The year is 3855.
现在是3855年
A 17-year-old girl named Alexa and her younger brother, Asher,
17岁的女孩亚莉克莎和她的弟弟亚瑟
are at a museum of history and technology.
正在一个历史科技博物馆中
In one of the museum display rooms,
其中一个博物馆展览室中
there is a collection of ancient computers,
收集了一批古老的计算机
laptops, tablets, smartphones,
手提电脑 平板电脑 智能手机
and other early smart devices.
和其他的早期智能设备
A few of which have been maintained and restored
其中一部分设备已经保养和修复
in order to still function.
以便正常使用
Specifically, one laptop on display is set up for visitors to use.
展览室中特意安排了一台电脑供参观者使用
On it, there are old digital tools
这台电脑上有一些旧的电子工具
used for things like information storage,
用作信息库
digital art creation, communication, and personal upkeep,
数字艺术创作 聊天和个人保养
as well as browser applications used to access early forms of the internet.
还有一些可以访问早期互联网的浏览器
As part of the experience,
作为使用体验的一部分
the laptop has a sequence of default, archival web pages
这台电脑上有一些默认存档网页
that pertained the exhibit,
网页都与此次展览有关
which is about early stage digital content creation
内容主要涉及早期数字媒体创作
and internet communication.
和互联网通信
Alexa and Asher play around on the laptop for a little,
亚莉克莎和亚瑟玩了一会儿这台电脑
while their parents participate in another exhibit.
此时他们的父母正在看另一个展览
While scrolling through the internet pages,
他们浏览网页时
they come across a webpage of a video sharing platform
发现了一个视频分享网站
with a video titled “Internet Video of an Animated Voice Over”.
网页上有个视频叫“有声动画网络视频”
The description of the video reads, “This video is an excerpt
视频简介写道：“本视频是一段摘录
from what is believed to be an interview, speech,
创作于20世纪晚期到22世纪早期
podcast, or self-produced video essay,
这段摘录被认为是来自于一段访谈 演讲
created between the late 20th and early 22nd century.
播客或者自制视频文书
It simply serves as a sample
这仅仅是一个例子
for how individuals sought to use the internet to communicate
以展示在互联网发展与整合的早期
during its early stages of development and integration.
人们如何使用互联网沟通
The source of the video is unknown
由于数字化传播 虚假署名
due to digital dissemination, false attributions,
媒体复制合成 还可能是由于有意匿名
synthetic media replications, and possible intentional anonymity.”
视频来源未知”
Alexa clicks play and the video starts.
亚莉克莎点击“播放” 后视频开始播放
One last question.
最后一个问题
When it’s all said and done,
一切尘埃落定之后
how would you like to be remembered?
你希望以何种方式被记住？
It’s sort of a funny question, isn’t it?
这是个有趣的问题 不是吗？
Asking how you want to be remembered after you’re gone.
询问你希望自己死后以何种方式被记住
No one ever knows how they’re remembered,
没人知道他们将以何种方式被记住
nor does anyone ever experience it.
也没有人经历过这种事
And yet, for some reason,
但是 出于某些原因
we still ask ourselves these sorts of questions.
我们仍然会问自己这类问题
It’s a paradox, really,
这真是个悖论
to want something after I’m dead,
死后仍有所求
but only be able to want anything while I’m alive.
但只有生前才能有所得
The question is really more about
其实这个问题主要是问
what I want to imagine while I’m alive then, isn’t it?
活着时我想幻想什么 对吧？
What I want to convince myself,
我想说服自己的是
my life can be for beyond my own life,
我的生命能超越我的生命
seeing as how I can only imagine beyond my own life,
因为当我的生命依然存在时
while my own life still exists?
我只能幻想超越生命
If I were to humor the question, though,
但若我想迎合这个问题
I don’t think I would want to claim any sort of banal, grandiose answers.
我认为我不会说任何平庸 浮夸答案
I don’t think I would want to say that I want to be remembered
我认为我不会想说 我想被铭记
as significant, or influential, or smart,
因为我很重要 很有影响力 很聪明
or famous, or wealthy, or powerful, or successful,
很有名 很富有 很有权势 或者很成功
or that I changed the world in some way.
又或者我曾以某种方式改变世界
All of that would suggest that
一切都表明
I can know what any of that even means in the bigger picture.
我能从整体上理解它们的确切含义
In truth, I don’t know what it means to be influential
但事实上 我不懂在一个缺乏明确方向的世界
in a world that lacks clear direction.
什么才叫有影响力
I don’t know what it means to be wealthy
我不懂在一个充满贫穷的世界里
in a world filled with poverty.
什么叫富有
I don’t know what it means to be powerful
我不懂在一个超越所有事物的宇宙中
in a universe that trumps everyone and everything.
什么叫强大
And I don’t know what it means to be smart
作为某个物种的一员
or successful or to change the world,
我也不懂什么叫聪明
as a member of a species that’s restricted from understanding
什么叫成功 什么叫改变世界
what anything might really mean or cause.
对于事物的意义缘由 我们的理解是局限的
I suppose I’m attracted to these things as much as the next person,
我想我跟其他人一样被这些东西所吸引
but I cannot say with certain honesty that
但说实话 我不能说
I believe that, in the end, any of these things are worth being remembered for.
我相信 所有这些事物最终都值得被记住
I guess the next answer would be that
我猜下一个答案是
I want to be remembered as someone who tried.
我想让人们记住 我尽力了
Someone who tried their best to care, to help, to love, to be OK,
我会去关心 去帮助 去爱 去与人为善
to air on the side of sympathy and compassion as best I could,
会尽我所能去播撒同情心和爱心
to be a good friend, good son, father, and husband.
我是个好朋友 好儿子 好父亲 好丈夫
Someone who lived honestly,
我活地真诚
with both conviction and a willingness to adapt in
坚信并且乐意去适应
what they think and believe.
自己相信的事情
Someone who contributed towards something they enjoyed and believed in
对自己喜欢并相信的事情做出贡献
simply because they could.
只因为我可以
I am not entirely sure how good I was at any of these things, though,
虽然我不能完全确定 我能做得多好
and I know this answer might sound equally cliché,
而且我知道这个答案听起来可能陈词滥调
but if anything is an answer to how I want to be remembered,
但若要回答之前关于“铭记”的问题
I think it’s that.
我认为这就是答案
But the truth is, history is coated with innumerable amounts people
但事实是 历史上有无数
who lived with these qualities,
拥有这些品质的人
and mostly none of them are remembered by anyone at all.
并且大部分时候没有人记住他们
Perhaps being remembered isn’t all that important then,
若多数人都未曾因此得到铭记
if most people aren’t remembered for what’s important.
那么铭记或许就无所谓重要
Of course, some people are remembered long after they’re gone
当然 因为那些现在看来重要或有用的事情
for things that do currently seem important or useful.
有些人去世很久 仍会因此被人记住
But even then, if one is remembered because
但是即使那样 如果一个人因为
they’ve done something that’s considered useful,
他做过有用的事情而被铭记
isn’t it the useful thing that is truly being remembered,
被真正记住的难道不是那件有用的事情
and not the person in it of themselves?
而不是他们自己嘛？
I mean, how does anyone know Albert Einstein
比如 如果不是因为科学贡献
if not in terms of scientific contribution?
有多少人知道阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦？
It’s not as if the world likes Einstein inherently.
这个世界本身其实并不喜欢爱因斯坦
The world likes his contributions,
而是喜欢他做出的贡献
or him solely because of his contributions.
或者仅仅因为他做出了贡献而喜欢他
Any exploration of his character and life
对他的性格和生活的任何探索
is always contextualized and confined within the borders of science genius.
总与科学天才联系在一起 并限制这一范围内
In the eyes of history,
从历史角度来看
Einstein would be no one if it were not for his scientific contributions.
若不是他的科学贡献 爱因斯坦将无人问津
But of course, Einstein was not no one, regardless of his contributions.
显然 不论他的贡献 他也并非平庸之辈
His contributions deserve celebration, of course, and so does he.
他的贡献诚然值得赞颂 但他本人也值得
But does our celebration of him now change anything for him then?
但我们对他的赞颂会对他产生任何影响吗？
I don’t know if Einstein was happy,
我不知道爱因斯坦是否乐于
or if he wanted to be remembered in some grand way,
或是否想要以某种伟大的方式被人们记住
or if he just wanted to understand more than what was understood at the time.
或者当时他只是想要理解更多未知事物
But isn’t it possible that
但有没有可能
his contributions are a byproduct of his experience of life,
他的贡献是他生活经历的副产品
and not the source?
而不是来源？
And isn’t it possible that this is the case for all people
另外 有没有可能 历史上所有
that are remembered as great throughout history?
被人铭记的伟人都是如此？
I’ll certainly admit that there’s some longing inside me
我当然承认 我内心会渴望
to be remembered or thought of long after I’m gone.
自己过世很久后仍被记住或被想起
I believe it probably comes from the same place
我认为这种渴望可能来自同一个地方
that yearns to live forever and lose nothing.
来自渴望永生且不失去任何东西的心理
But nothing lives forever, and everyone loses everything.
但是没有人永生 每个人都会失去一切
To live for or care about being remembered
为了被记住而活着 或非常在乎被记住
is like planning your own birthday party on a day that you can’t go.
就像举办自己的生日派对 而自己当天无法参加
If I want to celebrate my life, I can only do it now, while I’m still here.
若我想庆祝人生 我只能在此刻活着时庆祝
I believe everyone should
我认为大家要
still dedicate themselves to the something or some things
继续致力于某件或某些
that they want to be remembered for,
他们希望因此被记住的事情
be it a cause, a passion, a good heart, or all of the above.
它们也许是事业 热情 善良 或者以上都是
But not because it’s something that they’ll be remembered for.
但并非因为他们会被记住
But because it’s what they want to imagine their life is for.
而是因为他们想为此而活
And what you imagine your life is for
你认为你的生活是为了某个东西
is what your life is for, isn’t it?
它就是你生活的意义 不是吗？
Whether one is remembered for it
不管过世的人因此
for 500,000 years or 5 minutes after they’re gone,
被铭记了五十万年还是五分钟
makes no difference to the person who lived for it.
这对那些为之而活的人来说没有任何区别
Ultimately, I have no illusions that
最终 我从未幻想过
I will last beyond the minds of a couple generations after me, at best.
我的生命最多会在下几代人的脑海中延续下去
And so, what I do now,
因此 我现在所做的事情
what I dedicate myself to,
我所投身的东西
what I experience behind the eyes of my own self, must be enough.
我亲身经历的一切 必须是足够的
If it isn’t, nothing is.
如果不是 那么没有东西会是了
The video fades to its end,
视频结束
and the screen prompts an arrow pointing to the right
屏幕上出现了一个向右的箭头
with text that reads, “Next Page.”
提示文字写着 “下一页”
Before clicking, Asher says,
在点击之前 亚瑟说
“Well that’s five minutes we’ll never get back.”
“嗯 过去的这五分钟再也不会回来了”
He pauses and says, “And who’s Einstein?”
他停顿了一下问道：“爱因斯坦是谁？”
“Yea. I don’t know.” Alexa replies.
“我也不知道” 亚莉克莎答道
“I think he must have been a scientist, or something.
“我想他一定是个科学家 或者别的什么
I think I’ve heard his name before.
我觉得我以前好像听过他的名字
That’s what it said, at least.”
至少视频里是这么说的”
“Mmm.” Asher murmurs.
“嗯” 亚瑟低声说
“Alright, well do you want to go check out something else now?”
“好了 你现在想去看看别的吗？”
Asher concludes.
亚瑟结束了这个话题
Alexa agrees, and they walk away from the laptop,
亚莉克莎同意了 然后他们走开了
and onto the next exhibit of a different time in history.
去看下一个不同历史时期的展览