返回首页

TomWujec_2009G-_演示十三世纪星盘_
As technology progresses, and as it advances, many of us assume that these advances make us more intelligent , make us smarter and more connected to the world. 当科技不断 进步之时, 我们之中的大多数人都会断言这些演进 将使我们更为聪慧 以及与世界更为紧密相连。
technology:n.技术;工艺;术语; assume:v.承担;假定;采取;呈现; intelligent:adj.有才智的;悟性强的;聪明的;有智力的
And what I'd like to argue is that that's not necessarily the case, as progress is simply a word for change, and with change you gain something, but you also lose something. 不过,我却想说明 进步不单单只是“进步”, 进步的过程不能单用变化一词来形容, 当变革发生之时, 我们既有得亦有失。
necessarily:adv.必要地;必定地,必然地;
And to really illustrate this point, what I'd like to do is to show you how technology has dealt with a very simple, a very common, an everyday question. 为了证明我的观点,我将会告诉你们 科学技术是如何解决 一个简单、大众的问题。
illustrate:v.解释;加插图于;给(书等)做图表;表明…真实;
And that question is this. 这个问题则是这样的。
What time is it? What time is it? 什么是时间？什么是时间？
If you glance at your iPhone, it's so simple to tell the time. 假如你扫一眼你的iPhone,它可以很简单地告诉你现在是什么时间。
glance:v.浏览;扫视;瞥一眼;匆匆一看;n.一瞥;扫视;匆匆一看;
But, I'd like to ask you, how would you tell the time if you didn't have an iPhone? 但是,我想问你们,假若你没有iPhone, 你会如何知道现在是什么时间？
How would you tell the time, say, 600 years ago? 或者说600年前,你将怎么知道时间？
How would you do it? 你如何去获取此项信息？
Well, the way you would do it is by using a device that's called an astrolabe . 有一项物品将会有助于获取时间信息, 这件物品就是星盘。
device:n.装置;策略;图案; astrolabe:n.[天]星盘;天体观测仪;
So, an astrolabe is relatively unknown in today's world. 在当今时间,星盘的存在已鲜为人知了。
relatively:adv.相当程度上;相当地;相对地;
But, at the time, in the 13th century, it was the gadget of the day. 不过于13世纪时, 星盘是当时的日常用品。
gadget:n.小玩意;小器具;小配件;诡计;
It was the world's first popular computer. 星盘是当时最为盛行的工具。
And it was a device that in fact, is a model of the sky. 星盘是一件天文仪器,上面刻画着星图。
So, the different parts of the astrolabe, in this particular type, the rete corresponds to the positions of the stars. 因此,星盘的网环是与 天上的一部分星星相照应。
rete:n.[解剖]网,[解剖]膜层; corresponds:v.相一致;符合;类似于;相当于;通信;(correspond的第三人称单数)
The plate corresponds to a coordinate system. 这件圆盘则与地平坐标系相照应。
coordinate:n.坐标; v.协调; adj.同等的;
And the mater has some scales and puts it all together. 而星盘的主体圆形铜盘则有一些刻度以供使用及将盛放其它部件。
scales:n.规模范围; v.攀登; (scale的第三人称单数和复数)
If you were an educated child, you would know how to not only use the astrolabe, you would know how to make an astrolabe. 假如你是一名受过教育的儿童, 你应懂得如何使用一件星盘, 同时也应懂得如何制作星盘。
And we know this because the first treatise on the astrolabe, the first technical manual in the English language, was written by Geoffrey Chaucer . 因为第一份有关星盘的著作, 第一份用英语写成的说明手册, 是由杰弗雷·乔叟(注:英国诗歌之父)写成的。
treatise:n.论述;论文;专著; technical:adj.工艺的,科技的;技术上的;专门的; manual:n.说明书;指南;使用手册;adj.用手的;手工的;体力的;手动的; Chaucer:n.乔叟(英国作家);
Yes, that Geoffrey Chaucer, in 1391, to his little Lewis, his 11 year old son. 没错,就是那位杰弗雷·乔叟,写于1391年, 写给他的儿子,他11岁大的儿子路易斯。
And in this book, little Lewis would know the big idea. 于这本书里,小路易斯可以从中学到构建星盘的主要方法。
And the central idea that makes this computer work is this thing called stereographic projection . 构建星盘的核心技术 就是赤平投影。
projection:n.投射;规划;突出;发射;推测;
And basically , the concept is, how do you represent the three dimensional image of the night sky that surrounds us onto a flat, portable , two dimensional surface. 一般来说,赤平投影就是 将夜空的三维影像 投射至一个 平滑、可移动的二维表面。
basically:adv.主要地,基本上; represent:v.代表;表现;描绘;回忆;再赠送; dimensional:adj.空间的;尺寸的; portable:adj.便携式的;手提的;轻便的;n.便携机;(尤指)手提电脑;
The idea is actually relatively simple. 这个构思是相对较为简单的。
Imagine that that Earth is at the center of the universe, and surrounding it is the sky projected onto a sphere . 想象一下地球是宇宙的中心, 而环绕这个地球的天空都被投射至一个球体上。
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;
Each point on the surface of the sphere is mapped through the bottom pole , onto a flat surface, where it is then recorded. 球体上的每一点都通过 此球体的极点 投射至一平面,而这些资料就因此被记录。
pole:n.磁极;电极;柱子;杆子;v.用篙撑船;摆船;
So the North Star corresponds to the center of the device. 因此北极星就位于星盘的中央。
The ecliptic , which is the path of the sun, moon, and planets correspond to an offset circle. 而黄道将被投射至一偏离中心的圆上, 黄道就是日、月和星体的轨迹。
ecliptic:adj.黄道的;(日或月)食的;蚀的;n.黄道; offset:vt.抵消;弥补;补偿;adj.胶印的;n.开端;出发;平版印刷;抵消;补偿
The bright stars correspond to little daggers on the rete. 而那些闪亮的星星则会与星盘网环上的星标相对应。
daggers:n.匕首(dagger的复数);短剑;v.用短剑刺(dagger的第三人称单数);
And the altitude corresponds to the plate system. 地平纬度则与整个盘子的体系相照应。
altitude:n.海拔;海拔高度;高程;(海拔高的)高处;
Now, the real genius of the astrolabe is not just the projection. 真正吸引人的不是星盘的投影功能。
genius:n.天才;天资;才能,本领;
The real genius is that it brings together two coordinate systems so they fit perfectly. 而是它将两种截然不同的坐标系统 完美地糅合在一起。
There is the position of the sun, moon and planets, on the movable rete. 这是太阳、月亮和星球于这个可移动网环上的位置。
movable:adj.动产的;可移动的;不固定的;n.动产;可移动的东西;
And then their location on the sky as seen from a certain latitude on the back plate. Okay? 他们于天空上的位置 则是通过观察盘子背后的纬度测出。
location:n.地方;地点;位置;定位 latitude:n.纬度;界限;活动范围;
So how would you use this device? 因此我们因如何使用这件器具？
Well, let me first back up for a moment. 请诸位稍等一会儿。
This is an astrolabe. Pretty impressive , isn't it? 这是一件星盘。很漂亮,不是么？
impressive:adj.感人的;令人钦佩的;给人以深刻印象的;
And so, this astrolabe is on loan from us from the Oxford School of -- Museum of History. 牛津大学历史博物馆 是可出租这件星盘的。
And you can see the different components . 你可以清晰地观察到星盘的不同部位。
components:n.部件;组件;成份(component复数);
This is the mater, the scales on the back. 这是星盘的主体圆形铜盘,背面则是刻度。
This is the rete. Okay. Do you see that? 这是网环。看到了吗？
That's the movable part of the sky. 这就是可移动的部分。
And in the back you can see a spiderweb pattern. 而于星盘的内部, 则是一蛛网图案。
spiderweb:n.蜘蛛网;vt.用蛛网或蛛网物盖住;adj.蛛网形的;
And that spiderweb pattern corresponds to the local coordinates in the sky. 而此蛛网图案则与当地的天球坐标系相照应。
coordinates:n.[数]坐标;相配之衣物;v.使协调;使调和(coordinate的第三人称单数形式);
This is a rule device. And on the back are some other devices , measuring tools, and scales, to be able to make some calculations. Okay? 这是一条标杆。而在盘子的背面 则是一些其它的设备,有一条窥管 和一些刻度,它们可以帮助进行计算。
devices:n.[机][计]设备;[机]装置;[电子]器件(device的复数);
You know, I've always wanted one of these. 其实我很想得到一件星盘。
For my thesis I actually built one of these out of paper. 我的毕业作品就是一件纸质星盘。
thesis:n.论文;论点;
And this one, this is a replica from a 15th-century device. 这件星盘则是一份仿制品, 是仿制一件15世纪的星盘。
replica:n.复制品,复制物;
And it's worth probably about three Macbook Pros . 这件仿制品大概与三本Macbook Pro等值。
Pros:n.从事某职业的人;职业运动员;老手;(pro的复数)
But a real one would cost about as much as my house, and the house next to it, and actually every house on the block , on both sides of the street, maybe a school thrown in, and some -- you know, a church. 但真品却比我的房子还贵, 还要加上我旁边的房子, 应该是整条街的房子加起来都没真品贵重, 或许还得附加一间学校,以及一些--教堂。
on the block:出售中;在拍卖中;
They are just incredibly expensive. 它们价值连城。
incredibly:adv.难以置信地;非常地;
But let me show you how to work this device. 让我来向你们演示下这件星盘是如何使用的。
So let's go to step one. 先从第一步开始。
First thing that you do is you select a star in the night sky, if you're telling time at night. 第一件事是你首先得从夜空中 选择一颗星星,当然只是在夜晚使用星盘时才这样做。
So, tonight, if it's clear you'll be able to see the summer triangle . 今晚,你可以很清楚地察看到夏季大三角。
triangle:n.三角形;三角形物体;三角铁(打击乐器);三角关系;
And there is a bright star called Deneb . So let's select Deneb . 哪里有一颗极明的星星,它叫做天津四。我们就选择天津四吧。
Deneb:n.[天]天津四(位于天鹅座);
Second, is you measure the altitude of Deneb. 第二步,你应测量天津四的地平纬度。
So, step two, I hold the device up, and then I sight its altitude there so I can see it clearly now. 举起星盘, 然后用目光测准它的高度, 我可以很清晰地观测到它。
And then I measure its altitude. 好,让我们记录下它的高度。
So, it's about 26 degrees. You can't see it from over there. 大概是26度。你们是看不到的。
Step three is identify the star on the front of the device. 第三步,于星盘的正面辨别此颗星星的位置。
identify:v.识别:鉴定:确认:发现:
Deneb is there. I can tell. 天津四是在这里。
Step four is I then move the rete, move the sky, so the altitude of the star corresponds to the scale on the back. 第四步则是移动网环, 这就好譬如移动整个天空,从而使星体的地平纬度 与后面的刻度相对应。
Okay, so when that happens everything lines up. 当一切 准备就绪时,
I have here a model of the sky that corresponds to the real sky. Okay? 一个栩栩如生的天空模型 就此出现了。
So, it is, in a sense , holding a model of the universe in my hands. 在某种程度上来说, 我是将宇宙的模型置于吾之手中。
in a sense:在某种意义上;
And then finally , I take a rule, and move the rule to a date line which then tells me the time here. 最后一步,就是使用标杆, 将标杆移至日期刻度线上, 从这我们可以得知现在是什么时间。
finally:adv.终于;最终;(用于列举)最后;彻底地;
Right. So, that's how the device is used. 这就是如何使用这件设备。
(Laughter) (笑声)
So, I know you're thinking, "That's a lot of work, isn't it? Isn't it a ton of work to be able to tell the time?" 我知道你们在想什么。 “这不是很麻烦么？我们不是得需要做很多准备工作以来得知时间么？”
as you glance at your iPod to just check out the time. 与扫一眼iPod相比,使用星盘得耗费更多的时间。
But there is a difference between the two, because with your iPod you can tell -- or your iPhone, you can tell exactly what the time is, with precision . 但这两者之间是稍有区分的,当你使用iPod或iPhone时, 你只能得知时间, 得知精准的时分秒。
precision:n.精度,[数]精密度;精确;adj.精密的,精确的;
The way little Lewis would tell the time is by a picture of the sky. 而小路易斯则是通过观察天空 以来得知时间的。
He would know where things would fit in the sky. 而且他同时也将知道天空是怎么样的。
He would not only know what time it was, he would also know where the sun would rise, and how it would move across the sky. 从中小路易斯将不仅仅得知时间是什么, 同时他也可知晓日昇于何处 以及太阳的运动轨迹。
He would know what time the sun would rise, and what time it would set. 他亦将知道日昇、日落之时。
And he would know that for essentially every celestial object in the heavens. 最终他将知晓天空中所有物件的 位置。
essentially:adv.本质上;本来; celestial:adj.天上的,天空的;n.神仙,天堂里的居民;
So, in computer graphics , and computer user interface design, there is a term called affordances. 于电脑图像 及电脑用户界面设计中 有一专业术语名为“功能可见性”。
graphics:n.[测]制图学;制图法;图表算法; interface:n.接口;人机界面;连接电路;v.连接;
So, affordances are the qualities of an object that allow us to perform an action with it. 意即当使用者拿起这件物件时, 它将会知道这件物品的那些特质。
perform:v.表演;执行;履行;演出;工作,运转(好/不好);
And what the astrolabe does is it allows us, it affords us, to connect to the night sky, to look up into the night sky and be much more -- to see the visible and the invisible together. 而星盘则允许我们 与夜空相连, 它可以使我们观察夜空 从而将无形和有形的东西糅合在一起。
affords:vt.给予,提供;买得起; invisible:adj.看不见的;n.看不见的人或物;
So, that's just one use. Incredible , there is probably 350, 400 uses. 这仅仅是一种功能。 令人惊讶的是星盘大概有350,400种用途,
Incredible:adj.难以置信的,惊人的;
In fact, there is a text, and that has over a thousand uses of this first computer. 这些仅是从文本中得知,而一般的实际用途 则已逾千种。
On the back there is scales and measurements for terrestrial navigation . 星盘的背后是刻度和测量仪器, 他们具有定位的功能。
measurements:n.测量值,尺寸(measurement的复数); terrestrial:adj.地球的;陆地的,[生物]陆生的;人间的;n.陆地生物;地球上的人; navigation:n.导航;航行;领航;
You can survey with it. The city of Baghdad was surveyed with it. 你可以发起一场调查。古巴格达城就进行过类似的调查。
Baghdad:n.巴格达(伊拉克首都); surveyed:v.调查,俯视(survey的过去式和过去分词形式);考察,调研;
It can be used for calculating mathematical equations of all different types. 同时星盘也可以用来运算各种数学方程。
mathematical:adj.数学的,数学上的;精确的; equations:n.方程式;等式;均等;均势(equation的复数形式);
And it would take a full university course to illustrate it. 大学是值得专门为星盘研究开设课程。
Astrolabes have an incredible history. 星盘拥有悠久的历史。
Astrolabes:n.[天]星盘;天体观测仪;
They are over 2,000 years old. 它已逾两千岁了。
The concept of stereographic projection originated in 330 B.C. 赤平投影的理论大约是形成于 公元前330年。
originated:v.起源;发源;创立;创建;发明;(originate的过去式和过去分词)
And the astrolabes come in many different sizes and shapes and forms. 星盘有各种各样的 形状和结构。
There is portable ones. There is large display ones. 这是可携带的,那个则是展示所用的。
display:n.显示;炫耀;vt.显示;表现;陈列;vi.[动]作炫耀行为;adj.展览的;陈列用的;
And I think what is common to all astrolabes is that they are beautiful works of art. 我认为星盘的共通点则是 它们都是艺术的结晶。
There is a quality of craftsmanship and precision that is just astonishing and remarkable . 从星盘中显示的技艺和精准度 是令人为之动容的。
craftsmanship:n.技术;技艺; astonishing:adj.令人十分惊讶的;v.使十分惊讶;使吃惊;(astonish的现在分词) remarkable:adj.卓越的;非凡的;值得注意的;
Astrolabes, like every technology, do evolve over time. 星盘也会如当今科技一般进化。
evolve:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成;
So, the earliest retes, for example, were very simple and primitive . 最早的网环是非常原始和简陋的。
primitive:adj.原始的,远古的;简单的,粗糙的;n.原始人;
And advancing retes became cultural emblems . 而更为先进的网环则成为了文化的象征。
cultural:adj.与文化有关的;文化的;与艺术、文学、音乐等有关的; emblems:n.徽章(emblem的复数); v.象征(emblem的单三形式);
This is one from Oxford. 这只星盘是来自牛津大学。
And I find this one really extraordinary because the rete pattern is completely symmetrical, and it accurately maps a completely asymmetrical , or random sky. 我认为这只星盘是独此一家的,因为它的网环形状 是完全对称的, 然而它所描绘的则是缤纷四呈的天空。
extraordinary:adj.非凡的;特别的;离奇的;临时的;特派的; accurately:adv.精确地,准确地; asymmetrical:adj.[数]非对称的(等于asymmetric);不均匀的;不匀称的; random:adj.[数]随机的;任意的;胡乱的;n.随意;adv.胡乱地;
How cool is that? This is just amazing. 言语已无法形容其之神奇。
So, would little Lewis have an astrolabe? 那么,小路易斯能拥有他自己的星盘么？
Probably not one made of brass . He would have one made out of wood, or paper. And the vast majority of this first computer was a portable device that you could keep in the back of your pocket. 他拥有的大概不是黄铜制星盘。他有可能用木头或纸来制作 星盘。当时大部分星盘 皆是便携设备 它们一般可以存放于你的荷包中。
brass:n.黄铜;黄铜制品;铜管乐器;厚脸皮; majority:n.大部分:大多数:多数票:成年人:
So, what does the astrolabe inspire ? 因此星盘给予了我什么启迪？
inspire:v.激发;鼓舞;启示;产生;使生灵感;
Well, I think the first thing is that it reminds us just how resourceful people were, our forebears were, years and years ago. 第一,它提醒了我, 我们祖先的 智慧并不输于今人。
reminds:v.提醒;使想起;(remind的第三人称单数) resourceful:adj.资源丰富的;足智多谋的;机智的; forebears:n.祖先(forebear的复数);
It's an incredible device. 这是一件惊人的设备。
Every technology advances. 所有的技术都会进步。
Every technology is transformed and moved by others. 而每项技术之间都是相互关联、相互影响的
transformed:v.使改变形态;使改变外观(或性质);(transform的过去分词和过去式)
And what we gain with a new technology, of course, is precision and accuracy . 如今的技术使我们获得了 精准度。
accuracy:n.[数]精确度,准确性;
But what we lose, I think, is accurate -- a felt sense of the sky, a sense of context . 同时,我认为 我们失去了 对天空的感知。
context:n.环境;上下文;来龙去脉;
Knowing the sky, knowing your relationship with the sky, is the center of the real answer to knowing what time it is. 了解天空,了解天空与我们之间的联系 应是“时间是什么”的 真正答案。
So, it's -- I think astrolabes are just remarkable devices. 我认为星盘是一件非凡的器具。
And so, what can you learn from these devices? 因此,我们从中可以学得什么？
Well, primarily that there is a subtle knowledge that we can connect with the world. 基本上来说,我们可以从中学得我们 与世界之间的微妙联系。
primarily:adv.首先;主要地,根本上; subtle:adj.微妙的;精细的;敏感的;狡猾的;稀薄的;
And astrolabes return us to this subtle sense of how things all fit together, and also how we connect to the world. 了解星盘,可以使我们得回这种感觉, 得回物与物之间是如何联系的感觉, 以及我们是如何与世界相连的感觉。
Thanks very much. 非常感谢。
(Applause) (鼓掌)