贫穷与失败观

字幕原文

And I quite agree with them 我完全同意他们的说法

that it is not an ennobling experience. 那不是一种能让人变得高尚的经历。

Poverty entails fear 贫穷会带来恐惧

and stress 和压力

and sometimes depression. 有时还会带来抑郁。

It means a thousand petty humiliations 它意味着无数细小的屈辱

and hardships. 和艰辛。

Climbing out of poverty by your own efforts, 通过自己的努力摆脱贫困，

that is something on which to pride yourself. 那是一件值得你自豪的事。

But poverty itself 但贫穷本身

is romanticised only by fools. 只有傻瓜才会将其浪漫化。

What I feared most for myself at your age 在你这个年纪，我最害怕的，

was not poverty, 不是贫穷，

but failure. 而是失败。

At your age, 在你这个年纪，

in spite of a distinct lack of motivation at university, 尽管我在大学时明显缺乏动力，

where I had spent far too long in the coffee bar writing stories 我在咖啡馆里写故事的时间太长了，

and far too little time at lectures, 而听讲座的时间太少了，

I had a knack for passing examinations. 我却有通过考试的本领。

And that, 而那一点，

for years, 多年来，

had been the measure of success in my life 一直是我人生中衡量成功的标准

and that of my peers. 也是我同龄人的标准。

I am not dull enough to suppose 我还没愚钝到认为

that because you are young, 你们因为年轻，

gifted and well-educated, 有天赋且受过良好教育，

you have never known 就从未经历过

hardship or heartache. 困苦或心痛。

Talent and intelligence 天赋和智慧

never yet inoculated anyone against the caprice of the fates, 从未能让人免于命运的反复无常，

and I do not for a moment suppose 我丝毫也不认为

that everyone here 在座的各位

has enjoyed an existence of unruffled privilege 都享受着平静无忧的特权生活

and contentment. 和满足。