or simpler time for everyone.
同樣，黑人被排除在勞動(dòng)力市場之外，這也讓白人，特別是白人男性受益。如果你是白人，你不需要和黑人競爭那些高薪的工廠工作，這意味著你的工資更高，工作更穩(wěn)定。但如果你是黑人，這意味著你的收入有限，你只能任由你的白人雇主擺布。
所以……我認(rèn)為，對于美國白人男性來說，過去可能是一個(gè)更好的時(shí)代。但那個(gè)“更好”是建立在全球戰(zhàn)爭的破壞、對另一性別的邊緣化和對某個(gè)整個(gè)種族的系統(tǒng)性壓迫之上的。
總的來說，對每個(gè)人來說，那可能并不是一個(gè)更好或更簡單的時(shí)代。
Also, the belief that the 50’s were a golden age only works if you accept that most middle class people at the time had a lifestyle that we would today consider to be lower class or poor.
No air conditioning, probably no washer or dryer, one family car (if any), much smaller houses (think family of 5 or 6 living in a 800 square foot house), very little travel, if living outside a major city like NYC - no culture, very little disposable income for most, mother of the house handmakes your clothing (which is only nice if she’s really good at it), etc.
認(rèn)為1950年代是“黃金時(shí)代”的觀點(diǎn)，前提是要承認(rèn)當(dāng)時(shí)大多數(shù)中產(chǎn)階級的生活方式在今天看來是下層或貧困的。
沒有空調(diào)，可能沒有洗衣機(jī)或烘干機(jī)，家庭通常只有一輛車（如果有的話），房子小得多（想象一下一個(gè)五口或六口之家住在800平方英尺的房子里），幾乎沒有旅行。如果住在像紐約這樣的城市之外，幾乎沒有文化，大多數(shù)人幾乎沒有可支配收入，母親親手縫制衣物（如果她真的很擅長，那就太好了）等等。
The problem with this argument is that it doesn't account for the fact that technology gets cheaper over time.
When TVs and washing machines first came on to the market they were luxury goods, but over time the process of manufacturing them became more efficient and less labour intensive which led to them becoming commonplace. In 1954 you were lucky if you could even afford to rent a TV, in 2024 it's something you might not even bother taking with you when you move.
The idea that it's harder to get by on one income today due to modern life requiring technology is false. Pretty much every household amenity has become exponentially cheaper over the last few decades. The notable exception being the house itself, which combined with stagnating wages is the real reason for the shift.
這個(gè)論點(diǎn)的問題在于，它沒有考慮到技術(shù)隨著時(shí)間的推移而變得更便宜的事實(shí)。
當(dāng)電視和洗衣機(jī)首次上市時(shí)，它們是奢侈品，但隨著時(shí)間的推移，制造過程變得更有效率，勞動(dòng)強(qiáng)度減輕，導(dǎo)致它們變得普及。在1954年，如果你能租到一臺電視，那真是幸運(yùn)；而在2024年，你甚至可能覺得搬家時(shí)不必帶上它。
由于現(xiàn)代生活對科技的要求，如今單靠一份收入難以維持生活的想法是錯(cuò)誤的。過去幾十年里，幾乎每種家庭設(shè)施的價(jià)格都大幅下降。唯一的顯著例外是房子本身，加上工資停滯，這才是真正導(dǎo)致這種變化的原因。
Not sure how this is a problem with my argument. If washing machines are cheaper in 2024 than they were in 1954, that is just more evidence that it is better to be alive in 2024.
我不明白這與我的論點(diǎn)有什么關(guān)系。如果2024年的洗衣機(jī)比1954年的便宜，那只是更能證明活在2024年更好。
This was also the era when the rich actually paid taxes — and that goes for corporations, too. So, the poor and the middle class did not have to carry the whole fuckin’ load.
這也是富人真正繳稅的時(shí)代——企業(yè)也是如此。所以，窮人和中產(chǎn)階級不必獨(dú)自承擔(dān)全部負(fù)擔(dān)。
the poor pay nothing. The top 10% earners pay 49.5% of the income tax collected.
Corporations had higher taxes, and you could also expense anything, even strippers.
窮人什么都不交。收入最高的10%的人繳納49.5%的所得稅。
企業(yè)稅率更高，而且你可以報(bào)銷任何東西，甚至是報(bào)銷脫衣舞女的費(fèi)用。
Check your facts. What % of tax is paid by the top 10%? The top 20%? The bottom 50%?
Not saying life’s a bowl of cherries for the poor and middle class, but you are utterly and completely wrong about who’s paying taxes.
檢查你的數(shù)據(jù)。收入最高的10%和20%的人群各繳納多少稅？底層50%的人又繳納多少？
并不是說窮人和中產(chǎn)階級的生活多么美好，但你對誰在繳納稅收的理解完全錯(cuò)誤。
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What percentage of income are they paying?
他們繳納的收入百分比是多少？
What's a distinctly American problem?
Just my opinion, but I think the continued criminality surrounding paying for sex (prostitution) is, by this point, a uniquely American issue. And by American I mean in the U.S.A. Paying for sex stopped being a legal issue in Europe and Latin America long ago. The institution of putting a man through legal hell just because paid a woman to have sex with him is now solely an American problem.
美國面臨一個(gè)獨(dú)特的問題是什么？
在我看來，為性交易付費(fèi)（即賣淫）的持續(xù)犯罪行為，到了現(xiàn)在，已經(jīng)成為一個(gè)典型的美國問題。我所說的“美國”，特指美利堅(jiān)合眾國。相比之下，在歐洲和拉丁美洲，為性交易付費(fèi)早已不再是法律問題。而在美國，僅僅因?yàn)橐粋€(gè)男人花錢與女人發(fā)生性關(guān)系，就讓他遭受法律的嚴(yán)懲，這種現(xiàn)象已經(jīng)成為美國獨(dú)有的問題。
What’s a uniquely American problem?
Too many choices.
My wife sends me shopping for hair dye or nail polish or shampoo. And I think, OK, I can handle that. I’ll type a list into my note pad on my phone. No problem.
So I get to the supermarket, pull out my phone and call her on FaceTime and point to each of 5 thousand similar products and ask: This one? Or this? How about this? No, they don’t have what I got last time, or maybe they do but they moved it or it’s in a new bottle now. Go back to the left? Up a shelf? This looks familiar, but it’s unscented and doesn’t have the applicator cap. Is that close enough?
Ok, I’ll get that.
Double tap, dexe. That’s one off the list.
美國獨(dú)有的問題是什么？
選擇過多。
我太太讓我去商店買染發(fā)劑、指甲油或洗發(fā)水。我信心滿滿地想，沒問題，我能搞定。于是，我就在手機(jī)的記事本上列了個(gè)清單。
然而，當(dāng)我走進(jìn)超市，拿出手機(jī)，通過FaceTime跟她視頻通話，指著貨架上成千上萬種相似的產(chǎn)品逐一詢問：這個(gè)嗎？還是這個(gè)？這個(gè)怎么樣？都不行，他們沒有上次我買的那個(gè)，或者可能還有，但位置換了，或者現(xiàn)在換了新包裝。要我再往左邊找找？看看貨架上面？這個(gè)看起來差不多，但它是無香型的，還沒有配噴嘴蓋。這樣算不算可以？
行，就買這個(gè)了。
雙擊，刪除。清單上又完成了一項(xiàng)。
What are Americans biggest problems?
Scams by medical insurance companies, where they demand premiums but weasel out of providing cover.
Result: bankruptcy for the person who falls ill.
2. As a result of item 1, 4 years less life expectancy
美國人面臨的最大問題是什么？
醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)公司的欺詐行為，他們收取高額保費(fèi)，卻在理賠時(shí)找各種借口推脫責(zé)任。 結(jié)果：患病者因此而破產(chǎn)。
由于上述問題，美國人的預(yù)期壽命減少了四年。
What are Americans biggest problems?
In regards to the average citizen?
Under funded schooling and a huge decline in our educational system. Idiot non-Americans for some reason think this is something that the average American wants. Its not. Most think its a huge problem.
對于普通美國人來說，他們面臨的最大問題是什么？
學(xué)校教育資金嚴(yán)重不足，我們教育體系的嚴(yán)重衰退。一些非美國人可能誤以為這是普通美國人所希望的，但實(shí)際上并不是。大多數(shù)人都認(rèn)為這是一個(gè)亟待解決的重大問題。
政治與企業(yè)之間缺乏明確的界限。嚴(yán)肅地說，美國早已不再是真正意義上的民主國家。這種觀點(diǎn)在某個(gè)時(shí)期或許還站得住腳，但現(xiàn)在，這是美國面臨的最大問題。它是我們醫(yī)療保健體系糟糕透頂?shù)母矗w面的、必要的醫(yī)療服務(wù)價(jià)格高得離譜；它也是教育系統(tǒng)資金不足的原因。在美國市場崩潰、無數(shù)美國人失去家園時(shí)，只有極少數(shù)人受到懲罰。它還是導(dǎo)致90%的國家財(cái)富集中在10%人口手中的原因，而剩下的90%的人口只能共享剩余的10%財(cái)富。此外，電子煙行業(yè)受到的猛烈抨擊，不過是因?yàn)闊煵莺椭扑幑鞠胭嵢「嗬麧?，這明顯表明公共健康的重要性不及國家財(cái)富，這些只是眾多例子中的幾個(gè)。
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橋梁崩塌，道路坑洼，那些本可以極大促進(jìn)美國經(jīng)濟(jì)和就業(yè)增長的新興產(chǎn)業(yè)和公司被迫停擺，這一切只是為了讓當(dāng)前的權(quán)貴們能夠保住自己的財(cái)富，而不是讓財(cái)富流向更具現(xiàn)代化和競爭力的企業(yè)。
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What’s a uniquely American problem?
Every nation has a unique set of people. The set the USA has the most unusual population in the world. These people live in a land that is so diverse in climates natural resources and landforms. Governing such a nation in an orderly and reasonable way requires balancing and compromising situations simply not analogous to other nations. Even the very concept that the USA is one nation is wrong. The USA is actually 50 nations with unique people, history, resources and environment. This makes managing affairs in the USA very complex.
美國所面臨的一個(gè)獨(dú)特問題是什么？
每個(gè)國家都有其獨(dú)特的人民，而美國擁有世界上最與眾不同的人口。這個(gè)國家的氣候、自然資源和地形極為多樣，以有序合理的方式治理這樣一個(gè)多元化的國家，需要解決一些其他國家從未遇到的平衡和妥協(xié)問題。實(shí)際上，將美國視為一個(gè)統(tǒng)一的國家是錯(cuò)誤的；美國更像是由50個(gè)有著各自獨(dú)特人民、歷史、資源和環(huán)境的獨(dú)立國家組成的聯(lián)合體。這使得美國的國家治理變得極其復(fù)雜。
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令人驚訝的是，美國竟然能夠正常運(yùn)作。美國歷史上的成功和對世界的貢獻(xiàn)，證明了建國者們基于人性而非物理或技術(shù)現(xiàn)實(shí)制定的憲法是多么明智。這個(gè)憲法非常適合美國人民和國情，在過去200多年里成功地應(yīng)對了各種壓力。
美國的成功帶來了一個(gè)世界其他國家人民不太理解的問題。美國人民渴望自我管理，但同時(shí)也不得不去管理那些不愿自我管理的人群。這導(dǎo)致了一個(gè)本質(zhì)上只希望被世界放任不管、忽視其他國家的民族，不得不處理許多涉及全球的軍事和民事事務(wù)。這種負(fù)擔(dān)給美國帶來了巨大的壓力，因?yàn)檫@完全不符合美國人民的性格和愿望。
The USA manages everything from Rights of Navigation, Prevention of Piracy to regulation of telecommunications frequencies, to managing health and safety issues such as vaccinations and the manufacture standards for drugs. It manages things involving Fish and Game. This manages Weather Forecasting and monitors Earthquakes and Volcanoes. It manages Farm processes, food purity and so much more.
我們美國在全球范圍內(nèi)處理著形形色色的問題，以下是一個(gè)簡短且不完全的列表，從中你可以看出這種情況引發(fā)的問題的多樣性：
美國負(fù)責(zé)管理包括航行權(quán)、打擊海盜行為、電信頻率規(guī)范在內(nèi)的諸多事務(wù)，同時(shí)也涉及健康與安全問題，比如疫苗接種和藥品生產(chǎn)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。此外，還涉及魚類和野生動(dòng)物的管理。美國還負(fù)責(zé)天氣預(yù)報(bào)、監(jiān)測地震和火山活動(dòng)。在農(nóng)業(yè)流程、食品純凈度等方面也有所涉及，還有更多其他事務(wù)。
將全球各地不同文明程度的人民聚集起來，并為他們提供安全保障、食物、藥品和國防安全，這與我們美國人的期望和性格背道而馳。這一重?fù)?dān)是由于世界其他地區(qū)的混亂和惡劣狀況而強(qiáng)加給我們的。你詢問了美國所面臨的一個(gè)獨(dú)特問題，而這就是我們所面臨的最大挑戰(zhàn)。
你可以確信，無論美國內(nèi)部有多少不同的聲音以何種方式表達(dá)，都有一個(gè)普遍的共識：美國人根本不想攪和到世界其他地區(qū)的事務(wù)中。我們更愿意專注于自己的生活，而不是去干涉你們其他國家的事情。