[11]美国人和冰岛人都是个人主义者，所不同的是各自的群体意识。冰岛以“火和冰”而闻名遐迩，人民生活在逆境之中。冰岛是世界上活火山最多的国家之一，还有4536平方英里的冰川，堪称冷热并存。无怪乎这个国家能很好地协调个人主义和群体需要这两种对立的观念，使之共存共容。

　　[12]Anyone who thinks Americans invented rugged『粗鲁的;粗俗的』individualism has only to visit Iceland. This nation has an ancient『古代的;远古的』 respect for independence. Way back in the tenth century, Iceland was a commonwealth『共和国;联邦』; today Icelanders still place high value on their freedom.

　　[12]那些认为是美国人发明了个人主义的人应该到冰岛去看看，这个国家在远古就崇尚独立，早在10世纪就建立了联邦共和国。今天的冰岛人仍然看重自由的价值。

　　[13]But here’s the paradox『矛盾;似是而非』: this individualism exists with a sense of community. For years I have known an Icelandic family that embraces『包括;接受』a family drunk and an illegitimate『私生的;非法的』child. This family never let them drift, like human flotsam『流浪者;流离失所者』, to be beached『庇护;安顿』at some government institution. “Icelanders have strong systems of support,” says Thorlindsson.

　　[13]然而，这里的个人主义置于群体意识之中。在冰岛，家庭中的酒鬼和私生子不会被抛弃，这是因为冰岛有强有力的社会救济制度。

　　[14]Tolerance is not hollow 『表面的;虚伪的』 phrase in Iceland. The word for “stupid”is heimskur, which roughly means “comes from home” — or as we would say, provincial『乡下气的;偏狭的』or narrow-minded. Icelanders believe only a dolt『笨蛋;傻瓜』is unable to see the other fellow’s position. In this sense, they might find some of what passes for political debate『讨论;辩论』in the United States absolutely heimskur.