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There are several reasons for this low status
美国的老人地位如此低
of the elderly in the U.S.
有几个原因。
One is our Protestant work ethic
一是我们新教的工作伦理
which places high value on work,
这个伦理给予“工作”很大的价值，
so older people who are no longer working
所以不再能工作的老年人
aren't respected.
不被尊重。
Another reason is our American emphasis
另一个原因是我们美国人强调
on the virtues of self-reliance and independence,
自主和独立的美德
so we instinctively look down on older people
所以我们本能地看不起
who are no longer self-reliant and independent.
不再自力更生而独立的老年人。
Still a third reason is our American cult of youth,
第三个原因是我们美国式的，对年轻的崇拜，
which shows up even in our advertisements.
甚至在我们的广告中就显示了这点。
Ads for Coca-Cola and beer always depict
可口可乐和啤酒的广告总是描绘
smiling young people,
微笑着的年轻人，
even though old as well as young people
即使老人象年轻人一样
buy and drink Coca-Cola and beer.
会去买可口可乐和啤酒。
Just think, what's the last time you saw
想一想，你最后一次看到
a Coke or beer ad depicting smiling people
可乐或者啤酒的广告描绘微笑着的
85 years old? Never. 85
岁老人是什么时候？从来没有。
Instead, the only American ads
相反，唯一以白发老人
featuring white-haired old people
为主角的美国广告
are ads for retirement homes and pension planning.
是眼泪院和养老计划的广告。
Well, what has changed in the status
今天老人的地位
of the elderly today
与他们在传统社会中的地位
compared to their status in traditional societies?
相比起来有什么变化？
There have been a few changes for the better
有一些好的变化
and more changes for the worse.
更多的方面变得更糟糕了。
Big changes for the better
好的变化中，大的方面
include the fact that today we enjoy
包括今天我们享受
much longer lives,
更长的生命这一事实，
much better health in our old age,
我们比过去的老年人更健康，
and much better recreational opportunities.
和有更好地娱乐的机会。
Another change for the better is that we now have
另一个更好的变化是，我们现在有
specialized retirement facilities
专门的退休设施
and programs to take care of old people.
和政策来照顾老人们。
Changes for the worse begin with the cruel reality
更糟的变化开始于
that we now have
我们现在，比以往任何时候
more old people and fewer young people
都有更多的老人和更少的年轻人
than at any time in the past.
这一残酷现实。
That means that all those old people
这意味着，那些老人
are more of a burden on the few young people,
对这些较少的年轻来说是个负担，
and that each old person has less individual value.
并且每个老人的个体价值也就更少。
Another big change for the worse in the status of the elderly
另一个老年人地位恶化的大变化是
is the breaking of social ties with age,
随着年龄的增长，社会纽带的断裂，
because older people, their children,
因为老人，他们的孩子，
and their friends,
和他们的朋友，
all move and scatter independently of each other
在他们的生命过程中多次搬家
many times during their lives.
并彼此独立地四散各处。
We Americans move on the average
我们美国人平均
every five years.
每五年就搬家一次。
Hence our older people are likely
因此我们的老人很有可能
to end up living distant from their children
最终生活在远离他们的孩子
and the friends of their youth.
和他们青年时期朋友的地方。
Yet another change for the worse in the status of the elderly
另一个老年人地位恶化的变化是
is formal retirement from the workforce,
从劳动力中正式退休，
carrying with it a loss of work friendships
同时失去在工作中建立的友谊
and a loss of the self-esteem associated with work.
以及从工作而来的自尊。
Perhaps the biggest change for the worse
或许，最大的（老人地位）恶化的改变是
is that our elderly are objectively
我们的老人都客观地
less useful than in traditional societies.
相比在传统社会中没那么有用了。
Widespread literacy means that they are no longer
文化普及意味着他们不再
useful as repositories of knowledge.
是有用的知识宝库。
When we want some information,
当我们想要某些信息时，
we look it up in a book or we Google it
我们从书里面查，或是上网搜索
instead of finding some old person to ask.
而不是询问老人。
The slow pace of technological change
在传统社会中，
in traditional societies
技术变革的缓慢速度
means that what someone learns there as a child
意味着在孩童时代学习的东西
is still useful when that person is old,
在老年时仍然有用
but the rapid pace of technological change today
而今天技术的快速改变
means that what we learn as children
意味着我们在孩童时代学习的东西
is no longer useful 60 years later. 60
年后已经不再有用。
And conversely, we older people are not fluent
反过来，我们老人对于
in the technologies essential for surviving
现代社会中生存必需的技术
in modern society.
并不擅长。
For example, as a 15-year-old,
例如，做为一个15岁的孩子，
I was considered outstandingly good at multiplying numbers
别人觉得我非常擅长乘法
because I had memorized the multiplication tables
因为我记得乘法表，
and I know how to use logarithms
知道如何使用对数，
and I'm quick at manipulating a slide rule.
并且可以快速地操作计算尺。
Today, though, those skills are utterly useless
然而，今天，这些技能基本完全无用
because any idiot
因为任何一个白痴
can now multiply eight-digit numbers
也可以将八位数的数字
accurately and instantly with a pocket calculator.
准确快速地用一个袖珍计算器相乘。
Conversely, I at age 75
相反地，我在75岁时
am incompetent at skills
无法驾驭日常生活中
essential for everyday life.
所必须的技能。
