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MarkPagel_2011G-_语言如何改变人类_
Each of you possesses the most powerful, dangerous and subversive trait that natural selection has ever devised . 每一个人都拥有 一个最强大,危险并具有颠覆性的特性 这一特性是自然选择前所未有的设计
possesses:拥有;掌握;占据(possess的第三人称单数); subversive:adj.破坏性的;从事颠覆的;n.危险分子;颠覆分子; trait:n.特性,特点;品质;少许; natural selection:n.自然选择;物竞天择; devised:v.设计(devise的过去式和过去分词);计划;发明;
It's a piece of neural audio technology for rewiring other people's minds. 它是一个神经声频技术 用于与他人交流思想
neural:adj.神经的;神经系统的;背的;神经中枢的; audio:adj.声音的;录音的; technology:n.技术;工艺;术语; rewiring:v.重新布线;重新接线(rewire的ing形式);
I'm talking about your language, of course, because it allows you to implant a thought from your mind directly into someone else's mind, and they can attempt to do the same to you, without either of you having to perform surgery . 我说的当然就是语言 因为通过语言你可以将自己的想法 直接灌输进别人脑子里 而他们亦可这样对你 双方都不用动手术
implant:vt.种植;灌输;嵌入;n.[医]植入物;植入管;vi.被移植; directly:adv.直接地;立即;马上;正好地;坦率地;conj.一…就; attempt:n.企图,试图;攻击;v.企图,试图;尝试; perform:v.表演;执行;履行;演出;工作,运转(好/不好); surgery:n.外科;外科手术;手术室;诊疗室;
Instead, when you speak, you're actually using a form of telemetry not so different from the remote control device for your television. 实际上,当你讲话的时候 使用的是一种遥测技术 这跟遥控器 遥控电视的差别并不大
telemetry:n.[自]遥测技术;遥感勘测;自动测量记录传导; remote control:遥控; device:n.装置;策略;图案;
It's just that, whereas that device relies on pulses of infrared light, your language relies on pulses, discrete pulses, of sound. 差别仅是遥控器 借助红外光 而你依靠的是脉冲 声音的不连续脉冲
whereas:conj.然而;鉴于;反之; relies:信任; pulses:n.[电子]脉冲(pulse的复数); v.使跳动; infrared:n.红外线;adj.红外线的; discrete:adj.离散的,不连续的;n.分立元件;独立部件;
And just as you use the remote control device to alter the internal settings of your television to suit your mood , you use your language to alter the settings inside someone else's brain to suit your interests. 就如同使用遥控器 去修改电视机内部设定 迎合自己口味一样 你使用语言 来转变别人大脑内部的设定 以满足你的需要
alter:v.更改;修改(衣服使更合身); internal:n.内脏;本质;adj.内部的;里面的;体内的;(机构)内部的; mood:n.情绪,语气;心境;气氛;
Languages are genes talking, getting things that they want. 语言是用来表达的基因 得到它们想要的表述
genes:n.基因;(gene的复数)
And just imagine the sense of wonder in a baby when it first discovers that, merely by uttering a sound, it can get objects to move across a room as if by magic, and maybe even into its mouth. 试想从婴儿不可思议的视角来看 当婴儿发现仅仅通过发出声音 他/她就能使音频穿过房间 如魔法一样 甚至从他/她嘴里蹦出。
merely:adv.仅仅,只不过;只是; uttering:v.发出;作声;使用伪币(utter的ing形式);n.故意提供或传递伪造文件罪;
Now language's subversive power has been recognized throughout the ages in censorship , in books you can't read, phrases you can't use and words you can't say. 如今,语言的颠覆性能力 已经在那些舆论审查的年代 以及你无法读到的书籍 你不能使用的敏感词 和字眼中得到了印证
recognized:v.认识;认出;辨别出;承认;意识到;(recognize的过去分词和过去式) throughout:adv.自始至终,到处;全部;prep.贯穿,遍及; censorship:n.审查制度;审查机构;
In fact, the Tower of Babel story in the Bible is a fable and warning about the power of language. 事实上,圣经里巴别塔的故事 就是关于语言能力的 一个寓言和警示
Babel:n.巴别塔;巴比伦式的城市; Bible:n.有权威的书; fable:n.寓言;无稽之谈;vi.编寓言;虚构;vt.煞有介事地讲述;虚构;
According to that story, early humans developed the conceit that, by using their language to work together, they could build a tower that would take them all the way to heaven. 这个故事说,远古的人类变得自以为是 他们以为通过同一种语言一起合作 可以建起一座 带他们通往天堂的塔
According to:根据,据说; conceit:n.自负;骄傲自大;巧妙的言辞;别出心裁的比喻;v.中意于;想像;理解
Now God, angered at this attempt to usurp his power, destroyed the tower, and then to ensure that it would never be rebuilt, he scattered the people by giving them different languages -- confused them by giving them different languages. 上帝为此大逆不道的篡夺行为震怒 因此毁了这座通天塔 并为了确保 人类无法再建 他通过赋予人们不同的语言将之拆散-- 用不同的语言使他们迷惑
usurp:v.篡夺;侵权; ensure:vt.保证,确保;使安全; scattered:adj.零散的; v.撒; (scatter的过去分词和过去式) confused:adj.困惑的; v.使糊涂; (confuse的过去分词和过去式)
And this leads to the wonderful irony that our languages exist to prevent us from communicating. 所以这导致一个奇妙而讽刺的结果 正是语言阻碍我们的交流
irony:n.讽刺;反语;具有讽刺意味的事;adj.铁的;似铁的;
Even today, we know that there are words we cannot use, phrases we cannot say, because if we do so, we might be accosted , jailed , or even killed. 甚至在今天 仍有些字词我们不能用 有些短语不能说 因为这样做 我们也许会锒铛入狱 甚至招来杀身之祸
accosted:vt.勾引;引诱;对…说话;搭讪; jailed:v.监禁;(jail的过去分词和过去式)
And all of this from a puff of air emanating from our mouths. 这一切只因为 口吐一口气而已
puff:v.喷出,张开; n.粉扑; emanating:从...处传出,传出(emanate的现在分词);
Now all this fuss about a single one of our traits tells us there's something worth explaining. 我们刚刚这番关于语言这一特性的长篇大论 无非是要说有些东西值得去解释
fuss:n.大惊小怪; v.瞎忙一气; (为小事)烦恼; traits:n.特性,特质,性格(trait的复数);
And that is how and why did this remarkable trait evolve , and why did it evolve only in our species ? 那就是语言这一奇妙特性 是如何演变的及其原因 并且为什么 只在人类中演变？
remarkable:adj.卓越的;非凡的;值得注意的; evolve:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成; species:n.[生物]物种;种类;
Now it's a little bit of a surprise that to get an answer to that question, we have to go to tool use in the chimpanzees . 为获得以上问题的答案 先要做点意料外的工作 我们必须先研究 黑猩猩使用工具的能力
a little bit of a:一点点了; chimpanzees:n.[脊椎]黑猩猩(chimpanzee的复数);
Now these chimpanzees are using tools, and we take that as a sign of their intelligence . 这些黑猩猩正在利用工具 这被认为是它们智力的一个表现
intelligence:n.智力;智慧;才智;(尤指关于敌国的)情报;
But if they really were intelligent , why would they use a stick to extract termites from the ground rather than a shovel ? 但是如果它们真的聪明的话 为什么它们要用根棍子把白蚁从地面里取出 而不是用铲子挖呢？
intelligent:adj.有才智的;悟性强的;聪明的;有智力的 extract:v.提取;取出;摘录;榨取;n.汁;摘录;榨出物;选粹; termites:n.白蚁;(termite的复数) shovel:n.铁铲;一铲的量;铲车;v.铲除;用铲挖;把…胡乱塞入;
And if they really were intelligent, why would they crack open nuts with a rock? 如果它们真的聪明 为什么自己要用石头砸开坚果呢？
crack:v.使破裂;打开;变声;n.裂缝;声变;噼啪声;adj.最好的;高明的;
Why wouldn't they just go to a shop and buy a bag of nuts that somebody else had already cracked open for them? 为什么它们不去商店买上一袋坚果 在那里已经有砸好的坚果为它们准备好了？
cracked:adj.疯狂;破裂的;有裂纹的;v.破裂;裂开;断裂;(crack的过去分词和过去式)
Why not? I mean, that's what we do. 为什么呢？因为那些是人类才能做的
Now the reason the chimpanzees don't do that is that they lack what psychologists and anthropologists call social learning. 黑猩猩不那么做的原因 是它们缺乏心理学家和人类学家所谓的 社会学习能力
psychologists:n.[心理]心理学家(psychologist的复数形式); anthropologists:[人类]人类学家;
They seem to lack the ability to learn from others by copying or imitating or simply watching. 它们似乎缺乏 向别人学习的能力 通过照搬或模仿 或者仅仅观察
imitating:v.模仿;仿效;冒充;(imitate的现在分词)
As a result , they can't improve on others' ideas or learn from others' mistakes -- benefit from others' wisdom . 理所当然 它们无法改进他人的想法 或者从别人错误中吸取教训 汲取别人的智慧
As a result:结果; improve on:改进;对…加以改良; wisdom:n.智慧;明智;才智;学问;
And so they just do the same thing over and over and over again . 所以它们只是单纯做同一件事 重复一遍又一遍
over and over again:adv.一再地;反复不断地;
In fact, we could go away for a million years and come back and these chimpanzees would be doing the same thing with the same sticks for the termites and the same rocks to crack open the nuts. 事实上,如果我们能跨越一百万年,然后再追溯回来 这些黑猩猩肯定还在做着同样的事 用同样的棍子抓着白蚁 用同样的石头砸着坚果
Now this may sound arrogant , or even full of hubris . 也许这听上去有些傲慢,甚至狂妄自大
arrogant:adj.自大的,傲慢的; hubris:n.傲慢;狂妄自大;
How do we know this? 我们怎么知道这些的？
Because this is exactly what our ancestors, the Homo erectus , did. 因为我们的祖先--直立人就是这样
Homo erectus:n.直立人(能用腿行走的早期人类);
These upright apes evolved on the African savanna about two million years ago, and they made these splendid hand axes that fit wonderfully into your hands. 约二百万年前 这些直立猿人 在非洲的热带稀树草原进化 他们造出了精巧的手斧 能完全贴合手形
upright:n.立柱;adj.直立的;挺直的;竖直的;垂直的;adv.竖立着;垂直着; apes:n.[脊椎]猿;猩猩;类人猿(ape的复数);v.模仿;仿效(ape的三单形式); evolved:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成;(evolve的过去分词和过去式) savanna:n.[生态]热带草原;热带的稀树大草原; axes:n.轴线;轴心;坐标轴;斧头(axe的复数); wonderfully:adv.精彩地;惊人地;极好地;
But if we look at the fossil record, we see that they made the same hand axe over and over and over again for one million years. 但如果我们查看化石 会发现他们造着同样的手斧 重复着 持续了一百万年
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;
You can follow it through the fossil record. 你可以通过各年代的化石看到
Now if we make some guesses about how long Homo erectus lived, what their generation time was, that's about 40,000 generations of parents to offspring , and other individuals watching, in which that hand axe didn't change. 现在我们可以做几个关于猿人生存时间 和他们的世代的猜想 在约四万代的时间里 从父辈到子辈,以及周围人的观察中 手斧没有任何改进
offspring:n.后代,子孙;产物; individuals:n.[经]个人;[生物]个体(individual的复数);
It's not even clear that our very close genetic relatives , the Neanderthals , had social learning. 我们甚至不太清楚 我们的近亲--尼安德特人是否 具备社会学习能力
genetic:adj.基因的;遗传学的; relatives:n.亲戚;亲属;同类事物;(relative的复数) Neanderthals:n.穴居人(Neanderthal的复数);尼安德塔人;
Sure enough, their tools were more complicated than those of Homo erectus, but they too showed very little change over the 300,000 years or so that those species, the Neanderthals, lived in Eurasia . 当然他们的工具 比猿人要复杂得多 但在30万年时间里 他们也只表现出很少变化 那些尼安德特人 生活在欧亚大陆
complicated:adj.复杂的;难懂的;v.使复杂化;(complicate的过去分词和过去式) Eurasia:n.欧亚(大陆);
Okay, so what this tells us is that, contrary to the old adage , "monkey see, monkey do," 这与我们所知的 “有样学样”（猴子见什么学什么）的谚语 完全相反
contrary:adj.相反的;对立的;adv.相反地;n.相反;反面; adage:n.格言,谚语;箴言;
the surprise really is that all of the other animals really cannot do that -- at least not very much. 令人惊讶的事实是 其他的所有动物 都无法做到有样学样,至少做到很少
And even this picture has the suspicious taint of being rigged about it -- something from a Barnum & Bailey circus . 甚至这张图片 虽然它有人为操纵之嫌-- “不会是来自巴纳姆贝利马戏团吧”
suspicious:adj.可疑的;怀疑的;多疑的; taint:vt.污染;腐蚀;使感染;n.污点;感染;vi.败坏;被污染; rigged:v.操纵,控制;(给船只)装帆;(秘密地)安装,装配;(rig的过去分词和过去式) Bailey:n.城壁,外栅;城堡外庭; circus:n.马戏;马戏团;
But by comparison , we can learn. 但是相比之下 我们有学习能力
by comparison:相比之下,比较起来;
We can learn by watching other people and copying or imitating what they can do. 我们可以通过观察别人 以及照搬或模仿 别人所做的来学习
We can then choose, from among a range of options , the best one. 然后我们可以在一系列选择中挑选 最好的选择
options:n.选择; v.得到或获准进行选择; (option的三单形式)
We can benefit from others' ideas. 我们可以汲取别人的想法
We can build on their wisdom. 可以发展他人的智慧
And as a result, our ideas do accumulate , and our technology progresses. 所以我们的智慧可以累积 技术得以进步
accumulate:vi.累积;积聚;vt.积攒;
And this cumulative cultural adaptation , as anthropologists call this accumulation of ideas, is responsible for everything around you in your bustling and teeming everyday lives. 这种人类学家所称 累积性的文化适应 这种想法的积累 是你周围所有一切的根源 并存在于你繁忙和与人合作的日常生活中
cumulative:adj.累积的; cultural:adj.与文化有关的;文化的;与艺术、文学、音乐等有关的; adaptation:n.适应;改编;改编本,改写本; accumulation:n.积聚,累积;堆积物; responsible:adj.负责的,可靠的;有责任的; bustling:adj.熙熙攘攘的;忙乱的; teeming:adj.多产的,丰富的;热闹的;v.充满(teem的现在分词);
I mean the world has changed out of all proportion to what we would recognize even 1,000 or 2,000 years ago. 这个世界 跟一千或者两千年前相比 已经发生了翻天覆地的变化
proportion:n.比例;部分;份额;均衡;v.摊派;使相称;
And all of this because of cumulative cultural adaptation. 这一切都归因于累积性文化适应
The chairs you're sitting in, the lights in this auditorium , my microphone , the iPads and iPods that you carry around with you -- all are a result of cumulative cultural adaptation. 你们坐着的椅子,礼堂里的灯 我的手机,你们携带的iPad和iPod 这些都是 累积性文化适应的结果
auditorium:n.礼堂,会堂;观众席; microphone:n.麦克风;传声器;话筒;
Now to many commentators , cumulative cultural adaptation, or social learning, is job done, end of story. 对许多评论者来说 累积性文化适应,或者说社会学习 已经大功告成
commentators:n.评论员;注释者(commentator的复数);
Our species can make stuff , therefore we prospered in a way that no other species has. 人类这一物种可以创造事物 所以我们比任何其他物种都要繁荣先进
stuff:n.东西:物品:基本特征:v.填满:装满:标本: prospered:vi.繁荣,昌盛;成功;vt.使…成功;使…昌盛;使…繁荣;
In fact, we can even make the "stuff of life" -- as I just said, all the stuff around us. 事实上我们甚至可以创造“生命本身的东西”-- 如我所说,我们周围的一切
But in fact, it turns out that some time around 200,000 years ago, when our species first arose and acquired social learning, that this was really the beginning of our story, not the end of our story. 实际上 大约二十万年前 当我们的祖先开始直立行走 并获得社会学习的能力 这的确是故事的开始, 但不是结尾
arose:vi.出现(arise的过去式);引发; acquired:adj.习得的; v.获得; (acquire的过去分词和过去式)
Because our acquisition of social learning would create a social and evolutionary dilemma , the resolution of which, it's fair to say, would determine not only the future course of our psychology , but the future course of the entire world. 因为社会学习能力的获得 会令社会和进化陷入一个进退两难的地步 其解决方法 不但决定了未来人类心理的轨迹 也决定了整个世界的未来走向
acquisition:n.获得物,获得; evolutionary:adj.进化的;发展的;渐进的; dilemma:n.困境;进退两难;两刀论法; resolution:n.解决;分辨;解析;决议; determine:v.决定;确定;测定;查明;形成;影响;裁决;安排; psychology:n.心理学;心理状态;
And most importantly for this, it'll tell us why we have language. 最重要的是 它告诉我们为什么我们有语言
And most importantly:最主要的是…;
And the reason that dilemma arose is, it turns out, that social learning is visual theft. 两难局面的出现是因为 社会学习实际是一种观察性窃取
visual:adj.视觉的,视力的;栩栩如生的;
If I can learn by watching you, 如果我可以通过观察你而学习
I can steal your best ideas, and I can benefit from your efforts, without having to put in the time and energy that you did into developing them. 我就可以窃取你最好的想法 从你的努力中坐收渔利 而不用像你一样投入时间和精力 去开发想法
If I can watch which lure you use to catch a fish, or I can watch how you flake your hand axe to make it better, or if I follow you secretly to your mushroom patch , 如果我可以观察你用什么饵钓鱼 如何削薄手斧 改进它 或者偷偷跟踪你去你的蘑菇地
lure:n.诱惑;饵;诱惑物;v诱惑;引诱; flake:vi.剥落;成片状剥落;n.小薄片;火花; patch:n.补丁;小片;眼罩;色斑;v.修补;打补丁;缝补;
I can benefit from your knowledge and wisdom and skills, and maybe even catch that fish before you do. 我就可以从你的知识,智慧和技能中获益 甚至在你之前 就抓走鱼
Social learning really is visual theft. 社会学习确实是种观察性窃取
And in any species that acquired it, it would behoove you to hide your best ideas, lest somebody steal them from you. 任何具备该能力的物种 必然都会 隐藏自己最好的点子 以防别人偷走
behoove:vt.理应;对…有此必要;vi.有必要;理所当然;n.适宜; lest:conj.唯恐,以免;担心;
And so some time around 200,000 years ago, our species confronted this crisis . 大约二十万年前 人类遇到了这一困境
confronted:v.使…无法回避;降临于;处理;面对;对抗;(confront的过去分词和过去式) crisis:n.危机;危险期;决定性时刻;adj.危机的;用于处理危机的;
And we really had only two options for dealing with the conflicts that visual theft would bring. 我们只有两种选择 来解决 观察性窃取导致的冲突
conflicts:n.冲突; v.抵触;
One of those options was that we could have retreated into small family groups. 一个选择是 我们可以退回到 小的家庭单位
retreated:v.撤退;隐退(retreat的过去式及过去分词);
Because then the benefits of our ideas and knowledge would flow just to our relatives. 如此一来我们的想法和知识 仅仅在亲属间交流
Had we chosen this option, sometime around 200,000 years ago, we would probably still be living like the Neanderthals were when we first entered Europe 40,000 years ago. 假如我们在大约二十万年前的时候 选择了这个方法 那也许4万年前我们进入欧洲的时候 还过着尼安德特人一样的生活
And this is because in small groups there are fewer ideas, there are fewer innovations . 这是因为小团体 只能产生很少的想法和发明
innovations:n.创新(innovation的复数);改革;
And small groups are more prone to accidents and bad luck. 却更有发生事故和厄运的倾向
prone:adj.俯卧的;有…倾向的,易于…的;
So if we'd chosen that path, our evolutionary path would have led into the forest -- and been a short one indeed. 所以如果我们选择了那条路 我们的进化之路就会通向森林 并且是短命之路
The other option we could choose was to develop the systems of communication that would allow us to share ideas and to cooperate amongst others. 另一个选择 就是发展交流的系统 从而分享想法 和相互合作
cooperate:v.合作;配合;协作;结合; amongst:prep.在…之中;在…当中(等于among);
Choosing this option would mean that a vastly greater fund of accumulated knowledge and wisdom would become available to any one individual than would ever arise from within an individual family or an individual person on their own. 选择这条路意味着 积累起来的海量知识和智慧 向每一个个体开放 而不仅仅是单个家庭的 或者个人的积累
vastly:adv.极大地;广大地;深远地; fund:n.基金;资金;存款;v.投资;资助; accumulated:v.积累;积聚;(数量)逐渐增加;(accumulate的过去式和过去分词) arise:v.出现;发生;产生;起身;
Well, we chose the second option, and language is the result. 我们选了第二条路 语言就是产物
Language evolved to solve the crisis of visual theft. 语言的进化解决了 观察性窃取的危机
Language is a piece of social technology for enhancing the benefits of cooperation -- for reaching agreements, for striking deals and for coordinating our activities. 语言是社会技术 用于加强合作的益处 达成共识,买卖交易 以及协调活动
enhancing:n.优化,增强;暖色加重效果;v.增强(enhance的现在分词); cooperation:n.合作;配合; coordinating:v.使协调;使相配合;搭配,协调;(coordinate的现在分词)
And you can see that, in a developing society that was beginning to acquire language, not having language would be a like a bird without wings. 你可以看到,处于发展中形态的社会 刚刚开始习得语言 还没有完全掌握 就像一个没有翅膀的鸟儿
Just as wings open up this sphere of air for birds to exploit , language opened up the sphere of cooperation for humans to exploit. 就像翅膀之于鸟儿 扇动空气去探索天空 语言之于人类 开启合作来探索未来
sphere:n.球;领域;球体;球形;v.使成球形;包围;把…放在球内;使处于天体之间; exploit:v.利用…为自己谋利;剥削;压榨;运用;发挥;
And we take this utterly for granted , because we're a species that is so at home with language, but you have to realize that even the simplest acts of exchange that we engage in are utterly dependent upon language. 我们以为这是理所当然 因为我们是纯熟掌握语言的物种 但是你应当意识到 甚至我们最简单的交换行为 也完全依赖于语言
utterly:adv.完全地;绝对地;全然地;彻底地,十足地; granted:v.不错,的确; conj.因为; v.同意,准予,允许; (grant的过去分词和过去式) exchange:n.交换;交流;交易所;兑换;v.交换;交易;兑换; engage:v.吸引,占用;使参加;雇佣;使订婚;预定; dependent upon:取决于;
And to see why, consider two scenarios from early in our evolution. 为了弄清为什么 请假想进化早期的两个场景
scenarios:n.情节;脚本;情景介绍(scenario的复数);
Let's imagine that you are really good at making arrowheads , but you're hopeless at making the wooden shafts with the flight feathers attached . 假设 你擅长制造箭头 但是完全不会 制造嵌着飞羽的箭杆
arrowheads:n.箭头(arrowhead的复数); wooden:adj.木制的;木头的;木头似的;死板的 shafts:n.[机]轴,杆; v.装杆; attached:adj.依恋;v.重视;把…固定;(attach的过去分词和过去式)
Two other people you know are very good at making the wooden shafts, but they're hopeless at making the arrowheads. 你知道另外两人擅长制箭杆 但他们不会造箭头
So what you do is -- one of those people has not really acquired language yet. 那么 那两人中一个还没真正学会使用语言
And let's pretend the other one is good at language skills. 另外一个熟练语言技巧
So what you do one day is you take a pile of arrowheads, and you walk up to the one that can't speak very well, and you put the arrowheads down in front of him, 有一天你带了一堆箭头 去找那个不太会说话的人 你把箭头放在他面前
pile:n.桩;堆;摞;桩柱;v.堆放;摞起;叠放;放置;
hoping that he'll get the idea that you want to trade your arrowheads for finished arrows. 希望他明白你想用箭头 交换做好的箭
But he looks at the pile of arrowheads, thinks they're a gift, picks them up, smiles and walks off. 但他看着一堆箭头,以为是礼物 就捡起来冲你一笑就走了
Now you pursue this guy, gesticulating . 你追上他连比带划地解释
pursue:v.继续;从事;追赶;纠缠; gesticulating:打手势;
A scuffle ensues and you get stabbed with one of your own arrowheads. 结果打起来了 被他用你自己的箭头捅伤了
scuffle:vi.扭打;乱斗;拖着脚走路;n.混战;扭打; ensues:vi.跟着发生,接着发生;继起;vt.追求; stabbed:v.刺,戳,捅;(stab的过去分词和过去式)
Okay, now replay this scene now, and you're approaching the one who has language. 好的,现在再重复这个场景, 你去找有语言的那个人
approaching:v.靠近,接近;接洽;建议;要求;(approach的现在分词)
You put down your arrowheads and say, "I'd like to trade these arrowheads for finished arrows. I'll split you 50/50." 你放下箭头说 “我想用这些跟你交换做好的箭,我们对半分”
split:v.分离;使分离;劈开;离开;分解;n.劈开;裂缝;adj.劈开的;
The other one says, "Fine. Looks good to me. 那人说:“没问题。”
We'll do that." “就这么办。”
Now the job is done. 交易做成了。
Once we have language, we can put our ideas together and cooperate to have a prosperity that we couldn't have before we acquired it. 一旦我们有了语言 我们可以分享想法并合作 从而创造繁荣 没有语言这是无法完成的
prosperity:n.繁荣,成功;
And this is why our species has prospered around the world while the rest of the animals sit behind bars in zoos, languishing . 这就是为什么人类 在全世界繁衍发展 而其他的动物 只能干坐在动物园的笼子里,怨断愁肠
behind bars:坐牢;在狱中;在监狱服刑;铁窗之后; languishing:adj.衰弱下去的; v.被迫滞留; (languish的现在分词)
That's why we build space shuttles and cathedrals while the rest of the world sticks sticks into the ground to extract termites. 这就是为什么我们建起航天飞机和大教堂 而它们用棍子捅地 抓白蚁
shuttles:n.[纺]梭子; v.使…穿梭移动(shuttle的第三人称单数形式); cathedrals:教堂;
All right, if this view of language and its value in solving the crisis of visual theft is true, any species that acquires it should show an explosion of creativity and prosperity. 如果这个角度看语言 及其价值 对解决观察性窃取是无可争议的 任何物种获得了它 都应该有创造和繁荣昌盛的表现
acquires:取得;获得; explosion:n.爆炸;爆发;激增;
And this is exactly what the archeological record shows. 考古学记录证实了这一点
archeological:adj.考古学的;
If you look at our ancestors, the Neanderthals and the Homo erectus, our immediate ancestors, they're confined to small regions of the world. 如果研究我们的祖先-- 尼安德特人和猿人,我们的直系祖先 他们活动于世界的小范围区域
confined:adj.狭窄的; v.限制(confine的过去式和过去分词); regions:n.地区;地域;行政区;左近;(region的复数)
But when our species arose about 200,000 years ago, sometime after that we quickly walked out of Africa and spread around the entire world, occupying nearly every habitat on Earth. 而人类在 大约二十万年前 迅速地走出了非洲 分布到了全世界 占据了地球几乎每一处栖息地
occupying:v.占用;使用;居住;占领;占据;(occupy的现在分词) habitat:n.[生态]栖息地,产地;
Now whereas other species are confined to places that their genes adapt them to, with social learning and language, we could transform the environment to suit our needs. 现在当其他物种还受限于 他们基因适应的地方 拥有社会学习能力和语言的我们 已经可以改造环境 满足我们的需求了
transform:v.使改变;使改观;使转换;n.[数]变换式;[化]反式;
And so we prospered in a way that no other animal has. 所以我们的文明 比其他任何动物都要繁荣
Language really is the most potent trait that has ever evolved. 语言确实是 我们进化出的最有利的特性
potent:adj.有效的;强有力的,有权势的;有说服力的;
It is the most valuable trait we have for converting new lands and resources into more people and their genes that natural selection has ever devised. 这是我们拥有的最有价值的特性 以此我们将新土地和资源 转化成更多的人和他们的基因 这比自然选择做的还要多
valuable:adj.有价值的;贵重的;可估价的;n.贵重物品; converting:v.(使)转变,转换,转化;可转变为;归附;(convert的现在分词) resources:n.[计][环境]资源; v.向…提供资金(resource的第三人称单数);
Language really is the voice of our genes. 语言的确是 我们基因的声音
Now having evolved language, though, we did something peculiar , even bizarre . 尽管我们有发达的语言 但我们也做了件特殊 甚至可以说是件奇怪的事
peculiar:adj.特殊的;独特的;奇怪的;罕见的;n.特权;特有财产; bizarre:adj.奇异的(指态度,容貌,款式等);
As we spread out around the world, we developed thousands of different languages. 当我们分散到全世界 我们发展出成千上万种语言
spread out:冒火;喷火;
Currently , there are about seven or 8,000 different languages spoken on Earth. 目前,全球大约有 七千到八千种在使用的语言
Currently:adv.当前;一般地;
Now you might say, well, this is just natural. 也许你觉得这是很自然的事
As we diverge , our languages are naturally going to diverge. 当我们越分散,语言也越高度分化
diverge:vi.分歧;偏离;分叉;离题;vt.使偏离;使分叉; naturally:adv.自然地;自然而然地;轻而易举;天生地;大方地;
But the real puzzle and irony is that the greatest density of different languages on Earth is found where people are most tightly packed together. 但真正令人困惑并且讽刺的是 世界上最密集的语言分布区域 恰恰是人口最密集聚居的地方
puzzle:n.谜;疑问;智力游戏;不解之谜;v.迷惑;使困惑; density:n.密度; tightly:adv.紧紧地;坚固地;
If we go to the island of Papua New Guinea , we can find about 800 to 1,000 distinct human languages, different human languages, spoken on that island alone. 在巴布新几内亚 那里有八百到一千种 独特的人类语言 不同的人类语言 仅仅在那一座岛上
Papua:n.巴布亚岛(新几内亚岛NewGuinea的旧名); Guinea:n.几内亚;基尼(英国旧时金币名); distinct:adj.明显的;独特的;清楚的;有区别的;
There are places on that island where you can encounter a new language every two or three miles. 岛上一些地方 你每走上两三英里 就能碰上一种新语言
encounter:v.遭遇,邂逅;遇到;n.遭遇,偶然碰见;
Now, incredible as this sounds, 更神奇的是
incredible:adj.难以置信的,惊人的;
I once met a Papuan man, and I asked him if this could possibly be true. 有次我碰上一个巴布人,问他这是不是真的
And he said to me, "Oh no. 他说:“不,不是。”
They're far closer together than that." “比这要近多了。”
And it's true; there are places on that island where you can encounter a new language in under a mile. 这是真的,岛上有些地方 一英里之内就能发现另一语言的使用
And this is also true of some remote oceanic islands. 同样在一些遥远的大洋小岛上也是这样
oceanic:adj.海洋的;海洋产出的;在海洋中生活的;广阔无垠的;
And so it seems that we use our language, not just to cooperate, but to draw rings around our cooperative groups and to establish identities , and perhaps to protect our knowledge and wisdom and skills from eavesdropping from outside. 这样看来我们利用语言 不仅仅是为了合作 也是在集团周围划分界限 确立身份 也许是保护我们的知识,智慧和技能 以防落入外人之手
cooperative:adj.合作的;协作的;同心协力的;协助的;n.合作企业;合作社组织; establish:v.创立;设立;建立;确立;使立足;查实; identities:n.身份;本身;本体;特征;同一性;相同;(identity的复数) eavesdropping:v.偷听,窃听(其他人谈话)(eavesdrop的现在分词)
And we know this because when we study different language groups and associate them with their cultures, we see that different languages slow the flow of ideas between groups. 我们也深知如此 因为当我们研究不同的语言群落 他们有着各自的文化 会发现不同的语言 减缓了群落间想法的交流
associate:v.联合:联想:交往:adj.非正式的:副的:联合的:n.伙伴:同事:
They slow the flow of technologies . 也阻碍了技术交流
technologies:n.技术;科技(technology的复数);
And they even slow the flow of genes. 甚至是基因交流
Now I can't speak for you, but it seems to be the case that we don't have sex with people we can't talk to. 虽然我不能完全代表你们 但可以这样说 我们不会跟无法交流的人去做爱
speak for:要求得到;代表…讲话;
(Laughter) （笑声）
Now we have to counter that, though, against the evidence we've heard that we might have had some rather distasteful genetic dalliances with the Neanderthals and the Denisovans. 不过也许现在得算上这种情况 基于已有证据表明 我们曾与尼安德特人和丹尼索夫人有些不甚美好的浪漫史 （早期现代人类与尼安德特人及丹尼索夫人杂交的科学发现）
evidence:n.证据,证明;迹象;明显;v.证明; distasteful:adj.令人不快的;不合口味的;表示厌恶的; dalliances:n.嬉戏;闲混;调情;
(Laughter) （笑声）
Okay, this tendency we have, this seemingly natural tendency we have, towards isolation, towards keeping to ourselves, crashes head first into our modern world. 我们发现的趋势 这种看似自然的趋势 即这种趋向分离,趋向自我孤立的势头 一头撞上了现代社会,就被击破
tendency:n.倾向,趋势;癖好; seemingly:adv.看来似乎;表面上看来;
This remarkable image is not a map of the world. 这幅令人影响深刻的图片 并不是世界地图
In fact, it's a map of Facebook friendship links. 而是Facebook脸谱朋友群分布的一副地图
And when you plot those friendship links by their latitude and longitude , it literally draws a map of the world. 当你把朋友的位置 依照他们所在的经纬度连起来 就画出了一副世界地图
plot:n.情节;阴谋;布局;小块土地;v.密谋;暗中策划;(在地图上)标出;绘制(图表); latitude:n.纬度;界限;活动范围; longitude:n.[地理]经度;经线; literally:adv.按字面:字面上:确实地:
Our modern world is communicating with itself and with each other more than it has at any time in its past. 现代社会在不停地 与自身和其他人交流 这种交流 比历史上任何时候都频繁
And that communication, that connectivity around the world, that globalization now raises a burden . 这种交流,这种世界性的连接 也就是全球化下 正在渐渐浮起的隐忧
connectivity:n.[数]连通性; globalization:n.全球化; burden:n.负担;责任;船的载货量;v.使负担;烦扰;装货于;
Because these different languages impose a barrier , as we've just seen, to the transfer of goods and ideas and technologies and wisdom. 因为这些不同的语言 变成一道屏障 阻碍了货物和思想的交流 技术和智慧的交流
impose:v.推行;迫使;强制实行;把…强加于; barrier:n.屏障;障碍;障碍物;关口;v.用栅围住; transfer:n.转移;调任;调离;[体]转会球员;v.调任;调走;转学;转移;
And they impose a barrier to cooperation. 在合作上施加了障碍
And nowhere do we see that more clearly than in the European Union , whose 27 member countries speak 23 official languages. 比起其他地方 这在欧盟尤为显著 欧盟有27个盟国 23种官方语言
nowhere:v.无处; n.无处; adj.不存在的; European Union:n.欧洲联盟; official:adj.官方的;正式的;公务的;n.官员;公务员;高级职员;
The European Union is now spending over one billion euros annually translating among their 23 official languages. 欧盟 现在每年要花费超过十亿欧元 用于互翻23种官方语言
euros:n.欧元;欧洛斯风;带雨东南暴风(euro复数); annually:adv.每年;一年一次;
That's something on the order of 1.45 billion U.S. dollars on translation costs alone. 这大约是 十四亿五千万美元的 翻译开销
Now think of the absurdity of this situation. 现在试想下这种奇怪的状况:
absurdity:n.荒谬;谬论;荒谬的言行;
If 27 individuals from those 27 member states sat around table, speaking their 23 languages, some very simple mathematics will tell you that you need an army of 253 translators to anticipate all the pairwise possibilities. 如果27个 来自各个盟国的人 围坐在桌边,说着23种语言 简单计算就可以知道 你需要一个253人的翻译队伍 来保证配对说话的可能性
mathematics:n.数学;数学运算; anticipate:v.预期,期望;占先,抢先;提前使用; pairwise:adj.成对发生的;adv.成对地;成双地;
The European Union employs a permanent staff of about 2,500 translators. 欧盟雇了 大约2500名永久编制的翻译
permanent:adj.永久的,永恒的;n.烫发;
And in 2007 alone -- and I'm sure there are more recent figures -- something on the order of 1.3 million pages were translated into English alone. 仅2007年一年-- 当然应该有最新的数据可查 仅是翻译成英文的文件 就大约为一百三十万页
And so if language really is the solution to the crisis of visual theft, if language really is the conduit of our cooperation, the technology that our species derived to promote the free flow and exchange of ideas, in our modern world, we confront a question. 如果语言真是 观察性窃取的解决方法 如果语言真是 我们合作的媒介 是人类发明的 用于促进思想无障碍流通和交换的技术 那么在现代社会 我们碰上了难题
conduit:n.[电]导管;沟渠;导水管; 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; promote:v.促进;推动;促销;提升;晋升; free flow:自由流通;
And that question is whether in this modern, globalized world we can really afford to have all these different languages. 这就是 在这个全球化的现代社会 我们是否承担得起使用如此多语言的代价
globalized:vt.使全球化; afford:v.给予,提供;买得起;
To put it this way, nature knows no other circumstance in which functionally equivalent traits coexist . 可以这样说,自然的法则是 具有同等功能的特性是难以共存的
circumstance:n.环境,情况;事件;境遇; functionally:adv.功能地;函数地;职务上地; equivalent:adj.等价的,相等的;同意义的;n.等价物,相等物; coexist:vi.共存;和平共处;
One of them always drives the other extinct . 其中的一个往往战胜其他的而存活下去
extinct:adj.灭绝的,绝种的;熄灭的;vt.使熄灭;
And we see this in the inexorable march towards standardization . 我们在向着标准化的大步前进中 可以清楚地看到这一点
inexorable:adj.无情的;不屈不挠的;不可阻挡的;无法改变的; standardization:n.标准化;[数]规格化;校准;
There are lots and lots of ways of measuring things -- weighing them and measuring their length -- but the metric system is winning. 在许多测量物体的方法中 包括称重和量长 公制计量制度赢了
metric system:n.公制;米制;
There are lots and lots of ways of measuring time, but a really bizarre base 60 system known as hours and minutes and seconds is nearly universal around the world. 在许多计量时间的方法中 古怪的60进制制度 也就是时分秒计量单位 几乎被全世界采用
universal:adj.普遍的;全体的;全世界的;共同的;
There are many, many ways of imprinting CDs or DVDs, but those are all being standardized as well. 有很多很多方法 压印CD和DVD 但它们也同样标准化了
imprinting:n.铭记(动物生命早期即起作用的一种学习机能);胚教; standardized:adj.标准的; v.使合乎标准;
And you can probably think of many, many more in your own everyday lives. 也许你可以想到更多 生活中的例子
And so our modern world now is confronting us with a dilemma. 那么现代社会 面临着一个困境
confronting:v.直面;无法回避;降临于;处理;对抗;(confront的现在分词)
And it's the dilemma that this Chinese man faces, who's language is spoken by more people in the world than any other single language, and yet he is sitting at his blackboard, converting Chinese phrases into English language phrases. 这个困境 也是这个中国人面临的 他的口头语言 比起世界上任何其他的单一语言 都有更多的使用者 但是他坐在黑板前 把中文词组 翻译成英文词组
And what this does is it raises the possibility to us that in a world in which we want to promote cooperation and exchange, and in a world that might be dependent more than ever before on cooperation to maintain and enhance our levels of prosperity, his actions suggest to us it might be inevitable that we have to confront the idea that our destiny is to be one world with one language. 这个行为给我们提出了一种可能性 在这世界上,我们想要促进 合作和交流的可能性 在一个史无前例地 依赖于合作的世界上 为了去维持和促进我们的繁荣程度 他的行为告诉我们 也许 我们不得不承认 我们的命运会是:一个世界一种语言。
maintain:v.维持;保持;维修;保养;坚持(意见); enhance:v.提高;增强;增进; inevitable:adj.必然的,不可避免的; destiny:n.命运,定数,天命;
Thank you. 谢谢
(Applause) （鼓掌）
Matt Ridley : Mark, one question. 马特·瑞德里:马克,我有个问题。
Ridley:n.鳞龟属动物(产于墨西哥湾,等于Lepidochelys);
Svante found that the FOXP2 gene, which seems to be associated with language, was also shared in the same form in Neanderthals as us. 斯万特发现FOXP2基因 好像它与语言有关 而尼安德特人 也像我们一样有此基因
associated:adj.有关联的; v.联想; (associate的过去分词和过去式)
Do we have any idea how we could have defeated Neanderthals if they also had language? 那么我们有没有什么办法 能够打败尼安德特人 如果他们也有语言的话？
Mark Pagel: This is a very good question. 马克·佩格尔:这是个很好的问题。
So many of you will be familiar with the idea that there's this gene called FOXP2 that seems to be implicated in some ways in the fine motor control that's associated with language. 很多人将会了解这个语言基因叫FOXP2 它应该是 在一个与语言有关的精巧的运动神经控制中
familiar:adj.熟悉的;常见的;亲近的;n.常客;密友; implicated:adj.密切关联的; v.涉及(某人); (implicate的过去分词和过去式)
The reason why I don't believe that tells us that the Neanderthals had language is -- here's a simple analogy : 我不相信这个发现足以说明 尼安德特人拥有语言的原因是 打个比方:
analogy:n.类比;类推;类似;
Ferraris are cars that have engines. 法拉利是有引擎的汽车
My car has an engine, but it's not a Ferrari . 我的车也有引擎 但它不是法拉利
Ferrari:n.法拉利;
Now the simple answer then is that genes alone don't, all by themselves, determine the outcome of very complicated things like language. 简单来说就是 基因本身 并不决定了 如语言这样复杂的结果
outcome:n.结果,结局;成果;
What we know about this FOXP2 and Neanderthals is that they may have had fine motor control of their mouths -- who knows. 我们对FOXP2基因和尼安德特人的了解是 也许他们口腔里具备这样一个精巧的运动神经控制--不过谁知道呢
But that doesn't tell us they necessarily had language. 但这并不表明他们一定拥有语言
necessarily:adv.必要地;必定地,必然地;
MR: Thank you very much indeed. 马特·瑞德里:非常感谢
(Applause) （鼓掌）