How Will Blockchain Change Your Life 區塊鏈將如何改變生活

韓聰

Like many new developments， the full ramifications of the Blockchain technology have taken some time to be appreciated. Many more changes we havent yet considered will surely subsequently be given birth to1. Were Uber and other ride-sharing2 competitors an obvious result of Google Maps technology？ Not to most but these apps and the multi-billion dollar market theyve created are powered by Google Maps data. We can expect the same， and potentially far more significant， changes to the environment we all live in to result from the increasing adoption and implementation of Blockchain technology in different areas.

Just a few of the main ways we can expect Blockchain technology to change our lives are：

Personal data ownership： the internet of information—the World Wide Web3—means that to a varying extent we all have a ‘virtual you. This is the sum of all of the digital crumbs we leave behind ourselves when we do anything online， particularly when that involves financial transactions. However， we dont own this ‘digital version of ourselves—our data is held by all of the intermediaries we go through online when making payments， transfers， inquiries and so on. Blockchain， by cutting out4 most intermediaries and allowing secure transactions directly between counterparties will mean in the future we should own our own digital identity. It will be less necessary to provide third party access to this personal data and only when and how we wish to provide it.

Online security： because Blockchain records are decentralized they cannot be hacked. Or it is at least hugely difficult to do so. Blockchain applications are infinitely more secure than even the heaviest online firewalls and security measures current systems use. Multiple copies of the same cryptographically-sealed5 records held simultaneously on millions of computers means that hacking a Blockchain is practically impossible. It would mean being able to simultaneously do so across more than 50% of potentially millions of copies.

Online records and personal data being held on Blockchain applications would essentially bring the era of identity theft， online fraud， and malicious hacking to an end.

Time and cost efficiencies： having full ownership and control of all of our own personal data has many potential applications. Processes from applying for a loan to replacing a lost driving license or disputing a property boundary would all be streamlined6. Verifying our own identities， financial history， and other records would no longer require the slow and inefficient process of compiling information from different central authorities. Everything could theoretically be contained in our own personal Blockchain record and convenient access provided to what is relevant.

Most of the transactions we conduct， from financial transactions to applying to a university， involve intermediaries. This both increases costs and processing time. Blockchain technologys potential to remove these intermediaries will slash costs and processing inefficiencies across the many trust-based commercial and administrative transaction processes we are part of almost every day.

What Blockchain means for the sharing economy

When we talk about the sharing economy we refer to companies such as Airbnb， Uber， and Lyft. However， while these companies have certainly opened up the opportunity for individuals to earn money by providing others the use of their possessions or time， they are not truly peer-2-peer7.

A Blockchain technology-powered alternative would mean a system like Airbnb could genuinely run without a company behind it. The trust required between the two counter-parties would be provided by the Blockchain records and Blockchain-based smart contracts. A company， or another form of organization， would still need to initially build the platform of course but it would then be able to run autonomously. At the very least this would hugely decrease the service fee costs for the two counterparties.

How Blockchains could change the world

Blockchain technology could also have a massive global impact in the form of protecting ownership rights， rule of law， preventing corruption and making politicians and other leaders more accountable. The single biggest cause of poverty in the world is not a lack of resources but corruption， poor management and weak rule of law.

Blockchain allows for8 permanent， immutable and auditable records. This provides transparency and keeps all parties accountable. Imagine the case of a major public concession such as building a motorway， hospital or school. A Blockchain-based record of each and every transaction within that process would make it impossible to cover up misuse or misappropriation of funds or inefficient work. How much was paid for what， when and to whom would be clear.

Blockchain technology also has clear application for supply chain management. This means a full history of building materials used， all the way back to the quarry or factory would also be possible. The use of cheaper inferior materials in construction is a huge element of fraud and misappropriation of public funds in many parts of the world. Precise records that cannot be tampered with9 would eliminate a massive percentage of the corruption and theft that has prevented many parts of the world developing in the way they should have.

Rule of law and protection of private property is another fundamental problem that has held back many parts of the developing world at different points in history. It is estimated that 70% of the worlds private property is held tenuously. A citizen may have a paper title deed to farmland or other property but if a dictator says that the governments computer says that property is actually owned by someone else， favored by the regime， what recourse does that citizen have to defend their ownership rights？

Blockchains immutability would mean that title deed records would not be corruptible at the whim of any government or central authority. Of course， a property could still be taken by force but there would be no way to dress up10 the action in front of the wider public or international community as anything other than direct theft.

Blockchain-based public record keeping， contracts， and supply chain management genuinely has the potential to eliminate the majority of theft， corruption， and lack of accountability for gross incompetence. And that would almost certainly take the handbrake off11 development in the parts of the world that have suffered the most from those things.? ? ? ? ? ■

像許多新的開發成果一樣，區塊鏈技術的全部影響過了些時間才被認可。更多我們尚未考慮到的變化必將隨后產生。優步和與之競爭的拼車應用程序是谷歌地圖技術的明確產物嗎？雖然多數不是，但是這些應用程序及其所創造的數十億美元市場是谷歌地圖數據驅動的。我們可以預計，隨著不同領域愈加廣泛地采納和實際應用區塊鏈技術，我們所生活的環境也會發生同樣的、甚至可能更為顯著的變化。

以下是幾種我們可以預計的區塊鏈改變我們生活的主要方式：

個人數據所有權：信息互聯網——萬維網——意味著在不同程度上每人都有一個“虛擬自我”。這是我們在網上做任何事，尤其是涉及金融業務時，所留下的所有數字碎片的總和。然而，這一“數字”版本的自己并不歸我們所有——我們的數據由我們在付款、轉賬、查詢等時候所通過的所有網上中介掌握。通過舍去大多數中介并允許交易雙方直接進行安全交易，區塊鏈將讓我們在未來擁有自己的數字身份。供第三方訪問這些個人數據的必要性將會降低，只在我們希望的時間以我們愿意的方式可供訪問。

網絡安全：因為區塊鏈的記錄是分布式的，所以不會遭受入侵，或者說至少極難入侵。區塊鏈應用程序甚至比當前系統使用的最強大的網絡防火墻和安全措施都安全得多。數百萬臺計算機上同時保存著同樣加密記錄的多個副本，這意味著入侵區塊鏈幾乎是不可能的。入侵區塊鏈需要同時入侵可能多達數百萬份副本中的半數以上。

網上記錄和個人數據保存在區塊鏈應用程序中，將從根本上終結身份盜竊、網絡詐騙和惡意入侵的時代。

時間及成本效率： 完全擁有和掌控我們的所有個人數據有許多潛在用途。從申請貸款到補辦丟失的駕照，或對產權界址提出異議，流程都將簡化。核實我們的自身身份、財務歷史和其他記錄將不再需要緩慢低效的各種中心化權威機構提供信息。理論上，一切都能裝在我們個人的區塊鏈記錄中，而且方便訪問調用。

從金融交易到大學申請，我們進行的大多數交易都涉及中介。這既增加了成本，又延長了處理時間。我們幾乎每天都處理許多基于信任的商業和行政事務，區塊鏈技術有望消除這些中介，從而削減處理成本，提升效率。

區塊鏈對共享經濟意味著什么

談論共享經濟時，我們指的是愛彼迎、優步和來福車等公司。然而，盡管這些公司確實為個人帶來了賺錢的機會，即讓他人使用自己的財產或時間來賺錢，但他們并非真正的個人對個人。

區塊鏈技術驅動的替代方案意味著，一個像愛彼迎這樣的系統背后不再需要一家公司來運作。區塊鏈記錄和基于區塊鏈的智能合約將確保雙方之間所需的信任。一家公司，或另一種形式的組織，最初當然仍需構建平臺，但之后就能自主運行。至少，這將極大降低雙方的服務費成本。

區塊鏈如何改變世界

區塊鏈技術還可以保護所有權、保障法治、防止腐敗、讓政客等領導人更可靠，以此產生巨大的全球影響。世界上，造成貧困的最大原因不是資源短缺，而是腐敗、管理不善和法治薄弱。

區塊鏈的記錄內容永久不變并經得起審計。這種方式是透明的，參與各方各負其責。想象一下有大型公共特許權的情況，例如修建高速公路、醫院或學校。該建設過程中，基于區塊鏈的每筆交易記錄將讓資金的濫用或挪用以及低效的工作藏無可藏。什么時候向誰支付多少錢買了什么，都是清楚的。

區塊鏈技術在供應鏈管理中也有明確應用。這表示有所用建筑材料的完整歷史，可一直追溯到采石場或工廠。在世界許多地方，建筑中使用廉價劣質材料是詐騙和挪用公共資金的主要手段。無法篡改的精確記錄將消除大量腐敗和盜竊行為，正是這些行為讓世界許多地方不能正常發展。

法治和私有財產保護是另一個根本問題，在不同歷史時期阻礙了許多發展中國家的發展。據估計，世界上70%的私有財產持有狀態不牢固。公民可能擁有耕地或其他財產的所有權證明，但如果一個獨裁者說，政府的計算機顯示該財產實際上歸受獨裁政府支持的他人所有，那么該公民靠什么捍衛其所有權呢？

區塊鏈的不變性意味著所有權證書的記錄不會被任何政府或中心化權威機構隨心所欲地篡改。當然，財產仍可能被強行奪走，但在更廣大公眾或國際社會面前，這種行為無異于直接盜竊，根本沒辦法粉飾。

基于區塊鏈的公共記錄保存、合同和供應鏈管理真的有潛力消除大多數盜竊、腐敗和對嚴重失職缺乏問責的現象。世界上很多地區的發展深受以上問題困擾，區塊鏈技術定能消除這些發展掣肘。? ? ? ? ? ? ? □

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎者;譯者單位：鄭州大學外國語與國際關系學院）

重要時政詞語表述漢英選譯

加強生態環保督察執法。

Inspections and law enforcement for environmental protection were streng-thened.

全面推進“互聯網+”。

Internet Plus initiatives were advanced across the board.

“雙隨機、一公開”監管全面實施。

Oversight conducted through the random selection of both inspectors and inspection targets and the prompt release of results was implemented nationwide.

大力優化創新生態，調動各類創新主體積極性。

We greatly improved the innovation ecosystem to keep innovators of all kinds fully motivated.

將提高研發費用加計扣除比例政策擴大至所有企業。

We extended the policy on raising the proportion of additional tax-deductible R&D costs to cover all enterprises.

共建“一帶一路”引領效應持續釋放。

Joint efforts to pursue the Belt and Road Initiative are producing a pace-setting effect.