Let's end ageism | Ashton Applewhite

翻译人员: Chen Zou 校对人员: Mo Siman

What's one thing that every person in this room is going to become?

在座的每个人终将会变得怎样？

Older.

变老。

And most of us are scared stiff at the prospect.

大部分人想到这个 都吓得不敢动弹。

How does that word make you feel?

你对那个词的感觉是什么？

I used to feel the same way.

我曾经也有同感。

What was I most worried about?

我最担心的是什么？

Ending up drooling in some grim institutional hallway.

以在阴暗的疗养院的 过道上淌着口水告终。

And then I learned that only four percent of older Americans

然后我发现只有4%的美国老年人

are living in nursing homes,

住在疗养院，

and the percentage is dropping.

而且这一比例在下降。

What else was I worried about?

我还担心什么？

Dementia.

老年痴呆。

Turns out that most of us can think just fine to the end.

但是大部分人直到死之前 脑子也还能运转。

Dementia rates are dropping, too.

老年痴呆的比例也在下降。

The real epidemic is anxiety over memory loss.

真正的流行病是 对失忆的焦虑。

(Laughter)

（观众笑声）

I also figured that old people were depressed

我也在想老年人很忧郁，

because they were old and they were going to die soon.

因为他们老了 而且快要死了。

(Laughter)

（观众笑声）

It turns out that the longer people live,

结果发现人们活得越久，

the less they fear dying,

就越不害怕死亡。

and that people are happiest at the beginnings and the end of their lives.

人们在出生和死亡之时 是最快乐的。

It's called the U-curve of happiness,

这是快乐U型曲线，

and it's been borne out by dozens of studies around the world.

是被全球许多研究证明的。

You don't have to be a Buddhist or a billionaire.

你不必成为佛教徒 或是亿万富翁。

The curve is a function of the way aging itself affects the brain.

这条曲线展示变老 是如何影响大脑的。

So I started feeling a lot better about getting older,

所以我开始感到变老 不是那么糟糕了。

and I started obsessing about why so few people know these things.

我也开始好奇为什么 没几个人懂得这些道理。

The reason is ageism:

原因在于年龄歧视，

discrimination and stereotyping on the basis of age.

即基于年龄的歧视和偏见。

We experience it anytime someone assumes we're too old for something,

比如有人说我们太老了， 不能做某事，

instead of finding out who we are and what we're capable of,

而不关心我们是谁 我们能做什么。

or too young.

或者说我们太年轻。

Ageism cuts both ways.

这两种都是年龄歧视。

All -isms are socially constructed ideas -- racism, sexism, homophobia --

所有的“主义”都是社会构建的意识， 像种族主义、性别歧视及同性恋恐惧。

and that means we make them up,

这意味着这些都是 我们自己创造出来的，

and they can change over time.

而且它们是可以随着时间改变的。

All these prejudices pit us against each other

因为这些偏见，我们互相争斗，

to maintain the status quo,

使得现状难以改变。

like auto workers in the US competing against auto workers in Mexico

就好像美国汽车工人和 墨西哥汽车工人斗争，

instead of organizing for better wages.

而不是团结起来提高工资。

(Applause)

（观众掌声）

We know it's not OK to allocate resources by race or by sex.

我们知道不能根据 种族或性别分配资源，

Why should it be OK to weigh the needs of the young against the old?

那又怎么能把年轻人 的需求和老年人相比较？

All prejudice relies on "othering" -- seeing a group of people

所有的偏见都基于 “异化”——把一群人

as other than ourselves:

当做自己之外的群体：

other race, other religion, other nationality.

其他种族、其他宗教、 其他国籍。

The strange thing about ageism:

年龄歧视的奇怪之处在于

that other is us.

那个所谓的“异” 是我们自己。

Ageism feeds on denial -- our reluctance to acknowledge

年龄歧视来自否认—— 我们不愿意承认

that we are going to become that older person.

我们终将变老。

It's denial when we try to pass for younger

这种否认体现在希望“逆生长”

or when we believe in anti-aging products,

或者迷信抗衰老产品，

or when we feel like our bodies are betraying us,

或者觉得我们的身体 在背叛我们，

simply because they are changing.

但其实只是身体 在发生自然变化。

Why on earth do we stop celebrating the ability to adapt and grow

为什么一路走来，我们不再为

增强的适应力和生长 欢欣鼓舞了呢？

as we move through life?

Why should aging well mean struggling to look and move

为什么优雅老去就意味着 拼命让自己的外表和行为

like younger versions of ourselves?

要和年轻时一样呢？

It's embarrassing to be called out as older

我们自己不以变老为耻，

until we quit being embarrassed about it,

才不会觉得被人说老丢脸。

and it's not healthy to go through life dreading our futures.

而且时刻担心着未来 是不健康的。

The sooner we get off this hamster wheel of age denial,

越早走出否认自己年龄 的死循环中，

the better off we are.

我们会变得越好。

Stereotypes are always a mistake, of course,

刻板印象总是错的，

but especially when it comes to age,

而年龄歧视更是如此。

because the longer we live,

因为我们活得越久，

the more different from one another we become.

我们彼此就变得越不相同，

Right? Think about it.

对吧？想想看。

And yet, we tend to think of everyone in a retirement home

然而，我们却默认住在疗养院的人

as the same age: old --

都是一个年龄——老人。

(Laughter)

（观众笑声）

when they can span four decades.

而他们的年龄跨度可达40岁。

Can you imagine thinking that way about a group of people

你能说一群20岁到60岁的人

between the ages of 20 and 60?

都差不多大吗？

When you get to a party, do you head for people your own age?

你在派对上是不是 只和同龄人一起玩？

Have you ever grumbled about entitled millennials?

你是否抱怨过新一代的年轻人？

Have you ever rejected a haircut or a relationship or an outing

你是否放弃一个发型， 一段关系或者一次约会，

because it's not age-appropriate?

只因在年龄上不合适？

For adults, there's no such thing.

对成年人来说，根本没有这回事。

All these behaviors are ageist.

这些行为都是年龄歧视。

We all do them,

我们都这么做，

and we can't challenge bias unless we're aware of it.

只有意识到偏见的存在， 我们才能去挑战它。

Nobody's born ageist,

年龄歧视并非与生俱来，

but it starts at early childhood,

而是形成于童年早期。

around the same time attitudes towards race and gender start to form,

与此同时形成的还有 对于种族和性别的态度。

because negative messages about late life bombard us

因为我们每时每刻都在被 媒体和流行文化中

from the media and popular culture at every turn.

关于晚年生活的负面信息轰炸。

Right? Wrinkles are ugly.

不是吗？皱纹太难看，

Old people are pathetic.

老人很可怜，

It's sad to be old.

变老很可悲。

Look at Hollywood.

看看好莱坞。

A survey of recent Best Picture nominations

一项关于最近的 “最佳影片”提名的调查

found that only 12 percent of speaking or named characters

发现有台词或是名字的 角色中只有12%

were age 60 and up,

年龄在60岁及以上。

and many of them were portrayed as impaired.

他们中有许多 都是有缺陷的形象。

Older people can be the most ageist of all,

我们老年人的年龄歧视观 可能是最严重的，

because we've had a lifetime to internalize these messages

因为我们用一生 来内化这些信息。

and we've never thought to challenge them.

我们从没想过 提出异议。

I had to acknowledge it

我不得不承认这一点，

and stop colluding.

并停止内化负面信息。

"Senior moment" quips, for example:

比如，“这一刻我老了”的玩笑

I stopped making them when it dawned on me

我不再开这种玩笑， 因为我想到

that when I lost the car keys in high school,

在高中弄丢车钥匙时

I didn't call it a "junior moment."

我没有说“这一刻我还小”。

(Laughter)

（观众笑声）

I stopped blaming my sore knee on being 64.

我不再抱怨说我酸痛的 一侧膝盖64岁了。

My other knee doesn't hurt,

另一边膝盖不疼，

and it's just as old.

却也64岁了。

(Laughter)

（观众笑声）

(Applause)

（观众掌声）

We are all worried about some aspect of getting older,

我们都在担心变老 带来的一些问题，

whether running out of money,

像是钱用完了，

getting sick, ending up alone,

或者生病、独居，

and those fears are legitimate and real.

这些恐惧合情合理 而且真实存在。

But what never dawns on most of us

但大多数人不应该认为

is that the experience of reaching old age

步入老年后的生活

can be better or worse depending on the culture

会变得更好或更坏。

这好和坏取决于所处的文化。

in which it takes place.

It is not having a vagina that makes life harder for women.

让女性的生活更为艰辛的， 不是生理结构的差异，

It's sexism.

而是性别歧视。

(Applause)

（观众掌声）

It's not loving a man that makes life harder for gay guys.

让男同性恋生活更艰难的 不是爱上一个男人，

It's homophobia.

而是社会对同性恋的排斥。

And it is not the passage of time that makes getting older

给老年生活增加额外困难的，

so much harder than it has to be.

不是时间的流逝，

It is ageism.

而是年龄歧视。

When labels are hard to read

当商标看不清，

or there's no handrail

或者没有扶手，

or we can't open the damn jar,

或者那可恶的罐头打不开时，

we blame ourselves,

我们责怪自己，

our failure to age successfully,

怪自己输给了年龄，

instead of the ageism that makes those natural transitions shameful

而忘记了是年龄歧视使 这自然的过渡成为羞耻，

and the discrimination that makes those barriers acceptable.

使生活的障碍变得可以理解。

You can't make money off satisfaction,

人人都满意的地方没有商机，

but shame and fear create markets,

但羞耻和恐惧却能创造市场，

and capitalism always needs new markets.

而资本主义总是需要新市场。

Who says wrinkles are ugly?

是谁说皱纹丑的？

The multi-billion-dollar skin care industry.

是市值几十亿美金的 护肤产业。

Who says perimenopause and low T and mild cognitive impairment

是谁说绝经、男性功能障碍 和轻度认知障碍

are medical conditions?

是疾病？

The trillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry.

是市值上万亿美元的 制药产业。

(Cheers)

（观众欢呼）

The more clearly we see these forces at work,

我们对其中的运作 看得越清楚，

the easier it is to come up with alternative, more positive

越能产生另一种更积极、

and more accurate narratives.

更准确的认识。

Aging is not a problem to be fixed or a disease to be cured.

变老不是需要解决的问题， 也不是需要治疗的疾病。

It is a natural, powerful, lifelong process that unites us all.

它是一个自然的、强大的 生命历程，把所有人连结起来。

Changing the culture is a tall order, I know that, but culture is fluid.

改变文化很难，这我知道， 但文化会流动变化。

Look at how much the position of women has changed in my lifetime

看看女性地位在我经历的 时代里变化多大，

or the incredible strides that the gay rights movement

看看同性恋运动 在短短几十年里

has made in just a few decades, right?

取得多了不起的进展，对吧？

(Applause)

（观众掌声）

Look at gender.

看看性别观念。

We used to think of it as a binary, male or female,

我们曾经认为性别是二元的， 只有男或女，

and now we understand it's a spectrum.

现在我们了解了 性别是连续的频谱。

It is high time to ditch the old-young binary, too.

同样，当前正应该抛弃 “老或少”的二元年龄观。

There is no line in the sand between old and young,

在年老和年少之间 没有一条明确的界限，

after which it's all downhill.

过了那条线都是下坡路。

And the longer we wait to challenge that idea,

我们越是等待这种观念自行改变，

the more damage it does to ourselves and our place in the world,

其对我们自身和我们的地位 造成的损害越大。

like in the workforce, where age discrimination is rampant.

例如在普遍有年龄歧视的职场中。

In Silicon Valley, engineers are getting Botoxed and hair-plugged

在硅谷，工程师们都会 打医疗美容针，做植发，

before key interviews --

才去参加关键的面试。

and these are skilled white men in their 30s,

这还是三十多岁、 专业过硬的白人男性。

so imagine the effects further down the food chain.

所以想象一下在食物链 更下层的影响。

(Laughter)

（观众笑声）

The personal and economic consequences are devastating.

这对个人和经济的 影响是灾难性的。

Not one stereotype about older workers holds up under scrutiny.

对大龄职员的偏见 都经不住检验。

Companies aren't adaptable and creative because their employees are young;

企业不是因为其员工年轻 才具有适应性和创新能力。

they're adaptable and creative despite it.

就算没有很多年轻雇员也行。

Companies --

企业——

(Laughter)

（观众笑声）

(Applause)

（观众掌声）

We know that diverse companies aren't just better places to work;

我们都知道人员多样化的企业 不仅是更好的工作环境，

they work better.

也运作得更好。

And just like race and sex, age is a criterion for diversity.

就像种族和性别， 年龄意味着多样化。

A growing body of fascinating research

越来越多的惊人研究

shows that attitudes towards aging

显示对老龄的态度

affect how our minds and bodies function at the cellular level.

影响了我们的大脑和身体 在细胞层面上的运作。

When we talk to older people like this (Speaks more loudly)

当我们和年长的人 这样讲话（说话更大声），

or call them "sweetie" or "young lady" --

或称呼他们“甜心”或“年轻女士”的时候——

it's called elderspeak --

也就是所谓的“老人腔调”——

they appear to instantly age,

他们似乎一下就老了，

walking and talking less competently.

走路和说话方式趋于弱势。

People with more positive feelings towards aging

有些人对年老的态度更积极，

walk faster,

他们走路更快，

they do better on memory tests,

在记忆力测试中 表现得更好，

they heal quicker, and they live longer.

康复得更快， 活得越久。

Even with brains full of plaques and tangles,

即使是大脑布满了 团块和结节，

some people stayed sharp to the end.

一些人直到生命将尽 仍然思维敏捷。

What did they have in common?

他们有什么共同点？

A sense of purpose.

目的性。

And what's the biggest obstacle to having a sense of purpose in late life?

在晚年仍有目标 的最大障碍是什么？

A culture that tells us that getting older means shuffling offstage.

将老去等同于被淘汰 的文化观念。

That's why the World Health Organization is developing

因此，世卫组织在进行

a global anti-ageism initiative

一项反年龄歧视的全球性运动，

to extend not just life span but health span.

不仅是要延长生命，还要 延长保持健康的时间。

Women experience the double whammy

女性遭受两重歧视，

of ageism and sexism,

既有年龄歧视， 又有性别歧视，

so we experience aging differently.

因而老去的过程 别有一番滋味。

There's a double standard at work here -- shocker --

职场中有一个 双重标准令人震惊：

(Laughter)

（观众笑声）

the notion that aging enhances men and devalues women.

年龄增长使男人升值， 却使女人贬值。

Women reinforce this double standard when we compete to stay young,

当女人竞相要留住青春， 这个观念进一步固化。

another punishing and losing proposition.

另一个观念具有惩罚和失败的意味。

Does any woman in this room really believe

在场的女同胞们，你们真的相信

that she is a lesser version --

现在的自己是个次品——

less interesting, less fun in bed, less valuable --

与从前的自己相比，更无趣， 更难享受床笫之欢，

than the woman she once was?

更没有价值？

This discrimination affects our health,

这个歧视影响着我们的健康、

our well-being and our income,

生活质量和收入。

and the effects add up over time.

随着时间流逝， 这些影响越来越强。

They are further compounded by race and by class,

种族和社会阶级的压力， 加强了负面影响。

which is why, everywhere in the world,

这就是为什么 世界上的任何地方

the poorest of the poor are old women of color.

最最贫穷的是 有色民族的老女人。

What's the takeaway from that map?

地图上显而易见的是什么？

By 2050, one out of five of us,

是到了2050年，我们中 每五个就有一个，

almost two billion people,

也就是将近两百万人，

will be age 60 and up.

将会达到或超过60岁。

Longevity is a fundamental hallmark of human progress.

长寿是人类社会进步的 一个基本特征。

All these older people represent a vast unprecedented and untapped market.

这些年老人群意味着一个巨大的、 前所未有的、没有被触及的市场。

And yet, capitalism and urbanization have propelled age bias

然而，资本主义和城市化 使得对老龄的偏见

into every corner of the globe,

在全球的每一个角落扩散，

from Switzerland, where elders fare the best,

从老年人生活最好的瑞士，

to Afghanistan, which sits at the bottom of the Global AgeWatch Index.

到在全球老年人生活状况指数中 排名垫底的阿富汗。

Half of the world's countries aren't mentioned on that list

但那个排名遗漏了 全世界一半的国家，

because we don't bother to collect data on millions of people

因为人们不愿意投入精力 去收集近两百万人的数据，

because they're no longer young.

因为这些人已不再年轻。

Almost two-thirds of people over 60 around the world

全世界60岁以上人口中， 将近三分之二表示

say they have trouble accessing healthcare.

他们得不到医疗服务。

Almost three-quarters say their income doesn't cover basic services

近四分之三的人说他们的收入 满足不了基本生活需求，

like food, water, electricity, and decent housing.

比如食物、水、电 和像样的住房。

Is this the world we want our children, who may well live to be a hundred,

我们的孩子也许能活到上百岁， 这难道是我们想要留给他们的

to inherit?

世界吗？

Everyone -- all ages, all genders, all nationalities --

每个人，无论年龄， 无论性别，无论国籍，

is old or future-old,

都终将变老。

and unless we put an end to it, ageism will oppress us all.

我们必须果断行动，否则 都会面临年龄歧视的压力。

And that makes it a perfect target for collective advocacy.

于是我们就有了一个 集体倡议的完美目标。

Why add another -ism to the list when so many, racism in particular,

我们已经有如此多的“主义” 需要消除，尤其是种族主义，

call out for action?

又何必另添一个？

Here's the thing:

事实是，

we don't have to choose.

这些主义不分先后。

When we make the world a better place to grow old in,

这个世界一旦变成 可以安然老去的地方，

we make it a better place in which to be from somewhere else,

也就变成人们可以 坦然面对出身异国、

to have a disability,

身有残疾、

to be queer, to be non-rich, to be non-white.

与众不同、生活不富裕、 身为有色民族的身份。

And when we show up at all ages for whatever cause matters most to us --

无论是几岁，当我们为自己 最重视的东西挺身而出——

save the whales, save the democracy --

拯救鲸鱼或是维护民主——

we not only make that effort more effective,

我们不仅是在使 这些行动更加高效，

we dismantle ageism in the process.

在这一过程中也是 在消除年龄歧视。

Longevity is here to stay.

我们将更加长寿。

A movement to end ageism is underway.

结束年龄歧视的运动在进行中。

I'm in it, and I hope you will join me.

我是其中一员，我希望你们也加入我。

(Applause and cheers)

（观众掌声和欢呼声）

Thank you. Let's do it! Let's do it!

谢谢，让我们行动起来！行动起来！

(Applause)

（观众掌声）