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JamesGeary_2009G-_暗喻言说_
Metaphor lives a secret life all around us. 暗喻秘密地生活在我们中间。
Metaphor:n.暗喻,隐喻;比喻说法;
We utter about six metaphors a minute. 于我们的言谈中,每分钟大约会出现六个暗喻。
utter:v.说;出声;讲;adj.完全的;十足的;彻底的; metaphors:n.隐喻(metaphor的复数形式);
Metaphorical thinking is essential to how we understand ourselves, and others, how we communicate, learn, discover and invent. 暗喻思维是一把钥匙, 它可以开启我们相互理解 沟通、学习、发现 和创新的大门。
Metaphorical:adj.比喻性的,隐喻性的; essential:n.要点;要素;实质;必需品;adj.完全必要的;必不可少的;极其重要的;本质的;
But metaphor is a way of thought before it is a way with words . 首先,暗喻是一种思维方式。
a way with words:长于言辞;
Now, to assist me in explaining this, 为了说明这一点,
I've enlisted the help of one of our greatest philosophers , the reigning king of the metaphorians, a man whose contributions to the field are so great that he himself has become a metaphor. 我请教了一位当代最伟大的哲学家, 当权的暗喻皇帝, 一位因其对暗喻学的巨大贡献 而自身成了一位暗喻的 人物。
enlisted:adj.士兵的;v.争取;(使)入伍;征募;从军;(enlist的过去分词和过去式) philosophers:n.哲学家(philosopher的复数); reigning:adj.(冠军)现任的;v.统治;当政;为王;盛行;(reign的现在分词) contributions:n.捐款;捐资;定期缴款;贡献;促成作用;(contribution的复数)
I am, of course, referring to none other than Elvis Presley. 当然,我指的不是别人, 正是猫王埃尔维斯-普雷斯利。
referring:v.引用;提到;将…归因于…;把…提交;(refer的现在分词)
(Laughter) （众笑）
Now, "All Shook Up" is a great love song. 好,《神魂颠倒》（意即整个人都被动摇了）是一首经典情歌。
It's also a great example of how whenever we deal with anything abstract ideas, emotions , feelings, concepts, thoughts, we inevitably resort to metaphor. 也是一个极好的暗喻范例, 它诠释了当我们面临抽象事物时, 无论是主意、情绪、感觉、概念亦或是思想, 都不得不求助于暗喻。
abstract:n.摘要; adj.抽象的; vt.摘要; vi.做摘要; emotions:n.强烈的感情;激情;情感;(emotion的复数) inevitably:adv.不可避免地;必然地; resort:n.度假胜地;诉诸;采取;旅游胜地;v.去;凭藉;
In "All Shook Up," a touch is not a touch, but a chill . 在《神魂颠倒》中,触摸不再是触摸,而是寒气。
chill:n.寒冷; adj.寒冷的; v.冷冻,冷藏;
Lips are not lips, but volcanoes . 嘴唇不再是嘴唇,而是火山。
volcanoes:n.火山爆发,火山;火山群(volcano复数);
She is not she, but a buttercup . 她不再是她,而是毛茛花（一种小黄花）。
buttercup:n.毛茛属植物;adj.毛茛属植物的;
And love is not love, but being all shook up. 爱情也不再是爱情,而是变得神魂颠倒了。
In this, Elvis is following Aristotle's classic definition of metaphor as the process of giving the thing a name that belongs to something else. 在这里,埃尔维斯采用的完全是亚里士多德对暗喻的经典定义, 亦即是把B事物的名称 赋予给A事物的过程。
classic:n.名著;优秀的典范;adj.最优秀的;第一流的;有代表性的;典型的; definition:n.定义;清晰度;(尤指词典里的词或短语的)释义;解释; process:v.处理;加工;列队行进;n.过程,进行;方法,adj.经过特殊加工(或处理)的;
This is the mathematics of metaphor. 这就是暗喻的数学公式。
mathematics:n.数学;数学运算;
And fortunately it's very simple. 幸好它很简单。
fortunately:adv.幸运地;
X equals Y. X等于Y。
(Laughter) （众笑）
This formula works whereever metaphor is present. 这个公式适用于所有的暗喻。
formula:n.公式; adj.(赛车)方程式的(指赛车要符合规定的体积,重量及汽缸容量等);
Elvis uses it, but so does Shakespeare in this famous line from " Romeo and Juliet," 埃尔维斯用到它,莎士比亚也同样用到它。 于《罗密欧与朱丽叶》中有这样的名句—
Shakespeare:n.莎士比亚(英国剧作家); Romeo:n.年轻的男情人;风流放荡的男子;
Juliet is the sun. 朱丽叶是太阳。
Now, here, Shakespeare gives the thing, Juliet, a name that belongs to something else, the sun. 在这里莎士比亚赋予朱丽叶 一个属于其它事物的名称,太阳。
But whenever we give a thing a name that belongs to something else, we give it a whole network of analogies too. 但是当我们赋予A事物以B事物的名称时, 我们也赋予它一整套的类比。
analogies:n.类比;类推法;
We mix and match what we know about the metaphor's source , in this case the sun, with what we know about its target, Juliet. 我们把对喻体的认知, 此处是太阳, 与对本体的认知-- 朱丽叶联系在一起,
source:n.来源;水源;原始资料;
And metaphor gives us a much more vivid understanding of Juliet than if Shakespeare had literally described what she looks like. 这样的暗喻可使我们更生动地理解朱丽叶, 强过莎士比亚忠实地描述她的相貌。
vivid:adj.生动的;鲜明的;鲜艳的; literally:adv.按字面:字面上:确实地: described:v.描述;形容;把…称为;做…运动;(describe的过去分词和过去式)
So, how do we make and understand metaphors? 那我们如何运用和理解暗喻呢？
This might look familiar . 大家对此并不陌生。
familiar:adj.熟悉的;常见的;亲近的;n.常客;密友;
The first step is pattern recognition . 第一步就是模式识别。
recognition:n.识别;认识;承认;认可;
Look at this image. What do you see? 请看这张图。你看到了什么？
Three wayward Pac Men, and three pointy brackets are actually present. 其实只有三个在外沿的吃豆人(Pac Man), 和三个尖角括号而已。
wayward:adj.任性的;不规则的;刚愎的; pointy:adj.尖的;非常尖的; brackets:n.支架; v.给…装上托架;
What we see, however, are two overlapping triangles . 但我们实际看到的是 两个重叠的三角形。
overlapping:v.(物体)部分重叠,交叠;使部分重叠;(overlap的现在分词) triangles:n.[数]三角形,三角型态(triangle的复数形式);
Metaphor is not just the detection of patterns; it is the creation of patterns. 暗喻不仅仅是模式辨识, 也是模式创造。
detection:n.侦查,探测;发觉,发现;察觉; creation:n.创造,创作;创作物,产物;
Second step, conceptual synesthesia . 第二步,概念联觉。
conceptual:adj.概念上的; synesthesia:n.共感觉;[生理]共同感觉;副感觉(等于synaesthesia);
Now, synesthesia is the experience of a stimulus in once sense organ in another sense organ as well, such as colored hearing. 联觉是指一种感官受到的刺激引起 另一种感官的感受, 例如色彩听觉。
stimulus:n.刺激;激励;刺激物; organ:n.[生物]器官;机构;风琴;管风琴;嗓音;
People with colored hearing actually see colors when they hear the sounds of words or letters. 有色彩听觉的人 就会在听到词语的声音时 将会看到色彩。
We all have synesthetic abilities. 我们都拥有联觉的能力。
This is the Bouba/Kiki test. 这是Bouba/Kiki测试。
What you have to do is identify which of these shapes is called Bouba, and which is called Kiki. 请你说出哪个形状叫Bouba, 哪个叫Kiki。
identify:v.识别:鉴定:确认:发现:
(Laughter) （众笑）
If you are like 98 percent of other people, you will identify the round, amoebiod shape as Bouba, and the sharp , spiky one as Kiki. 如果你象其余百分之九十八的人一样, 你会把这个圆圆的,变形虫形状的叫做Bouba, 把尖尖的,刺猬状的叫做Kiki。
sharp:锋利的,尖的 spiky:adj.大钉一般的;装有大钉的;尖刻的;易怒的;有穗的;
Can we do a quick show of hands? 是这样的请举手？
Does that correspond ? 是不是象我说的那样？
correspond:vi.符合,一致;相应;通信;
Okay, I think 99.9 would about cover it. 好,我想大概99.9%是那样。
Why do we do that? 这是为什么？
Because we instinctively find, or create, a pattern between the round shape, and the round sound of Bouba, and the spiky shape, and the spiky sound of Kiki. 因为我们本能地去找寻,或者创造 一个模式,把圆的图形与 Bouba这个圆的声音联系起来。 对尖的图形和尖的声音Kiki 也是如此。
instinctively:adv.本能地;
And many of the metaphors we use everyday are synesthetic. 我们日常生活中的暗喻多是联觉性的:
Silence is sweet. 沉默是甜的（抑或沉默是金）。
Neckties are loud. 领结是花骚的。
Neckties:n.领带(necktie的复数形式);
Sexually attractive people are hot. 性感的人是火辣的。
Sexually:adv.性,性欲 attractive:adj.吸引人的;有魅力的;引人注目的;
Sexually unattractive people leave us cold. 而不性感的人让我们觉得冷冰冰的。
unattractive:adj.不吸引人注意的;没有魅力的;不美丽的;
Metaphor creates a kind of conceptual synesthesia, in which we understand one concept in the context of another. 暗喻构筑了一个概念联觉的空间, 我们在其中用一种概念的情境 来理解另一种概念。
context:n.环境;上下文;来龙去脉;
Third step is cognitive dissonance . 第三步是认知失调。
cognitive:adj.认知的,认识的; dissonance:n.不一致;不调和;不和谐音;
This is the Stroop test. 这是Stroop测试,
What you need to do here is identify as quickly as possible the color of the ink in which these words are printed. 请你尽快指出 构成这些词的字母 在图片中实际的颜色。
You can take the test now. 就从现在开始。
If you're like most people, you will experience a moment of cognitive dissonance when the name of the color is printed in a differently colored ink. 如果你和大多数人一样, 颜色的名称 和图片中实际的颜色不符 会使你暂时地认知失调。
The test shows that we can not ignore the literal meaning of words even when the literal meaning gives the wrong answer. 这个测试表明我们无法忽视这些词的字面意义, 尽管字面意义上的答案是错误的。
ignore:v.驳回诉讼;忽视;不理睬;
Stroop tests have been done with metaphor as well. Stroop 测试也曾被用于暗喻上,
The participants had to identify, as quickly as possible, the literally false sentences. 受试者需要尽快地辨识 那些字面上错误的句子,其中包括暗喻。
participants:n.参与者(participant的复数形式);
They took longer to reject metaphors as false than they did to reject literally false sentences. 他们要花更长的时间才能把包含暗喻的句子 从中挑出来。
reject:v.排斥;拒收;拒绝接受;不予考虑;n.废品;次品;不合格者;被剔除者;
Why? Because we cannot ignore the metaphorical meaning of words either. 这是为什么？因为我们 同样也不能忽视这些词暗喻的意义。
One of the sentences was, "Some jobs are jails ." 其中一句话是:“有些工作是监狱”
jails:n.监狱;监牢;拘留所;vt.监禁;下狱;
Now, unless you're a prison guard, the sentence "Some jobs are jails" is literally false. 当然,除非你是监狱看守, “有些工作是监狱”这句话字面上是错的。
Sadly, it's metaphorically true. 不幸却在暗喻上是对的
metaphorically:adv.隐喻地;用比喻;
And the metaphorical truth interferes with our ability to identify it as literally false. 而暗喻上的真实干扰了我们的辨识能力, 以至于难于区分字面上的真假。
interferes:n.干涉(interfere的复数形式); v.妨碍;
Metaphor matters because it's around us every day, all the time. 暗喻很重要, 因它随时随地,无处不在。
Metaphor matters because it creates expectations . 暗喻很重要,因它带来期待
expectations:n.预料;预期;期待;希望;指望;(expectation的复数)
Pay careful attention the next time you read the financial news. 下次你看财经新闻可要注意,
financial:adj.金融的;财政的,财务的;
Agent metaphors describe price movements as the deliberate action of a living thing, as in, "The NASDAQ climbed higher." 拟人化的暗喻用来描述价格运动, 就像是有人有意那么做。 比如:“NASDAQ指数攀至新高”
Agent:n.代理人,代理商;药剂;特工;v由…作中介;由…代理;adj.代理的; deliberate:v.深思熟虑;仔细考虑;反复思考;adj.故意的;蓄意的;存心的;不慌不忙的;
Object metaphors describe price movements as non-living things, as in, "The Dow fell like a brick." 拟物化的暗喻用物体来描述 价格运动, 比如:*道琼斯指数象砖头一样下跌。*
non-living:adj.非生命的;
Researchers asked a group of people to read a clutch of market commentaries , and then predict the next day's price trend . 研究人员请一群人 在读了一些股评之后 来预测第二天的股价走势。
clutch:n.离合器; v.攫; adj.没有手提带或背带的; commentaries:n.评注,评注(commentary的复数形式);注释; predict:v.预报;预言;预告; trend:n.趋势;动向;趋向;动态;v.走向;趋向;
Those exposed to agent metaphors had higher expectations that price trends would continue. 那些读过拟人化暗喻的人 更多地期待股价走势会持续。
exposed:adj.无遮蔽的; v.暴露; (expose的过去分词和过去式) trends:n.趋势;倾向;动态;动向;(trend的第三人称单数和复数)
And they had those expectations because agent metaphors imply the deliberate action of a living thing pursuing a goal. 而他们这样期待是由于 拟人化的隐喻暗示了有人在刻意 追逐一个目标。
imply:v.意味;暗示;隐含; pursuing:v.追求;致力于;贯彻;跟踪;追赶;(pursue的现在分词)
If, for example, house prices are routinely described as climbing and climbing, higher and higher, people might naturally assume that that rise is unstoppable . 如果房价总是 被说成是不断攀升, 越走越高,人们自然会以为 房价上升势不可挡。
routinely:adv.例行公事地;老一套地; naturally:adv.自然地;自然而然地;轻而易举;天生地;大方地; assume:v.承担;假定;采取;呈现; unstoppable:adj.无法阻碍的;无法停止的(副词unstoppably);
They may feel confident , say, in taking out mortgages they really can't afford . 他们会感觉良好, 以至于背负超过支付能力的按揭。
confident:adj.自信的;确信的; mortgages:n.抵押贷款; v.[经]抵押(mortgage的三单形式); afford:v.给予,提供;买得起;
That's a hypothetical example of course. 当然这只是个虚构的例子。
hypothetical:adj.假设的;爱猜想的;
But this is how metaphor misleads . 但是暗喻确实会这样误导人。
misleads:vt.误导;带错;
Metaphor also matters because it influences decisions by activating analogies. 暗喻很重要,因为它通过激活类比机制 来影响决策。
influences:n.影响; v.影响; activating:v.使活动(activate的ing形式);
A group of students was told that a small democratic country had been invaded and had asked the U.S. for help. 在一项研究中,一群学生被告知某个民主小国 在遭到侵略后向美国寻求援助。
democratic:adj.民主的;民主政治的;大众的; invaded:v.入侵;拥入;遍布(invade的过去分词);adj.被侵入的;
And they had to make a decision. 学生们必须决定怎么办。
What should they do? 他们该怎么做呢？
Intervene , appeal to the U.N., or do nothing? 干预,向联合国申诉,还是袖手旁观？
Intervene:vi.干涉;调停;插入; appeal:n.上诉;吸引力;申诉;魅力;v.上诉;呼吁;申诉;恳求;
They were each then given one of three descriptions of this hypothetical crisis . 这个假想的危机有三种不同的解释, 他们每人听到其中的一种。
descriptions:n.摘要;说明,说明书;描述(description的复数形式); crisis:n.危机;危险期;决定性时刻;adj.危机的;用于处理危机的;
Each of which was designed to trigger a different historical analogy : 每个解释意在引起 对不同历史事件的类比:
trigger:n.触发器; v.触发; historical:adj.历史的;史学的;基于史实的; analogy:n.类比;类推;类似;
World War II, Vietnam, and the third was historically neutral . 二战,越战, 或者一个中性的事件。
historically:adv.历史上地;从历史观点上说; neutral:n.中立国; adj.中立的;
Those exposed to the World War II scenario made more interventionist recommendations than the others. 听到二战类比的学生比其他学生 更多地建议美国干预 这场危机。
scenario:n.方案;情节;剧本; interventionist:adj.干涉主义的;n.干涉主义者; recommendations:n.推荐;推荐信;推荐规范(recommendation的复数形式);
Just as we can not ignore the literal meaning of words, we can not ignore the analogies that are triggered by metaphor. 正如我们不能忽视词语的字面意义, 我们也无法忽视由暗喻 促发的类比。
triggered:v.发动;引起;触发;开动;起动;(trigger的过去分词和过去式)
Metaphor matters because it opens the door to discovery. 暗喻很重要,因为它开启了发现的大门。
Whenever we solve a problem, or make a discovery, we compare what we know with what we don't know. 每当我们要解决问题,或做新的探索时, 我们就把已知和未知进行比较。
compare:v.比较;对比;n.比较;
And the only way to find out about the latter is to investigate the ways it might be like the former. 而我们发现未知的唯一途径 就是探讨未知和已知有何相似性。
latter:adj.后者的;近来的;后面的;较后的; investigate:v.调查;研究;审查;
Einstein described his scientific method as combinatory play. 爱因斯坦曾把他的科学方法描述为组合的游戏。
scientific:adj.科学的,系统的;
He famously used thought experiments, which are essentially elaborate analogies, to come up with some of his greatest discoveries. 他在其有名的思想实验中, 实质上就是复杂的类比中, 成就了一些最伟大的科学发现。
famously:adv.著名地;极好地; essentially:adv.本质上;本来; elaborate:adj.精心制作的;详尽的;煞费苦心的;v.精心制作;详细描述;变复杂; come up with:提出;想出;赶上;
By bringing together what we know and what we don't know through analogy, metaphorical thinking strikes the spark that ignites discovery. 当我们用类比把已知 和未知联系在一起时, 暗喻的思维就会点燃 发现的火花。
spark:n.火花;电火花;火星;活力;v.引发;触发;冒火花;飞火星; ignites:点燃;燃烧;
Now metaphor is ubiquitous , yet it's hidden. 暗喻虽然无处不在,却是隐藏身形。
ubiquitous:adj.普遍存在的;无所不在的;
But you just have to look at the words around you and you'll find it. 而你只要注意周围的用词 就可以找到它。
Ralph Waldo Emerson described language as " fossil poetry ." 诗人艾默生曾将语言 描述为“化石般的诗”。
Ralph:v.呕吐; fossil:n.化石;老人;老古董;adj.从地下发掘出来的;化石的;属于旧时代的;陈腐的; poetry:n.诗;诗意,诗情;诗歌艺术;
But before it was fossil poetry language was fossil metaphor. 但是在它成为化石般的诗之前, 语言是化石般的暗喻。
And these fossils still breathe. 而这些化石现在仍具有生气。
fossils:n.[古生]化石(fossil复数形式);
Take the three most famous words in all of Western philosophy : " Cogito ergo sum." 就拿在西方哲学中最有名的三个词来说: Cogito ergo sum.
philosophy:n.哲学;哲理;人生观; Cogito:"我思; ergo:adv.因此,所以;
It is routinely translated as, "I think, therefore I am." 通常被翻译为“我思故我在。”
But there is a better translation. 但是有一种更好的译法。
The Latin word "cogito" 这里拉丁文 cogito
Latin:adj.拉丁语的;用拉丁语写成的;n.拉丁语;
is derived from the prefix "co," meaning "together," 是从前缀 co 而来,意思是 在一起
derived:adj.导出的;衍生的,派生的;v.得到;推断(derive的过去分词);由…而来; prefix:n.前缀;vt.加前缀;将某事物加在前面;
and the verb "agitare," meaning "to shake." 而动词 agitare 是“摇动” 的意思
So, the original meaning of "cogito" 所以 cogito 的原意是
original:n.原件;原作;原物;原型;adj.原始的;最初的;独创的;新颖的;
is to shake together. 一起摇动。
And the proper translation of "cogito ergo sum" 而 cogito ergo sum 的适切的翻译
is "I shake things up, therefore I am." 是 我摇动事物, 故我在.
(Laughter) (众笑)
Metaphor shakes things up, giving us everything from Shakespeare to scientific discovery in the process. 暗喻摇动事物, 它带给我们从莎士比亚到科学发现的各样事情。
The mind is a plastic snow dome , the most beautiful, most interesting, and most itself, when, as Elvis put it, it's all shook up. 我们的思想是一个圣诞节的雪花球, 它最美丽、最有趣, 也最本色的时候,就是它被使劲摇动的时候, 象埃尔维斯所说的一样。
dome:n.圆屋顶;vi.成圆顶状;vt.加圆屋顶于…上;
And metaphor keeps the mind shaking, rattling and rolling, long after Elvis has left the building . 暗喻让我们的思想不住的摇动, 叮当作响,滚动不已,尽管埃尔维斯早已离开。
rattling:v.很; adj.格格地响的; v.发出咔嗒咔嗒的声音; (rattle的现在分词) Elvis has left the building:猫王不在了;恋上冒牌猫王;恋上冒牌货;
Thank you very much. 谢谢各位。
(Applause) (掌声)