老外在中國：人生百態之善與惡
人性本來就存在善惡兩面，而正是善的那一面讓我看到了人類未來的希望。
By David Blair
Two articles in the October 9 issue of China Daily show the good and bad sides of human behavior.
10月9日刊登在《中國日報》上的兩篇文章揭示了人類行為的善惡兩面。
First the bad. In the city of Xi’an in northwest China’s Shaanxi province, a university professor, surnamed Ge, beat a woman street cleaner picking up trash because her garbage truck was blocking his car. She was photographed crying with blood on her face. Ge’s female companion yelled at the worker—“Do you know how much money I earn and how much you earn? You are wasting my time.”
首先是惡的一面。在中國西北的陜西省西安市，一位姓葛的大學教授毆打了一位撿垃圾的環衛女工，只因為她的垃圾清運車擋住了葛教授的車輛通行。視頻里，滿臉是血的環衛女工嚎啕大哭。和葛教授同行的女人朝環衛女工叫囂道——“我掙多少錢，你掙多少錢，你擋著我掙錢！”
Amazingly, Ge spent only 10 days in detention and was fined only 500 yuan, about $75, for beating up the woman.
令人詫異的是，葛某的打人行為只被處以拘留10天和罰款500元的處罰。
The brand of car driven by Professor Ge was not reported, but it is a good bet that it was a luxury vehicle. A well-known 2024 study by psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley, found that drivers of expensive cars are much more likely than other drivers to engage in illegal behavior. They cut off other drivers and seldom stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. The research team concluded that “unethical behavior in the service of self-interest that enhances the individual’s wealth and rank may be a self-perpetuating dynamic that exacerbates economic disparities in society.” In other words, rich car drivers think it is okay for them to break the rules and endanger others.
資訊并沒有提到葛教授駕駛的汽車品牌，但很可能是一輛豪車。美國加州大學伯克利分校的心理學家在2024年做過一項著名研究，發現豪車司機比其他司機更容易違法。他們肆意插車，在人行橫道上也很少禮讓行人。研究小組得出結論稱，“追求自身利益能夠增加個人財富和地位，這種為一己私利服務的不道德行為是自我延續的動力，它加劇社會貧富差距。”換句話說，豪車司機認為他們可以違反規則，危及他人。
According to the World Health Organization, more than 1,200,000 people worldwide are killed each year in car crashes. Four to five times that number are seriously injured. We euphemistically call these crashes “accidents,” but 95 percent are the result of reckless or negligent driving.
據世界衛生組織統計，全球每年有超過120萬人死于車禍。受傷人數是死亡人數的4到5倍。我們委婉地稱這些車禍為“事故”，但95%都是由于魯莽或疏忽駕駛造成的。
Luxury car drivers are the worst, but psychological research shows that just being behind the wheel of a car leads drivers to become more angry, aggressive, and anti-social than they in other situations. Psychologists use the term “de-individuation” to refer to a situation where a person feels anonymous and not constrained by social norms. A 1970 study by psychologist Philip Zimbardo kicked off this field of research when he showed that anonymous students are willing to administer twice the level of electric shock to other students that they would if their names were known or their faces could be seen.
豪車司機最為糟糕，而心理學研究表明，開車時被甩在后面會讓司機比平時火氣更大、更好斗和反社會。心理學家用“去個性化”來形容一個人感到自己可以匿名且不受社會規范約束的情況。1970年，心理學家菲利普?津巴多的一項研究拉開了該領域的研究序幕。他指出，如果在名字不被人知道，或者臉不會被人看到的情況下，匿名的學生愿意給其他學生施加兩倍的電擊電流。
Similarly, anonymous car drivers are willing to risk lives by speeding, threatening pedestrians in crosswalks, or buzzing bicycle riders. Many drivers continue to text and phone, even though they know it endangers their own lives and those of others. Many of these same people would not even think of so threatening another’s life in any other situation.
同樣，匿名的司機愿意冒生命危險超速行駛，威脅人行橫道上的行人，逼近騎行者。即使知道會危及自己和他人的生命，許多司機依然在行駛途中發短信打電話。這些人中的許多人甚至不認為這樣會危及他人的生命。
Studies show that people drive more carefully if there is a passenger in the car. They are no longer anonymous.
研究表明，如果車上有乘客，人們就會更加小心駕駛。因為他們不再是匿名的。
But, all is not lost. The same edition of China Daily also has an inspiring story about Mao Zhaomu, an 18-year-old motorcycle delivery man working in the city of Chongqing, in Southwest China. He dropped out of school to earn money for his family, but continued to study English while waiting for customers. For practice, he would send English texts to university students who ordered food. Teachers and students at a local university gave him books and one teacher from Shanghai gave him lessons online. Now, he has been able to begin his studies at Sichuan International Studies University.
但是，希望依然存在。在《中國日報》同一版也刊登了一則鼓舞人心的故事，那就是位于重慶市的開摩托車送餐的18歲小哥毛召木。他輟學掙錢養家，在等顧客之余堅持學習英語。為了練習，他會給那些訂餐的大學生發送英文短信。當地一所大學的老師和學生贈給他一些書籍，一位上海的老師還在網上給他授課。現在，他已經在四川外國語大學開始學習。
China’s economy is supported by a great many admirable workers such as Mao and the street cleaner who was beat up. I’ve found them to be extremely honest, hard-working and capable. They are striving to improve their lives and support their families. They give me hope for the future of humanity.
中國的經濟由許多可敬的工作者所支撐，如毛召木和被打的女環衛工。他們非常誠實，勤勞能干。他們正在努力改善他們的生活，養活他們的家庭。他們讓我對人類的未來又有了希望。
人性本來就存在善惡兩面，而正是善的那一面讓我看到了人類未來的希望。
By David Blair
Two articles in the October 9 issue of China Daily show the good and bad sides of human behavior.
10月9日刊登在《中國日報》上的兩篇文章揭示了人類行為的善惡兩面。
First the bad. In the city of Xi’an in northwest China’s Shaanxi province, a university professor, surnamed Ge, beat a woman street cleaner picking up trash because her garbage truck was blocking his car. She was photographed crying with blood on her face. Ge’s female companion yelled at the worker—“Do you know how much money I earn and how much you earn? You are wasting my time.”
首先是惡的一面。在中國西北的陜西省西安市，一位姓葛的大學教授毆打了一位撿垃圾的環衛女工，只因為她的垃圾清運車擋住了葛教授的車輛通行。視頻里，滿臉是血的環衛女工嚎啕大哭。和葛教授同行的女人朝環衛女工叫囂道——“我掙多少錢，你掙多少錢，你擋著我掙錢！”
Amazingly, Ge spent only 10 days in detention and was fined only 500 yuan, about $75, for beating up the woman.
令人詫異的是，葛某的打人行為只被處以拘留10天和罰款500元的處罰。
The brand of car driven by Professor Ge was not reported, but it is a good bet that it was a luxury vehicle. A well-known 2024 study by psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley, found that drivers of expensive cars are much more likely than other drivers to engage in illegal behavior. They cut off other drivers and seldom stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. The research team concluded that “unethical behavior in the service of self-interest that enhances the individual’s wealth and rank may be a self-perpetuating dynamic that exacerbates economic disparities in society.” In other words, rich car drivers think it is okay for them to break the rules and endanger others.
資訊并沒有提到葛教授駕駛的汽車品牌，但很可能是一輛豪車。美國加州大學伯克利分校的心理學家在2024年做過一項著名研究，發現豪車司機比其他司機更容易違法。他們肆意插車，在人行橫道上也很少禮讓行人。研究小組得出結論稱，“追求自身利益能夠增加個人財富和地位，這種為一己私利服務的不道德行為是自我延續的動力，它加劇社會貧富差距。”換句話說，豪車司機認為他們可以違反規則，危及他人。
According to the World Health Organization, more than 1,200,000 people worldwide are killed each year in car crashes. Four to five times that number are seriously injured. We euphemistically call these crashes “accidents,” but 95 percent are the result of reckless or negligent driving.
據世界衛生組織統計，全球每年有超過120萬人死于車禍。受傷人數是死亡人數的4到5倍。我們委婉地稱這些車禍為“事故”，但95%都是由于魯莽或疏忽駕駛造成的。
Luxury car drivers are the worst, but psychological research shows that just being behind the wheel of a car leads drivers to become more angry, aggressive, and anti-social than they in other situations. Psychologists use the term “de-individuation” to refer to a situation where a person feels anonymous and not constrained by social norms. A 1970 study by psychologist Philip Zimbardo kicked off this field of research when he showed that anonymous students are willing to administer twice the level of electric shock to other students that they would if their names were known or their faces could be seen.
豪車司機最為糟糕，而心理學研究表明，開車時被甩在后面會讓司機比平時火氣更大、更好斗和反社會。心理學家用“去個性化”來形容一個人感到自己可以匿名且不受社會規范約束的情況。1970年，心理學家菲利普?津巴多的一項研究拉開了該領域的研究序幕。他指出，如果在名字不被人知道，或者臉不會被人看到的情況下，匿名的學生愿意給其他學生施加兩倍的電擊電流。
Similarly, anonymous car drivers are willing to risk lives by speeding, threatening pedestrians in crosswalks, or buzzing bicycle riders. Many drivers continue to text and phone, even though they know it endangers their own lives and those of others. Many of these same people would not even think of so threatening another’s life in any other situation.
同樣，匿名的司機愿意冒生命危險超速行駛，威脅人行橫道上的行人，逼近騎行者。即使知道會危及自己和他人的生命，許多司機依然在行駛途中發短信打電話。這些人中的許多人甚至不認為這樣會危及他人的生命。
Studies show that people drive more carefully if there is a passenger in the car. They are no longer anonymous.
研究表明，如果車上有乘客，人們就會更加小心駕駛。因為他們不再是匿名的。
But, all is not lost. The same edition of China Daily also has an inspiring story about Mao Zhaomu, an 18-year-old motorcycle delivery man working in the city of Chongqing, in Southwest China. He dropped out of school to earn money for his family, but continued to study English while waiting for customers. For practice, he would send English texts to university students who ordered food. Teachers and students at a local university gave him books and one teacher from Shanghai gave him lessons online. Now, he has been able to begin his studies at Sichuan International Studies University.
但是，希望依然存在。在《中國日報》同一版也刊登了一則鼓舞人心的故事，那就是位于重慶市的開摩托車送餐的18歲小哥毛召木。他輟學掙錢養家，在等顧客之余堅持學習英語。為了練習，他會給那些訂餐的大學生發送英文短信。當地一所大學的老師和學生贈給他一些書籍，一位上海的老師還在網上給他授課。現在，他已經在四川外國語大學開始學習。
China’s economy is supported by a great many admirable workers such as Mao and the street cleaner who was beat up. I’ve found them to be extremely honest, hard-working and capable. They are striving to improve their lives and support their families. They give me hope for the future of humanity.
中國的經濟由許多可敬的工作者所支撐，如毛召木和被打的女環衛工。他們非常誠實，勤勞能干。他們正在努力改善他們的生活，養活他們的家庭。他們讓我對人類的未來又有了希望。
