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It's probably as unlikely that you would nowadays become as rich and famous as Bill Gates,
今日你变得像比尔·盖茨一样，有钱又出名的机会，
as it was unlikely in the 17th century that you would accede to the ranks of the French aristocracy.
大概就跟你在十七世纪成为法国贵族一样困难。
But the point is, it doesn't feel that way.
但重点是，感觉却差别很大。
It's made to feel, by magazines and other media outlets, that if you've got energy,
今日的杂志和其它媒体让我们感觉，只要你有冲劲、
a few bright ideas about technology, a garage -- you, too, could start a major thing.
对科技有一些新颖的想法，再加上一个车库，你就可以踏上比尔的道路。
The consequences of this problem make themselves felt in bookshops.
我们可以从书店中感受到这些问题所造成的后果。
When you go to a large bookshop and look at the self-help sections, as I sometimes do
当你像我一样到大型书店里的自我帮助书籍类，
if you analyze self-help books produced in the world today, there are basically two kinds.
如果你分析现在出版的这些自我帮助类书籍，它们基本上分成两种。
The first kind tells you, "You can do it! You can make it! Anything's possible!"
第一种告诉你，”你做得到！你能成功！没有不可能！”
The other kind tells you how to cope with what we politely call "low self-esteem," or impolitely call, "feeling very bad about yourself."
另外一种则教导你如何处理我们婉转地称呼为“缺乏自信”，或是直接了当地称为“自我感觉极差”。
There's a real correlation between a society that tells people that they can do anything, and the existence of low self-esteem.
这两者中间有着绝对的关联，一个告诉人们他们无所不能的社会和缺乏自信有着绝对的关联。
So that's another way in which something quite positive can have a nasty kickback.
这是另一件好事也会带来坏影响的例子。
There is another reason why we might be feeling more anxious
还有一些其它原因造成我们对事业，
about our careers, about our status in the world today, than ever before.
对我们在世上的地位感到前所未有的焦虑。
And it's, again, linked to something nice. And that nice thing is called meritocracy.
再一次地，它也和好的概念有关，这个好概念叫做“功绩主义”。
Everybody, all politicians on Left and Right, agree that meritocracy is a great thing,
现在，无论是左倾还是右倾的政治人物，都同意“功绩主义”是个好事，
and we should all be trying to make our societies really, really meritocratic.
我们应该尽力让我们的社会崇尚“功绩主义”。
In other words -- what is a meritocratic society?
换句话说，一个崇尚“功绩主义”的社会是什么样的呢？
A meritocratic society is one in which, if you've got talent and energy and skill,
一个崇尚功绩主义的社会相信，如果你有才能、精力和技术，
you will get to the top, nothing should hold you back. It's a beautiful idea.
你就会飞黄腾达，没有什么能阻止你。这是个美好的想法。
The problem is, if you really believe in a society where those who merit to get to the top, get to the top,
问题是，如果你打从心里相信那些在社会顶层的人都是精英，
you'll also, by implication, and in a far more nasty way,
同时你也暗示着，以一种残忍的方法，
believe in a society where those who deserve to get to the bottom also get to the bottom and stay there.
相信那些在社会底层的人天生就该在社会底层。
In other words, your position in life comes to seem not accidental, but merited and deserved.
换句话说，你在社会的地位不是偶然，而都是你配得的。
And that makes failure seem much more crushing.
这种想法让失败变得更残忍。
