The world's largest family reunion ... we're all invited! | A.J. Jacobs

翻译人员: 易帆 余 校对人员: Zhiting Chen

Six months ago, I got an email

6个月前，我收到一封电子邮件，

from a man in Israel

一位来自以色列

who had read one of my books,

读过我一本书的男士，

and the email said,

邮件里说：

"You don't know me,

“你不认识我，

but I'm your 12th cousin."

但我是你的第12代表亲”

And it said, "I have a family tree

还说，“我的家族树里有8万人，

with 80,000 people on it, including you,

你也在里面，

Karl Marx,

卡尔．马克思，

and several European aristocrats."

还有几个欧洲贵族。”

Now I did not know what to make of this.

我不知道该做何反应，

Part of me was like, okay,

一部份的我大概会做出 「好吧」这样的反应

when's he going to ask me to wire

当他要我汇 1万美金到

10,000 dollars to his Nigerian bank, right?

他在尼日利亚银行的账户的时候，

I also thought, 80,000 relatives,

我也在想，8万个亲戚，

do I want that?

我需要他们吗？

I have enough trouble with some of the ones

我现在的亲戚里面，

I have already.

有些已经够让我头大了。

And I won't name names, but you know who you are.

我不想指名道姓， 但你们知道我在说你们。

But another part of me said, this is remarkable.

但另一方面的我又觉得， 这事太赞了。

Here I am alone in my office, but I'm not alone at all.

我现在一个人呆在办公室里， 却一点也不孤单。

I'm connected to 80,000 people around the world,

我和世界各地的 8万人有关联，

and that's four Madison Square Gardens

那可是整整四个麦迪逊广场花园

full of cousins.

的亲戚。

And some of them are going to be great,

他们中间有的会很不错，

and some of them are going to be irritating,

有的又会很烦人，

but they're all related to me.

但都和我有关联。

So this email inspired me to dive into genealogy,

因此，在这封邮件的启发下， 我迷上了谱系学。

which I always thought was a very staid and proper field,

我一向觉得这个领域 非常严肃古板，又一本正经，

but it turns out it's going through a fascinating

但结果我发现这一领域 正经历一场革命，

revolution, and a controversial one.

既令人神往又充满争议。

Partly, this is because of DNA and genetic testing,

部分原因是DNA和基因测试，

but partly, it's because of the Internet.

也有部分原因是互联网。

There are sites that now take

现在有些网站在用维基百科的方法

the Wikipedia approach to family trees,

来建立家族树，

collaboration and crowdsourcing,

大家协作，人力搜索。

and what you do is,

你需要做的就是，

you load your family tree on,

上传你的家族树至网站，

and then these sites search

然后这些网站就会搜索，

to see if the A.J. Jacobs in your tree

看你家族树上的 A.J. Jacobs，

is the same as the A.J. Jacobs in another tree,

和另一个家族树上的 A.J. Jacobs是否相同，

and if it is, then you can combine,

如果是，那么你就可以联接了，

and then you combine and combine and combine

然后你就继续联接下去，

until you get these massive,

最后你会得到一个

mega-family trees

庞大无比的家族树，

with thousands of people on them,

里面有几千，

or even millions.

甚至上百万的人。

I'm on something on Geni called

我是 Geni 网站上一个叫做

the world family tree,

世界家族树里的某一成员。

which has no less than a jaw-dropping

它是一个超过7500万人， 多到令人惊讶的家族树。

75 million people.

意味着这7500万人有血缘关系

So that's 75 million people connected by blood

or marriage, sometimes both.

或是婚姻关系，有时候两者都有。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

It's in all seven continents, including Antarctica.

它横跨了七大洲，包括南极洲。

I'm on it. Many of you are on it,

我被列在上面， 你们很多人也被列在上面，

whether you know it or not,

不管你们知不知道这件事，

and you can see the links.

你可以看到这些连结。

Here's my cousin Gwyneth Paltrow.

这是我的表亲葛妮丝·派特洛。

She has no idea I exist,

她根本不知道有我这个人存在，

but we are officially cousins.

但我们是公开的表亲关系。

We have just 17 links between us.

我们之间有17个连结。

And there's my cousin Barack Obama.

这里是我的表亲巴拉克．欧巴马。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And he is my aunt's fifth great-aunt's husband's

他是我姨妈的第15个姨婆的老公的

father's wife's seventh great-nephew,

父亲的老婆的第 7个甥孙。

so practically my old brother.

基本上可以说是我的哥哥。

及我的表亲，当然，

And my cousin, of course,

the actor Kevin Bacon --

演员凯文·贝肯

(Laughter) —

（笑声）

who is my first cousin's twice removed's

他是我第一表亲的隔二代的

wife's niece's husband's first cousin once removed's

老婆的外甥的老公的表亲的隔一代的

niece's husband.

外甥的老公。

So six degrees of Kevin Bacon,

所以我与凯文·贝肯是六度关系，

plus or minus several degrees.

或正负七度关系。

Now, I'm not boasting, because all of you

我不是在吹牛，你们全部

have famous people and historical figures

都有名人或是历史人物

in your tree, because we are all connected,

在家族树里面， 因为我们全被连结在一起，

and 75 million may seem like a lot,

7500万听起来很多，

but in a few years, it's quite likely

但是几年过后很可能

we will have a family tree

我们的家族树

with all, almost all, seven billion people on Earth.

会包含所有在地球上的70亿人。

But does it really matter?

但是这有什么意义吗？

What's the importance?

这有什么重要？

And I do think it is important,

我确实认为这很重要，

and I'll give you five reasons why, really quickly.

我给你们五个理由，

First, it's got scientific value.

第一，这有科学上的价值。

This is an unprecedented history of the human race,

这在人类史上史无前例，

and it's giving us valuable data

它给我们疾病如何遗传的重要资讯，

about how diseases are inherited,

how people migrate,

人类如何迁移，

and there's a team of scientists at MIT right now

而现在麻省理工有个科学家团队正在

studying the world family tree.

研究这个世界家族树。

Number two, it brings history alive.

第二，它让历史活现重生。

I found out I'm connected to Albert Einstein,

我发现我和阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦也有连结，

so I told my seven-year-old son that,

我把这件事我告诉我七岁大的儿子，

and he was totally engaged.

他完全被吸引住了。

Now Albert Einstein is not some dead white guy

现在阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦不再只是个

with weird hair.

有着奇怪发型的作古白人。

He's Uncle Albert. (Laughter)

而是阿尔伯特叔叔了。 （笑声）

And my son wanted to know,

然后我儿子想知道，

"What did he say? What is E = MC squared?"

“他说什么？”“什么是E=MC 平方？”

Also, it's not all good news.

但也不全是好消息。

I found a link to Jeffrey Dahmer, the serial killer,

我发现我跟连续杀人犯 杰弗瑞·达莫有关系，

but I will say that's on my wife's side.

但我会说，他是在我老婆那边的。

(Laughter) (Applause)

（笑声）（掌声）

So I want to make that clear. Sorry, honey.

我只是想说明清楚， 抱歉，亲爱的。

Number three, interconnectedness.

第三，互联性。

We all come from the same ancestor,

我们全都来自于同一个祖先，

and you don't have to believe the literal Bible version,

你不需要相信圣经上所说的，

but scientists talk about Y chromosomal Adam

但是科学家把 Y 染色体比喻成亚当，

and mitochondrial Eve,

粒腺体比喻成夏娃，

and these were about 100,000 to 300,000 years ago.

这大概是10万到30万年前发生的。

We all have a bit of their DNA in us.

我们体内都有着他们的 DNA。

They are our great-great-great-great-great-great --

他们是你们的曾曾曾曾.......祖父母

continue that for about 7,000 times --

大概有

grandparents,

7千代的曾祖父母，

and so that means we literally all are

这也意味着我们也是

biological cousins as well,

生物学上的表亲，

and estimates vary, but probably

预测可能有出入，但是很可能

the farthest cousin you have on Earth

你在地球上

is about a 50th cousin.

最远房的表亲有大约 50 个。

Now, it's not just ancestors we share, descendants.

好，现在不光是祖先， 我们的后代也有关系。

If you have kids, and they have kids,

如果你有小孩，他们也有小孩，

look how quickly the descendants accumulate.

看看后代累积的速度有多快。

So in 10, 12 generations,

在10代，12代之后，

you're going to have thousands of offspring,

你们会有着数千，

and millions of offspring.

甚至数百万的后代。

Number four, a kinder world.

第四，更友好的世界。

Now, I know that there are family feuds.

我知道现在很多家庭之间都有争执。

I have three sons, so I see how they fight.

我有三个儿子， 我知道他们怎么吵架的。

But I think that there's also a human bias

但是我认为人类在 对待自己家人比对待陌生人

to treat your family a little better than strangers.

要来的好，这点是有偏见的。

I think this tree is going to be bad news for bigots,

我觉得家族树 对固执的人来说是个坏消息，

because they're going to have to realize

因为他们將必須了解

that they are cousins with thousands of people

不管他们和哪个族群团体有冲突， 彼此仍有亲戚关系，

in whatever ethnic group they happen

to have issues with,

and I think you look back at history,

而当你们回顾历史，

and a lot of the terrible things we've done to each other

很多我们对彼此做的坏事

is because one group thinks another group is sub-human,

都是因为一群人认为 另一群人是次等人，

and you can't do that anymore.

现在你不能再这么做了。

We're not just part of the same species.

我们不止是同一个物种。

We're part of the same family.

我们是一个家族的一部份。

We share 99.9 percent of our DNA.

我们的 DNA 有 99.9% 相同。

Now the final one is number five,

最后是第五点，

a democratizing effect.

对民主化的影响。

Some genealogy has an elitist strain,

有些族谱有着菁英血脉，

like people say, "Oh, I'm descended

有人会说：“喔，我是

from Mary Queen of Scots

玛莉皇后的后代，

and you're not, so you cannot join my country club."

而你不是，所以你不能 加入我的乡村俱乐部。 ”

But that's really going to be hard to do now,

但是这些现在已经成为过去式了，

because everyone is related.

因为每个人都是有亲戚关系的。

I'm descended from Mary Queen of Scots --

我是玛莉皇后的后代，

by marriage, but still.

是由于婚姻关系， 但总归還是有关系的。

So it's really a fascinating time

所以，从家庭的观点来看，

in the history of family,

这真是一个精彩的时刻，

because it's changing so fast.

因为它改变得如此迅速。

There is gay marriage and sperm donors

同性婚姻、捐精者、

and there's intermarriage on an unprecedented scale,

有史以来最大规模的通婚，

and this makes some of my more conservative cousins

都让我一些比较保守的表亲

a little nervous,

有点紧张，

but I actually think it's a good thing.

但事实上我觉得这是件好事。

I think the more inclusive the idea of family is,

我认为，家族的理念 越多样性，越好，

the better,

because then you have more potential caretakers,

这样一来你就有了 更多潜在的看管人，

and as my aunt's eighth cousin twice removed

如同我阿姨的八等表亲的隔二代

Hillary Clinton says --

希拉里·克林顿所说的--

(Laughter) —

（笑声）

it takes a village.

会要一整村的人。

So I have all these hundreds and thousands,

而我拥有这些数百数千，

millions of new cousins.

甚至数百万个表亲。

I thought, what can I do with this information?

我在想，我能够用这些资讯做些什么呢？

And that's when I decided,

于是我决定，

why not throw a party?

为何不办个派对呢？

So that's what I'm doing.

这就是我现在正在做的。

And you're all invited.

你们所有人都被邀请了。

Next year, next summer,

明年，明年夏天，

I will be hosting what I hope is

我将会主办一个

the biggest and best family reunion in history.

我希望是有史以来最大的家族聚会。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thank you. I want you there.

谢谢，我希望你们会到。

I want you there.

我希望你们会到。

It's going to be at the New York Hall of Science,

它会办在纽约科学馆，

which is a great venue,

那是个很棒的场地，

but it's also on the site of the former World's Fair,

那里也是上次世界博览会的举办场地，

which is, I think, very appropriate,

我觉得那个地方非常适合，

because I see this as a family reunion

因为我把这个家族聚会

meets a world's fair.

看作是一次世界博览会。

There's going to be exhibits and food, music.

聚会里会有展览、食物、音乐。

Paul McCartney is 11 steps away,

保罗·麦卡尼在11层关系之外，

so I'm hoping he brings his guitar.

我希望他会带着他的吉他来。

He hasn't RSVP'd yet, but fingers crossed.

他还没有答覆，就让我们祈祷吧。

And there is going to be a day of speakers,

会有一天的时间留给演讲者，

of fascinating cousins.

或是很吸引人的表亲。

It's early, but I've already,

现在还早，但是我已经，

I've got some lined up.

我这边已经有人在排队了。

Cass Sunstein, my cousin who is perhaps

凯斯·桑斯坦（Cass Sunstein）或许是

the most brilliant legal scholar, will be talking.

我最厉害的法学家表亲， 他也会演讲。

He was a former member of the Obama administration.

他曾是欧巴马政府的一员。

And on the other side of the political spectrum,

而政界成员的另一边，

George H.W. Bush, number 41, the father,

乔治 H.W. 布什， 美国第 41 任总统，老布什，

he has agreed to participate,

他已经答应会参加，

and Nick Kroll, the comedian,

喜剧演员尼克·科罗尔（Nick Kroll）、

and Dr. Oz, and many more to come.

奥兹医师（Dr. Oz）， 还有更多人都将出席。

And, of course, the most important is that you,

当然，最重要的就是你们，

I want you guys there,

我希望各位能出席，

and I invite you to go to GlobalFamilyReunion.org

同时我邀请你们造访 GlobalFamilyReunion.org

and figure out how you're on the family tree,

试着找出你在家族树的位置，

because these are big issues, family and tribe,

因为这些是很庞大的家族架构

and I don't know all the answers,

我也不知道答案，

but I have a lot of smart relatives,

但是我有很多聪明的亲戚，

including you guys,

包括你们各位，

so together, I think we can figure it out.

所以让我们合力吧， 我认为我们能找出答案。

Only together can we solve these big problems.

只有合力我们才能 解决这些大问题。

So from cousin to cousin,

所以我的各位表亲们，

I thank you. I can't wait to see you.

谢谢你们， 我等不及要见到你们了。

Goodbye.

再会。

(Applause)

（掌声）