No.12
MG: And her dad had told me how afraid he was that unlike the son, who had passed his secondary exams, because of her chores, she’d not done so well and wasn’t in the government school yet. He said, “I don’t know how I’m going to pay for her education. I can’t pay for private school, and she may end up on this farm like my wife.” So they know the difference that an education can make in a huge, profound way.
CA: I mean, this is another pic of your other two kids, Rory and Phoebe, along with Paul Farmer. Bringing up three children when you’re the world’s richest family seems like a social experiment without much prior art. How have you managed it? What’s been your approach?
BG: Well, I’d say overall the kids get a great education, but you’ve got to make sure they have a sense of their own ability and what they’re going to go and do, and our philosophy has been to be very clear with them — most of the money’s going to the foundation — and help them find something they’re excited about. We want to strike a balance where they have the freedom to do anything but not a lot of money showered on them so they could go out and do nothing. And so far, they’re fairly diligent, excited to pick their own direction.
CA: You’ve obviously guarded their privacy carefully for obvious reasons. I’m curious why you’ve given me permission to show this picture now here at TED.
MG: Well, it’s interesting. As they get older, they so know that our family belief is about responsibility, that we are in an unbelievable situation just to live in the United States and have a great education, and we have a responsibility to give back to the world. And so as they get older and we are teaching them — they have been to so many countries around the world — they’re saying, we do want people to know that we believe in what you’re doing, Mom and Dad, and it is okay to show us more. So we have their permission to show this picture, and I think Paul Farmer is probably going to put it eventually in some of his work. But they really care deeply about the mission of the foundation, too.
ボキャブラリー
MG: And her dad had told me how afraid he was that unlike the son, who had passed his secondary exams, because of her chores, she’d not done so well and wasn’t in the government school yet. He said, “I don’t know how I’m going to pay for her education. I can’t pay for private school, and she may end up on this farm like my wife.” So they know the difference that an education can make in a huge, profound way.
CA: I mean, this is another pic of your other two kids, Rory and Phoebe, along with Paul Farmer. Bringing up three children when you’re the world’s richest family seems like a social experiment without much prior art. How have you managed it? What’s been your approach?
BG: Well, I’d say overall the kids get a great education, but you’ve got to make sure they have a sense of their own ability and what they’re going to go and do, and our philosophy has been to be very clear with them — most of the money’s going to the foundation — and help them find something they’re excited about. We want to strike a balance where they have the freedom to do anything but not a lot of money showered on them so they could go out and do nothing. And so far, they’re fairly diligent, excited to pick their own direction.
CA: You’ve obviously guarded their privacy carefully for obvious reasons. I’m curious why you’ve given me permission to show this picture now here at TED.
MG: Well, it’s interesting. As they get older, they so know that our family belief is about responsibility, that we are in an unbelievable situation just to live in the United States and have a great education, and we have a responsibility to give back to the world. And so as they get older and we are teaching them — they have been to so many countries around the world — they’re saying, we do want people to know that we believe in what you’re doing, Mom and Dad, and it is okay to show us more. So we have their permission to show this picture, and I think Paul Farmer is probably going to put it eventually in some of his work. But they really care deeply about the mission of the foundation, too.
unlike: prep. 〜とは違って
secondary exam: 二次試験
chore: n. 雑事，雑用，仕事，作業（家事・農作業など）
end up: 結局〜になる、最後は〜に行き着く［落ちつく］
make a difference: 違いが生まれる、効果がある、改善する、良くする
pic: n. (= picture) 写真、絵
along with: 〜と並んで、〜と一緒に、〜に加えて、〜の他に
Paul Farmer: ポール・ファーマー（1959年生まれ。発展途上国での医療活動で有名な医師・医療人類学者）
bring up: 育てる、育成する、しつける、養育する
social experiment: 社会的実験
prior art: 先行技術，既知の技術、従来技術
approach: n. やり方，扱い方、姿勢，取り組み
overall: adv. 概して、全体としては、全般的に見て
have a sense of ~: 〜という実感を持つ、感覚を持つ
ability: n. 能力，才能、できること
philosophy: n. 哲学；人生観，物の見方，信条、価値観
strike a balance: 釣り合いを取る；妥協点を探る、うまく両立させる
guard: vt. 守る、保護する
permission: n. 許可，認可，承認，同意
get older: 年を取る，年を重ねるとお
unbelievable: a. 信じられない、すごい、驚くべき
believe in: 〜を信頼する、〜の存在［正当性］を信じる
eventually: adv. 最終的には、結局、いつかは、ゆくゆくは
deeply: adv. 深く、重く、非常に、強烈に
mission: n. 使命，目的，目標
foundation: n. 財団，基金
解説
ポール・ファーマーについては
→http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Farmer
ポール・ファーマーの著作
復興するハイチ ―― 震災から、そして貧困から 医師たちの闘いの記録
2010―11
