To forget the luck and good fortune that helped them on their way. It's the smug conviction

忘記了幫助他們一路走來的幸運和好運氣。這是一種自以為是的信念

of those who land on top that they deserve their fate. And, by implication, that those

那些在上面降落的人，他們的命運是應得的。而且，通過暗示，那些

on the bottom deserve theirs too. A lively sense of the contingency of our lot

在底層的人也應該得到他們的。對我們的命運的偶然性有一種生動的感覺。

conduces to a certain humility. The idea that 'there but for the grace of God or the accident

導致某種程度的謙卑。這個想法，"有，但對於上帝的恩典或事故。

of fortune, go I'. But a perfect meritocracy banishes all sense of gift or grace or luck;

財富，我去'。但一個完美的任人唯賢的制度 摒棄了一切天賦、恩典或運氣的意識

it diminishes our capacity to see ourselves as sharing a common fate. And so, it leaves

它削弱了我們將自己視為共同命運的能力。是以，它讓

little room for the solidarity that can arise when we reflect on the contingency of our

團結的空間很小，當我們反思我們的偶然性時，我們就會產生團結。

talents and fortunes. This is what makes merit a kind of tyranny.

人才和財富。這就是功名利祿的一種專制。

Now, seen from below, the hubris of elites is galling. No one likes to be looked down

現在，從下面看，精英們的傲慢令人髮指。沒有人喜歡被人看不起

upon. But the meritocratic faith adds insult to injury. The notion that your fate is in

於。但唯才是舉的信念卻讓人覺得雪上加霜。認為你的命運是在

your hands - that you can 'make it if you try' - is a double-edged sword, inspiring

你的雙手--你可以 "只要努力就能成功"--是一把雙刃劍，激勵著你去做。

in one way, but invidious in another. It congratulates the winners but denigrates the losers - even

在一個方面，但在另一個方面是令人反感的。它祝賀勝利者，卻詆譭失敗者--甚至是。

in their own eyes. For those who can't find work or make ends meet, it's hard to escape

在他們自己的眼中。對於那些找不到工作或生活困難的人來說，很難逃過

the demoralizing thought that their failure is their own doing - that they simply lack

喪氣的想法，他們的失敗是他們自己造成的--他們只是缺乏。

the talent and drive to succeed. This gives rise to a politics of humiliation. It combines

的天賦和成功的動力。這就產生了一種屈辱的政治。它結合了

resentment of the winners with nagging self-doubt. It's a potent ingredient in the volatile brew

對勝利者的怨恨與糾結的自我懷疑。它是揮發性釀造中的一種有效成分。

of anger and resentment that fuels populist protest.

的憤怒和怨恨，助長了民粹主義的抗議。

To reinvigorate democratic politics, we need to find our way to a morally more robust public

要重振民主政治，我們需要找到一條在道德上更健全的公共服務之路。

discourse; one that takes seriously the corrosive effect of meritocratic striving on the social

的話語；一個認真對待任人唯賢的奮鬥對社會的腐蝕作用的話語。

bonds that constitute our common life. Disentangling the intolerant aspects of populist protest

構成我們共同生活的紐帶。解開民粹主義抗議中的不容忍方面。

from its legitimate grievances is no easy matter. But it is important to try. Understanding

從其合理的不滿中解脫出來不是一件容易的事。但重要的是要嘗試。瞭解

these grievances -and creating a politics that can respond to them - is the most pressing

這些不滿--並創造一個能夠迴應這些不滿的政治--是最緊迫的。

political challenge of our time.

我們時代的政治挑戰。