Reality has become even more complicated since then: the family’s role continues to decline in Asia; philantropy, despite a few extraordinarily generous individuals, has more than met its limits in America; and, with the possible exception of the Nordic countries, the state in Europe, overburdened by debt, no longer has the means or the will to shoulder new responsibilities.
这十几年来，现实已经变得愈加复杂：亚洲家庭的角色进一步衰微；美国的慈善事业遭遇瓶颈，除了几个慈善家特别慷慨以外，整体上不进反退；而欧洲的国家被债务压得喘不过气来，已没有能力和意愿去肩负新的责任——北欧国家可能算是例外。