老外在中國：人生百態(tài)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?qǐng)?bào)》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(xué)教授毆打了一位撿垃圾的環(huán)衛(wèi)女工，只因?yàn)樗睦暹\(yùn)車擋住了葛教授的車輛通行。視頻里，滿臉是血的環(huán)衛(wèi)女工嚎啕大哭。和葛教授同行的女人朝環(huán)衛(wèi)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(xué)伯克利分校的心理學(xué)家在2024年做過一項(xiàng)著名研究，發(fā)現(xiàn)豪車司機(jī)比其他司機(jī)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(jié)論稱，“追求自身利益能夠增加個(gè)人財(cái)富和地位，這種為一己私利服務(wù)的不道德行為是自我延續(xù)的動(dòng)力，它加劇社會(huì)貧富差距?！睋Q句話說，豪車司機(jī)認(rèn)為他們可以違反規(guī)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(jù)世界衛(wèi)生組織統(tǒng)計(jì)，全球每年有超過120萬人死于車禍。受傷人數(shù)是死亡人數(shù)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(jī)最為糟糕，而心理學(xué)研究表明，開車時(shí)被甩在后面會(huì)讓司機(jī)比平時(shí)火氣更大、更好斗和反社會(huì)。心理學(xué)家用“去個(gè)性化”來形容一個(gè)人感到自己可以匿名且不受社會(huì)規(guī)范約束的情況。1970年，心理學(xué)家菲利普?津巴多的一項(xiàng)研究拉開了該領(lǐng)域的研究序幕。他指出，如果在名字不被人知道，或者臉不會(huì)被人看到的情況下，匿名的學(xué)生愿意給其他學(xué)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(jī)愿意冒生命危險(xiǎn)超速行駛，威脅人行橫道上的行人，逼近騎行者。即使知道會(huì)危及自己和他人的生命，許多司機(jī)依然在行駛途中發(fā)短信打電話。這些人中的許多人甚至不認(rèn)為這樣會(huì)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(huì)更加小心駕駛。因?yàn)樗麄儾辉偈悄涿摹?/p>
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?qǐng)?bào)》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(xué)掙錢養(yǎng)家，在等顧客之余堅(jiān)持學(xué)習(xí)英語。為了練習(xí)，他會(huì)給那些訂餐的大學(xué)生發(fā)送英文短信。當(dāng)?shù)匾凰髮W(xué)的老師和學(xué)生贈(zèng)給他一些書籍，一位上海的老師還在網(wǎng)上給他授課?，F(xiàn)在，他已經(jīng)在四川外國語大學(xué)開始學(xué)習(xí)。
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(jīng)濟(jì)由許多可敬的工作者所支撐，如毛召木和被打的女環(huán)衛(wèi)工。他們非常誠實(shí)，勤勞能干。他們正在努力改善他們的生活，養(yǎng)活他們的家庭。他們讓我對(duì)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?qǐng)?bào)》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(xué)教授毆打了一位撿垃圾的環(huán)衛(wèi)女工，只因?yàn)樗睦暹\(yùn)車擋住了葛教授的車輛通行。視頻里，滿臉是血的環(huán)衛(wèi)女工嚎啕大哭。和葛教授同行的女人朝環(huán)衛(wèi)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(xué)伯克利分校的心理學(xué)家在2024年做過一項(xiàng)著名研究，發(fā)現(xiàn)豪車司機(jī)比其他司機(jī)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(jié)論稱，“追求自身利益能夠增加個(gè)人財(cái)富和地位，這種為一己私利服務(wù)的不道德行為是自我延續(xù)的動(dòng)力，它加劇社會(huì)貧富差距。”換句話說，豪車司機(jī)認(rèn)為他們可以違反規(guī)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(jù)世界衛(wèi)生組織統(tǒng)計(jì)，全球每年有超過120萬人死于車禍。受傷人數(shù)是死亡人數(shù)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(jī)最為糟糕，而心理學(xué)研究表明，開車時(shí)被甩在后面會(huì)讓司機(jī)比平時(shí)火氣更大、更好斗和反社會(huì)。心理學(xué)家用“去個(gè)性化”來形容一個(gè)人感到自己可以匿名且不受社會(huì)規(guī)范約束的情況。1970年，心理學(xué)家菲利普?津巴多的一項(xiàng)研究拉開了該領(lǐng)域的研究序幕。他指出，如果在名字不被人知道，或者臉不會(huì)被人看到的情況下，匿名的學(xué)生愿意給其他學(xué)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(jī)愿意冒生命危險(xiǎn)超速行駛，威脅人行橫道上的行人，逼近騎行者。即使知道會(huì)危及自己和他人的生命，許多司機(jī)依然在行駛途中發(fā)短信打電話。這些人中的許多人甚至不認(rèn)為這樣會(huì)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(huì)更加小心駕駛。因?yàn)樗麄儾辉偈悄涿摹?/p>
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?qǐng)?bào)》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(xué)掙錢養(yǎng)家，在等顧客之余堅(jiān)持學(xué)習(xí)英語。為了練習(xí)，他會(huì)給那些訂餐的大學(xué)生發(fā)送英文短信。當(dāng)?shù)匾凰髮W(xué)的老師和學(xué)生贈(zèng)給他一些書籍，一位上海的老師還在網(wǎng)上給他授課。現(xiàn)在，他已經(jīng)在四川外國語大學(xué)開始學(xué)習(xí)。
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(jīng)濟(jì)由許多可敬的工作者所支撐，如毛召木和被打的女環(huán)衛(wèi)工。他們非常誠實(shí)，勤勞能干。他們正在努力改善他們的生活，養(yǎng)活他們的家庭。他們讓我對(duì)人類的未來又有了希望。
