all good in themselves:

它们各有各的有益之处
drains, sewers, water pipes.

如排水沟下水道水管
But they didn't include social, economic and educational reform.

但这并不包括社会经济和教育上的改革
And the reforms all came from above,

随后改革便随之而来
and reinforced a centralizing state,

它加强了中央集权
rather than finding ways to empower ordinary people

而没有找到方法能授权人们
to participate in defending their own health.

自己参与到保卫自身健康的运动中来
Let me give you an example of a simple technological improvement.

我给大家举个科技进步的很简单的例子
It might be hard to recognize when you first look at it but--

刚看到大家可能认不出来
and I'm talking about some very humble movements that have

我现在讲的是一个很简陋的东西
enormous political and medical consequences.

但在政治上医学上有着巨大的影响
What we're looking at is a sewer main,

我们现在看到的是一截污水干管