ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Joshua Prager - Journalist
Joshua Prager’s journalism unravels historical secrets -- and his own.

Why you should listen

Joshua Prager writes for publications including Vanity Fair, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, where he was a senior writer for eight years. George Will has described his work as "exemplary journalistic sleuthing."

His new book, 100 Years, is a list of literary quotations on every age from birth to one hundred. Designed by Milton Glaser, the legendary graphic designer who created the I ♥ NY logo, the book moves year by year through the words of our most beloved authors, revealing the great sequence of life.

His first book, The Echoing Green, was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. The New York Times Book Review called it “a revelation and a page turner, a group character study unequaled in baseball writing since Roger Kahn’s Boys of Summer some three decades ago.”

His second book, Half-Life, describes his recovery from a bus crash that broke his neck. Dr. Jerome Groopman, staff writer at the New Yorker magazine, called it “an extraordinary memoir, told with nuance and brimming with wisdom.

Joshua was a Nieman fellow at Harvard in 2011 and a Fulbright Distinguished Chair at Hebrew University in 2012. He was born in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, grew up in New Jersey, and lives in New York. He is writing a book about Roe v. Wade.

 

More profile about the speaker
Joshua Prager | Speaker | TED.com
TEDActive 2015

Joshua Prager: Wisdom from great writers on every year of life

约书亚·普拉格: 生命中的每一年的智慧

Filmed:
1,797,150 views

尽管我们人人不同, 我们的生命却都遵循着一种相同的规律,而这种生命规律也渗透在我们所深爱的书籍中。在这段动人的演说中,记者约书亚·普拉格用诺曼·梅勒,乔伊斯·卡罗尔·奥茨,威廉·特雷弗,和更多别的伟大作家的名句,和平面设计师米尔顿·格拉塞的视觉效果,带领观众去探索生命中的每个阶段。普拉格说:“书籍能帮我们了解曾经的我们,当下的我们,和未来的我们。”
- Journalist
Joshua Prager’s journalism unravels historical secrets -- and his own. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
I'm turning车削 44 next下一个 month,
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下个月我就44岁了,
00:15
and I have the sense that 44
is going to be a very good year,
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并且我觉得44岁将成为美好的一年,
00:19
a year of fulfillment履行, realization实现.
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充满着实现和领悟的一年。
00:23
I have that sense,
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我有这种感觉,
00:24
not because of anything
particular特定 in store商店 for me,
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并不是因为什么特别的事,
00:27
but because I read it would be a good year
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而是我从诺曼·梅勒
00:30
in a 1968 book by Norman诺曼 Mailer信封.
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在1968年写的书上看到的。
00:34
"He felt his own拥有 age年龄, forty-four四十四 ..."
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"44岁, 他感觉到了岁月无情,"
00:37
wrote Mailer信封 in "The Armies军队 of the Night,"
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梅勒在《夜幕下的大军》中写到
00:40
"... felt as if he were a solid固体 embodiment实施例
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"感觉到他自己就是
00:42
of bone, muscle肌肉, heart, mind心神,
and sentiment情绪 to be a man,
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骨头, 肌肉, 心, 意识, 情感
组成的坚实的化身,
00:46
as if he had arrived到达."
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就像他已经那个年纪了一样。”
00:49
Yes, I know Mailer信封
wasn't writing写作 about me.
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是的,我知道梅勒不是在写我。
00:52
But I also know that he was;
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但我冥冥中
能感受到他其实就在写我;
00:54
for all of us -- you, me,
the subject学科 of his book,
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因为我们所有人:你,我,
还有他书中的主人公,
00:58
age年龄 more or less in step,
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都在一点点变老,
01:00
proceed继续 from birth分娩
along沿 the same相同 great sequence序列:
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从出生就限定在了
恒定的生命规律中了:
01:05
through通过 the wonders奇迹
and confinements接产 of childhood童年;
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从孩提时期的好奇和禁锢;
01:08
the emancipations解放出来
and frustrations挫折 of adolescence青春期;
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到少年时代的不羁和烦恼;
01:12
the empowerments灌顶
and millstones磨盘 of adulthood成年;
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再到步入成年的权威和里程碑
01:16
the recognitions认可
and resignations辞职 of old age年龄.
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最后迈入老年的德高望重。
01:20
There are patterns模式 to life,
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生命有它自己的规律,
01:22
and they are shared共享.
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这是所有人必经的历程。
01:24
As Thomas托马斯 Mann wrote:
"It will happen发生 to me as to them."
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就如托马斯·曼所写:
“我将经历别人所经历的一切。“
01:29
We don't simply只是 live生活 these patterns模式.
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我们不仅存活在这种规律中,
01:32
We record记录 them, too.
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我们还会把它们记录下来。
01:33
We write them down in books图书,
where they become成为 narratives叙事
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我们把它写进书里,
01:36
that we can then read and recognize认识.
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成为了大家都可以读识的叙事。
01:39
Books图书 tell us who we've我们已经 been,
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书籍能帮我们了解曾经的我们,
01:41
who we are, who we will be, too.
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当下的我们,和未来的我们。
01:45
So they have for millennia千年.
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所以书籍已经存在了上千年。
01:48
As James詹姆士 Salter盐商 wrote,
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正如詹姆斯·索尔特所写,
01:49
"Life passes通行证 into pages网页
if it passes通行证 into anything."
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“如果生命能变成什么的话,
它能变成一本书。”
01:54
And so six years年份 ago,
a thought leapt跃上 to mind心神:
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所以六年之前
一个想法从我脑中闪过:
01:58
if life passed通过 into pages网页,
there were, somewhere某处,
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如果岁月能变成书,
那么在某处,一定有
02:02
passages通道 written书面 about every一切 age年龄.
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关于每一个年纪的文章存在。
02:04
If I could find them, I could
assemble集合 them into a narrative叙述.
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如果我能找到它们,
我就可以把它们串成一段故事。
02:08
I could assemble集合 them into a life,
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我可以把它们汇成一辈子,
02:10
a long life, a hundred-year百年 life,
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一段长达一百年的生命,
02:13
the entirety整体 of that same相同 great sequence序列
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这是只有最幸运的我们
02:15
through通过 which哪一个 the luckiest幸运 among其中 us pass通过.
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才跨越过的生命长度。
02:19
I was then 37 years年份 old,
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当年我37岁,
02:22
"an age年龄 of discretion慎重,"
wrote William威廉 Trevor特雷弗.
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威廉·特雷弗说
这是“一个小心翼翼的年纪”。
02:27
I was prone易于 to meditating沉思 on time and age年龄.
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我总是想去沉思岁月和人生。
02:30
An illness疾病 in the family家庭
and later后来 an injury to me
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我们家族中的一种遗传病,
后来也对我有所伤害。
02:33
had long made制作 clear明确 that growing生长 old
could not be assumed假定.
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这件事告诉我不是每个人都
能平平安安活到老的。
02:37
And besides除了, growing生长 old
only postponed延期 the inevitable必然,
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况且,年华老去只不过是
推迟了不可避免的死亡的事实,
02:40
time seeing眼看 through通过
what circumstance环境 did not.
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岁月看穿了一切。
02:43
It was all a bit disheartening令人沮丧.
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这有些令人伤感。
02:46
A list名单, though虽然, would last.
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然而一张时间表会得以留存。
02:49
To chronicle编年史 a life
year by vulnerable弱势 year
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去记录逐渐衰弱的生命,
02:52
would be to clasp and to ground地面
what was fleeting流年,
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就是去尝试挽留流水般逝去的年华,
02:55
would be to provide提供 myself and others其他
a glimpse一瞥 into the future未来,
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就是让我们自己和别人
可以窥一眼未来,
02:59
whether是否 we made制作 it there or not.
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无论我们是否能抵达终点。
03:01
And when I then began开始 to compile my list名单,
I was quickly很快 obsessed痴迷,
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而当我开始整理我的时间表时,
我就已经被迷住了,
03:05
searching搜索 pages网页 and pages网页
for ages年龄 and ages年龄.
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一页一页地寻找岁月的痕迹。
03:09
Here we were at every一切 annual全年 step
through通过 our first hundred years年份.
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在一百年的跋涉中
我们回看每年的步伐。
03:14
"Twenty-seven二十七 ... a time
of sudden突然 revelations启示,"
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“二十七岁,
是一个充满著豁然开朗的年龄。”
03:19
"sixty-two62, ... of subtle微妙 diminishmentsdiminishments."
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“六十二岁,
是一个逐渐光华不再的年龄。”
03:23
I was mindful铭记, of course课程,
that such这样 insights见解 were relative相对的.
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当然我也明白,
这种对岁月的见解是相对的。
03:28
For starters首发, we now live生活 longer,
and so age年龄 more slowly慢慢地.
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首先,我们的寿命比前人要长,
所以我们衰老得慢。
03:33
Christopher克里斯托弗 Isherwood伊舍伍德 used
the phrase短语 "the yellow黄色 leaf"
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克里斯托弗·伊舍伍德
用“落叶”
03:36
to describe描述 a man at 53,
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形容53岁的人,
03:38
only one century世纪 after Lord Byron拜伦
used it to describe描述 himself他自己 at 36.
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而一百年前拜伦伯爵正好用这个词
形容当时36岁的自己。
03:42
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
03:45
I was mindful铭记, too, that life
can swing摇摆 wildly疯狂 and unpredictably不可预测的
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我也知道,
有时命运多舛的人一年之间
03:48
from one year to the next下一个,
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也会经历不可预测的大风大浪,
03:50
and that people may可能 experience经验
the same相同 age年龄 differently不同.
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每个人在同样的年龄
都有不同的经历。
03:54
But even so, as the list名单 coalesced合并,
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即使如此,
当这张时间表完成的时候,
03:57
so, too, on the page, clear明确
as the reflection反射 in the mirror镜子,
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我仍然能在那里面找到
04:01
did the life that I had been living活的:
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我自己一生的影子:
04:03
finding发现 at 20 that "... one is less
and less sure of who one is;"
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发现“人在20岁的时候
总是看不清自己”;
04:08
emerging新兴 at 30 from the "... wasteland荒地
of preparation制备 into active活性 life;"
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三十出头“总算从
荒芜闯出精彩纷呈“;
04:13
learning学习 at 40 "... to close softly轻轻的
the doors to rooms客房
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40岁学会了“要轻轻地关上
04:17
[I would] not be coming未来 back to."
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我不再进去的房间的门。”
04:20
There I was.
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这就是我,
04:23
Of course课程, there we all are.
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当然,这也是我们。
04:26
Milton米尔顿 Glaser格拉泽, the great graphic图像 designer设计师
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你所看到的这张美丽的照片
04:29
whose谁的 beautiful美丽
visualizations可视化 you see here,
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正是85岁的米尔顿·格拉塞,
04:32
and who today今天 is 85 --
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一位了不起的平面设计师。
04:34
all those years年份 "... a ripening成熟
and an apotheosis神化," wrote Nabokov纳博科夫 --
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86个年头,“正是成熟和昇华之时”
纳博科夫写到。
04:39
noted注意 to me that, like art艺术 and like color颜色,
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对于我来说,文学就像艺术和色彩,
04:43
literature文学 helps帮助 us to remember记得
what we've我们已经 experienced有经验的.
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替我们记住我们记住了曾经的我们。
04:47
And indeed确实, when I shared共享
the list名单 with my grandfather祖父,
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果真,当我把这张时间表
拿给我祖父看时
04:50
he nodded点头 in recognition承认.
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他赞同地点了点头。
04:53
He was then 95 and soon不久 to die,
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他当时已经95岁了,
离大去之时不远了。
04:57
which哪一个, wrote Roberto罗伯托 Bola博拉ño,
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像罗伯托·博拉诺写的,
04:59
"... is the same相同 as never dying垂死."
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“这就如同永垂不朽。”
05:03
And looking back, he said to me that, yes,
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往回看,我祖父也跟我这样说过。
05:07
Proust普鲁斯特 was right that at 22,
we are sure we will not die,
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普鲁斯特说所不假,
22岁的我们坚信我们不会死,
05:13
just as a thanatologistthanatologist
named命名 Edwin埃德温 Shneidman父施耐德曼 was right
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而就像死亡学家,
埃德温父施耐德曼说的,
05:16
that at 90, we are sure we will.
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90岁的时候,
我们都清楚我们将要离去。
05:21
It had happened发生 to him,
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就跟他的同辈人一样
05:23
as to them.
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他已然经历了死亡。
05:27
Now the list名单 is doneDONE:
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现在这张时间表已经完成:
05:30
a hundred years年份.
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整整一百年。
05:33
And looking back over it,
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只是现在再回看这张表,
05:36
I know that I am not doneDONE.
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我觉得我还没有完成我的任务。
05:38
I still have my life to live生活,
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我还要去好好活我余下的人生,
05:40
still have many许多 more pages网页 to pass通过 into.
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而这剩下的年华,也足够去书写更多精彩。
05:44
And mindful铭记 of Mailer信封,
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心中不忘诺曼·梅勒所言,
05:46
I await等待 44.
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44岁,我满怀期待。
05:48
Thank you.
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谢谢。
05:49
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
Translated by Jiawei Ni
Reviewed by Gu Yu

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Joshua Prager - Journalist
Joshua Prager’s journalism unravels historical secrets -- and his own.

Why you should listen

Joshua Prager writes for publications including Vanity Fair, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, where he was a senior writer for eight years. George Will has described his work as "exemplary journalistic sleuthing."

His new book, 100 Years, is a list of literary quotations on every age from birth to one hundred. Designed by Milton Glaser, the legendary graphic designer who created the I ♥ NY logo, the book moves year by year through the words of our most beloved authors, revealing the great sequence of life.

His first book, The Echoing Green, was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. The New York Times Book Review called it “a revelation and a page turner, a group character study unequaled in baseball writing since Roger Kahn’s Boys of Summer some three decades ago.”

His second book, Half-Life, describes his recovery from a bus crash that broke his neck. Dr. Jerome Groopman, staff writer at the New Yorker magazine, called it “an extraordinary memoir, told with nuance and brimming with wisdom.

Joshua was a Nieman fellow at Harvard in 2011 and a Fulbright Distinguished Chair at Hebrew University in 2012. He was born in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, grew up in New Jersey, and lives in New York. He is writing a book about Roe v. Wade.

 

More profile about the speaker
Joshua Prager | Speaker | TED.com