QA问答：为什么英国不能像美国一样伟大?
Why can’t the UK be as great as the US?
译文简介
是的，我们怎么可能达到你的标准?
正文翻译
Why can’t the UK be as great as the US?
为什么英国不能像美国一样伟大?
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
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Yes how could we ever reach your standards?
Your lack of healthcare, dreadful employment laws, endemic racism, lack of gun control, creationists, lack of social care, regular mass shootings, lack of paid vacation time, expecting people to work for tips rather than a decent wage. Out of control trigger happy police. Ludicrously jingoistic warmongering attitudes. A fear of anything mildly liberal. Terrible food standards. The death penalty. An utterly corrupt political system.
And all the gun toting, right wing, bible thumping republicans who think all of the above is acceptable.
We would have to stoop very low to reach those standards.
是的，我们怎么可能达到你的标准?
你们没有医疗保障，糟糕的就业法律，种族主义泛滥，没有枪支管制，神创论者，缺乏社会关怀，经常发生大规模枪击事件，没有带薪假期，希望人们为了小费而工作，而不是一份体面的工资；失控的快乐警察；可笑的沙文主义好战态度；对任何温和的自由主义的恐惧；可怕的食品标准；死刑；一个完全腐败的政治体系。
还有那些持枪、右翼、信奉圣经的共和党人，他们认为上述一切都是可以接受的。为了达到这些标准，我们必须把自己的标准降得非常低才行。
There will never come a day when Great Britain gets down to the level of counties like the U.S.
I have had the pleasure to meet many Americans and it is a great shame that they are let down by a number of their citizens who seem to think they masters of our planet.
英国永远不会沦落到像美国那样的郡县级别的一天。
我有幸见过许多美国人，他们对一些似乎认为自己是地球主人的美国公民感到失望，这是一件非常可耻的事情。
Yes, we are a 2nd-world country now, thanks to Reaganomics.
We’re backwards, corporations have all power, and an anti-democratic fascist Party obstructs the government to the extent we can get nothing accomplished.
Too bad I’m so old or I’d be trying to move to Canada, UK or Spain right now!
是的，我们现在是一个第二世界国家，这要归功于里根经济政策。
我们是落后的，公司掌握着一切权力，一个反民主的法西斯党阻碍我们，使我们一事无成。
太糟糕了，我太老了，不然我现在就要搬去加拿大、英国或西班牙了!
“They constantly fail to achieve the low standards they set themselves”. As seen on an old school report.
“他们总是达不到自己设定的低标准”。就像以前学校的报告上写的那样。
One thing that has stuck in my mind a Mcdonald worker in America gets just under $8 an hour doing the same job in Europe $22 with holidays sick pay health care and so on and so on. How can a country treat its people like this working fourth hours a week they would be lucky to have a bedsit, then they have to buy food. Thank my luck to be born in the UK it has its problems but I know I will have a roof over my head and I won't starve. I won't have to miss meals to get my meds I won't be made bankrupt over medical bills
有一件事让我印象深刻，美国麦当劳员工的时薪不到8美元，而在欧洲做同样的工作时薪是22美元，还包括假期、病假工资、医疗保健等等。一个国家怎么能这样对待它的人民。
感谢我的运气，我出生在英国，它有它的问题，但我知道我会有一个屋顶，我不会挨饿。
Historically we have been greater. There would be no USA without us and other Europeans. Now? We are still greater for all the things listed in the answer that we DON’T have. Agree. We would have to stoop so low to get to those standards. Who wants them? We don’t.
从历史上看，我们更伟大。没有我们和其他欧洲国家就没有美国。
现在?对于答案中列出的那些我们没有的东西，我们仍然是更伟大的。同意。为了达到这些标准，我们必须把自己的标准降得非常低。
谁想成为他们?我们不想。
This is obviously a troll question because the USA is tearing itself apart.
School shootings but don't allow gun control?
Outlawing abortions for medically ill women and removal of the basic right to control your own body?
This looks more and more like “The Handmaiden Tale” everyday
这显然是一个喷子提出的问题，因为美国正在分裂自己。
校园枪击案却不允许枪支管制? 禁止为患病的妇女堕胎，剥夺控制自己身体的基本权利?
这看起来越来越像《侍女的故事》了
You’ve got the countries the wrong way round. Why can’t the US be as great as the UK ?
它把国家给弄反了。为什么美国不能像英国那样伟大?
It would be far to difficult an upsetting to lower ourselves to US standards. I would suggest that judging by some of the posts on this site, if the US could raise it’s educational standards to somewhere closer to the UK or anywhere in Europe it could be a starting point.
UP: 1200
如果我们把自己的标准降低到美国的水平，那将是非常困难和令人不安的。我建议，从这个网站上的一些帖子来看，如果美国能把教育标准提高到接近英国或欧洲任何地方，这可能是一个好起点。
I love America and Americans, for their generous hearts. But it is difficult to imagine what minimal intellect is behind so many of the questions asked on here by Americans. What tests and measures believes that the UK need to improve to exceed the standards of the US? I find myself filled with pity and sadness, that they are so deluded. Travel a bit, outside of the US, and you may well feel acute shame and embarrassment at your ignorance of the real world. And especially it’s opinion of America and it’s inhabitants.
我爱美国和美国人，因为他们慷慨大方。但是，很难想象美国人在这里提出的这么多问题背后是多么浅薄的智慧。英国需要改进哪些措施才能超过美国的标准?
我发现自己充满了怜悯和悲伤，他们是被欺骗得太深了。在美国以外的地方旅行一段时间，你可能会为自己对现实世界的无知感到极度的羞愧和尴尬。
尤其是它对美国和美国居民的看法。
To whomever asked this stupid question please be aware we were always called and in my opinion should still be termed Great Britain. The US is not nor ever has been know as Great America as it?
问这个愚蠢问题的人，请注意，我们一直被称为，在我看来，我们仍然应该被称为大不列颠（Great Britain）。美国现在和过去都不是伟大的美国，不是吗？
OK, sure, it’s great that we’re great and all, but that’s not actually the reason behind the use of “Great” in Great Britain.
我们名字里带一个“大”字当然是好事，但这不是大不列颠的得名“大”的原因。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Well in fairness to Great Britain, in the course of history which other country in the world at the height of its operations could claim:
The sun never sets on its [British] Empire.
Have direct and indirect control over 1/3rd of the world population and 1/4 of the Earth’s continental crust. Not bad going for a small group of islands in the middle of the North Sea with a mainland of 600 x 800 miles.
Given that you can fit the UK three times in to the State of Texas alone, have considerable sway on world events. (Nor make a song and dance out of it as USA does)
Again given its size, the UK can be a major player in both the UN and NATO (note my comment elsewhere, that when things go wrong [particularly USA] it is UK armed forced asked to “help out” )
Next to America the biggest supplier of overseas aid both from the public purse and international Charities. Including our contribution to the UN.
We still have a “Commonwealth” where certainly in Austrailia our Queen is well recognised and respected. And given the size of Austrailia to have that level or respect, and no arrogance towards it (genuine) ally United Kingdom, So the Commonwealth Countries are I supposed a reminder of our former greatness, but still sufficent to hold the title “Great” [Britain].
We also still offer help to other countries if they ask nicely; something USA have never quite grasped the concept of. In the view of USA it is “Rule by Decree….or else”.
So again for a little group of islands with a mainland of 800 x 600 miles, and still be able to trade in our own right with the rest of the word, and without crutches as we discovered with the EU needed when we decided to pull.
As for the EU as an entity in its own right, it will all end in tears; and thank heavens the UK did not surrender to the common currency [€uro]), as we would have had an even bigger hole to dig our seleves out of.
公平地说，历史进程中世界上其他国家在其国力强盛的时候都声称过“大”：
1. 大英帝国日不落；
2. 直接和间接控制世界1/3的人口和1/4的大陆地壳。对于一个位于北海中部、陆地长600 × 800英里的小群岛来说，这是一个不错的成就。
3. 考虑到德克萨斯州是英国的三倍大，而后者对世界大事有相当大的影响力。
4. 再一次考虑到它的规模，英国可以成为联合国和北约的一个主要参与者。
5. 英国是仅次于美国的最大的海外援助供应国，无论是从公共财政还是国际慈善机构。包括我们对联合国的贡献。
我们仍然有一个“英联邦”，在澳大利亚，我们的女王是受到认可和尊重的。考虑到澳大利亚幅员辽阔，对它(真正的)盟友英国没有傲慢的态度，因此，我认为英联邦国家是我们过去伟大的一个象征，使得它仍然足以保持“大”(英国)的称号。
如果其他国家友好地要求，我们仍然会提供帮助；这是美国从未完全理解的概念。
对于这样一个小岛国，我们仍然能够以自己的权利与世界其他国家进行贸易，而且不需要拐杖，就像我们决定退出欧盟时发现的那样。
至于欧盟这样一个独立的实体，一切将以悲剧收场。谢天谢地，英国没有向共同货币(欧元)投降，否则我们就给自己挖了一个更大的坑。
Don: Unfortunately there is nothing great about it anymore. Brexit and still no trade deal after nearly six years. Pound has dropped against the US Dollar, Euro, and Yen. My home electric, water and gas prices doubled this month. They didn’t go up 54%. They went up 102%! National Insurance contributions have risen.
Utilities are due to increase again in October.
Great Britain? Ah no……
不幸的是，它已经没那么“大”。英国退欧，近六年后仍未达成贸易协议。英镑对美元、欧元和日元的汇率下降了。
我家的电费、水费和煤气费这个月涨了一倍。上涨不止54%而是上涨了102%！国民保险缴款也有所增加。公用事业将在10月份再次上涨。
大不列颠?啊，不……
Interesting question, which raises in me an other, even more interesting question: “When has the U.S. been great and what kind of greatness was it that made the U.S., allegedly, ‘The greatest country on earth’ ?”
Because I really can't see any time period, nor reason, of the so called “greatness of the U.S.”. All l see are U.S. Americans that have convinced themselves about the awesome awesomeness of the U.S., but they are also pretty much the only ones that think so.
这是一个有趣的问题，这让我想到了另一个更有趣的问题：美国什么时候伟大过?是什么样的伟大，以至于让美国据说成了“世界上最伟大的国家”?
因为我真的看不出所谓的“美国的伟大”是什么时候，也看不出什么原因。我所看到的都是美国人，他们相信美国的伟大，但他们也几乎是唯一这么认为的人。
Here we go again.
You are being indoctrinated.
Most US citizens are about as worldly wise as the citizens of North Korea.
又来了。
你被灌输了。
大多数美国公民的世俗智慧与朝鲜公民差不多。
That really is true. The Average American knows very little about the rest of the world. We are so large and separated by great distance from other countries. Sadly we know very little about our own country. History and civics are not taught well in America.
这是事实。普通美国人对世界其他地方知之甚少。我们如此之大，与其他国家相隔万里。遗憾的是，我们对自己的国家知之甚少。历史和公民学在美国教得不好。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Stuff like this reminds me of a guy who worked briefly with my team about year before COVID.
Let’s call him Sam.
Sam, aged 17, joined an international team of IT professionals, the youngest of which was me and I was 35. Sam was with us on unpaid work experience, cocksure and over-confident. Whatever anybody else said, Sam wasn’t really interested and was quite convinced that every other member of the team was old-hat, held back by rigid thinking, and freewheeling through their career. Sam thought he knew everything; he was also naive enough to think that someone who thinks they know everything becomes Mr Popularity, and that other people would recognise his brilliance and enter orbit around him.
He did twice as much work as anybody else, but all the work he did had to be double-checked and extensively revised. We spend more time fixing what he did than if we’d just done it ourselves. He buggered up everything he went near. Even really simple tasks; rushing headlong into everything with a heady mixture hyperactive exhuberance and off-the-chart levels of personal arrogance, he didn’t think through anything, and routinely sacrificed detail for speed and considered that an appropriate trade-off. He was flashy and even peripherally impressive, but he had no substance and no humility. The people who liked him the most were the people who knew him the least.
这样的事情让我想起了一个人，他在新冠病毒爆发前一年曾与我的团队短暂合作过。我们就叫他山姆吧。
17岁的山姆加入了一个IT专业人员的国际团队，其中最年轻的是我，当时我35岁。山姆和我们一起干无薪工作，自信满满，过于自信。不管其他人怎么说，山姆都不感兴趣，他确信团队中的其他成员都是守旧的，被僵化的思维所束缚，在他们的职业生涯中毫无主见。山姆认为他什么都知道，他还天真地认为，自以为什么都懂的人会成为受欢迎的人，其他人会认识到他的才华，并围绕他转。
他所做的工作是其他人的两倍，但他所做的所有工作都必须反复检查和大量修改。我们花在修复他的东西上的时间比我们自己动手花的时间还多。他所到之处都搞砸了，即使是非常简单的任务。他带着极度活跃的热情和超乎寻常的自大，一头扎进所有的事情中，什么都不经过深思熟虑，经常为了速度而牺牲细节，认为这是一种适当的权衡。他很浮华，甚至给外围人都留下了印象，但他没有内涵，也不谦逊。最喜欢他的人往往是最不了解他的人。
He didn’t care what other people thought or how his “efforts” were being received, because he didn’t respect anybody. His mindset was that he knew he was right, so people around him would either agree and support him unconditionally, or they wouldn’t and they’d be wrong and who wants to know what a wrong person thinks? In short, you’re either with him or you’re not worth worrying about.
We couldn’t get rid of Sam fast enough. He was only with us for three weeks but it felt like a lifetime. Nobody had the heart to tell him to his face that he was the most annoying, stuck-up little snot-nosed jack-off we’d ever worked with… and frankly, we just couldn’t believe that he would need to be told in the first place, thinking it was glaringly obvious - that he annoyed everyone he met and that the team considered him to be, on balance, a liability and a hindrance.
Am I being appropriately transparent, here?
他试图管理所有的事情，不能也不愿作为一个团队成员，不能接受没话语权，他试图控制所有进入他视野的人和事，因为他认为他知道的更多，他认为每个人都会暗自欣慰有这样一个充满活力的积极能手为他们击球。他甚至试图和我们的CEO顶嘴，你可以想象在那之后发生的谈话。
他不在乎别人怎么想，也不在乎别人怎么看待他的“努力”，因为他不尊重任何人。他的心态是，他知道自己是对的，所以他身边的人要么无条件地同意和支持他，要么不同意，那他们就是错了。谁想知道一个错误的人是怎么想的?简而言之，你要么和他在一起，要么你就不值得担心。
我们恨不得尽快摆脱山姆。他只和我们在一起三个星期，但感觉就像一辈子一样。没有人忍心当面告诉他，他是我们合作过的最讨厌、最傲慢的鼻涕虫……坦率地说，我们只是不相信他一开始就需要被告知，因为这是显而易见的——他惹恼了他遇到的每一个人。团队认为，总的来说，他是一个累赘和阻碍。
我说的，够清楚了吗?
It's long past that. The USA is a newcomer with a very short history, still only finding their way in the world.
In a couple more thousand years they may have caught up, they might even have stopped using cheques. Sadly for them, they'll still be years behind the rest of the world as we all continue to progress.
I'm sure they'll cope.
那是很久以前的事了。美国是一个历史很短的新人，仍然在世界上寻找自己的道路。
再过几千年，他们可能会赶上来，甚至可能不再使用支票了。遗憾的是，随着我们继续进步，他们仍将落后世界其他国家数年。
我相信它们能解决的。
The question should have been why is the US not as great as the UK,as the US so far has never ruled a quarter of the world in its history and had the backing of its former colonies.
问题应该是，为什么美国没有英国那么伟大，因为迄今为止，美国在其历史上从未统治过世界的四分之一，而且还得到过前殖民地的支持。
Possibly because the US has never wanted to rule a quarter of the world or colonize other nations.
可能是因为美国从来没有想要统治世界的四分之一或殖民其他国家。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
When one sees how much the USA gets involved with foreign conflicts, it would be easy to assume that it thinks it already does.
当人们看到美国卷入了多少外国冲突时，很容易认为它确实试图这样做。
And we get criticized when we don’t get involved soon enough, as in WWII. When we have gotten involved, it’s usually been with the willing involvement of our close ally and partner, the UK, who set the pattern for us in such matters long before we became international adventurers.
然而如果我们不尽快介入，就会受到批评，比如二战。当我们参与进来时，通常是在我们的亲密盟友和伙伴英国自愿参与的情况下，英国在我们成为国际冒险家之前很久就为我们在这类事情上设定了模式。
The willing involvement you say, yes, that’s what allies do, get involved, support their friends; unlike WW2 when you sat back and just made money from us until you were forced into the conflict. As a point of interest, Britain has only relatively recently finished paying you back for your ‘help’ in WW2.
乐意卷入冲突，是的，这就是盟友所做的——参与进来，支持他们的朋友。
不像二战时，你们只是坐着从我们这里赚钱，直到被迫卷入战争。有趣的是，英国直到最近才还清你在二战中的“帮助”。
Nations rarely get involved in wars other than for self-interest, lofty political rhetoric notwithstanding. The US was an ocean away and rightly hesitant to get dragged into yet another bloody European conflict, the second in less than twenty years. We were not a Commonwealth member either. Every country has many flaws and none of us is in a position to lecture any other.
国家很少会卷入战争，除非是为了自身利益，尽管有崇高的政治言论。美国远在大洋彼岸，理所当然地不愿卷入另一场血腥的欧洲冲突，这是不到20年来的第二次。
我们也不是英联邦成员。每个国家都有很多缺陷，我们没有人有资格教训其他国家。
Selling to Germany during a war with them wouldn’t categorise the USA as an ‘Ally’.
I still don’t regard the USA as an ally, as actions speak louder than words. My comments aren’t aimed at the American people, but at the political masters who don’t tread very carefully with others around.
There are only 3 reasons the US wants a working relationship with the UK:
Unilateral profitable trade
A convenient and expendable strategic base in case the US feels threatened
A stool-pigeon when things go wrong
I’ve seen no evidence of any real benefit from our alliance. Most of the conflicts we end up in the middle of are as a result of our UK politicians, brown-nosing American politicians and American interference in the politics of foreign governments.
在与德国的战争中卖给德国不会把美国归类为“盟友”。
我仍然不认为美国是一个盟友，因为行动胜于言语。我的评论不是针对美国人民的，而是针对那些“政治大师们”的。
美国希望与英国建立合作关系的原因只有3个:
1. 单边有利可图的贸易；
2. 如果美国感到受到威胁，这是一个方便的、可牺牲的战略基地；
3. 出了岔子的时候，它就是个替罪羔羊。
我没有看到任何证据表明我们的联盟有任何好处。我们卷入的大多数冲突都是英国政客、拍马屁的美国政客以及美国干涉外国政府政治的结果。
Based on recent events, I am not at all confident that the present-day USA can make its 250th anniversary in 2026 in a viable position for the next few decades.
The individual USA folk I have met and worked with abroad are generally sound people who have enriched the lives of others.
根据最近发生的事件，我对当今的美国能否在未来在2026年庆祝250周年纪念日完全没有信心。
尽管我在国外遇到的和共事过的美国人一般都很可靠，他们丰富了别人的生活。