以高標準看待扎克伯格的善舉

The pledge by Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, and his wife Priscilla Chan, to give at least $3bn over the next decade for medical research has justifiably received large numbers of likes, loves and wows on his social media site.

Facebook創始人馬克•扎克伯格(Mark Zuckerberg)和妻子普麗西拉•陳(Priscilla Chan)承諾，將在未來10年捐贈至少30億美元用於醫學研究，這理所當然地在這家社交媒體網站上收穫了大量的喜歡(like)、大愛(love)和哇(wow)。

It needs just a little nuance.

只不過，我們需要對這件事看得再仔細一點。

The couple have every right to spend their fortune how they wish.

這對夫婦完全有權按照自己的意願花掉他們的財富。

Choosing philanthropy over personal luxury is admirable.

選擇慈善而不是個人奢侈享受的舉動令人欽佩。

It sets a powerful example for others to follow in donating money, expertise and time — from fellow billionaires, companies and individuals with far more modest means.

這一舉動在獻出金錢、專業技能和時間方面，爲其他人樹立了一個強有力的榜樣，包括與他一樣的億萬富翁、企業以及財力遠不如他的個人。

The focus on medical research is also an excellent priority with global impact and high potential benefits.

對醫學研究的關注也極好抓住了重點，有着全球影響以及極大的潛在好處。

Ill health causes vast amounts of suffering, while disease and premature death are brakes on social and economic development around the world.

人們的健康不佳帶來了大量痛苦，疾病和早逝阻礙着全球的社會和經濟發展。

It is particularly smart to focus on bringing together scientists with engineers, to stress the importance of collaboration and sharing data, and to call for more science funding.

尤其明智的是，他們關注於把科學家和工程師帶到一起，強調合作和數據共享的重要性，並呼籲對科學投入更多資金。

Facebook’s expertise in bringing together disparate groups and individuals online could be a catalyst for identifying new ideas, partners for research and more efficient recruitment of patients for clinical trials.

Facebook擅長在線上將各種不同羣體和個人帶到一起，這一優勢可能會促進人們發現新創意、找到研究合作伙伴，以及更有效地爲臨牀試驗招募患者。

Just as important is the Zuckerbergs’ use of a limited liability partnership rather than a more rigid tax exempt foundation as the entity through which to give.

同樣重要的是，扎克伯格利用有限責任公司作爲捐贈的實體，而非更嚴格的可以減免稅收的慈善基金會。

This provides greater flexibility in deciding whether they provide grants or invest for profit in medical programmes.

這讓他們可以更加靈活地決定是提供補助，還是對醫學項目進行營利性投資。

There are a few caveats, however.

然而，這裏有一些提醒。

First, while philanthropy is an excellent way to innovate, the fundamental role of the public sector in collecting and democratically distributing funding, including for medical research, is pivotal.

首先，儘管慈善是一種很好的創新方式，但公共部門在收集和民主地分配資金（包括用於醫學研究的資金）方面發揮的基礎性作用是至關重要的。

Facebook and other companies should resist any aggressive tax avoidance that minimises taxable profits and reduces revenues to governments.

Facebook和其他公司應抵制任何將應稅利潤降至最低並使政府收入減少的激進避稅行爲。

Second, they should also set a good example with high levels of transparency and accountability for their donations and the results they generate.

其次，他們還應在捐贈及其結果的高度透明和可問責方面樹立良好的榜樣。

That will help make future philanthropy more efficient, both for givers and grant-seekers.

這將有助於讓未來的慈善對捐贈者和受捐者都更高效。

Third, while they are perfectly entitled to call their programme the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, philanthropy needs donors willing to co-operate.

第三，儘管他們完全有權把這個項目叫作陳-扎克伯格計劃(Chan Zuckerberg Initiative)，但慈善需要願意合作的其他捐贈者。

No one can begrudge them naming rights but there is a balance to be struck between strong personal branding and the need for wider collaboration and participation.

沒有人能夠妒忌他們的命名權，但在高調的個人品牌和更廣泛合作、參與的必要性之間，他們需要找到平衡。

Finally, there is a risk of hubris, which in turn could lead to disillusionment and a loss of momentum.

最後，這裏存在自大的風險，進而可能導致理想幻滅和動力喪失。

Bill Gates, who has spent billions of dollars over the past 15 years on global health, has yet to achieve the eradication of malaria or polio, let alone either a vaccine or a cure for HIV.

過去15年，比爾•蓋茨(Bill Gates)在全球健康領域花費了數十億美元，也未能實現瘧疾或小兒麻痹的根除，更別提找到艾滋病疫苗或治癒良方了。

Former US president Jimmy Carter’s 30-year campaign to wipe out Guinea worm disease is still not achieved, a reminder that goodwill alone cannot provide all the solutions.

美國前總統吉米•卡特(Jimmy Carter)用30年時間致力於掃除幾內亞線蟲病，迄今這個目標仍未實現——這提醒人們，僅憑良好願望是無法解決所有問題的。

It would also be wrong to regard medical research as failing.

將醫學研究視爲失敗也是錯誤的。

Great progress has been made in recent decades in medicine, including new vaccines and treatments for cancer.

近數十年，醫學領域取得了重大進展，包括找到了一些新的癌症疫苗和治療方法。

The Zuckerbergs’ ambition to cure, prevent or manage all disease in our children’s lifetime seems grandiose.

扎克伯格夫婦想要治癒、預防或控制我們的孩子們一生中可能遇到的所有疾病，這個理想似乎相當遠大。

To give the gift some perspective each year, the US National Institutes of Health alone spends ten times the Zuckerbergs’ pledged decade-long $3bn.

從每年來看，單單美國國家健康研究院(National Institutes of Health)的支出就超過扎克伯格夫婦承諾在10年間捐贈的30億美元。

The UK’s Wellcome Trust will spend more than twice their contribution over the next five years.

未來5年，英國的Wellcome Trust將花費兩倍於這筆捐贈的資金。

But each new idea is welcome, and with their commitment and convening power, they could add a great deal.

然而，我們歡迎所有新的想法，憑藉決心和感召力，他們可以做出巨大的貢獻。