The pledge by Mark Zuckerberg, the founder1 of Facebook, and his wife Priscilla Chan, to give at least $3bn over the next decade for medical research has justifiably2 received large numbers of likes, loves and wows on his social media site.
Facebook创始人马克•扎克伯格(Mark Zuckerberg)和妻子普丽西拉•陈(Priscilla Chan)承诺,将在未来10年捐赠至少30亿美元用于医学研究,这理所当然地在这家社交媒体网站上收获了大量的喜欢(like)、大爱(love)和哇(wow)。
It needs just a little nuance3.
只不过,我们需要对这件事看得再仔细一点。
The couple have every right to spend their fortune how they wish.
这对夫妇完全有权按照自己的意愿花掉他们的财富。
Choosing philanthropy over personal luxury is admirable.
选择慈善而不是个人奢侈享受的举动令人钦佩。
It sets a powerful example for others to follow in donating money, expertise4 and time — from fellow billionaires, companies and individuals with far more modest means.
这一举动在献出金钱、专业技能和时间方面,为其他人树立了一个强有力的榜样,包括与他一样的亿万富翁、企业以及财力远不如他的个人。
The focus on medical research is also an excellent priority with global impact and high potential benefits.
对医学研究的关注也极好抓住了重点,有着全球影响以及极大的潜在好处。
Ill health causes vast amounts of suffering, while disease and premature5 death are brakes on social and economic development around the world.
人们的健康不佳带来了大量痛苦,疾病和早逝阻碍着全球的社会和经济发展。
It is particularly smart to focus on bringing together scientists with engineers, to stress the importance of collaboration6 and sharing data, and to call for more science funding.
尤其明智的是,他们关注于把科学家和工程师带到一起,强调合作和数据共享的重要性,并呼吁对科学投入更多资金。
Facebook’s expertise in bringing together disparate groups and individuals online could be a catalyst7 for identifying new ideas, partners for research and more efficient recruitment of patients for clinical trials.
Facebook擅长在线上将各种不同群体和个人带到一起,这一优势可能会促进人们发现新创意、找到研究合作伙伴,以及更有效地为临床试验招募患者。
Just as important is the Zuckerbergs’ use of a limited liability partnership8 rather than a more rigid9 tax exempt10 foundation as the entity11 through which to give.
同样重要的是,扎克伯格利用有限责任公司作为捐赠的实体,而非更严格的可以减免税收的慈善基金会。
This provides greater flexibility12 in deciding whether they provide grants or invest for profit in medical programmes.
这让他们可以更加灵活地决定是提供补助,还是对医学项目进行营利性投资。
There are a few caveats13, however.
然而,这里有一些提醒。
First, while philanthropy is an excellent way to innovate14, the fundamental role of the public sector15 in collecting and democratically distributing funding, including for medical research, is pivotal.
首先,尽管慈善是一种很好的创新方式,但公共部门在收集和民主地分配资金(包括用于医学研究的资金)方面发挥的基础性作用是至关重要的。
Facebook and other companies should resist any aggressive tax avoidance that minimises taxable profits and reduces revenues to governments.
Facebook和其他公司应抵制任何将应税利润降至最低并使政府收入减少的激进避税行为。
Second, they should also set a good example with high levels of transparency and accountability for their donations and the results they generate.
其次,他们还应在捐赠及其结果的高度透明和可问责方面树立良好的榜样。
That will help make future philanthropy more efficient, both for givers and grant-seekers.
这将有助于让未来的慈善对捐赠者和受捐者都更高效。
Third, while they are perfectly16 entitled to call their programme the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, philanthropy needs donors17 willing to co-operate.
第三,尽管他们完全有权把这个项目叫作陈-扎克伯格计划(Chan Zuckerberg Initiative),但慈善需要愿意合作的其他捐赠者。
No one can begrudge18 them naming rights but there is a balance to be struck between strong personal branding and the need for wider collaboration and participation19.
没有人能够妒忌他们的命名权,但在高调的个人品牌和更广泛合作、参与的必要性之间,他们需要找到平衡。
Finally, there is a risk of hubris20, which in turn could lead to disillusionment and a loss of momentum21.
最后,这里存在自大的风险,进而可能导致理想幻灭和动力丧失。
Bill Gates, who has spent billions of dollars over the past 15 years on global health, has yet to achieve the eradication22 of malaria23 or polio, let alone either a vaccine24 or a cure for HIV.
过去15年,比尔•盖茨(Bill Gates)在全球健康领域花费了数十亿美元,也未能实现疟疾或小儿麻痹的根除,更别提找到艾滋病疫苗或治愈良方了。
Former US president Jimmy Carter’s 30-year campaign to wipe out Guinea worm disease is still not achieved, a reminder25 that goodwill26 alone cannot provide all the solutions.
美国前总统吉米•卡特(Jimmy Carter)用30年时间致力于扫除几内亚线虫病,迄今这个目标仍未实现——这提醒人们,仅凭良好愿望是无法解决所有问题的。
It would also be wrong to regard medical research as failing.
将医学研究视为失败也是错误的。
Great progress has been made in recent decades in medicine, including new vaccines27 and treatments for cancer.
近数十年,医学领域取得了重大进展,包括找到了一些新的癌症疫苗和治疗方法。
The Zuckerbergs’ ambition to cure, prevent or manage all disease in our children’s lifetime seems grandiose28.
扎克伯格夫妇想要治愈、预防或控制我们的孩子们一生中可能遇到的所有疾病,这个理想似乎相当远大。
To give the gift some perspective each year, the US National Institutes of Health alone spends ten times the Zuckerbergs’ pledged decade-long $3bn.
从每年来看,单单美国国家健康研究院(National Institutes of Health)的支出就超过扎克伯格夫妇承诺在10年间捐赠的30亿美元。
The UK’s Wellcome Trust will spend more than twice their contribution over the next five years.
未来5年,英国的Wellcome Trust将花费两倍于这笔捐赠的资金。
But each new idea is welcome, and with their commitment and convening29 power, they could add a great deal.
然而,我们欢迎所有新的想法,凭借决心和感召力,他们可以做出巨大的贡献。
1
Founder [ˈfaʊndə(r)]
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n.创始者,缔造者 | |
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justifiably [dʒʌstɪ'faɪəblɪ]
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adv.无可非议地 | |
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nuance [ˈnju:ɑ:ns]
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n.(意义、意见、颜色)细微差别 | |
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expertise [ˌekspɜ:ˈti:z]
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n.专门知识(或技能等),专长 | |
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premature [ˈpremətʃə(r)]
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adj.比预期时间早的;不成熟的,仓促的 | |
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collaboration [kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃn]
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n.合作,协作;勾结 | |
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catalyst [ˈkætəlɪst]
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n.催化剂,造成变化的人或事 | |
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partnership [ˈpɑ:tnəʃɪp]
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n.合作关系,伙伴关系 | |
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rigid [ˈrɪdʒɪd]
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adj.严格的,死板的;刚硬的,僵硬的 | |
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exempt [ɪgˈzempt]
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adj.免除的;vt.使免除;n.免税者,被免除义务者 | |
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entity [ˈentəti]
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n.实体,独立存在体,实际存在物 | |
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flexibility [ˌfleksə'bɪlətɪ]
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n.柔韧性,弹性,(光的)折射性,灵活性 | |
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caveats [ˈkeɪvi:ˌæts]
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警告 | |
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innovate [ˈɪnəveɪt]
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vi. 创新;改革;革新 vt. 改变;创立;创始;引人 | |
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sector [ˈsektə(r)]
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n.部门,部分;防御地段,防区;扇形 | |
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perfectly [ˈpɜ:fɪktli]
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adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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donors [ˈdəʊnəz]
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n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 );献血者;捐血者;器官捐献者 | |
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begrudge [bɪˈgrʌdʒ]
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vt.吝啬,羡慕 | |
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participation [pɑ:ˌtɪsɪˈpeɪʃn]
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n.参与,参加,分享 | |
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hubris [ˈhju:brɪs]
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n.傲慢,骄傲 | |
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momentum [məˈmentəm]
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n.动力,冲力,势头;动量 | |
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eradication [iˌrædi'keiʃən]
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n.根除 | |
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malaria [məˈleəriə]
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n.疟疾 | |
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vaccine [ˈvæksi:n]
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n.牛痘苗,疫苗;adj.牛痘的,疫苗的 | |
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reminder [rɪˈmaɪndə(r)]
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n.提醒物,纪念品;暗示,提示 | |
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goodwill [ˌgʊdˈwɪl]
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n.善意,亲善,信誉,声誉 | |
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27
vaccines [vækˈsi:nz]
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疫苗,痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 ) | |
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