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Roy Jenkins rethinking the "permissive society"

 

The permissive society has been allowed to become a dirty phrase. A better phrase is the civilised society.

(我們已經聽任「包容社會」成為一個污穢的字眼。比較好的詞語,是「文明社會」。)

Roy Jenkins (1920-2003)

 

Roy Jenkins是英國政客,也是著名歷史學家和作家。六十年代先後出任內務大臣及財政大臣。曾為歐盟主席,1987年任牛津大學校長至去世。

 

permissive 包容的/放任的

(adjective 形容詞)

 

= (recap) tolerant, accepting

♦ Giving people a lot of freedom (or too much freedom) to do what they want to do

 

例子:permissive retirement age (自願退休的年齡)

例子:The politician claims that society has been far too permissive towards drug taking.

 

civilised 文明的

(adjective 形容詞)

 

► American spelling: civiliZed

 

What does "being civilised" mean?

例子:Society needs both justice and compassion, a head and a heart, if it is to be civilised.

 

compassion 同理心

(noun 名詞)

= A feeling of wanting to help someone who is sick, hungry, in trouble, etc.

 

例子: She shows compassion to the sick.