英文自修70：如何看待财富不平等

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译者：王宥轩

审读：武太白

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Thought for the Day 20140501 - Akhandadhi Das

The financial good news this week is that our economy has continued to grow over the past three months. But, alongside the positive aspects there are questions about how many of us are feeling the benefit of this increase of GDP. One person with strong views on the subject is economist, Thomas Piketty托马斯·皮克迪- the author of the best-selling book, Capital in the Twenty-first Century which explores global income.

本周金融的好消息是我国经济在过去三个月里持续增长。但是与积极方面并存的问题是，我们有多少人能享受到国内生产总值增长带来的成果。对这一问题立场强硬的是一位经济学家，托马斯·皮克迪——畅销书《21世纪资本论》的作者，他在书中探讨了全球收入的问题。

Professor Piketty was in London yesterday delivering his message that capitalism always results in a dangerous inequality. He warns that the years ahead may see a return to the excessive inequalities of wealth and society of the18th & 19th centuries. Some economists have challenged his theories and reading of history; and specifically, his main solution of a super-tax for the rich, seeing in it more ideology than sound economics. Even so, widening inequality remains a real issue that both developed and developing nations must address. For instance, India now has more people counted as “middle-class” than the USA. But, that still leaves hundreds of millions of others below acceptable living standards.

昨日，皮克迪教授在伦敦表示，资本主义总会导致危机重重的不平等。他警告说，未来几年可能会再度出现财富的过度不平等，倒退到18、19世纪的社会。一些经济学家质疑他的理论和他对历史的解读；尤其是他（提出）的对富人征收高额税收的解决方案，他们从中看到的更多的是意识形态而非全面的经济学。即便这样，愈演愈烈的不平等仍然是个发达国家和发展中国家都必须解决的重大问题。比如，现在印度的“中产阶级”人数要比美国的还多。但印度仍有亿万人生活水平低于可接受的标准。

Hinduism may have a somewhat ascetic image, but its scriptures advocate we focus on four key goals of human life: dharma, artha, kama and moksha – which are social ethics, wealth, pleasure, and enlightenment; and that we try to balance the first three at least in our daily lives. It’s said: cultivate virtue in the morning, work hard during the day and enjoy with family and friends in the evening.

印度教可能给人以苦行主义的印象，但其经文倡导我们专注于四大关键人生目标：法(dharma)、利(artha)、欲爱(kama)和解脱(moksha)——涉及到社会伦理、财富、享乐和教化；并且我们在日常生活中至少要努力平衡前三者。有人说：清晨修善、日间苦干、晚上享受陪伴家人、朋友的快乐。

Hindu texts consider gaining wealth to be a social enterprise – it requires interactions and exchanges with other persons. And, activities which involve giving and taking from people, should be under-pinned and guided by the principles of dharma – our moral responsibilities towards one another.

印度教经文视获得财富为一种社会事业——它需要与他人之间的互动与交流。人们之间的给予与索取活动应当以法(dharma)——我们对别人的道德责任为支撑和引导。

The Mahabharat further suggests that: No one is more heartless than someone who fails to utilise their wealth for the benefit of others. So, how we spend accumulated wealth is as important as how we gain it. And, that approach is to encourage us on a path - if not all the way to enlightenment - at least to satisfaction and the enjoyment of life.

摩诃婆罗多进一步表示：最无情的人就是那些没有利用自己的财富造福别人的人。因此，我们支配累积财富的方式，与我们获得财富的途径同等重要。而支配财富的方式鼓励我们——即便到不了启发的境界——至少获得人生的满足与享受。

I believe that it remains the role of any government to close the gap between dharma and artha – that is, to ensure that the natural and insatiable thirst for wealth is pursued more closely in accord with the personal ethical principles that reflect a progressive society.

我相信任何政府都应填补法(dharma)与利(artha)之间的鸿沟——即确保人们用更接近个人道德原则的方式来满足自然的、永不满足的对财富的苛求，这是社会进步的标志。

There’s a relevant Irish riddle for May Day that my mother taught me:

I wash my face in water that was neither rain nor run

And dry it with a towel that was never woven nor spun

我母亲跟我讲过一个关于五一劳动节的爱尔兰谜语：

我洗脸用的水既不是雨，也不会流动

擦脸的毛巾既非编织的，也非纺制的

Never mind economics: at least, the morning dew and the warmth of the sun are free of charge for us all.

不必在意经济学：至少，晨露与暖阳是免费的，他们对人类一视同仁。