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FreedomandResponsibilityFreedom’schallengeintheDigitalAgeisaserioustopic.Wearefacingtodayastrangenewworldandweareallwonderingwhatwearegoingtodowithit.Some2,500yearsagoGreecediscoveredfreedom.Beforethattherewasnofreedom.Thereweregreatcivilizations,splendidempires,butnofreedomanywhere.EgyptandBabylonwerebothtyrannies,oneverypowerfulmanrulingoverhelplessmasses.InGreece,inAthens(雅典),alittlecityinalittlecountry,therewerenohelplessmasses.AndAthenianswillinglyobeyedthewrittenlawswhichtheythemselvespassed,andtheunwritten,whichmustbeobeyediffreemenlivetogether.TheymustshoweachotherkindnessandpityandthemanyqualitieswithoutwhichlifewouldbeverypainfulunlessonechosetolivealoneintheAtheniansneverthoughtthatamanwasfreeifhecoulddowhathewanted.Amanwasfreeifhewasself-controlled.Tomakeyourselfobeywhatyouapprovedwasfreedom.Theyweresavedfromlookingattheirlivesastheirownprivateaffair.EachonefeltresponsibleforthewelfareofAthens,notbecauseitwasforcedonhimfromtheoutside,butbecausethecitywashisprideandhissafety.Theessentialbeliefofthefirstfreegovernmentintheworldwaslibertyforallmenwhocouldcontrolthemselvesandwouldtakeresponsibilityforthestate.Butdiscoveringfreedomisnotlikediscoveringcomputers.Itcannotbediscoveredonceforall.Ifpeopledonotprizeit,andworkforit,itwillgo.Constantwatchisitsprice.Athenschanged.Itwasachangethattookplacewithoutbeingnoticedthoughitwasoftheextremeimportance,aspiritualchangewhichaffectedthewholestate.IthadbeentheAtheniansprideandjoytogivetotheircity.Thattheycouldgetmaterialbenefitsfromherneverenteredtheirminds.Therehadtobeacompletechangeofattitudebeforetheycouldlookatthecityasanemployerwhopaidhercitizensfordoingherwork.Nowinsteadofmengivingtothestate,thestatewastogivetothepeoplewantedwasagovernmentwhichwouldprovideacomfortablelifeforthem;andwiththisastheprimaryobject,ideasoffreedomandself-relianceandresponsibilitywereneglectedtothepointofdisappearing.Athenswasmoreandmorelookedonasacooperativebusinesspossessedofgreatwealthinwhichallcitizenshadarighttoshare.Athensreachedthepointwhenthefreedomshereallywantedwasfreedomfromcouldbeonlyoneresult.Ifmeninsistedonbeingfreefromtheburdenofself-dependenceandresponsibilityforthecommongood,theywouldceasetobefree.Responsibilityisthepriceeverymanmustpayforfreedom.Itistobehadonnootherterms.Athens,theAthensofAncientGreece,refusedresponsibility;shereachedtheendoffreedomandwasnevertohaveitagain.But,“theexcellentbecomesthepermanent”,Aristotlesaid.Athenslostfreedomforever,butfreedomwasnotlostforeverfortheworld.AgreatAmerican,JamesMadison,referredto:“Thecapacity(能力)ofmankindforself-government.”NodoubthehadnotanideathathewasspeakingGreek.Athenswasnotinthefarthestbackgroundofhismind,butoncemanhasagreatandgoodidea,itisnevercompletelylost.TheDigitalAgecannotdestroyit.Somehowinthisorthatman’sthoughtsuchanidealivesthoughunconsideredbytheworldofaction.Onecanneverbesurethatitisnotonthepointofbreakingoutintoactiononlysurethatitwilldososometime.参考翻译：自由与责任在数字时代，自由是一个严肃的话题。我们当下面对的是一个陌生的新世界，我们都在想着我们将要做什么。大约在2500年前，希腊发明了自由。在这之前自由并不存在。当时有伟大的文明，辉煌的帝国，但没有任何的自由。埃及和巴比伦都是独裁的，有着一个集权者统治着绝望的大众。在希腊雅典，一个小国家的小城市，在这里没有绝望的民众。雅典人自愿地遵守着他们通过的自由人生活在一起就必须遵守的成文或不成文法。他们必须向对方展示仁慈和怜悯，还有许多品质。没有了这些品质，百姓就会活在水中当中，除非一个人选择独自于孤苦沙漠当中。雅典人从不认为为所欲为的人是自由的，自由人是自控之人。让自我服从于自我臣服的东西才是自由的。他们自视自己的生活为私事，并从这个理念中被救赎。每个人都对雅典的福祉负责，不是因为这是被外界强加的力量，而是因为这个城市是他们的骄傲和温床。世界上第一个自由政府的必要信念对于每一个能自控，能对这个国家负责的人来说都是自由的。然而发掘自由与发明电脑大相径庭。一次发明自由，不代表永远流长。如果人民不珍视它，不经营它，它将会消逝。持续的耕耘才是它的价值。雅典改变了，这是一次被人忽视，却又极为重要的改变，是一次影响整个国家的精神层面的改变。它曾是雅典带给这座城市的骄傲与喜悦。人们可以从雅典身上获取物质利益，雅典却并不了解人们的想法。在人们把这座城市当作雇主来支付城市员工工作酬劳之前，必须要有一个彻底的转变。现在并不是人民要奉献给国家，而是国家得偿还给人民。人民所想要的是一个能给予人民舒适生活的政府，并把这种观点作为主要对象。对于自由的想法，自立和责任被抛之脑后，达到逐渐消亡的程度。雅典被愈发看成是一个拥有巨大财产的合作企业，在这个企业中每个公民都有权分享。当雅典真正需要的是从责任中汲取的自由，她达到了这样的程度。结果只有一个，如果人民坚持自由，而摆脱自我依赖和社会共同利益责任感的重负，他们将不再自由。责任是每个人都必须为了自由而付出的代价，这一点决不动摇。雅典，古希腊的雅典，排斥了承担责任，她走向自由的终结，自由不复存在。然而亚里士多德说：“优秀的东西成为永久的东西。”雅典永远失去了自由，但是世界并非永远失去了自由。一个杰出的美国人杰姆斯麦迪逊这样说：“有能者自治。”毫无疑问，他不知道他说的正是希腊。希腊并不位列在他脑中最深邃的背景中，然而一旦人类有了一个伟大而美好的想法，那就永不会消失。数字时代无法摧毁它。不知在某个人的思想当中，这样的想法依然存在，尽管还没有被世界的种种动机所考量。没有人能确保它是否处在突破瓶颈，步入实践的阶段，但可以确信，总有一天它能成为现实。【2015•浙江】DIn2004,whenmydaughterBeckywasten,sheandmyhusband,Joe,wereunitedintheirdesireforadog.Asforme,Isharednoneoftheircaninelust.Butwhy,theypleaded.“BecauseIdon’thavetimetotakecareofadog.”Butwe’lldoit.”Really?You’regoingtowalkthedog?Feedthedog?Bathethedog?”Yes,yes,andyes.”Idon’tbelieveyou.”Wewill.Wepromise.Theydidn’t.Fromdaytwo(everyonewantedtowalkthecutepuppythatfirstday),neitherthoughttowalkthedog.WhileIwasslowtoacceptthatIwouldbetheonetokeeptrackofhershots,toschedulehervetappointments,tofeedandcleanher,Mistyknewthisondayone.Asshelookedupatthethreenewhumansinherlife(small,medium,andlarge),shecalculated,”Themediumoneisthesuckerinthepack.”Quickly,sheandIdevelopedsomethingverysimilartoaVulcanmindmeld(心灵融合).She’dlookatmewiththosesadbrowneyesofhers,beamherneed,andthenwait,trustingIwouldunderstand—which,strangely,Ialmostalwaysdid.Innotime,shebecamemyfeetasIread,andsplayingacrossmystomachasIwatchedtelevision.Evenso,partofmecontinuedtoresentwalkingduty.JoeandBeckyhadpromised.Notfair