The case against "good" and "bad" - Marlee Neel

(Music)

翻译人员: Yoshinari Fukuzawa 校对人员: Yumeng Hao

Esteemed members of the jury,

诸位敬爱的陪审员，

I submit the following words for immediate and violent execution

本人在此提出以下两字 希望您能将之速审重判

and extraction from our vocabularies,

同时从我们的辞汇里去除

to be locked away forever, if you would prefer.

判其终身监禁，如果阁下允诺的话。

These words I present to you are "good" and "bad."

我想呈给诸位的字是 “好” 与 “坏”，

These words have served as treacherous liars

这两个字终其一生都是

狡猾的骗子。

for eternity.

These two words have worked in tandem

这两个字狼狈为奸

to produce vague and bland sentences that have crippled the creativity of humanity.

创造出模糊枯燥的句子 来瘫痪人类的创造力。

These two deceptively tiny words

这两个虚伪的小子

stifle real description and honest communication.

扼杀了真实的叙述 还有诚实的沟通。

Look at them, just sitting there on this page,

看看它们，就在这页面上

all smug and satisfied with their work.

为自己的杰作感到志得意满，

How dare they?

多么胆大妄为！

You serve no purpose in our world,

你们在这世上没有存在的价值

and we must rid ourselves of your influence.

我们不该再受你们影响。

We must replace these two words with the truth,

我们必须用实话来取代这两个字

with phrases that include adequate and sincere adjectives.

用适切又真诚的形容词句取代

I'll offer you "radiant," "stupefying," "awful," "gut-wrenching."

我在此提出 “容光焕发” “呆若木鸡” “糟糕透顶” 还有 “痛苦至极”

These choices create clarity and depth.

这些选择建立了明确与深度。

"Good" and "bad" only provide gray vagueness.

“好” 与 “坏” 只提供了 灰色模糊的叙述

We must demand color!

我们需要鲜明的色彩！

We should even use winding similes and metaphors, where appropriate.

我们甚至应该配合时宜 采用迂回婉转的明喻与暗喻

We have to do whatever we can and should to make our real sentiments known.

我们应该尽可能 将最真实的情感传达出来。

"Good" and "bad" will no longer be our go-to words

“好” 与 “坏” 不应再是

that we rely on when we are too afraid or too languid to express our real thoughts.

当我们因为太害怕不敢实话实说 或疲于应付时用的字。

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I implore you to deliver a verdict of guilty

陪审团的先生女士们 我恳请诸位判其有罪，

and send these words to their rightful fate.

并将这二字送入他们应得的命运。

Now imagine a world without these two words.

试想没有这两个字的世界

Imagine a world where real description is required,

试想要求正确叙述的世界。

digging further into our vocabulary

我们可以深入了解辞汇的用法，

than just a monosyllabic effort to get away with not being honest,

而不是用一个短音字来逃避实话

impactful, creative.

逃避后果及想像力。

How does my hair look?

我的发型看起来如何？

Good. What is that?

“蛮好。”这是什么？

A dull attempt not to be honest?

逃避不想讲的实话？

Perhaps my hair looks like a hideous mess of tangles and bald spots.

也许我披头散发、满头斑秃，

Yet someone does not want to be honest, and offers the quick fix "good,"

但是因为某人不想说实话 不经思索就说了个 “好”

to try and mask the truth

试着隐瞒事实，

and send me hurling into the evening with a plop of disorganized tresses.

让我整晚顶着一头乱发。

This will not do.

这可不行！

Perhaps my hair looks like an amazing glossy sculpture

也许我的头发真是像雕塑般光滑

that frames my face perfectly,

完美搭配脸型

and lends an air of magic to the night.

让我整晚神采奕奕

Well, "good" just doesn't cut it.

那么，说 “好” 也行不通啊！

I won't take any more of this formless, lifeless description.

我不要再听到这样 不清不楚、毫无生气的叙述，

I will not take these lies, and neither should you.

我不接受谎言，你也不该接受。

A doctor asks you how you feel.

医生问你身体感觉如何

"I feel bad."

“我觉得很坏。”

Heresy!

异端邪说！

The doctor, based on this paltry report,

医生听到你这不足取的自述，

could conclude that you have brain cancer or the flu or rabies.

可以断定你有脑癌或流感或狂犬病

You owe it to yourself and the possible misdiagnosis of your life

被误诊是你活该。

to be honest about exactly how you feel.

你应该老实说你到底觉得怎样

"I feel like a herd of wombats has taken up in my chest."

“我觉得胸口塞满了一窝的袋熊”

A-ha! There we have it. An accurate description.

啊哈！要的就是这样精确的叙述。

Now the doctor has some real evidence to work with in order to assist you.

现在医生能依据真的证据来帮助你。

We have become addicted to the numbness that "good" and "bad" have created.

我们已对 “好” “坏” 所造成的麻木感上瘾，

We have become linguistic slobs,

我们已拙口笨舌。

churning out "good" and "bad"

随口吐出 “好” “坏”

wherever we are too lazy to allow our minds to communicate

每当我们太懒不想动脑 说出有创意及详细的描述时

with creativity and specification.

就这样随口说。

You look good, you sound bad, this tastes good,

你气色很好，听起来你的情况很坏 这个很好吃

the weather looks bad.

天气看起来很坏

Lie after lie,

一句又一句的谎言，

repeating this verbal gray, this sloshy mush,

不断重复着含糊其词的话语。

this fuzzy picture that reflects no real truth.

这种雾里看花的模糊感 可让人一点也看不清事实

Replace them with grittier, exact terms

用更有胆、精确的措辞代替吧！

that have been buried in our Lexis, waiting to see daylight.

那埋藏在我们辞汇中的词句 正等着重见天日。

No longer does the weather look good or bad,

天气何止是“好”或“坏"，

the weather looks ominous or exhilarating.

应该是天色阴霾或天高气爽。

Nothing tastes good or bad.

东西除了”好吃“、”不好吃“，

It tastes like pillows of sparkles

还可以是是尝起来”其味无穷“，

or old shoe and dung.

”味同嚼蜡“或”难以下咽“。

No more of sounding good or bad.

声音听起来也不为”好“或”坏“，

You sound like lilting baby laughter

你的声音应该听起来 像婴儿咯咯笑般轻快

or ogres marching to war.

或像食人魔出征般沉重

Dear God, you do not look good or bad.

天啊！你的长相不是好或坏

You look like a feathery angel or a morose faun.

你应是美如天仙或青面獠牙

Today, you look at these two words,

今天，你看着这两个字

"good" and "bad,"

“好” 与 “坏”

examine them closely.

仔细查验一下，

Because behind their seemingly unassuming visages

因为在它们谦逊低调的面目下

reside two deceitful offerings that smother the truth.

藏着两个掩盖事实的大骗子。

These words are liars.

这两个字是谎言

These words must be stopped.

一定要阻止这两个字

Remove them from our language so that honesty can return to our communication.

把它们从我们的语言中去除 大家才能口吐真言。

Ladies and gentlemen,

女士们先生们，

if I say to you that you have been a good jury,

如果我说你们是好的陪审团

you will take the compliment, make your decision and go on about your day.

你会接受恭维 做出决定并继续过日子。

But if I say to you that you are an honorable jury,

但是如果我对你们说 你们是正直的陪审团，

and that I hope your unshakeable determination

而且我希望 你们以那不可动摇的决心

to better the vocabulary of humanity

改善人类的字汇

will result in finding "good" and "bad" guilty,

最终判定 “好” “坏” 有罪

you will recognize the ingenuity of this argument

你们会同意这是明智的论据，

and find "good" and "bad" guilty.

并判决 “好” “坏”有罪。

(Music)