大多数人认为他们深信不疑的价值观是理性选择的结果，但是理智往往对于人们形成价值观几乎根本不起作用。
Individual’s deeply held values are usually not the result of rational choice, but the result of socialization.
1. It is the culture in which we live that provides us with the values.
2. Most people simply adopt the values instilled by their culture.
3. It is necessary to question the established values within a certain society.
理性和感性之价值观
人们在团队中工作比独立工作要更加有效率。团队协作需要的合作能够比个人间的竞争更加激励人们。
1. In some jobs productivity clearly depends on the ability of coworkers to cooperate as members of a team.
2. In other types of jobs individual competition, tenacity and ambition are key to productivity.
3. On balance, however, my view is that cooperation is more crucial for an organization’s long-term productivity than individual competition.
竞争和合作之效率
在任何生活领域中----无论是学术、社会、商业还是政治----获得成功的唯一道路就是采取现实的而不是理想化的观点。实用的行为确保了生存，反之理想化的观点正在趋于被更简化的和更直接的选择所取代。
Idealism is just as crucial—if not more so—for long-term success in any endeavor, whether it be in academics, business, or political and social reform.
1. When it comes to academics, although the idealist-student might sacrifice a high overall grade average, the depth of knowledge, academic discipline, and sense of purpose the students gains will serve that student well later in life.
2. Considering the business world, without a dream or vision—that is, without strong idealist leadership—a firm can easily be cast about in the sea of commerce without clear direction, threatening not only the firm’s bottom line but also its very survival.
3. Finally, when it comes to the political arena, it is idealists—not pragmatists—who sway the masses, incite revolutions, and make political ideology reality.
理想和现实
在所有的物质领域中--科学、人文科学、社会科学、工业等等--能否达到目的并不重要，而在争取达到目的的过程中获得的想法和发现才更重要。
In some cases, the statement makes sense; in other cases, it does not.
1. In academic studies, the goal of a project is but a general direction; what matters are the unexpected concrete findings on the way to the goal.
2. However, in industry and business, what is crucial is the attainment of a specific goal rather than the process toward that goal.
3. In politics, failing to achieve a promised goal might mean a calamity for a politician.
过程和结果
在过去不同的地质时期，许多的物种因为自然作用而非人类行为而灭绝。因此，人类社会为了挽救濒危物种而付出的巨大努力，尤其是以大量的资金和工作机会为代价，这样做是毫无道理的。
The statement raises a variety of issues about morality, conscience, self-preservation, and economics. On balance, however, I fundamentally agree with the notion that humans need not make “extraordinary” efforts—at the expense of money and jobs—to ensure the preservation of any endangered species.
1. There are three fundamental arguments for imposing on ourselves at least some responsibility to preserve endangered species, which are culpability, capability, and self-preservation.
2. On the other hand are two compelling arguments against placing a duty on humans to protect endangered species. The first is essentially the Darwinian argument that extinction results from the inexorable process of so-called “natural selection” in which stronger species survive while weaker ones do not.
3. Secondly, many animal extinctions are due to natural forces which are far beyond our ability. The more money and jobs it would cost to save a certain species, the lower priority we should place on doing so.
人类和自然--当务之急(资金、工作)和长远考虑(物种)
事实都是固执的。它不可能随着我们的愿望、喜好或者情绪而改变。
When it comes to certain aspect of our personal lives, and to historical events and scientific truths, no measure of desire or even passion can change external reality.
1. On an individual level, we all engage in futile attempts to alter facts—by pretending that certain things are not the way they are because they are inconsistent with our wishes or personal interests.
2. Nor can we alter facts by virtue of our inclinations or passions when it comes to history. Historical event is not rendered any less factual by either our ignorance or characterization of it.
3. Similarly, when it comes to science, our wishes and desires ultimately yield to the stubbornness of facts—by which I mean empirical scientific evidence and the laws and principles of the physical world.
客观和主观
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