智慧人生篇章 第35期:新生代的烦恼—二战重演

　　My younger son said something to me the other daythat took me completely by surprise and haunts mestill. We were sitting in a café at St Pancras Station,where we occasionally meet when I'm in London,talking about the financial crisis and the unrest thatseems to be building across Europe - the backgroundto the weekend G8 summit. He suddenly looked upand said very earnestly, "Have you ever feltfrightened for the future?" I was startled. I've neverfelt frightened for the future, but clearly he did.This was not the result of our different generationalcircumstances. My generation has enjoyed a welfare state, steady employment and may bedebt-free before the end of the working life. His generation starts with student debts, quicklyadds a mortgage and the cost of child care, and faces insecure employment prospects. No,his worries were wider. He spoke about pre-war Europe when recession and austerity led tocivil unrest and the rise of the dictators. Was history going to repeat itself?

　　某天我小儿子跟我说的话让我大吃一惊，直到现在还萦绕在我耳边。我在伦敦时跟他偶遇，于是在St Pancras车站附近的一家咖啡店小坐，谈论着经济危机和在欧洲正不断蔓延的动荡 - 这也是周末G8峰会召开的背景。他突然抬头然后热切的说：“你担忧过未来吗?”我震惊了。我从来不担心未来，但显然他很担心。这不是我们之间代沟的问题。我们这一代人福利好，工作稳定，可能到职业生涯快结束时一直都没负债。可他这一代人有贷学金，然后是房贷，儿童保育费，工作前景堪虞。他担忧的还不止这些。他说(二)战前的欧洲，经济衰退和紧缩措施最终导致国家动荡，从而产生了独裁者。难道历史就要重演了吗?