may find what I'm about to tell you

可能發現我要演講的主題

of practical value,

就是「實用價值」

let me ask you please to raise your hands:

我想請問各位一個問題 有符合描述的人請舉手

Who here is either over 65 years old

在場有誰超過65歲

or hopes to live past age 65

誰希望活超過65歲

or has parents or grandparents who did live

有父母或祖父母生前

or have lived past 65,

或現在超過65歲的人

raise your hands please. (Laughter)

請舉手(笑聲)

Okay. You are the people to whom my talk

好 你們就是那些

will be of practical value. (Laughter)

會覺得我的演講很實用的人(笑聲)

The rest of you

其餘的人

won't find my talk personally relevant,

可能會覺得我的演講與自己沒有關係

but I think that you will still find the subject

但是我認為你們 還是會覺得這次主題

fascinating.

很吸引人

I'm going to talk about growing older

我今天的演講主題是

in traditional societies.

在傳統社會裡年紀增長的議題

This subject constitutes just one chapter

這個主題只是我新書當中的其中一個章節

of my latest book, which compares

我的新書是將

traditional, small, tribal societies

傳統社會、小型社會、部落社會

with our large, modern societies,

與我們大型的現代社會比較

with respect to many topics

還有許多主題

such as bringing up children,

像是撫養小孩

growing older, health, dealing with danger,

人口高齡化、健康問題、危機處理

settling disputes, religion

解決紛爭、宗教議題

and speaking more than one language.

還有語言多樣性等主題

Those tribal societies, which constituted

在人類歷史上可以常看到這種部落社會

all human societies for most of human history,

在人類歷史上可以常看到這種部落社會

are far more diverse than are our modern,

這種社會比我們近期的大型現代社會

recent, big societies.

更加多元化

All big societies that have governments,

所有大型社會都有政府組織

and where most people are strangers to each other,

在這種社會裡 多數民眾對彼此都很生疏

are inevitably similar to each other

每種大型社會都很類似

and different from tribal societies.

但是又與部落社會不同

Tribes constitute thousands of natural experiments

部落社會是經由大自然千錘百鍊的試驗

in how to run a human society.

得出人類社會最佳的運作方式

They constitute experiments from which we ourselves

他們所建構出的這些實驗

may be able to learn.

也許我們能從這些實驗學到一些東西

Tribal societies shouldn't be scorned

我們不應該嘲笑部落社會

as primitive and miserable,

是一種很落後、原始的社會

but also they shouldn't be romanticized

但也不能將其美化成

as happy and peaceful.

是一個快樂安寧的社會

When we learn of tribal practices,

我們聽說某些部落習俗的時候

some of them will horrify us,

有些習俗可能會嚇到我們

but there are other tribal practices which,

但是其他的部落習俗

when we hear about them,

我們聽到的時候

we may admire and envy

我們可能會很羨慕

and wonder whether we could adopt those practices

然後遲疑我們自己

ourselves.

是否也能採納那些方法

Most old people in the U.S. end up living

在美國多數的老人在臨走前

separately from their children

都沒有和他們的小孩住在一起

and from most of their friends

沒有與多數早年的朋友

of their earlier years,

保持聯繫

and often they live in separate retirements homes for the elderly,

通常他們都住在養老院

whereas in traditional societies,

養老院是屬於傳統社會

older people instead live out their lives

年紀較長的長輩反而是

among their children, their other relatives,

與他們的小孩住在一起 和其他親戚常有交流

and their lifelong friends.

常終身好友互動往來

Nevertheless, the treatment of the elderly

不過對待老年人的方式

varies enormously among traditional societies,

在各種傳統社會型態上 有著很大的差異

from much worse to much better

相較於我們現代社會 對待老年人的情況

than in our modern societies.

狀況是從「極差」到「極佳」都有

At the worst extreme, many traditional societies

最糟糕的情況就是 許多傳統社會

get rid of their elderly

棄養老年人逐年增長的

in one of four increasingly direct ways:

四大直接了當的方式包括:

by neglecting their elderly

對老年人漠不關心

and not feeding or cleaning them until they die,

不餵他們吃飯 到他們死前也不幫他們洗澡

or by abandoning them when the group moves,

拋棄他們

or by encouraging older people to commit suicide,

勸老年人自己了結生命

or by killing older people.

殺害老年人

In which tribal societies do children

部落社會裡的小孩

abandon or kill their parents?

真的會棄養或殺害他們的雙親嗎?

It happens mainly under two conditions.

會發生此等情事 主要有兩種情況

One is in nomadic, hunter-gather societies

其中一個就是游牧的狩獵採集社會

that often shift camp

這種社會常常遷徙

and that are physically incapable

實際上沒有餘力

of transporting old people who can't walk

帶上不便行走的老年人

when the able-bodied younger people already

當身強體健的年輕人準備

have to carry their young children

要帶上他們的小孩

and all their physical possessions.

和他們所有財產移動的時候

The other condition is in societies

另外一種情況就是

living in marginal or fluctuating environments,

生活在邊緣的社會 或經常變動的環境之下

such as the Arctic or deserts,

像是北極地區、沙漠地帶

where there are periodic food shortages,

都常出現週期性食物短缺的狀態

and occasionally there just isn't enough food

偶爾也會發生糧食不足的情況

to keep everyone alive.

無法養活每一個人

Whatever food is available has to be reserved

不管食物是否足夠都必須

for able-bodied adults and for children.

留給健康的成年人和小孩食用

To us Americans, it sounds horrible

對我們美國人來說

to think of abandoning or killing

要棄養或殺害

your own sick wife or husband

自己患有重病的老婆、丈夫

or elderly mother or father,

或年邁的父母 這種事情聽起來很恐怖

but what could those traditional societies

但是那些傳統社會

do differently?

能有什麼不一樣的做法嗎?

They face a cruel situation of no choice.

他們面臨一種很殘酷的情況 毫無選擇餘地

Their old people had to do it to their own parents,

他們的老年人也得 以同樣的方式對待他們自己的父母

and the old people know

老年人知道

what now is going to happen to them.

接下來會降臨在他們身上的事情

At the opposite extreme

另外一種對待老年人的作法上

in treatment of the elderly, the happy extreme,

是一個極端狀態就是「非常好」

are the New Guinea farming societies

新幾內亞的農業社會對老年人非常好

where I've been doing my fieldwork for the past 50 years,

我在當地研究超過50年

and most other sedentary traditional societies

也研究大多數

around the world.

世界上固有的傳統社會

In those societies, older people are cared for.

在那些社會中 老年人都有得到妥善照顧

They are fed. They remain valuable.

都有人會餵飯給他們吃 他們還是有生存的價值

And they continue to live in the same hut

也都還是住在同一間房子

or else in a nearby hut near their children,

或是住在小孩

relatives and lifelong friends.

親戚或終身好友的附近

There are two main sets of reasons for this variation

這種變化有兩組主要原因

among societies in their treatment

在各社會型態

of old people.

對其他老年人的方式

The variation depends especially

這種變化特別是取決於

on the usefulness of old people

老年人是否還有利用價值

and on the society's values.

還有該社會的價值

First, as regards usefulness,

首先 關於利用價值

older people continue to perform useful services.

老年人持續做出有用的貢獻

One use of older people in traditional societies

傳統社會中 老年人的其中一個作用

is that they often are still effective

就是通常他們仍然

at producing food.

對生產食物有一定的影響力

Another traditional usefulness of older people

另一個老年人傳統上的利用價值

is that they are capable of babysitting

就是他們能夠

their grandchildren,

照顧他們的孫子女

thereby freeing up their own adult children,

讓他們長大成人的兒女

the parents of those grandchildren,

也就是他們孫子女的父母

to go hunting and gathering food for the grandchildren.

能放心去打獵 或採集食物給小孩吃

Still another traditional value of older people

老年人還有另一個傳統價值

is in making tools, weapons, baskets,

就是製造工具、武器、竹籃

pots and textiles.

鍋、壺、紡織品等

In fact, they're usually the people who are best at it.

實際上他們通常都是 最會做這些東西的人

Older people usually are the leaders

老年人通常都扮演著

of traditional societies,

傳統社會的領導者

and the people most knowledgeable about politics,

他們也對政治、醫學、宗教、歌謠與舞蹈

medicine, religion, songs and dances.

非常博學多聞

Finally, older people in traditional societies

最後 傳統社會的老年人

have a huge significance that would never occur

具有一種重要性

to us in our modern, literate societies,

那種重要性在現代文明社會 我們絕對想像不到

where our sources of information are books

在文明社會裡 我們資訊的來源都是依靠書籍

and the Internet.

與網際網路

In contrast, in traditional societies without writing,

相較之下 在沒有以文字傳遞訊息的傳統社會裡

older people are the repositories of information.

老年人就是一座資訊寶庫

It's their knowledge that spells the difference

靠著他們的知識拼湊出

between survival and death for their whole society

整個社會對於生死之間觀念的差異

in a time of crisis caused by rare events

在一段時間由少數事件所導致的危機

for which only the oldest people alive

只有現在活著的老年人

have had experience.

已經經歷過的

Those, then, are the ways in which older people

那些生活方式都使

are useful in traditional societies.

傳統社會的年長者存有利用價值

Their usefulness varies and contributes

他們還能做很多事

to variation in the society's treatment

也能改善社會

of the elderly.

對待老年人的方式

The other set of reasons for variation

另一項會造成對待老年人的方式

in the treatment of the elderly is

有所差異的原因就是

the society's cultural values.

該社會的文化價值

For example, there's particular emphasis

例如 有個特別的重點

on respect for the elderly in East Asia,

在東亞的老年人的觀念裡

associated with Confucius' doctrine

與儒家思想中的

of filial piety, which means obedience,

孝道有關 盡孝道的意思是指要服從尊長

respect and support for elderly parents.

尊敬長者 扶持長輩

Cultural values that emphasize respect for older people

強調尊重長輩的文化價值

contrast with the low status of the elderly

與不太重視老年人的美國文化

in the U.S.

形成對比

Older Americans are at a big disadvantage

美國的老年人有著很大的劣勢

in job applications.

在應徵工作的時候

They're at a big disadvantage in hospitals.

醫院也對他們不太友善

Our hospitals have an explicit policy

我們的醫院有一項明確的政策

called age-based allocation of healthcare resources.

叫做「依照年齡分配醫療資源方案」

That sinister expression means that

講不好聽一點就是

if hospital resources are limited,

如果醫療資源有限

for example if only one donor heart

例如 如果只有一顆捐贈的心臟

becomes available for transplant,

能夠進行移植

or if a surgeon has time to operate

或者如果一位外科醫生 在僅限的時間之內

on only a certain number of patients,

只能為一定數量的病人動手術

American hospitals have an explicit policy

美國的醫院有一項明確的政策

of giving preference to younger patients

讓較年輕的病患先進行手術

over older patients

較年長的病患則慢一點

on the grounds that younger patients are considered

因為他們認為年輕的病患

more valuable to society

對社會來說比較有價值

because they have more years of life ahead of them,

因為他們還能活的時間比較長

even though the younger patients have fewer years

雖然年輕病患有的

of valuable life experience behind them.

寶貴的生活經驗不及老年人

There are several reasons for this low status

造成美國人不太尊重老年人的情況

of the elderly in the U.S.

有幾個原因

One is our Protestant work ethic

其中一個原因就是我們的「新教倫理」

which places high value on work,

「新教倫理」非常重視工作

so older people who are no longer working

所以無法工作老年人

aren't respected.

就得不到別人的尊敬

Another reason is our American emphasis

另一個原因就是我們美國人強調

on the virtues of self-reliance and independence,

要有自力更生、獨立自主的美德

so we instinctively look down on older people

所以我們就會以直覺來看待老年人

who are no longer self-reliant and independent.

而老年人通常都需要別人來照顧

Still a third reason is our American cult of youth,

第三個原因就是 我們美國人崇拜「青春能量」

which shows up even in our advertisements.

這種情況就連在我們的 電視廣告裡都可以看見

Ads for Coca-Cola and beer always depict

可口可樂和啤酒的廣告都可以看到

smiling young people,

有年輕人開懷大笑

even though old as well as young people

即使不論老少

buy and drink Coca-Cola and beer.

都會買可口可樂和啤酒來喝

Just think, what's the last time you saw

試想一下 上次你看到

a Coke or beer ad depicting smiling people

可口可樂或是啤酒的廣告

85 years old? Never.

當中有一位85歲的老人在對你微笑 絕對沒有

Instead, the only American ads

反而只有美國的廣告

featuring white-haired old people

當中出現白髮蒼蒼的老人

are ads for retirement homes and pension planning.

這些都是老人院和退休金規畫的廣告

Well, what has changed in the status

是什麼力量改變

of the elderly today

今天老年人的狀態

compared to their status in traditional societies?

相較於他們在傳統社會的狀態?

There have been a few changes for the better

有少數部份變得比較好

and more changes for the worse.

但多數部份變的更差了

Big changes for the better

大幅度的改變帶來更好的生活

include the fact that today we enjoy

包括今天我們能享有

much longer lives,

更長的壽命

much better health in our old age,

我們老的時候比前人更健康

and much better recreational opportunities.

有更好休養生息的機會

Another change for the better is that we now have

另一項好的改變就是 我們現在有

specialized retirement facilities

專門設置的養老設施

and programs to take care of old people.

與照料計畫去照顧老年人

Changes for the worse begin with the cruel reality

不好的改變就是來自於殘酷的現實

that we now have

我們現在的

more old people and fewer young people

老年人更多 但年輕人更少

than at any time in the past.

情況比從前任何時候都還嚴重

That means that all those old people

那就表示因為老年人口較多

are more of a burden on the few young people,

而年輕人口較少 使得年輕人的負擔更重了

and that each old person has less individual value.

也表示每位老年人的個人價值下降了

Another big change for the worse in the status of the elderly

對於老年人的狀態方面 另一項不好的大改變

is the breaking of social ties with age,

就是隨年齡增長而疏離社會聯繫

because older people, their children,

因為年長者、他們的小孩

and their friends,

他們的朋友

all move and scatter independently of each other

每個人都是獨自行動、散居各地

many times during their lives.

在他們的一生中

We Americans move on the average

平均每五年

every five years.

我們美國人就會搬一次家

Hence our older people are likely

因此我們的長者可能

to end up living distant from their children

到死都沒有和他們的小孩

and the friends of their youth.

朋友在一起生活

Yet another change for the worse in the status of the elderly

對於老年人的狀態方面 另一項不好的大改變

is formal retirement from the workforce,

就是正式從職場退休

carrying with it a loss of work friendships

同時表示會失去同事情誼

and a loss of the self-esteem associated with work.

也會失去在工作方面的自我抱負

Perhaps the biggest change for the worse

也許最大最糟糕的改變

is that our elderly are objectively

就是現代我們老年人客觀上

less useful than in traditional societies.

比傳統社會的老年人更沒有幫助

Widespread literacy means that they are no longer

普遍能力顯示他們不再

useful as repositories of knowledge.

像是座知識寶庫般有用

When we want some information,

我們想要找某種資訊的時候

we look it up in a book or we Google it

我們會從書裡面尋找 或上Google查詢

instead of finding some old person to ask.

而不是去問一些老年人

The slow pace of technological change

在傳統社會 科技進步的步伐很慢

in traditional societies

在傳統社會 科技進步的步伐很慢

means that what someone learns there as a child

表示傳統社會裡小時候所學的東西

is still useful when that person is old,

到老都還是有用的

but the rapid pace of technological change today

但是現今科技快速進步

means that what we learn as children

也就表示我們小時候所學的東西

is no longer useful 60 years later.

六十年過後 已經不堪使用

And conversely, we older people are not fluent

相反地我們老年人無法

in the technologies essential for surviving

以科技技術當作生存技能

in modern society.

在現代社會謀生

For example, as a 15-year-old,

例如 我在十五歲的時候

I was considered outstandingly good at multiplying numbers