Unit 1. How to Get the Poor off Our Conscience---John Kenneth Galbraith   

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1 Unit 1. How to Get the Poor off Our Conscience---John Kenneth Galbraith
  

2 John Kenneth Galbraith
加尔布雷斯，1908年10月15日出生于加拿大一个小镇的农场中，他的一生丰富多彩。二战期间曾任美国物价管理局局长、战略轰炸调查团团长，上世纪60年代，由于在哈佛大学时与肯尼迪兄弟的友谊，出任肯尼迪竞选顾问，他还是罗斯福和约翰逊政府的高级顾问，以后又担任美国驻印度大使，他是民主党的元老级人物之一，要不是已经太老，他肯定会在克林顿政府中任职。他曾担任《幸福》杂志编辑，并为多家报刊撰写专栏文章。他还在普林斯顿、哈佛、斯坦福、伯克利等大学教授经济学与政治学。

3 加尔布雷斯 丰富的人生经历，使他对美国社会有更深刻的认识，更加关注各种现实问题。同时，这也无疑是他另类观点形成的社会背景。他写作的范围宽阔得令人费解，除了严肃的经济学著作与畅销书外，他还出版了小说与剧本，其中一部被搬上了百老汇，版税超过了他多年来教授收入的总和；他还具有一种令人难以置信的幽默感与嘲讽精神，他是个天生的“非正统”角色。

4 加尔布雷斯 正是这种特质，使他赢得了公众的普遍珍爱。在长达几十年时间中，加尔布雷斯一直被公认为是当今世界上最著名的经济学家，这一点常常招致学院派同行的愤愤不平。民众可不管这些。加尔布雷斯多达40本的著作取得了极大的成功，专栏文章脍炙人口，所有这些使得他成为最为卓越的公众知识分子。对许多人来说，尤其是美国的左翼人士来说，他的地位和成就还远远不止这些。加尔布雷斯复兴了对市场主义的普遍怀疑，并且成为上世纪60年代当之无愧的弄潮儿；那是自由主义的黄金时代。

5 加尔布雷斯 就经济学传统而言，加尔布雷斯是凯恩斯思想薪火的继承人。凯恩斯对经济学范式的贡献因为其后的经济学家（虽然很多是他的信徒）沉浸于数学模型而被大大低估，加尔布雷斯的意义在于，他继承了凯恩斯处理公共政策的技巧，并再次证明经济学家能够并且应该同公众有效地交流；甚至他们所秉持的优美而尖锐的文风也如出一辙。应该承认，加尔布雷斯没有发展出坚实的经济学理论，凯恩斯传记的作者罗伯特·斯凯德尔斯基就认为：“加尔布雷斯缺乏理论睿智，或许根本没有理论兴趣。”实际上，加尔布雷斯十分厌恶经济学的纯理论方法。他认为，经济学的最大问题在于“经济研究狭隘地排除了权利和政治利益的因素”。在一个理想的完全竞争的世界中，经济学理论在前提假设上就忽视了推动社会演变的制度因素。

6 加尔布雷斯 与其说加尔布雷斯是一个经济学家，还不如说他是一个社会学家、政治学家加专栏作家的综合。他三本最为著名的书是美国各个时期的写照。在1952年出版的《美国资本主义》中，巨型企业与一些相反的力量，尤其是工会，针锋相对；在1958年的《丰裕社会》中，大规模的物质消费与惊人的浪费并存；而在1967年的《新工业国》中，生产者主权取代了消费者主权，商业竞争下降。随后的几十年时光里，证明了他的这些预言。能够显示加尔布雷斯对美国社会影响力的一个表征是，他给公众思维添加了许多新的元素。“丰裕社会”不仅改变了美国打量自己的方式，还造就了一些词汇风行至今：“传统的智慧”、“私人富足而公众贫困”……诺贝尔经济学奖得主、印度经济学家亚马蒂亚·森说，读加尔布雷斯的作品就像品读“哈姆雷特”，“你会明白所有引语的出处。”

7 Questions for discussion
What is poor in your eye? What is rich in your idea? Do you know the poor? Do you know the rich? Do you think that the gap between the poor and the rich in China is large?

8 Text Organization Part 1(1-2): The coexistence of the poor and the rich is still a problem for us. Part 2(3-9): There were five solutions to the problem. Part 3 (10-11): Roosevelt’s New Deal seemed to get the poor off our conscience, but actually they are just suspended.

9 Text Organization Part 4(12-20): Four of the five current designs to get the poor off our conscience developed from the previous designs,but still they are popular in Washington D. C. Part 5(21): Public assistance to the poor is in the interest of the conservatives.

10 Part 1(1-2): The coexistence of the poor and the rich is still a problem for us.
undertake vt.承担, 担任 perilous adj.危险的 ailment n.疾病(尤指微恙), 不宁, 不安 affluence n.富裕, 富足 in the presence of adv.在面前 preoccupation n.令人全神贯注的事物 当务之急

11 Part 1(1-2): The coexistence of the poor and the rich is still a problem for us.
The problems that arise from the continuing coexistence of affluence and poverty—and particularly the process by which the good fortune is justified in the presence of the ill fortune of others—have been an intellectual preoccupation for centuries.

12 Part 2(3-9): There were five solutions to the problem.
Solution 1(3)--the Bible Solution 2(4)--utilitarianism Solution 3(5-6)--Malthusianism Solution 4(7-8)--Social Darwinism Solution 5(9)—Coolidge and Hoover

13 Solution 2(4)--utilitarianism
Contemporary n.同时代的人 adj.当代的, 同时代的 Utilitarianism n.功利主义, 实利主义 Whatsoever pron.无论什么 Augment v.增加, 增大 Diminish v.(使)减少, (使)变小

14 Solution 2(4)--utilitarianism
By the principle of utility is meant the principle which approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever according to the tendency [which it (action)appears to have to augment or diminish the happiness of the party (whose interest is in question)].

15 Solution 3(5-6)--Malthusianism
to this day adv.至今 stockbroker n.股票经纪人 divine n.牧师 essential n.本质, 实质, 要素, 要点 fecundity n.多产, 丰饶, 肥沃, [动] 生育力 subsistence 生活费用; 衣食, 给养

16 Solution 3(5-6)--Malthusianism
amelioration n.改善, 改进 undue adj.不适当的 intercourse n.交往, 交流 repair to 到...去(特指成群地去或经常去) as 同样；相同 He runs fast, but I run just as fast. 他跑得快，但我跑得同样快。

17 Solution 4(7-8)—Social Darwinism
overriding adj.最重要的；高于一切的 extrude v.挤压出, 逐出 splendor n.光彩, 壮观, 杰出 fragrance n.芬芳, 香气, 香味 beholder n.目睹者, 旁观者 sacrifice v.牺牲, 献出

18 Solution 5(9)—Coolidge and Hoover
Condemnatory adj.非难的, 处罚的 Amorphous adj.无定形的, 无组织的 They held that public assistance to the poor interfered with the effective operation of the economic system—that such assistance was inconsistent with the economic design that had come to serve most people very well.

19 Part 3 (10-11): Roosevelt’s New Deal seemed to get the poor off our conscience, but actually they are just suspended Roosevelt and the presidents who followed him accepted a substantial measure of responsibility for the old through Social Security, for the unemployed through unemployment insurance, for the unemployable and the handicapped through direct relief, and for the sick through Medicare (医疗保险制度)and Medicaid(医疗补助).

20 Part 3 (10-11): Roosevelt’s New Deal seemed to get the poor off our conscience, but actually they are just suspended Substantial adj. (相当)大的; 重要的 Suspend vt.吊, 悬挂 v.延缓 Literary adj.文学(上)的, 从事写作的, 文 艺的, 书本的 Rhetorical adj.带修辞色彩的 Enterprise n.企业, 事业, 计划,

21 Design 1(12-13) government incompetence
Part 4(12-20): Four of the five current designs to get the poor off our conscience developed from the previous designs,but still they are popular in Washington D. C. Design 1(12-13) government incompetence Design 2(14-15) hurting the poor Design 3(16) adverse effect on incentive Design 4(17-18) bad effect on freedom Design 5(19) psychological denial Summary(20) All the designs are to make people escape concern for the poor.

22 Design 1(12-13) government incompetence
As regards adv.关于, 至于 Procurement n.获得, 取得 Succor vt.援助, 救援 Louse up v.弄糟, 毁坏 Bureaucrat n.官僚主义者

23 Design 1(12-13) government incompetence
The only form of discrimination that is still permissible –that is, still officially encouraged in the United States today—is the discrimination against people who work for the federal government. Corporate社团的；团体的, 市政府的； 公司的 Bureaucracy n.官僚, 官僚作风, 官僚机构

24 Design 1(12-13) government incompetence
Replete adj.充满的 Overwhelming adj.压倒性的, 无法抵抗的 Overpay vt.多付(钱财) vi.付得过多 Aberration 越规；失常 Democratize 使民主化

25 Design 2(14-15) hurting the poor
Morale n.士气, 民心 Gainful adj.有收益的，有利益的 There is no proof of this—none that compares that damage with the damage that would be inflicted by the loss of public assistance.

26 Design 3(16) adverse effect on incentive
Feckless adj. 没精神的, 软弱的, 无用的 Supply-side adj.通过减税而刺激生产和投资的，供应经济学政策的 Scandalous adj.诽谤性的

27 Design 4(17-18) bad effect on freedom
Transparent adj.透明的, 显然的, 明晰的 There is no form of oppression(压迫, 镇压, 压抑, 苦恼) that is quite so great, no constriction(n.压缩, 收缩) on thought and effort quite so comprehensive(全面的；广泛的), as that which comes from having no money at all.

28 Design 4(17-18) bad effect on freedom
We hear nothing of the extraordinary enhancement of the freedom of the poor from having some money of their own to spend. Yet the loss of freedom from taxation to the rich is a small thing as compared with the gain in freedom from providing some income to the impoverished.

29 Summary (20) All the designs are to make people escape concern for the poor.
Save （常与for连用）除…外 All is lost save honor. 除荣誉外一切都丧失了。 Celebrated adj.著名的 Contemplate 沉思； 默想； 考虑 Scrap 丢弃，废弃 Subsidize v.资助, 津贴 Triage [医]治疗类选法:根据紧迫性和救活的可能性等在战场上决定那些人优先治疗的方法)

30 Part 5(21): Public assistance to the poor is in the interest of the conservatives.
Compassion n 同情；怜悯 Conservative adj.保守的, 守旧的 Paradox n. 自相矛盾的话 tranquility n. 宁静 Yearn vi.渴望, 想念, 怀念, 向往 To the extent that we can make contentment as nearly universal as possible, we will preserve and enlarge the social and political tranquility for which conservatives, above all, should yearn.