work is so boring is that we keep having

就是我們每天幾乎都要做

to do more or less the same thing every

幾乎一模一樣的事情

day

我們的工作必須有專業只不過

we have to be specialists whereas we

我們內心深知如果可以

would deepen our hearts surely be so

當個什麼領域都去探索的通才

much more fulfilled if we could be

我們會有多滿足

wide-ranging endlessly curious

我們很好理解

generalists you can understand the

當你看看童年時期的孩子就不難了解

origins of restlessness when you look at

人們生性好動　孩子能夠在

childhood as children we will allow to

一個周六早上做那麼多事情

do so much in a single Saturday morning

我們可能多套上一件帽T

we might put on an extra jumper and

幻想自己是北極探險家

imagine being an arctic explorer then

然後再暫時變成建築師建造一座

have brief stints as an architect making

樂高房子或是搖滾巨星在想像

a Lego house a rock star making up an

一首關於玉米片的歌　抑或一個發明家想像

anthem about corn flakes and an inventor

如何把四個鉛筆黏在一起

working out how to speed up coloring in

以加快著色速度

by gluing for felt-tip pens together

我們又空出幾分鐘變身為緊急救援小組

we'd put in a few minutes as a member of

的其中一名組員然後再嘗試當一名

an emergency rescue team then we try out

飛行員　完美地降落於

being a pilot brilliantly landing a

貨機走廊的地毯上

cargo plane on the rug in the corridor

我們為針織的兔子做了一個救命手術

we'd perform a life-saving operation on

然後到最後終於找到

a knitted rabbit and finally we find

擔任二廚的工作幫忙製作

employment as a sous chef helping make a

火腿起司三明治當早餐

ham and cheese sandwich for lunch each

這些被認為是遊戲的形況

one of these so-called games might have

可能發展為職涯的開端

been the beginning of a career and yet

但我們卻得選擇一個選項

we had to settle on only a single option

重複做它 50 年

done repeatedly for over 50 years we are

我們遠比我們的工作

so much more than the world of work ever

還要多更多

allows us to be in his song of myself

1855 年由美國詩人

published in eighteen fifty five the

華特·惠特曼為這樣的複雜性

American poet Walt Whitman gave our

下了難忘的詮釋：

multiplicity memorable expression I am

我遼闊博大，我包羅萬象

large I contain multitudes by which

惠特曼的意思指一個人

Whitman meant that there is so many

有那麼多有趣吸引人且可行的

interesting attractive and viable

自我　這麼多潛在的發展

versions of oneself so many good ways

和可以成功的機會　不過

one could potentially live and work but

其中很少真得恰當地發展

very few of these ever get properly

並且實現於一個人

played out and become real in the course

有限的生命中　也難怪

of the single life we have no wonder if

我們常察覺內心不被達成

we're often conscious of our unfulfilled

的目標　且有時認知自己

destinies and at times recognize with a

有種痛苦的感受　覺得自己可以

legitimate sense of agony that we really

很有可能在做別的事情時

could well have succeeded at doing

成功　若不是我們自己的問題

something else if not our fault that

我們無法發展自己的多元

we've not been able to give our

現代的就業市場

multitudes expression the modern job

不給我們機會　我們只能

market gives us no option but to

專業化　我們不能在一周的

specialize we can't be an airline pilot

下午當上機長　又每月花兩天時間

one afternoon a week at research in two

做研究　在傍晚時擔任歌手作曲家

days a month a singer-songwriter in the

又花零碎時間擔任

evenings while holding down part-time

政治顧問　水電工　服裝設計師

work as a political advisor a plumber a

網球教練　旅行社業務

dress designer a tennis coach a travel

再當上一間黎巴嫩小餐館

agent and being additionally the owner

的老闆

of a small restaurant

儘管這感覺像是

lebanese mezack however much this might

最好的安排

be the ideal arrangement to do justice

對於我們廣泛的興趣和潛能

to our widespread interests and

但我們無法如此的原因

potential the reason or we cannot do so

在十八世紀由蘇格蘭的

much were first elaborated at the end of

哲學家亞當斯密提出完整的理論

the eighteenth century by the Scottish

在《國富論》中

philosopher adam smith in the wealth of

他解釋勞力的分工

nations Smith explained how what he

可以大量增加社會的

termed the division of labour massively

總體生產量

increases collective productivity in a

當所有人都做所有事情

society where everyone does everything

都做一點點鞋子　房子

only a small number of shoes houses

釘子　種小麥　馬蹄

nails bushels of wheat horse bridles and

車輪　但沒有人有一項

cartwheels but ever produced and no one

特別強　但是如果

is especially good at anything but if

人們小範圍地分工

people specialize in just one small area

製造鉚釘與輪軸

making rivets shaping spokes

生產繩索　堆砌磚塊等

manufacturing rope bricklaying etc they

他們將更快致富

become very much faster and more

工作也更有效率　而整體來說

efficient in their work and collectively

生產產值大幅上升

the level of production is greatly

透過專注於一件事我們

increased by focusing our efforts we

失去了享受豐富多元

lose out on the enjoyment of

的樂趣　不過我們的社會變得

multiplicity yet our society becomes

更有錢更進步

overall far wealthier and better

擁有更多商品是對於社會的貢獻

supplied with the goods it needs it's a

亞當斯密預見我們社會

tribute to the world Smith foresaw that

將會出現像是資深包裝師

we have ended up with job titles like

或是品牌設計師等職稱

senior packaging and branding designer

或是分析臨床醫師研究中心主管

intake and triage clinician research

風險及內部管理者

center manager risk and internal audit

和運輸顧問

controller and transport policy

換句話說　小零件構成了

consultant in other words tiny cogs in a

大型有效率的機械　如此更加富有

giant efficient machine hugely richer

卻增加人們對於自我的多元

but full of private longings to give our

和自我表達渴望

multitudinous self-expression one of

其中最聰明的一位

Adam Smith's most intelligent and

亞當斯密的讀者　德國經濟學家

penetrating readers with the German

馬克思全然同意

economist Karl Marx marks agreed

亞當斯密的分析

entirely with Smith's analysis

專業化已經改變世界

specialization had transformed the world

並具備革命性影響力

and possessed the revolutionary power to

使個體和國家更富有

enrich individuals and nations but where

但不同於亞當斯密的地方在於

he differed from Smith was in his

不論這樣的發展

assessment of how desirable this

有多麼誘人　我們不可否認地

development might be we would certainly

因為專業化使自己更加富裕

make ourselves a wealthier by

但他很激動地指出

specializing but we would also if he

它也會使我們生活更無趣

pointed out with passion dull our lives

並且泯滅才華　在形容他

and cauterize our talents in describing

烏托邦式的社會主義社會中　馬克思

his utopian communist Society marks

將重點放在每個人

place enormous emphasis on the idea of

都有不同工作上面

everyone having many different jobs

這樣將不會有專家

there were to be no specialists here in

特別針對亞當斯密　他寫說

a pointed dig at Smith he wrote in

在社會主義的社會下　沒有人

communist society nobody has one

有一個特有的

exclusive

工作　每個人都可以

of activity but each can become

在任何他喜愛的領域有一番成就

accomplished in any branch he wishes

所以對我來說今天做一件事

thus it's possible for me to do one

明天再做另一件事是可行的

thing today and another tomorrow to hunt

早上打獵下午釣魚

in the morning to fish in the afternoon

傍晚養牛隻

to rear cattle in the evening to

晚餐後評論　而不用真的成為

criticize after dinner without ever

一個獵人　魚釣者

becoming a hunter or fisherman a

牧羊人　或是評論家

shepherd or a critic it's a beautiful

但這是個美而不切實際的夢想

but entirely unrealistic dream we have

我們集體選擇工作應當以賺錢

collectively chosen to make work pay

勝過有趣

more rather than be more interesting

這是悲觀的思考　但卻能為

it's a somber thought but a consoling

痛苦提供慰藉　但它也富含特別的

one to our suffering is painful but it

意義　因為它的影響

has a curious dignity to it because it

並不會因為不同人而有差

doesn't uniquely affect us as

它對所有人來說都是一樣的

individuals it applies as much to the

不管是 CEO　實習生　藝術家

CEO as to the intern to the artist as

或是會計師　每個人都可能

much as to the accountant everyone could

找到那麼多種版本遺漏的幸福

have found so many versions of happiness

在如此遺憾的情況下

that will elude them in suffering in

我們都和全體人類一樣

this way we are participating in the

可以確定不管我們選擇

common human lot we can be sure that

做了什麼　我們的部分潛能都必將

whatever we do parts of our potential

未被發展並且消滅死去

will have to go undeveloped and die

根本都還沒有機會

without ever having had the chance to

使它成熟發展

come to full maturity for the sake of

一切都是為了達到真正的專業化

the real benefits of focus and

和專業分工

specialization

you