【文章內(nèi)容簡介】 in the children of immigrants, just because they don39。t look like us, we diminish the prospects of our own children because those brown kids will represent a larger share of America39。s workforce. And our economy doesn39。t have to be a zerosum game. Last year, ines rose for all races, all age groups, for men and for women.但是我們現(xiàn)在所實現(xiàn)的仍不夠，我們還應(yīng)付出更多努力。如果把每個經(jīng)濟(jì)問題都視為努力工作的白人中產(chǎn)階級和不付出勞動的少數(shù)群體之間的斗爭，那么各個階層工人的努力都只是徒勞，富裕階層卻得以進(jìn)一步堅守他們的既得利益。如果我們單憑移民群體的孩子和我們相貌不同便不愿意投資在他們身上，那么我們將同時損害我們自己孩子的前途。因為那些棕色皮膚的孩子將逐漸成為美國勞動力中越來越重要的一部分。經(jīng)濟(jì)并不一定是一場零和博弈，這一點已經(jīng)被證實了。去年，不同種族、年齡和性別群體的收入都實現(xiàn)了增長。Going forward, we must uphold laws against discrimination in hiring, in housing, in education and the criminal justice system. That39。s what our Constitution and highest ideals require. 所以如果我們想要嚴(yán)肅地對待種族問題，我們就應(yīng)該支持反歧視的相關(guān)法律。這些法律包括雇傭、住房、教育和司法體系方面的反歧視。這是我們憲法的要求，也是我們最高理想的要求。But laws alone won39。t be enough. Hearts must change. If our democracy is to work in this increasingly diverse nation, each one of us must try to heed the advice of one of the great characters in American fiction, Atticus Finch, who said You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.但是僅僅依靠法律是不夠的。我們必須轉(zhuǎn)變觀念，當(dāng)然這種轉(zhuǎn)變不會在一朝一夕間實現(xiàn)。社會觀念的轉(zhuǎn)變一般通過幾代人的努力才能完成。但是我們的民主制度將繼續(xù)在這個多元的國家中發(fā)揮作用。而我們每一個人都應(yīng)該從一部美國小說中的主角身上吸取教訓(xùn)，這一角色是阿提克斯芬奇（譯者注：阿提克斯芬奇為作家哈珀李的小說《殺死一只知更鳥》中塑造的正直律師的典范形象），他曾說“除非你站在另一個人的角度考慮問題，除非你爬進(jìn)他的身體并來回走動，否則你是不會真正了解這個人的?！盕or blacks and other minorities, it means tying our own struggles for justice to the challenges that a lot of people in this country face the refugee, the immigrant, the rural poor, the transgender American, and also the middleaged white man who from the outside may seem like he39。s got all the advantages, but who39。s seen his world upended by economic, cultural, and technological change.對于黑人和其他少數(shù)群體來說，應(yīng)該將我們?yōu)檎x而進(jìn)行的奮斗同其他群體正面臨的挑戰(zhàn)聯(lián)系在一起。這些群體不僅包括難民、移民、城市里的貧窮家庭和跨性別美國人，還包括中年白人，因為他們也許看起來具有優(yōu)勢，但他們同時也正面臨經(jīng)濟(jì)、文化和技術(shù)方面的變革。我們應(yīng)該關(guān)注他們，傾聽他們的想法。For white Americans, it means acknowledging that the effects of slavery and Jim Crow didn39。t suddenly vanish in the 39。60s。 that when minority groups voice discontent, they39。re not just engaging in reverse racism or practicing political correctness。 that when they wage peaceful protest, they39。re not demanding special treatment, but the equal treatment our Founders promised.對于美國白人來說，這意味著我們要明白奴隸制的影響和吉姆克勞法（譯者注：吉姆克勞法為1876年至1965年間美國南部及邊境各州對有色人種實行的種族隔離制度的法律）并不是在60年代憑空消失的，我們要明白少數(shù)群體發(fā)出不滿時，他們不是為了反對種族主義或倡導(dǎo)政治正確。當(dāng)他們發(fā)起和平示威時，他們不是在要求特殊對待，他們只是在要求國父們承諾的平等對待。For nativeborn Americans, it means reminding ourselves that the stereotypes about immigrants today were said, almost word for word, about the Irish, Italians, and Poles. America wasn39。t weakened by the presence of these newers。 they embraced this nation39。s creed, and it was strengthened.對于本土美國人來說，這意味著我們要認(rèn)識到自己今天對于移民的種種偏見，如針對愛爾蘭人、意大利人和波蘭人的偏見，將摧毀美國最本質(zhì)的精神。正如我們所見，美國并沒有因為這些移民而走向衰落；這些移民忠于美國倡導(dǎo)的宗旨，他們的到來使美國變得更強。So regardless of the station we occupy。 we have to try harder。 to start with the premise that each of our fellow citizens loves this country just as much as we do。 that they value hard work and family like we do。 that their children are just as curious and hopeful and worthy of love as our own.因此無論我們持什么立場，我們都應(yīng)該更加努力。我們都應(yīng)該以這樣的認(rèn)知為出發(fā)點：每一個公民都同我們一樣熱愛著這個國家，同我們一樣努力工作、一樣重視家庭；他們的孩子也像我們的孩子一樣，充滿好奇、前途無量并且值得愛護(hù)。None of this is easy. For too many of us, it39。s bee safer to retreat into our own bubbles, whether in our neighborhoods or college campuses or places of worship or our social media feeds, surrounded by people who look like us and share the same political outlook and never challenge our assumptions. The rise of naked partisanship, increasing economic and regional stratification, the splintering of our media into a channel for every taste all this makes this great sorting seem natural, even inevitable. And increasingly, we bee so secure in our bubbles that we accept only information, whether true or not, that fits our opinions, instead of basing our opinions on the evidence that39。s out there.要做到這一點并非易事。對于我們中的太多人來說，躲進(jìn)我們自己的圈子是更安全，這些圈子包括我們的鄰里、大學(xué)校園、教堂或是社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)，在安全地帶我們周圍盡是和我們相像、有相同政治立場和從不挑戰(zhàn)我們觀點的人。赤裸裸的黨爭、經(jīng)濟(jì)和地域方面不斷攀升的自滿情緒、迎合不同人群造成的媒體間的分裂，這些都使區(qū)別對待的做法看起來是自然的，甚至是不可避免的。于是我們在自己的安全地帶越來越感到安心，于是我們開始只接受迎合我們的觀點，無論這些觀點是對是錯，而不是接受那些基于現(xiàn)有證據(jù)的說法。This trend represents a third threat to our democracy. Politics is a battle of ideas。 in the course of a healthy debate, we39。ll prioritize different goals, and the different means of reaching them. But without some mon baseline of facts。 without a willingness to admit new information, and concede that your opponent is making a fair point, and that science and reason matter, we39。ll keep talking past each other, making mon ground and promise impossible.這一趨勢構(gòu)成了對我們民主體制的第三道威脅。但是政治就是一場有關(guān)理念的戰(zhàn)斗。我們的民主體制設(shè)計便是基于此。在針對醫(yī)療方面的爭論中，我們?yōu)椴煌繕?biāo)劃分了優(yōu)先次序并制定了實現(xiàn)它們的不同方案。但是如果沒有對底線的堅守和接受新信息的意愿，如果我們不承認(rèn)我們對手的觀點也許是公正的，不承認(rèn)科學(xué)和理性的重要性，那么我們便不能實現(xiàn)真正的溝通，不能相互妥協(xié)并建立共同立場。Isn39。t that part of what makes politics so dispiriting? How can elected officials rage about deficits when we propose to spend money on preschool for kids, but not when we39。re cutting taxes for corporations? How do we excuse ethical lapses in our own party, but pounce when the other party does the same thing? It39。s not just dishonest, this selective sorting of the facts。 it39。s selfdefeating. Because as my mother used to tell me, reality has a way of catching up with you.不正是這些因素使人們對政治感到失望的嗎？如果政客沒有對削減企業(yè)稅感到不滿的話，那我們提議增加對學(xué)齡前兒童的支出時，他們憑什么感到憤怒呢？在抨擊其他政黨腐敗的同時，我們怎么能寬宥黨內(nèi)腐敗呢？這些行為不只是不誠實，更是對事實的區(qū)別對待，是自我毀滅的行徑。因為，就像我母親曾經(jīng)告訴我的，現(xiàn)實總能讓你自食其果。Take the challenge of climate change. In just eight years, we39。ve halved our dependence on foreign oil, doubled our renewable energy, and led the world to an agreement that has the promise to save this planet. But without bolder action, our children won39。t have time to debate the existence of climate change。 they39。ll be busy dealing with its effects: environmental disasters, economic disruptions, and waves of climate refugees seeking sanctuary.讓我們接受氣候變化