A major theme of this present century will be the pursuit of our collective identity. We are on a search for who we are.
這個世紀的主題之一將是追尋我們的集體身份。我們正在尋找“我們是誰”的答案。
What does it mean to be a human? Can there be more than one kind of human? In fact, what exactly is a human?
作爲人意味着什麼？還有其他種類的人嗎？事實上，究竟是什麼是人？
On average science unveils a new invention every day, and almost without fail these days, that daily invention disrupts the notion of ourselves. Every day we are getting news that challenges our identity.
平均每天科學家都會推出一項新發明，這些日常發明會瓦解我們關於自己的觀念，這一點難得有錯。我們每天都會獲知挑戰我們身份的消息。
Stem cell therapy, genetic sequencing, artificial intelligence, operational robots, new animal clones, trans-species hybrids, brain implants, memory enhancing drugs, limb prosthetics, social networks -- each of these tools blurs the boundaries between us as individuals and among us as a species. Who are we and who do we want to be?
幹細胞療法、基因測序、人工智能、可控機器人、新的克隆動物、跨物種雜交、大腦植入、增強記憶的藥物、肢體修復、社交網絡——這其中每一件工具都模糊了我們作爲個體與物種一員之間的界限。我們是誰，我們想要成爲什麼？
We get to play with answers to these questions online.
我們將在網上把玩這些問題的答案。
In Second Life, or in chat rooms, we can chose who we want to be, our gender, our genetics, even our species.
在《第二人生》遊戲中，或是在聊天室裏，我們能選擇自己想成爲的人、性別、特徵甚至物種。
Technologies gives us the means to switch genders, inhabit new forms, modify our own bodies.
技術賦予了我們轉換性別，採用新外形，修飾自身形體的方法。
At the same moment, we have the rise of hyper-realities. These are simulations so complex, convincing, and coherent that they have their own reality force.
與此同時，超現實正在興起。這些模擬如此複雜、令人信服、邏輯一致，以至於超現實擁有了自身的現實力量。
A fake so good, it is sold and bought as a fabulous fake. A Disneyland so enticing, that it spawns its own "fakes." There must be something there to fake.
一件冒牌貨好到一定程度，就會作爲一件絕佳的冒牌貨被出售和購買。迪士尼樂園如此迷人，它會孕育自身的“冒牌貨”。必須有東西以供假冒。
Or Photoshopped images so obviously unreal that they have their own reality. Synthetic materials more desirable than natural ones.
經過PS的圖片明顯不真實，但它們卻擁有自己的實在性。人造材料要比天然材料更受人喜愛。
Originals inferior to their reproductions. Who cares what is real and what is memorex?
原件比不上再生物。誰關心什麼是真實的，什麼是數字複製品？
These hyper-realities launch questions such as whether a assault in virtual space counts as an actual violent assault or mere virtual assault.
這些超現實引出一些問題，如虛擬空間中的攻擊是否應算作實際暴力攻擊，還是僅僅是虛擬攻擊。
How much of our real lives is mental? How much of reality is a consensual hallucination? Where do our minds end and outside begin? What if it -- everything outside of us -- is all mind?
我們的現實生活有多少是想象出來的？有多少是交感幻覺？我們的思維會在哪裏終結，外部世界從哪裏開始？假如它們——我們之外的一切事情——都是想象的呢？
The faster and greater our lives become mediated -- the more time we spend communicating through technology -- the more urgent this question of "what is real" becomes.
我們的生活變得間接的速度越快，規模越大——我們通過技術溝通的時間越多，回答“什麼是真實”這個問題就變得越迫切。
How do we tell the difference, if any, between realities and simulations? How do these redefine humans?
我們如何能分辨真實和模擬之間的區別（如果有的話）呢？這些區別會如何重新定義人類？
I get much satisfaction from the free-thinking, nearly insane investigations by the legendary science fiction author Philip K. Dick.
我從傳奇科幻作家菲利普·K·狄克自由思考、幾近瘋狂的調查中獲慰良多。
I am a big fan of Dick. His large body of work is now in ascendence because the two themes he nurtured are the two themes our culture will nurture in the next 100 years: What is a human and what is the nature of not-human, or reality.
我是狄克的鐵桿粉絲，其作品現在如日中天，因爲他作品的兩大主題正是未來一百年我們文化發展的主題，即，人是什麼？非人或現實的本質是什麼？
In an amazing (and amazingly weird) address Dick gave in 1978, he lays out his themes:
在狄克於1978年發表的一次令人驚歎（也非常詭異）的談話中，他列出了自己的主題：
The two basic topics which fascinate me are "What is reality?" and "What constitutes the authentic human being?" Over the twenty-seven years in which I have published novels and stories I have investigated these two interrelated topics over and over again. I consider them important topics. What are we? What is it which surrounds us, that we call the not-me, or the empirical or phenomenal world?
讓我着迷的兩個基本主題是“什麼是現實？”以及“什麼構成了真正的人類？”在過去27年間我所發表小說和故事，一次又一次地研究這兩個互相關聯的主題。我認爲它們是重要的主題我們是什麼？圍繞我們的，被我們稱之爲非我或經驗或現象世界的是什麼？
Dick's themes are becoming our themes. The question of "Who are we?," "What is reality?" will move from the edges of science fiction and into the center of our culture.
狄克的主題正在變成我們的主題。“我們是誰？”、“什麼是現實”這些問題將從科幻作品邊緣轉移到我們文化的中心。
I can imagine these questions occupying the front seat of our societal consciousness.
我能想象，這些問題將會佔據社會意識的前沿陣地。
The question of human identity will be the headlined in USA TODAY and CNN. They will be addressed by Supreme Court. They will be the topic of dinner conversations.
人類身份的問題將成爲《今日美國》和CNN的頭條。最高法院將討論這些問題。它們將成爲茶餘飯後的話題。
In a few decades when the realities the Dick only dreamed of become concrete, when we have daily experience with better AI, with grown up genetically modified babies, with mind enhancement drugs that work, with routine virtual realities, with always-on social hive minds, the conundrums that Dick wrestled with will be our conundrums.
幾十年內，當狄克的想象成爲現實，當我們每天都能好更好的人工智能打交道，當基因修正的孩子長大，當思維增強藥物奏效，當虛擬現實變得尋常，當社會蜂巢思想永運在線時，狄克試圖解決的難題將成爲我們的難題。
Think The Matrix, but on the 11 o'clock news. There will be senators and business men and solid Republicans saying, " Dude, what if reality is really another level? What if being a human is a choice?"
想想11點新聞上“黑客帝國”般的場景吧。參議員、商人和堅定的共和黨人會說：“夥計，假如現實其實是另一層呢？假如變成人只是一種選擇呢？”
We can expect great uncertainty about our species identity and the nature of what we should count as real. It will be an anxious time.
可以預料，關於我們的物種身份以及我們該把什麼當作真實的本質會產生很大的不確定性。這將是一個焦灼的時刻。
This deep anxiety and uncertainty will breed many weird cults and strange beliefs -- as it did within Philip K. Dick (just read that address!).
深刻的焦慮和不確定性會滋生多種詭異的小衆文化和奇怪的信仰——就像其對菲利普·K·狄克產生的影響一樣。（再讀讀他的談話！）
There will be psychosis and wars built on the uncertainty of what is a human. The abortion war and the war over slavery are only two hints of the degree to which this question can provoke mortal conflict.
對人是什麼的不確定性將會導致精神變態和戰爭。墮胎戰爭和奴隸制戰爭只是這個問題能引發世間紛爭的兩個例子。
Yet even those who escape the violence -- the mass of ordinary citizens and net surfers -- will be pressed by a blanket of unresolved doubt.
即便是那些能逃避暴力的人——普羅大衆和網民——也將面臨一個懸而未決的疑問。
Who am I? Can there be more than one species of human? Can a robot be a child of God? Is slavery among intelligent machines acceptable?
我是誰？人的種類只有一種嗎？機器人能成爲上帝的孩子嗎？對智能機器的奴役是否可被接受？
Should we extend the circle of empathy beyond animals and living things to made things? If it hurts, is it real?
我們是否應該把同情心由動物和生物擴大至所有造物？如果它能造成傷害，它是不是真實的？
You know how it is when a friend gets consumed by these unanswerable questions? They may flip out, or become paralyzed by the unrelenting weight.
當你的一位朋友遇到這些無法作答的問題時，你知道會發生什麼？他們也許會失控，也許會在這些問題的重壓下失神。
Now image a whole world waylaid by these Dickian obsessions. An entire species afflicted with an identity crises. It's coming.
現在，想象一下被這些狄克式問題伏擊的世界吧：所有物種都受到身份危機的折磨。這個時間即將到來。
