比爾蓋茨的哈佛大學演講(8)

　　Finding solutions is essential if we want to make the most of our caring. If we have clear and proven answers anytime an organization or individual asks "How can I help?," then we can get action - and we can make sure that none of the caring in the world is wasted. But complexity makes it hard to mark a path of action for everyone who cares -- and that makes it hard for their caring to matter.

　　如果我們要讓關心落到實處，我們就必須找到解決辦法。如果我們有一個清晰的和可靠的答案，那么當任何組織和個人發出疑問"如何我能提供幫助"的時候，我們就能采取行動。我們就能夠保證不浪費一丁點全世界人類對他人的關心。但是，世界的復雜性使得很難找到對全世界每一個有愛心的人都有效的行動方法，因此人類對他人的關心往往很難產生實際效果。

　　Cutting through complexity to find a solution runs through four predictable stages: determine a goal, find the highest-leverage approach, discover the ideal technology for that approach, and in the meantime, make the smartest application of the technology that you already have -- whether it's something sophisticated, like a drug, or something simpler, like a bednet.

　　從這個復雜的世界中找到解決辦法，可以分為四個步驟：確定目標，找到最高效的方法，發現適用于這個方法的新技術，同時最聰明地利用現有的技術，不管它是復雜的藥物，還是最簡單的蚊帳。

　　The AIDS epidemic offers an example. The broad goal, of course, is to end the disease. The highest-leverage approach is prevention. The ideal technology would be a vaccine that gives lifetime immunity with a single dose. So governments, drug companies, and foundations fund vaccine research. But their work is likely to take more than a decade, so in the meantime, we have to work with what we have in hand - and the best prevention approach we have now is getting people to avoid risky behavior.

　　艾滋病就是一個例子。總的目標，毫無疑問是消滅這種疾病。最高效的方法是預防。最理想的技術是發明一種疫苗，只要注射一次，就可以終生免疫。所以，政府、制藥公司、基金會應該資助疫苗研究。但是，這樣研究工作很可能十年之內都無法完成。因此，與此同時，我們必須使用現有的技術，目前最有效的預防方法就是設法讓人們避免那些危險的行為。