反社交世纪：自我选择的孤独

自1965年有可信数据记录以来，如今美国人与他人共处的时间比以往任何时期都更少。

双语精读

Americans are spending less time with other people than in any other period for which we have trustworthy data, going back to 1965. Between that year and the end of the 20th century, in-person socializing slowly declined. Self-imposed solitude might just be the most important social fact of the 21st century in America.

自1965年有可信数据记录以来，如今美国人与他人共处的时间比以往任何时期都更少。从1965年到20世纪末，面对面的社交活动逐渐减少。自我施加的孤独或许会成为21世纪美国最重要的社会现象。

"Secular Monks"

"世俗僧侣"

In 2020, the philosopher and writer Andrew Taggart observed in an essay published in the religious journal First Things that a new flavor of masculinity seemed to be emerging: strong, obsessed with personal optimization, and proudly alone.

2020年，哲学家兼作家安德鲁·塔加特在宗教期刊《首要之事》撰文指出，一种新型男性气质正在兴起：强大、痴迷于自我优化，并且以孤独为荣。

Taggart wrote that the men he knew seemed to be forgoing marriage and fatherhood with gusto. Instead of focusing their 30s and 40s on wedding bands and diapers, they were committed to working on their body, their bank account, and their meditation-sharpened minds.

塔加特写道，他认识的男性似乎正欣然放弃婚姻和父亲身份。三四十岁的他们不再专注于婚戒和尿布，而是致力于锻炼身体、夯实账户余额、用冥想磨砺心智。

Taggart called these men "secular monks" for their combination of old-fashioned austerity and modern solipsism. When I read Taggart's essay last year, I felt a shock of recognition.

塔加特称这些人为"世俗僧侣"，因为他们身上兼具传统苦修和现代唯我主义。去年读塔加特的文章时，我有种震惊的认同感。

In the previous months, I'd been captivated by a particular genre of social media: the viral "morning routine" video. If the protagonist is a man, he is typically handsome and rich.

在过去几个月里，我被一种特殊的社交媒体内容所吸引：病毒式传播的“晨间惯例”视频。如果主角是男性，他通常英俊富有。

We see him wake up. We see him meditate. We see him write in his journal. We see him exercise, take supplements, take a cold plunge. What is most striking about these videos, however, is the element they typically lack: other people. We usually see no friends, no spouse, no children.

我们会看到他醒来，冥想，写日记，锻炼，服用补充剂，洗冷水浴。但最惊人的是这些视频通常会缺失一个元素：他人。我们通常看不到朋友、配偶或孩子。

Drawing major conclusions about modern masculinity from a handful of TikToks would be unwise. But the solitary man is not just a social-media phenomenon. Men spend more time alone than women, and young men are increasing their alone time faster than any other group, according to the American Time Use Survey.

从少量Tik Tok视频得出关于现代男性气质的重要结论并不明智。但独处男性不仅仅只是社交媒体现象。"美国时间使用调查"显示，男性独处的时间多于女性，年轻男性独处时间的增速超过其他群体。

Richard V. Reeves, the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, told me that for men, as for women, something hard to define is lost when we pursue a life of isolationist comforts.

美国男孩与男性研究所主席理查德·V. 里夫斯告诉我，对男性而言（女性也一样），追求独身主义的舒适生活时，人们会失去某种难以定义的东西。

He calls it "neededness"-the way we make ourselves essential to our families and community. "I think at some level, we all need to feel like we're a jigsaw piece that's going to fit into a jigsaw somewhere," he said.

他称之为"被需要感"，就是让我们自己对家庭和社区来说不可或缺。"我认为某种程度上，我们都需要觉得自己是一块能嵌入某幅拼图的拼图碎片。"他说。

This neededness can come in several forms: social, economic, or communitarian. Our children and partners can depend on us for care or income. Our colleagues can rely on us to finish a project, or to commiserate about an annoying boss.

这种被需要感可以表现为多种形式：社会、经济或社群。子女和伴侣需要依赖我们的照料和收入。同事需要依赖我们去完成项目，或一起抱怨讨厌的上司。

But building these bridges to community takes energy, and today's young men do not seem to be constructing these relationships in the same way that they used to. Feeling unneeded "is actually, in some cases, literally fatal," Reeves said. "If you look at the words that men use to describe themselves before they take their own lives, they are worthless and useless."

但建立这些社群桥梁需要精力，如今的年轻男性似乎已经不再像过去那样去构建这些关系。里夫斯说，感觉不被需要"在某些情况下其实是致命的"。“看看男性在自杀前对自己的描述，他们会说自己‘毫无价值’和‘没用’。”

Since 2001, hundreds of thousands of men have died of drug overdoses, mostly from opioids and synthetics such as fentanyl. These drugs, he emphasized, are defined by their solitary nature: Opioids are not party drugs, but rather the opposite.

2001年以来，数十万男性死于药物过量，主要都是阿片类药物和芬太尼等合成药物。他强调，这些药物的本质都是孤独：阿片类药物不是用来狂欢的毒品，而是恰恰相反。

词汇预习

economic [高考]
美[ˌiːkəˈnɑːmɪk] | 英[ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk]
adj. 经济的，经济学的；有利可图的；节约的
essential [高考]
美[ɪˈsenʃl] | 英[ɪˈsenʃl]
adj. 本质的；必要的；重要的
n. 要素；必需品
unwise [高考]
美[ʌnˈwaɪz] | 英[ˌʌnˈwaɪz]
adj. 不明智的；愚笨的
define [高考]
美[dɪˈfaɪn] | 英[dɪˈfaɪn]
v. 规定；限定；定义；解释
recognition [高考]
美[ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃn] | 英[ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃn]
n. 识别；认识；承认；认可；表彰，赞誉；（政府对他国的）外交认可
combination [高考]
美[ˌkɑːmbɪˈneɪʃn] | 英[ˌkɒmbɪˈneɪʃn]
n. 结合；结合到一起的事物或人；数码组合，字码组合
journal [高考]
美[ˈdʒɜːrnl] | 英[ˈdʒɜːnl]
n. 日志；日记；期刊
element [高考]
美[ˈelɪmənt] | 英[ˈelɪmənt]
n. 要素；元素；（学科的）基本原则；(复数)恶劣天气；元件
typically [高考]
美[ˈtɪpɪkli] | 英[ˈtɪpɪkli]
adv. 典型地；代表性地；通常，一般；不出所料地
pursue [高考]
美[pərˈsuː] | 英[pəˈsjuː]
v. 追求；追捕；继续执行；从事
flavor [高考]
美[ˈfleɪvər] | 英[ˈfleɪvə]
n. 风味；特殊的滋味；风格；调味品
vt. 加调料于...；给...添加情趣
philosopher [高考]
美[fəˈlɑːsəfər] | 英[fəˈlɒsəfə(r)]
n. 哲学家；思想家；达观者
solitude [高考]
美[ˈsɑːlətuːd] | 英[ˈsɒlətjuːd]
n. 孤独；独居；荒僻之地；幽静的地方
trustworthy [高考]
美[ˈtrʌstwɜːrði] | 英[ˈtrʌstwɜːði]
adj. 可信赖的
fatal [高考]
美[ˈfeɪtl] | 英[ˈfeɪtl]
adj. 致命的；灾难性的；毁灭性的；导致失败的
data [高考]
美[ˈdeɪtə] | 英[ˈdeɪtə]
n. 数据；资料
lack [高考]
美[læk] | 英[læk]
n. 缺乏；无
v. 缺乏；不足
media [高考]
美[ˈmiːdiə] | 英[ˈmiːdiə]
n. 传播媒介；(medium的复数)媒体；新闻媒介
rely [高考]
美[rɪˈlaɪ] | 英[rɪˈlaɪ]
vi. 依靠；信任
previous [高考]
美[ˈpriːviəs] | 英[ˈpriːviəs]
adj. 以前的；先于；在 ... 之前
routine [高考]
美[ruːˈtiːn] | 英[ruːˈtiːn]
n. 例行公事；常规；无聊
adj. 常规的；例行的；乏味的
phenomenon [高考]
美[fəˈnɑːmɪnən] | 英[fəˈnɒmɪnən]
n. 现象；奇人；奇事
religious [高考]
美[rɪˈlɪdʒəs] | 英[rɪˈlɪdʒəs]
adj. 宗教的；虔诚的；严谨的；修道的
n. 修道士；尼姑
handful [高考]
美[ˈhændfʊl] | 英[ˈhændfʊl]
n. 一把；少数，少量；难以控制的人（或事物）
rely on [高考]
美[rɪˈlaɪ ɑːn] | 英[rɪˈlaɪ ɒn]
v. 依靠；信赖
essential to [高考]
美[ɪˈsɛnʃəl tu] | 英[iˈsenʃəl tu:]
对 ... 是必不可少的
wedding [高考]
美[ˈwedɪŋ] | 英[ˈwedɪŋ]
n. 婚礼；结合
literally [高考]
美[ˈlɪtərəli] | 英[ˈlɪtərəli]
adv. 逐字地；按照字面上地；不夸张地；正确地；简直
would [高考]
美[wʊd , wəd] | 英[wʊd , wəd]
aux. 将；可能；大概；总会；愿意；will的过去式
plunge [四级]
美[plʌndʒ] | 英[plʌndʒ]
v.暴跌；使突然前冲（或下落）；骤降；突降
n.跳水；突然跌落；突然分离；骤减
worthless [四级]
美[ˈwɜːrθləs] | 英[ˈwɜːθləs]
adj. 无价值的；无用的；可鄙的
slowly [四级]
美[ˈsloʊli] | 英[ˈsləʊli]
adv. 缓慢地
old-fashioned [四级]
美[ˈoldˈfæʃənd] | 英[ˈəuldˈfæʃənd]
adj. 老式的；老派的；守旧的
n. 古典鸡尾酒
spouse [四级]
美[spaʊs] | 英[spaʊs]
n. 配偶
v. 和…结婚
meditation [四级]
美[ˌmedɪˈteɪʃn] | 英[ˌmedɪˈteɪʃn]
n. 沉思；冥想
look at [四级]
美[lʊk æt] | 英[lʊk æt]
（仔细地）看；着眼，考虑
striking [四级]
美[ˈstraɪkɪŋ] | 英[ˈstraɪkɪŋ]
adj. 显著的; 引人注目的; 容貌出众的; 妩媚动人的
v. 打( strike的现在分词); 击; 敲响; 报时
meditate [六级]
美[ˈmedɪteɪt] | 英[ˈmedɪteɪt]
v. 沉思；冥想；考虑；计划
according [专四]
美[ə'kɔrdɪŋ] | 英[ə'kɔːdɪŋ]
adj. 相符的；相应的；一致的
v. 给予；符合，一致；正式协议（accord的现在分词）
felt [专八]
美[fɛlt] | 英[felt]
n. 毛毡；毡制品
vt. 制毡；使粘结
vi. 毡合
viral [专八]
美[ˈvaɪrəl] | 英[ˈvaɪrəl]
adj. 病毒的
n. 病毒式传播；【经】病毒式营销
austerity [专八]
美[ɔːˈsterəti] | 英[ɒˈsterəti]
n. 节俭；苦行；(经济的)紧缩；严厉
jigsaw [专八]
美[ˈdʒɪɡˌsɔ] | 英[ˈdʒɪgsɔ:]
n. 拼图游戏；缕花锯；竖锯
vt. 用竖锯锯；使互相交错搭接
gusto [专八]
美[ˈgʌstoʊ] | 英[ˈgʌstəʊ]
n. 爱好；嗜好；由衷的高兴
genre [考研]
美[ˈʒɑːnrə] | 英[ˈʒɒ̃rə , ˈʒɒnrə]
n. 类型；流派
secular [考研]
美[ˈsekjələr] | 英[ˈsekjələ(r)]
adj. 世俗的；现世的；不朽的；非宗教的
n. 牧师；凡人
solitary [考研]
美[ˈsɑːləteri] | 英[ˈsɒlətri]
adj. 孤独的；独立的；单个的；唯一的；荒凉的
n. 隐士；单独禁闭
commiserate [雅思]
美[kəˈmɪzəˌret] | 英[kəˈmɪzəreɪt]
v. 怜悯；同情

重点讲解

Americans are spending less time with other people than in any other period for which we have trustworthy data, going back to 1965. Between that year and the end of the 20th century, in-person socializing slowly declined. Self-imposed solitude might just be the most important social fact of the 21st century in America.

自1965年有可信数据记录以来，如今美国人与他人共处的时间比以往任何时期都更少。从1965年到20世纪末，面对面的社交活动逐渐减少。自我施加的孤独或许会成为21世纪美国最重要的社会现象。

self-imposed adj. 自我施加的；自愿负担的

【例】She follows many self-imposed rules, like going to bed before 10 p.m. every night.

她给自己定了很多规矩，比如每天晚上10点前必须上床睡觉。

【拓展】impose sth on sb 把某物强加给某人

【例】She doesn’t want to impose her will on other people.

她不想把自己的意愿强加给其他人。

"Secular Monks"

"世俗僧侣"

optimization n. 优化；改进

【例】Productivity rose after the optimization program.

实施优化项目之后，工作效率上升了。

【拓展】optimal/optimum adj. 最优的；最佳的

optimize v. 使优化

2020年，哲学家兼作家安德鲁·塔加特在宗教期刊《首要之事》撰文指出，一种新型男性气质正在兴起：强大、痴迷于自我优化，并且以孤独为荣。

optimization n. 优化；改进

【例】Productivity rose after the optimization program.

实施优化项目之后，工作效率上升了。

【拓展】optimal/optimum adj. 最优的；最佳的

optimize v. 使优化

Taggart wrote that the men he knew seemed to be forgoing marriage and fatherhood with gusto. Instead of focusing their 30s and 40s on wedding bands and diapers, they were committed to working on their body, their bank account, and their meditation-sharpened minds.

塔加特写道，他认识的男性似乎正欣然放弃婚姻和父亲身份。三四十岁的他们不再专注于婚戒和尿布，而是致力于锻炼身体、夯实账户余额、用冥想磨砺心智。

be committed to sth 致力于做某事；承诺做某事

【例】The company is committed to providing better health care.

本公司致力于提供更优质的保健服务。

【搭配】commit oneself to sth 致力于/承诺做某事

【拓展】commit sth to... 为……投入某物

【例】The government has committed large amounts of money to the project.

政府在这个项目上投入了大量资金。

【拓展】commitment n. 承诺；投入

austerity n. 艰苦；严苛；经济紧缩

【例】the austerities of wartime Europe 战时欧洲的艰苦生活

austerity policies 紧缩开支的政策

【拓展】austere adj. 艰苦的；严苛的；朴素的

【例】an austere life 清苦的生活

Taggart called these men "secular monks" for their combination of old-fashioned austerity and modern solipsism. When I read Taggart's essay last year, I felt a shock of recognition.

塔加特称这些人为"世俗僧侣"，因为他们身上兼具传统苦修和现代唯我主义。去年读塔加特的文章时，我有种震惊的认同感。

be committed to sth 致力于做某事；承诺做某事

【例】The company is committed to providing better health care.

本公司致力于提供更优质的保健服务。

【搭配】commit oneself to sth 致力于/承诺做某事

【拓展】commit sth to... 为……投入某物

【例】The government has committed large amounts of money to the project.

政府在这个项目上投入了大量资金。

【拓展】commitment n. 承诺；投入

austerity n. 艰苦；严苛；经济紧缩

【例】the austerities of wartime Europe 战时欧洲的艰苦生活

austerity policies 紧缩开支的政策

【拓展】austere adj. 艰苦的；严苛的；朴素的

【例】an austere life 清苦的生活

In the previous months, I'd been captivated by a particular genre of social media: the viral "morning routine" video. If the protagonist is a man, he is typically handsome and rich.

在过去几个月里，我被一种特殊的社交媒体内容所吸引：病毒式传播的“晨间惯例”视频。如果主角是男性，他通常英俊富有。

captivate v. 使着迷；迷住

【例】The children were captivated by her stories.

孩子们被她的故事迷住了。

【拓展】capture/catch v. 捕捉

captive adj. 被俘获的

supplement n. & v.

1. 作名词：补充物

【例】vitamin supplements 补充的维生素

The income is a supplement to his salary.

这份收入是他工资以外的补贴。

2. 作动词：补充；增补

【例】He supplements his diet with vitamin pills.

他在饮食之外补充维生素片。

【辨析】complement n./v. 互为补充的东西/互补；补全

We see him wake up. We see him meditate. We see him write in his journal. We see him exercise, take supplements, take a cold plunge. What is most striking about these videos, however, is the element they typically lack: other people. We usually see no friends, no spouse, no children.

我们会看到他醒来，冥想，写日记，锻炼，服用补充剂，洗冷水浴。但最惊人的是这些视频通常会缺失一个元素：他人。我们通常看不到朋友、配偶或孩子。

captivate v. 使着迷；迷住

【例】The children were captivated by her stories.

孩子们被她的故事迷住了。

【拓展】capture/catch v. 捕捉

captive adj. 被俘获的

supplement n. & v.

1. 作名词：补充物

【例】vitamin supplements 补充的维生素

The income is a supplement to his salary.

这份收入是他工资以外的补贴。

2. 作动词：补充；增补

【例】He supplements his diet with vitamin pills.

他在饮食之外补充维生素片。

【辨析】complement n./v. 互为补充的东西/互补；补全

从少量Tik Tok视频得出关于现代男性气质的重要结论并不明智。但独处男性不仅仅只是社交媒体现象。"美国时间使用调查"显示，男性独处的时间多于女性，年轻男性独处时间的增速超过其他群体。

pursue v. 追求；贯彻

【例】to pursue the policy 贯彻这项政策

to pursue a better career 追求更好的职业发展

to pursue perfection 追求完美

【拓展】the pursuit of sth 对某事的追求

the quest for sth 对某事的追求

Richard V. Reeves, the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, told me that for men, as for women, something hard to define is lost when we pursue a life of isolationist comforts.

美国男孩与男性研究所主席理查德·V. 里夫斯告诉我，对男性而言（女性也一样），追求独身主义的舒适生活时，人们会失去某种难以定义的东西。

pursue v. 追求；贯彻

【例】to pursue the policy 贯彻这项政策

to pursue a better career 追求更好的职业发展

to pursue perfection 追求完美

【拓展】the pursuit of sth 对某事的追求

the quest for sth 对某事的追求

He calls it "neededness"—the way we make ourselves essential to our families and community. "I think at some level, we all need to feel like we're a jigsaw piece that's going to fit into a jigsaw somewhere," he said.

他称之为"被需要感"，就是让我们自己对家庭和社区来说不可或缺。"我认为某种程度上，我们都需要觉得自己是一块能嵌入某幅拼图的拼图碎片。"他说。

这种被需要感可以表现为多种形式：社会、经济或社群。子女和伴侣需要依赖我们的照料和收入。同事需要依赖我们去完成项目，或一起抱怨讨厌的上司。

But building these bridges to community takes energy, and today's young men do not seem to be constructing these relationships in the same way that they used to. Feeling unneeded "is actually, in some cases, literally fatal," Reeves said. "If you look at the words that men use to describe themselves before they take their own lives, they are worthless and useless."

但建立这些社群桥梁需要精力，如今的年轻男性似乎已经不再像过去那样去构建这些关系。里夫斯说，感觉不被需要"在某些情况下其实是致命的"。“看看男性在自杀前对自己的描述，他们会说自己‘毫无价值’和‘没用’。”

fatal adj. 致命的；使人丧命的

【例】a fatal blow/flaw 致命一击/致命缺陷

a fatal illness 危及性命的疾病

【近义词】deadly/lethal adj. 致命的

【拓展】fatality n. 致命性

overdose n. 药物过量

【例】She took an overdose of sleeping pills.

她服用了过量的安眠药。

an overdose of ambition 过度的野心

【拓展】dose n. 剂量；一剂；一份

Since 2001, hundreds of thousands of men have died of drug overdoses, mostly from opioids and synthetics such as fentanyl. These drugs, he emphasized, are defined by their solitary nature: Opioids are not party drugs, but rather the opposite.