by Vint Cerf

翻译：Cass

每个人都值得被尊重

by Vint Cerf

翻译：Cass

每个人的内心都渴望得到别人的尊重，但想得到别人的尊重，就要先学会尊重他人。无论社会地位高或低，无论贫或富，每个人都是独一无二的存在，都值得被尊重。尊重他人的时候，你会发现，你能学到很多东西。

As the “Father of the Internet,” Vint Cerf注1has made his career in high-speed electronic communications. But Cerf still values face-to-face1)interactions. By engaging in2)civil conversations with those he meets, Cerf finds he can learn new things every day.

Once I was being driven by limo to a hotel in Palm Springs注2to give a speech. The driver appeared to be in his 60s and I remember thinking how sad that he has to keep working at this3)menial job. It turned out, though, that he was the retired CFO注3of a major Chicago-based corporation注4who had gotten bored with golf. He took a part-time job driving the hotel’s limo, so he could meet people and stay in touch with the world. He even ended up giving some good advice to me, a financially naive engineer.

I believe that every person deserves respect, and that I can learn something new from everyone.

Now, I make a point of asking people about their stories. From taxi cab drivers to cleaning crews, each person gives me a chance to4)vicariously visit a place or do a thing that I might never experience on my own. I’ve found most people are patient with me if I show an interest and respect for what they have to say.

Respect doesn’t mean we have to agree, but we should disagree in a civil fashion. My work is in high-speed electronic communication, where5)miscues are common and can lead to serious6)disputes rooted in misunderstanding and distrust.

Even though it’s impossible to assure civility in all situations, I can’t recall a time when I have been proud of an online conversation that ended in an email7)nasty-gram. After the heat of the exchange8)wears off, I feel9)awkward, embarrassed that I allowed myself to be10)offensive.

Some people think the Internet isolates and11)dehumanizes us. I don’t agree. The net is simply a12)vehicle for people to communicate. When an online discussion becomes13)testy, many of us have learned to move the discussion to face-to-face or at least the telephone, so that better social14)cues can15)moderate an increasingly angry exchange. Readingwords often invites the worst possible16)interpretation. Understanding this is key to the world of the Web.

Whether it’s on the web or in person, when I meet new people, if I am open, curious and civil, I can learn new things. I believe it’s17)imperative to treat every person with respect.

1) interaction [ˌɪntər'ækʃən] n. 互动

2) civil ['sɪvl] adj. 有礼貌的

3) menial ['miːnjəl] adj. 卑微的

4) vicariously [vaɪ'kerɪəslɪ] adv. 代理地，间接地

5) miscue [ˌmɪs'kjuː] n. 失误

6) dispute [dɪs'pjuːt] n. 争论，争吵

7) nasty-gram 侮辱性（或威胁性）电子邮件

8) wear off 逐渐消失

9) awkward ['ɔːkwəd] adj. 令人尴尬的

10) offensive [ə'fensɪv] adj. 讨厌的，无礼的

11) dehumanize [diː'hjuːmənaɪz] v. 使失掉人性

12) vehicle ['viːɪkl] n. 传播媒介

13) testy ['testɪ] adj. 暴躁的

14) cue [kjuː] n. 暗示，信号

15) moderate ['mɒdərɪt] v. 缓和，减轻

16) interpretation [ɪnˌtɜːprɪ'teɪʃən] n. 解释

17) imperative [ɪm'perətɪv] adj. 强制的，必要的

参考译文

身为“互联网之父”，文特·瑟夫以高速电子通讯为业，但他仍然十分重视面对面的互动交流。通过与相遇之人进行礼貌的交谈，瑟夫发现每天都能够学到新东西。

有一次，我乘坐豪华轿车去棕榈泉的一个酒店发表演讲。轿车司机看起来有六十多岁了，我记得我当时是这么想的：他不得不坚持一直做着这样一份不体面的工作，真是悲哀呀！然而，他原来是一家芝加哥大公司的首席财务官。他退休之后厌烦了打高尔夫球，于是就在酒店找了一份开轿车的兼职，这样他就能够见到很多不同的人，和社会保持着接触。到头来，他甚至还给了我这个在财务方面一窍不通的工程师一些很好的建议。

我认为每个人都值得被尊重，而我能够从他人身上学习到新的东西。

现在，我总不忘向人们询问他们各自的故事。不管是计程车司机还是清洁工，每个人都给了我一个间接拜访了某个地方或是做了某件事的机会，这些是我个人可能永远都不会有的经历。……