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VilayanurRamachandran_2007-_通往心灵中央的旅程_
Well, as Chris pointed out, I study the human brain -- the functions and structure of the human brain. 是的,就如克里斯指出的,我研究人的大脑-- 人类大脑的功能和结构。
structure:n.结构;构造;建筑物;vt.组织;构成;建造;
And I just want you to think for a minute about what this entails . 我想给大家用一分钟的时间想一下这意味着什么
for a minute:一会儿; entails:vt.使需要,必需;承担;遗传给;蕴含;n.引起;需要;继承;
Here is this mass of jelly -- three pound mass of jelly you can hold in the palm of your hand, and it can contemplate the vastness of interstellar space. 这是一个硕大的果冻状的物质 - 三英镑质量 你可以把它放在你的手掌里, 它能思考浩瀚的星际空间,
mass:n.块,团; adj.群众的,民众的; v.聚集起来,聚集; jelly:n.果冻;胶状物;vi.成胶状;vt.使结冻; palm:n.手掌;手心;棕榈树;v.把…藏在手中(尤指玩戏法); contemplate:v.沉思;注视;思忖;预期; vastness:n.巨大;广大;广漠; interstellar:adj.[航][天]星际的;
It can contemplate the meaning of infinity and it can contemplate itself contemplating on the meaning of infinity. 它可以思考“无限”的含义, 以及思考它本身去理解“无限”的含义。
infinity:n.无穷;无限大;无限距; contemplating:v.考虑;思量;考虑接受;深思熟虑;沉思;(contemplate的现在分词)
And this peculiar recursive quality that we call self-awareness , which I think is the Holy Grail of neuroscience , of neurology , and hopefully, someday, we'll understand how that happens. 这种独特的自省的特质我们称为自我意识。 我认为这就是神经系统科学和神经病学的“圣杯”, 但愿有一天,我们能够明白这是怎么产生的。
peculiar:adj.特殊的;独特的;奇怪的;罕见的;n.特权;特有财产; recursive:adj.[数]递归的;循环的; self-awareness:n.自我意识; Holy Grail:na.圣杯; neuroscience:n.神经系统科学(指神经病学,神经化学等); neurology:n.神经病学;神经学;
OK, so how do you study this mysterious organ ? 好的,那么你要怎么研究这个神秘的器官呢？
mysterious:adj.神秘的;不可思议的;难解的; organ:n.[生物]器官;机构;风琴;管风琴;嗓音;
I mean you have 100 billion nerve cells, little wisps of protoplasm , interacting with each other, and from this activity emerges the whole spectrum of abilities that we call human nature and human consciousness . 我的意思是说你有1000亿个神经元细胞, (每个是)一小束原生质,它们相互作用, 从这些活动中,迸发出一系列的能力 我们称为人性和人的意识。
nerve:n.神经;勇气;神经质;神经紧张;v.鼓足勇气;振作精神; wisps:n.小捆; v.捆成小束(wisp的三单形式); protoplasm:n.原生质;原浆;细胞质; interacting:v.交流;沟通;合作;相互影响;(interact的现在分词) emerges:vi.浮现;摆脱;暴露; spectrum:n.光谱;频谱;范围;余象; human nature:n.人性; consciousness:n.意识;知觉;觉悟;感觉;
How does this happen? 这是怎么产生的呢?
Well, there are many ways of approaching the functions of the human brain. 嗯,我们可以用很多方法去研究人脑的功能。
approaching:v.靠近,接近;接洽;建议;要求;(approach的现在分词)
One approach, the one we use mainly , is to look at patients with sustained damage to a small region of the brain, where there's been a genetic change in a small region of the brain. 其中的一个方法,我们所采用的主要的方法, 是观察大脑中一小部分区域遭受持续性损伤的病人, 这部分区域已经发生了一种遗传学改变。
mainly:adv.大多;大部分;主要地;首要地; patients:n.接受治疗者,病人;(patient的复数) sustained:adj.持续的; v.维持; (sustain的过去分词和过去式) region:n.地区;范围;部位; genetic:adj.基因的;遗传学的;
What then happens is not an across-the-board reduction in all your mental capacities , a sort of blunting of your cognitive ability. 这发生的不是全面性丧失 所有的心智能力, 换句话说是一种使认知能力迟钝的情况.
across-the-board:全面地,整体地; reduction:n.减少;缩小;降低;减价;折扣;缩图; mental:adj.精神的;脑力的;疯的;n.精神病患者; capacities:n.能力;容量;性能;生产量(capacity的复数); blunting:v.使减弱;使(尖端、刃)变钝;(blunt的现在分词) cognitive:adj.认知的,认识的;
What you get is a highly selective loss of one function with other functions being preserved intact , and this gives you some confidence in asserting that that part of the brain is somehow involved in mediating that function. 这是一种特定功能的丧失 而其他功能则完好无损。 这让你能自信地说: 那个区域以某种方式在那个功能的运作中起到作用。
highly:adv.高度地;非常;非常赞许地; selective:adj.选择性的;有选择的;认真挑选的;严格筛选的; preserved:v.保护;维护;保留;保存;保养;(preserve的过去式和过去分词) intact:adj.完整的;原封不动的;未受损伤的; confidence:n.信心;信任;秘密;adj.(美)诈骗的;骗得信任的; asserting:v.明确肯定;断言;坚持自己的主张;(assert的现在分词) somehow:adv.以某种方法;莫名其妙地; involved:adj.有关的; v.涉及; (involve的过去式和过去分词) mediating:调停;
So you can then map function onto structure, and then find out what the circuitry 's doing to generate that particular function. 这样你就能将功能映射到结构上去, 并找出这部分神经回路是如何产生 这个特定的功能的。
circuitry:n.电路;电路系统;电路学;一环路; generate:v.产生;引起;
So that's what we're trying to do. 这就是我们想做的事。
So let me give you a few striking examples of this. 就让我向诸位展示几个惊人的例子。
In fact, I'm giving you three examples, six minutes each, during this talk. 事实上,在这个演讲中,我要给出三个例子,每个6分钟。
The first example is an extraordinary syndrome called Capgras syndrome. 第一个例子是一种称为“卡普格拉斯综合症 (Capgras Syndrome)的罕见综合症。
extraordinary:adj.非凡的;特别的;离奇的;临时的;特派的; syndrome:n.[临床]综合征;综合症状;并发症状;校验子;并发位;
If you look at the first slide there, that's the temporal lobes , frontal lobes , parietal lobes , OK -- the lobes that constitute the brain. 请看那边的第一个幻灯片, 图中显示的是颞叶(temporal lobes)、额叶(frontal lobes)和顶叶(parietal lobes)。 够成大脑的脑叶。
temporal:adj.暂时的;当时的;现世的;n.世间万物;暂存的事物; lobes:n.耳垂;脑叶(lobe的复数形式); frontal:adj.额的;正面的,前面的;n.额骨,额部;房屋的正面; parietal:adj.[解剖]腔壁的;颅顶骨的;(美)学院生活的;n.顶骨,头顶骨; constitute:v.组成;构成;(合法或正式地)成立,设立;
And if you look, tucked away inside the inner surface of the temporal lobes -- you can't see it there -- is a little structure called the fusiform gyrus . 你再看看,折叠在颞叶的皮层内部的部分 你在图中看不见的 是一种称为梭状回(fusiform gyrus)的微小结构。
tucked:v.塞进,折叠,卷起;把…藏入;收藏;(tuck的过去分词和过去式) inner:n.内部;射中接近靶心部分的一发;adj.里面的;向内的;内部的;接近中心的; fusiform:adj.梭形的;纺锭状的;两端渐细的; gyrus:n.[解剖]脑回(形成大脑半球的组织);回转;
And that's been called the face area in the brain because when it's damaged, you can no longer recognize people's faces. 它被称为脑的“脸部区域”, 因为如果这个区域遭受损伤,你就无法再识别人们的面孔了。
recognize:v.认识;认出;辨别出;承认;意识到;
You can still recognize them from their voice and say, oh yeah, that's Joe, but you can't look at their face and know who it is, right? 你仍然能够通过嗓音识别他人, 并且说,“哦,对了,这是乔”, 但你没法看着别人的脸认出这是谁,对吧？
You can't even recognize yourself in the mirror. 你就连镜子里的自己都认不出来了。
I mean, you know it's you because you wink and it winks , and you know it's a mirror, but you don't really recognize yourself as yourself. 我的意思是说,当你对着镜子眨眼时,你依然知道那人在眨眼, 而且你知道那是在镜子里, 但却真的识别不出那个人就是你自己。
winks:n.眨眼(wink的复数);打瞌睡;v.眨眼;使眼色;闪烁(wink的第三人称单数);
OK. Now that syndrome is well known as caused by damage to the fusiform gyrus. 好,现在这种梭状回损伤导致的疾病是众所周知的了。
well known:adj.著名的;众所周知的;清楚明白的;
But there's another rare syndrome, so rare, in fact, that very few physicians have heard about it, not even neurologists . 但还有一种罕见的综合症,非常罕见,事实上, 连医生都很少知道,甚至于神经病学家。
physicians:n.[内科]内科医生(physician的复数); neurologists:n.神经病学家;神经科专门医师;
This is called the Capgras delusion , and that is a patient who's otherwise completely normal has had a head injury , comes out of coma , otherwise completely normal, he looks at his mother 它名叫“卡普格拉斯错觉”(Capgras Delusion), 即一个原本完全正常的病患 遭受了头部损伤,从昏迷中醒来, 原本完全正常的病患,他看着自己的母亲
delusion:n.迷惑,欺骗;错觉;幻想; injury:n.伤害,损害;受伤处; coma:n.[医]昏迷;[天]彗形像差;
and says, "This looks exactly like my mother, this woman, but she's an impostor -- she's some other woman pretending to be my mother." 并且说,“这人看上去跟我母亲一模一样,这个女人, 但她是个假冒的, 是个假装成我母亲的女人”。
impostor:n.骗子;冒充者; other woman:n.情妇;女第三者;
Now, why does this happen? 为什么会这样呢？
Why would somebody -- and this person is perfectly lucid and intelligent in all other respects , but when he sees his mother, his delusion kicks in and says it's not mother. 为什么这个人完全清醒和理智, 在所有其它方面,但当他看见他母亲时, 他的错觉就出现,并说“这不是我母亲”。
lucid:adj.明晰的;透明的;易懂的;头脑清楚的; intelligent:adj.有才智的;悟性强的;聪明的;有智力的 in all other respects:在所有其他方面;
Now, the most common interpretation of this, which you find in all the psychiatry text books, is a Freudian view, and that is that this chap -- and the same argument applies to women by the way , but I'll just talk about guys -- when you're a little baby, a young baby, you had a strong sexual attraction to your mother. 现在,对此最常见的解释是, 你可以在所有的精神病学的教科书找到, 是弗洛伊德式的观点,那就是:当这个小伙子 顺便提一句,女性也得有这种病的 但我只说男的好了 当你还是个婴儿,一个很小的婴儿的时候, 你对母亲有种很强烈的性吸引。
interpretation:n.解释;翻译;演出; psychiatry:n.精神病学;精神病治疗法; Freudian:adj.佛洛伊德的;佛洛伊德学说的;n.相信佛洛伊德学说的人; chap:n.小伙子;家伙;龟裂;v.使皲裂;皲裂; applies:v.适用;申请;运用;专心;(apply的第三人称单数) by the way:顺便说一下; sexual:adj.性的;性别的;有性的;
This is the so-called Oedipus complex of Freud. 这就是所谓的“俄狄浦斯”(Oedipus)恋母情结。
so-called:adj.所谓的;号称的; Oedipus complex:恋母情结;
I'm not saying I believe this, but this is the standard Freudian view. 我没说我相信这个, 但标准的弗洛伊德观点就是这样的。
standard:n.标准;水准;旗;度量衡标准;adj.标准的;合规格的;公认为优秀的;
And then as you grow up, the cortex develops, and inhibits these latent sexual urges towards your mother. 长大后,你的皮层生长发育, 抑制了对母亲的潜在性欲。
cortex:n.[解剖]皮质;树皮;果皮; inhibits:抑制;阻止; latent:adj.潜在的;潜伏的;隐藏的;
Thank God, or you would all be sexually aroused when you saw your mother. 感谢上帝,否则每次你看到你母亲的时候会唤起你的性欲。
sexually:adv.性,性欲 aroused:v.激起,引起;激起性欲;使行动起来;激发(arouse的过去分词和过去式)
And then what happens is, there's a blow to your head, damaging the cortex, allowing these latent sexual urges to emerge, flaming to the surface, and suddenly and inexplicably you find yourself being sexually aroused by your mother. 接下来,所发生的是, 头部的击打损伤了皮层, 把潜在的性冲动释放, 释放到了表层。突然间,莫名其妙地, 你觉得自己对母亲产生了性欲。
inexplicably:adv.说不清的;无法说明地;令人难以理解地;
And you say, "My God, if this is my mom, how come I'm being sexually turned on? 于是你想:“天啊,这是我妈, 我怎么可能会觉得性冲动？
She's some other woman. She's an impostor." 她一定是别的女人,是个假冒的。”
It's the only interpretation that makes sense to your damaged brain. 对你受损伤的大脑来说只有这解释才说的通。
This has never made much sense to me, this argument. 我从来不觉得这样的论辩有道理。
It's very ingenious , as all Freudian arguments are -- 尽管像弗洛伊德的其它论辩一样,它非常巧妙。
ingenious:adj.有独创性的;机灵的,精制的;心灵手巧的;
(Laughter) (众笑)
- but didn't make much sense because I have seen the same delusion, a patient having the same delusion about his pet poodle . 但我觉得它没道理,是因为我见过同样的错觉, 有一病患对他的贵宾犬有同样的错觉。
poodle:n.狮子狗;v.剪毛;
(Laughter) (众笑)
He'll say, "Doctor, this is not Fifi, it looks exactly like Fifi, but it's some other dog." Right? 他说:“大夫,这不是菲菲,它看上去跟菲菲一个样, 但它是另一条狗”。对吧？
Now, you try using the Freudian explanation there. 现在请你用弗洛伊德的理论解释解释看。
(Laughter) (众笑)
You'll start talking about the latent bestiality in all humans, or some such thing, which is quite absurd of course. 你将开始讨论有关人类潜在的恋兽性 或类似的事情,这当然是相当荒谬的。
bestiality:n.兽性;兽行;人兽性交; absurd:adj.荒谬的;可笑的;n.荒诞;荒诞作品;
Now, what's really going on? 实际是怎么回事呢？
So to explain this curious disorder , we look at the structure and functions of the normal visual pathways in the brain. 为了解释这种奇怪的疾病, 我们来看看正常人脑视觉通路的结构和功能。
curious:adj.好奇的,有求知欲的;古怪的;爱挑剔的; disorder:n.混乱;骚乱;vt.使失调;扰乱; visual:adj.视觉的,视力的;栩栩如生的; pathways:n.小路;小径(pathway的复数);
Normally , visual signals come in, into the eyeballs , go to the visual areas in the brain. 通常来说,视觉信号通过眼球 进入脑中的视觉区域
Normally:adv.正常地;通常地,一般地; eyeballs:n.[解剖]眼球(eyeball的复数); v.注视;
There are in fact 30 areas in the back of your brain concerned with just vision , and after processing all that, the message goes to a small structure called the fusiform gyrus, where you perceive faces. 事实上脑后部有30个负责处理视觉信号的区域, 然后,通过处理所有的这些,信号进入一种微小结构 它称为“梭状回”,在那里感知到面部图像。
concerned with:关心;涉及;忙于;与…有关; vision:n.视力;美景;幻象;想象力;v.想象;显现;梦见; processing:v.加工;处理;审核;数据处理;v.列队行进;缓缓前进;(process的现在分词) perceive:v.注意到;意识到;将…理解为;认为;
There are neurons there that are sensitive to faces. 那里有对面部感知的神经元。
sensitive:adj.敏感的;感觉的;易受影响的;n.敏感的人;有灵异能力的人;
You can call it the face area of the brain, right? 你可以称它为“大脑的面部区”。对吧?
I talked about that earlier. 我之前谈及过.
Now, when that area's damaged, you lose the ability to see faces, right? 那个区域一旦损坏,你就失去了识别面孔的能力。对吧?
But from that area, the message cascades into a structure called the amygdala in the limbic system , the e< b> m otion al core of the brain, and that structure, called the amygdala, gauges the e< b> m otion al significance of what you're looking at. 但神经信号还会从那个区域通过, 到达边缘系统中称为杏仁核(amygdala)的区域, 那是脑的情绪核心。 那个结构称为杏仁核(amygdala), 它判断你所看见的物体在情绪上的重要性.
cascades:n.[水文]小瀑布;叶棚(cascade的复数);v.瀑布似地落下(cascade的三单形式); amygdala:n.[解剖]杏仁核;扁桃腺;苦巴旦杏; limbic system:n.(大脑)边缘系; significance:n.意义;重要性;意思;
Is it prey ? Is it predator ? Is it mate ? 那是猎物,是捕食者,是配偶,
prey:n.猎物;受害者;受骗者;v.折磨;掠夺;捕食(on,upon);损害(on,upon); predator:n.[动]捕食者;[动]食肉动物;掠夺者; mate:n.助手,大副; v.使配对;
Or is it something absolutely trivial , like a piece of lint , or a piece of chalk, or a -- I don't want to point to that but -- or a shoe, or something like that? OK? 还是完全无关紧要的东西。例如一个小线头, 或者一截粉笔,获者-我不想指出来了,但 或者是一只鞋,或者类似的东西.
absolutely:adv.绝对地;完全地; trivial:adj.不重要的,琐碎的;琐细的; lint:n.软麻布;线头;棉绒;vi.飞散出棉线;
Which you can completely ignore . 总之是你可以完全忽略的.
ignore:v.驳回诉讼;忽视;不理睬;
So if the amygdala is excited, and this is something important, the messages then cascade into the autonomic nervous system . 如果杏仁核变得兴奋,那么说明这是很重要的东西, 神经信号就会向下发送到自主神经系统.
autonomic nervous system:n.植物性神经系统(控制心跳等无意识运动);
Your heart starts beating faster, you start sweating to dissipate the heat that you're going to exert -- create from muscular exertion . 你的心跳开始加速, 你开始出汗以散热,你将紧张 由肌肉收缩产生.
dissipate:v.消散;驱散;(使)消失;挥霍;浪费;消磨; muscular:adj.肌肉的;肌肉发达的;强健的; exertion:n.发挥;运用;努力;
And that's fortunate , because we can put two electrodes on your palm and measure the change in skin resistance produced by sweating. 那是幸运的,因为我们可以把两个电极放在手掌上, 来测量汗液产生的皮肤电阻的变化.
fortunate:adj.幸运的;交好运的;吉利的; electrodes:n.[电]电极(electrode的复数);电焊条; resistance:n.电阻;抵抗;阻力;抗力;
So I can determine , when you're looking at something, whether you're excited or whether you're aroused or not, OK? 这样我就能判断,当你看着什么东西的时候, 是兴奋,被唤起,还是没有反应了。对吧?
determine:v.决定;确定;测定;查明;形成;影响;裁决;安排;
And I'll get to that in a minute. 而我就可以在短时间内知道.
So my idea was, when this chap looks at an object, when he looks at his -- any object for that matter, it goes to the visual areas and -- however, and it's processed in the fusiform gyrus, and you recognize it as a pea plant, or a table, or your mother for that matter, OK? 我的想法是:当这小伙子看着某个物体时,当他看着他的... 任何有关系的物体,信号到达视觉区,并且... 也就是说,进入梭状回处理 你就认出了这件物体是一棵豌豆,一张桌子, 或者是你的母亲,那是有关系的.对吧?
processed:v.加工,处理;审核;列队行进;(process的过去式和过去分词)
And then the message cascades into the amygdala, and then goes down the autonomic nervous system. 接着,信号就传到杏仁核, 再往下传递到自主神经系统。
But maybe in this chap, that wire that goes from the amygdala to the limbic system -- the emotional core of the brain -- is cut by the accident. 但或许在这小伙子的脑中,从杏仁核到边缘系统的线路 即到大脑中控制情绪的核心的线路, 被事故切断了。
So because the fusiform is intact, the chap can still recognize his mother, and says, "Oh yeah, this looks like my mother." 由于梭状回是完整的, 小伙子还能够认出他母亲, 并且想,“是啊,这人看上去像我母亲”.
But because the wire is cut to the emotional centers, he says, "But how come, if it's my mother, I don't experience a warmth?" 但由于通往情绪中心的通路被切断了, 他就会想:“为什么我看见母亲时感觉不到温暖,
Or terror, as the case may be? Right? 或者,也许在这个案例中是恐惧,对吧?
(Laughter) (众笑)
And therefore, he says, "How do I account for this inexplicable lack of emotions ? 于是他就想, 我怎样解释这种无法解释的情绪缺失呢？
account for:对…负有责任;对…做出解释;说明…的原因;导致;(比例)占; inexplicable:adj.费解的;无法说明的;不能解释的; emotions:n.强烈的感情;激情;情感;(emotion的复数)
This can't be my mother. 这不可能是我的母亲。
It's some strange woman pretending to be my mother." 而是某个奇怪的女人假装是我的母亲。
How do you test this? 你要怎么验证这个呢？
Well, what you do is, if you take any one of you here, and put you in front of a screen, and measure your galvanic skin response , and show pictures on the screen, 你要做的是,如果你找来一个人,在他面前放一面屏幕, 一边测量他的皮肤电反应, 一边在屏幕上放图片给他看,
galvanic:adj.电流的;使人震惊的;触电似的; response:n.响应;反应;回答;
I can measure how you sweat when you see an object, like a table or an umbrella -- of course, you don't sweat. 我能测量你看见一个物体出汗的情况, 比如一张桌子或一把伞时,当然你不会出汗,
If I show you a picture of a lion, or a tiger, or a pin-up , you start sweating, right? 如果我给你看狮子,老虎或性感女郎海报的照片,你会开始出汗。对吧？
pin-up:n.美女画像(等于pinup);adj.可钉在墙上的;
And, believe it or not, if I show you a picture of your mother -- 信不信由你,如果我给你看你母亲的照片,
I'm talking about normal people -- you start sweating. 我说的是正常的人,你会开始流汗,
You don't even have to be Jewish . 你甚至不用是个犹太人。
Jewish:adj.犹太人的;犹太族的;
(Laughter) (众笑)
Now, what happens -- what happens if you show this patient? 那么,当你向病人展示时,发生了什么事呢？
You take the patient and show him pictures on the screen and measure his galvanic skin response. 你向病人展示图片 并测量他的皮肤电反应
Tables and chairs and lint, nothing happens, as in normal people, but when you show him a picture of his mother, the galvanic skin response is flat. 看桌子,椅子,线头,没有反应,跟正常人一样; 当你给他看他母亲的相片, 皮肤电图像是平的,
There's no emotional reaction to his mother because that wire going from the visual areas to the emotional centers is cut. 他对自己的母亲也没有情绪反应, 因为从视觉区通往情绪中心的线路被切断了。
reaction:n.反应,感应;反动,复古;反作用;
So his vision is normal because the visual areas are normal, his emotions are normal -- he'll laugh, he'll cry, so on and so forth -- but the wire from vision to emotions is cut and therefore he has this delusion that his mother is an impostor. 他的视觉没有问题,因为视觉区是正常的, 他的情绪反应也没有问题,他会哭会笑,等等 但是从视觉到情绪的线路却断了, 因此,他有了这个母亲是冒牌货的错觉。
It's a lovely example of the sort of thing we do, take a bizarre , seemingly incomprehensible , neural psychiatric syndrome and say that the standard Freudian view is wrong, 我们所作的这类事情是个生动的例子, 把这种奇怪的、表面看似无法理解的神经－精神病症状 认为是正统弗洛伊德观点是错误的
bizarre:adj.奇异的(指态度,容貌,款式等); seemingly:adv.看来似乎;表面上看来; incomprehensible:adj.费解的;不可思议的;无限的; neural:adj.神经的;神经系统的;背的;神经中枢的; psychiatric:adj.精神病学的;精神病治疗的;
that in fact you can come up with a precise explanation in terms of the known neural anatomy of the brain. 实际上你可以找到一个精确的解释, 从已知的大脑神经解剖的角度。
come up with:提出;想出;赶上; precise:adj.准确的;确切的;精确的;明确的; anatomy:n.解剖;解剖学;剖析;解析;
By the way, if this patient then goes, and mother phones from an adjacent room -- phones him -- and he picks up the phone, and he says, "Wow, Mom, how are you? Where are you?" 顺便说一下,如果这病人之后去, 母亲从相邻的房间打电话给他, 他会拿起电话说:“哇,妈,您好不好？您在哪里？”
adjacent:adj.邻近的,毗连的;
There's no delusion through the phone. 通过电话就不产生错觉了。
Then she approaches him after an hour, he says, "Who are you? 但一个小时候当母亲走到面前,他会问:“你是谁?”
approaches:v.靠近,接近; n.方式,方法,态度;
You look just like my mother." OK? 你看起来像我母亲
The reason is there's a separate pathway going from the hearing centers in the brain to the emotional centers, and that's not been cut by the accident. 原因是有另一条通路 从脑的听觉中心通往情绪中心. 事故并没有切断那条通路.
So this explains why through the phone he recognizes his mother, no problem. 这就解释了为什么他能通过电话认出自己的母亲,没问题
recognizes:v.认识;认出;辨别出;承认;意识到;(recognize的第三人称单数)
When he sees her in person, he says it's an impostor. 但当他看到母亲本人,却说那是假冒者。
OK, how is all this complex circuitry set up in the brain? 好了,脑中为什么会有如此复杂的回路呢？
Is it nature, genes , or is it nurture ? 是自然、基因、还是养育的作用？
genes:n.基因;(gene的复数) nurture:v.养育;培养;养护;支持;
And we approach this problem by considering another curious syndrome called phantom limb . 我们来试图解答这个问题, 通过研究另一奇怪的综合症,它名叫“幻肢”。
phantom limb:na.(截肢后依然感到肢体存在的)幻肢(感);
And you all know what a phantom limb is. 诸位都知道幻肢是什么。
When an arm is amputated , or a leg is amputated , for gangrene , or you lose it in war, for example, in the Iraq war -- it's now a serious problem -- you continue to vividly feel the presence of that missing arm, and that's called a phantom arm or a phantom leg. 当一条手臂被切除,或一条腿被切除,由于坏疽的原因, 或在在战争中失去,比如在伊拉克战争中, 现在这是一个严重的问题 你依然能强烈地感受到那条已经失去的手臂的存在, 那就称为幻臂(phantom arm)或幻腿(phantom leg)。
amputated:切断;锯掉;截(肢)(amputate的过去式和过去分词); gangrene:n.[外科]坏疽;vi.生坏疽;腐败;vt.使生坏疽; vividly:adv.生动地;强烈地; presence:n.存在;出席;参加;风度;仪态;
In fact, you can get a phantom with almost any part of the body. 实际上,身体的任何部分都会产生幻肢现象。
Believe it or not, even with internal viscera . 信不信由你,即使内脏器官都不例外。
internal:n.内脏;本质;adj.内部的;里面的;体内的;(机构)内部的; viscera:n.内脏;内容(viscus的复数);
I've had patients with the uterus removed -- hysterectomy -- who have a phantom uterus, including phantom menstrual cramps at the > appr opriate time of the month. 我有位病人被摘除了子宫,子宫切除术(hysterectomy) 她得了幻子宫病,包括幻月经痛 在每个月适当的时候。
uterus:n.[解剖]子宫; hysterectomy:n.[妇产]子宫切除; menstrual:adj.月经的;每月的;一月一次的;
And in fact, one student asked me the other day , do they get phantom PMS? 事实上,有一天一个学生问我, 她们有没有幻经前综合症？
the other day:不久前某一天;几天以前;
(Laughter) (众笑)
A subject ripe for scientific enquiry , but we haven't pursued that. 倒是个不错的科研课题,但我们还没有研究那个。
ripe:adj.成熟的;口味浓郁的;醇美可口的;强烈的; scientific:adj.科学的,系统的; enquiry:n.[计]询问,[贸易]询盘; pursued:v.追击,追踪;继续从事(pursue的过去分词形式);
OK, now the next question is, what can you learn about phantom limbs by doing experiments? 好了,接下来的问题是: 通过实验,你能从幻肢现象中学到什么？
limbs:n.[解剖]四肢(limb的复数);
One of the things we've found was, about half the patients with phantom limbs claim that they can move the phantom. 我们发现了一种现象是, 有一半幻肢的病人, 宣称自己能移动那条幻肢。
claim:v.要求;声称;需要;认领;n.要求;声称;索赔;断言;值得;
It'll pat his brother on the shoulder, it'll answer the phone when it rings, it'll wave goodbye. 能用幻肢拍兄弟的肩膀, 能在电话铃响时拿起听筒、能挥手道别。
These are very compelling , vivid sensations . 他们有种十分强烈的活生生的感觉。
compelling:adj.引人入胜的; v.强迫; (compel的现在分词) sensations:n.感觉;轰动;感动;
The patient's not delusional . 病患不是在妄想。
delusional:adj.妄想的;
He knows that the arm is not there but, nevertheless , it's a compelling sensory experience for the patient. 他知道手臂已经不在了, 但感觉还是非常强烈。
nevertheless:adv.然而,不过;虽然如此;conj.然而,不过; sensory:adj.感觉的;知觉的;传递感觉的;
But however, about half the patients, this doesn't happen. 然而,病人中的另一半没有这种感觉。
The phantom limb -- they'll say, "But Doctor, the phantom limb is paralyzed . 这幻肢... 他们告诉我:“大夫,我的幻肢被麻痹了,
paralyzed:adj.瘫痪的;麻痹的;v.使麻痹;使无力;使失去勇气(paralyze的过去分词);
It's fixed in a clenched spasm and it's excruciatingly painful . 它固定在绷紧的痉挛的状态,难以忍受的疼痛。
clenched:v.捏紧,攥紧(拳头等),咬紧(牙齿等);(clench的过去分词和过去式) spasm:n.[临床]痉挛;抽搐;一阵发作; excruciatingly:adv.极其痛苦地;难以忍受地; painful:adj.痛苦的;疼痛的;令人不快的;
If only I could move it, maybe the pain will be relieved . 如果我能移动它,疼痛或许就会减轻。“
relieved:adj.释然的; v.缓解;
Now, why would a phantom limb be paralyzed? 为什么幻肢会被麻痹呢？
It sounds like an oxymoron . 听上去自相矛盾。
oxymoron:n.(修词中的)矛盾修饰法;
But when we were looking at the case sheets , what we found was, these people with the paralyzed phantom limbs, the original arm was paralyzed because of the peripheral nerve injury, the actual nerve supplying the arm was severed , was cut, by say, a motorcycle accident. 当我们查看病例表时,我们发现, 这些感觉幻肢被麻痹的人, 他们的手臂原先曾被麻痹过,原因是周围神经受伤, 控制手臂的神经被隔断, 被切断了,比如在一次车祸中。
sheets:n.床单;被单;薄片,薄板;(sheet的复数) original:n.原件;原作;原物;原型;adj.原始的;最初的;独创的;新颖的; peripheral:adj.外围的;次要的;(神经)末梢区域的;n.外部设备; severed:v.切开;割断;切下;割下;(sever的过去分词和过去式)
So the patient had an actual arm, which is painful, in a sling for a few months, or a year, and then in a misguided attempt to get rid of the pain in the arm, the surgeon amputates the arm, and then you get a phantom arm with the same pains, right? 这个病患曾经真的有过一个手臂,很疼, 挂着绷带好几个月或一年,然后, 在一次错误的尝试中,为了消除手臂的疼痛的, 外科医生做了截肢手术。 接下来,就有了条同样疼痛的幻肢。对吧？
sling:n.[机]吊索;投石器;抛掷;v.用投石器投掷;吊起; misguided:adj.搞错的;v.误入歧途;指导错误;(misguide的过去式和过去分词) attempt:n.企图,试图;攻击;v.企图,试图;尝试; surgeon:n.外科医生;
And this is a serious clinical problem. 这可是个严重的临床问题。
clinical:adj.临床的;诊所的;
Patients become depressed . 病人们变得心情沮丧,
depressed:adj.沮丧的; v.使抑郁; (depress的过去式和过去分词)
Some of them are driven to suicide , OK? 导致有些人想自杀。
suicide:n.自杀;自杀行为;自杀者;adj.自杀的;v.自杀;vi.自杀;
So how do you treat this syndrome? 那么你要怎么治疗这种综合症呢？
treat:v.治疗;处理;招待;款待;n.款待;乐事;乐趣;
Now why do you get a paralyzed phantom limb? 为什么会有人觉得幻肢麻痹？
When I looked at the case sheet I found that they had an actual arm, and the nerves supplying the arm had been cut, and the actual arm had been paralyzed, 当我查看病历的时候,我发现他们有过真实的手臂, 控制手臂的神经被切断, 真实的手臂被麻痹了,
nerves:n.神经;神经紧张;勇气;v.鼓足勇气;振作精神;(nerve的第三人称单数和复数)
and lying in a sling for several months before the amputation , and this pain then gets carried over into the phantom itself. 在截肢前挂着绷带好几个月。 这种疼痛被带到了幻肢里。
amputation:n.截肢(术),切断(术);删除,削减;
Why does this happen? 为什么会这样呢？
When the arm was intact, but paralyzed, the brain sends commands to the arm, the front of the brain, saying "Move," 当手臂完好但麻痹的时候, 大脑向手臂发送指令,前脑命令“移动”,
but it's getting visual feedback saying "No." 但视觉反馈却说“动不了”;
feedback:n.反馈;反馈意见;回授;[电子]反馈;
Move. No. Move. No. Move. No. 动―动不了―动―动不了...
And this gets wired into the circuitry of the brain, and we call this learned paralysis , OK? 这被固定在了脑的神经回路中, 我们把这叫做“习得行麻痹 ”（learned paralysis）。
paralysis:n.麻痹;无力;停顿;
The brain learns, because of this Hebbian associative link, that the mere command to move the arm creates a sensation of a paralyzed arm, and then, when you've amputated the arm, 脑了解到,因为这种海伯联结 (Hebbian associative link), 使这个移动手臂的简单指令, 产生了手臂麻痹的感觉。 接着,当你切断了手臂,
associative:adj.联想的;联合的;组合的; mere:adj.仅仅的;只不过的;n.小湖;池塘;
this learned paralysis carries over into the -- into your body image and into your phantom, OK? 这种“习得行麻痹 ”进入了你的身体意象, 进入了你的幻肢。可以吧？
Now, how do you help these patients? 你要怎么帮助这些病人呢？
How do you unlearn the learned paralysis so you can relieve him of this excruciating, clenching spasm of the phantom arm? 你要怎样解除习得性麻痹, 好让他解除从那个幻臂产生的 剧痛的痉挛？
unlearn:vt.忘却;抛掉以前的想法;去掉…的弊习; clenching:v.捏紧,咬紧;握紧;抓牢;(clench的现在分词)
Well, we said, what if you now send the command to the phantom, but give him visual feedback that it's obeying his command, right? 我们说了,如果现在你向幻肢发送指令, 但却给他服从指令的视觉反馈,会怎样？
what if:如果…怎么办? obeying:v.服从;遵守;顺从;(obey的现在分词)
Maybe you can relieve the phantom pain, the phantom cramp. 说不定就会减轻幻肢疼痛和痉挛了。
How do you do that? Well, virtual reality . 你要怎样做到这一点？可以用虚拟现实(virtual reality),
virtual reality:n.(计算机创造的)虚拟现实;
But that costs millions of dollars. 但那会花上几百万。
So I hit on a way of doing this for three dollars, but don't tell my funding agencies . 我想到了一个成本三美元的办法, 别跟我的赞助机构说。
funding:n.基金;资金;提供资金;v.为…提供资金;拨款给;(fund的现在分词) agencies:n.代理;代理处(agency的复数);
(Laughter) (众笑)
OK? What you do is you create what I call a mirror box. 你要做的是制造出一个我称为“镜盒”(mirror box)的东西。
You have a cardboard box with a mirror in the middle, and then you put the phantom -- so my first patient, Derek, came in. 你在纸板盒中间放面镜子, 然后叫病人把幻肢放入盒子里。我的第一个病人,德里克
cardboard:n.[纸]硬纸板;纸板箱;卡纸板;adj.不真实的;硬纸板制的;
He had his arm amputated 10 years ago. 他在10年前截肢。
He had a brachial avulsion , so the nerves were cut and the arm was paralyzed, lying in a sling for a year, and then the arm was amputated. 此前他有臂丛神经撕脱伤(brachial avulsion),神经被切断了, 手臂被麻痹了,挂着绷带一年,接着手臂被切断了。
brachial:adj.臂的,臂状的; avulsion:n.扯开,撕裂;扯离的部分;
He had a phantom arm, excruciatingly painful, and he couldn't move it. 他有一个幻肢,难以忍受的疼痛,并且他不能移动它。
It was a paralyzed phantom arm. 这是一个“习得行麻痹”的手臂。
So he came there, and I gave him a mirror like that, in a box, which I call a mirror box, right? 他来看病的时候,我给了他一个象这样的镜子, 我称之为镜盒,对吧？
And the patient puts his phantom left arm, which is clenched and in spasm, on the left side of the mirror, and the normal hand on the right side of the mirror, and makes the same posture , the clenched posture , and looks inside the mirror, and what does he experience? 病人将其幻肢左臂 (绷紧痉挛的那只)放入镜子的左边, 将正常的手放在镜子的右侧, 并做出和左臂同样的姿势,握紧的姿势, 并且看着镜子,他感觉到了什么？
posture:n.姿势;态度;看法;立场;处理方式;v.故作姿态;装样子
He looks at the phantom being resurrected , because he's looking at the reflection of the normal arm in the mirror, and it looks like this phantom has been resurrected. 他感觉幻肢又复活了。 因为他看到了镜中的手臂, 就好像他的幻肢又重生了。
resurrected:使复活;使(断层等)复露;复苏(resurrect的过去式和过去分词); reflection:n.反映;沉思;映像;深思;
'"Now," I said, "now look, wiggle your phantom -- your real fingers, or move your real fingers while looking in the mirror." 接着我说:“现在摆动一下你幻肢, 你真正的手指,或者在看着镜子的同时移动你真正的手指。“
wiggle:v.扭动;摆动,起伏;n.摆动,摇动,起伏;
He's going to get the visual impression that the phantom is moving, right? 这样他会得到幻肢正在移动的视觉印象,对吧？
impression:n.印象;影响;效果;感想;
That's obvious , but the astonishing thing is, the patient then says, "Oh my God, my phantom is moving again, and the pain, the clenching spasm, is relieved." 这是显而易见的。但令人惊讶的是, 病人说,“天啊,我的幻臂又移动了, 那疼痛,那绷紧的痉挛,减轻了。“
obvious:adj.明显的;显著的;平淡无奇的; astonishing:adj.令人十分惊讶的;v.使十分惊讶;使吃惊;(astonish的现在分词)
And remember, my first patient who came in -- 记住,这是来我这儿的第一个病人...
(Applause) (鼓掌)
- thank you. (Applause) 谢谢 (鼓掌)
My first patient came in, and he looked in the mirror, and I said, "Look at your reflection of your phantom." 我的第一个病人来看病时,他看着镜子, 我说,“看着自己幻肢的在镜子里的映像“
And he started giggling , he says, "I can see my phantom." 他咯咯笑起来,说:“我看见我的幻肢了。”
giggling:v.咯咯地笑;傻笑;(giggle的现在分词)
But he's not stupid. He knows it's not real. 他不傻,知道这不是真实的,
He knows it's a mirror reflection, but it's a vivid sensory experience. 他知道那只是个镜像, 但这是非常鲜活的体验。
Now, I said, "Move your normal hand and phantom." 接着我说:“动一下你真实的那只手和幻肢手”。
He said, "Oh, I can't move my phantom. You know that. It's painful." 他说:“我可没法移动我的幻肢手,你知道的,很疼。”
I said, "Move your normal hand." 我说:“那动一下正常的那只手吧。 ”
And he says, "Oh my God, my phantom is moving again, I don't believe this! 他说:“哦,天,我的幻肢又在动了,简直不能相信,
And my pain is being relieved." OK? 我的疼痛也好些了。”
And then I said, "Close your eyes." 接着我说:“把眼睛闭上。”
He closes his eyes. 他闭上眼。
'"And move your normal hand." “动一下你正常的那只手。”“
'"Oh, nothing -- it's clenched again." 厄,感觉不到了,它又绷紧了。”
'"OK, open your eyes." 睁开眼。”
'"Oh my God, oh my God, it's moving again!" “哦,天,又在动了！”
So he was like a kid in a candy store. 他就像个进了糖果店的小孩。
So I said, OK, this proves my theory about learned paralysis and the critical role of visual input , but I'm not going to get a Nobel Prize for getting somebody to move his phantom limb. 所以,我说这证明了我的理论,关于习得性麻痹 和视觉输入所起重要作用的理论. 但我可不会获得诺贝尔奖, 因为让人成功移动幻肢.
critical:adj.鉴定的;[核]临界的;批评的,爱挑剔的;危险的;决定性的;评论的; input:n.投入; v.把(数据等)输入计算机; Nobel Prize:n.诺贝尔奖;
(Laughter) (众笑)
(Applause) (鼓掌)
It's a completely useless ability, if you think about it. 细想之下,这种完全无用的能力,
(Laughter) (众笑)
But then I started realizing, maybe other kinds of paralysis that you see in neurology, like stroke , focal dystonias -- there may be a learned component to this which you can overcome with the simple device of using a mirror. 但紧接着我开始意识到,也许其他类型的瘫痪, 你在神经病学中看到的,例如中风,肌张力障碍(focal dystonias) -- 也许都有习得的成分, 都能用一个装了镜子的简单装置予以克服。
stroke:n.中风;笔画;钟声;抚摩;v.抚摩(动物的毛皮);轻抚;轻挪;轻触; focal:adj.焦点的,在焦点上的;灶的,病灶的; dystonias:n.[医]肌张力障碍; component:n.成分;部件;组成部分;adj.构成的; overcome:vt.克服;胜过;vi.克服;得胜; device:n.装置;策略;图案;
So I said, "Look, Derek" -- well, first of all , the guy can't just go around carrying a mirror to alleviate his pain -- 我对说:“看,德里克 -- 首先, 病患不能只是四处走动, 带着镜子来减轻痛苦.
first of all:adv.首先; alleviate:v.减轻,缓和;
I said, "Look, Derek, take it home and practice with it for a week or two. 我说, 看,德里克,把它带回家,自己练习一两个礼拜,
Maybe, after a period of practice, you can dispense with the mirror, unlearn the paralysis and start moving your paralyzed arm, and then relieve yourself of pain." 也许经过一段时间的练习, 你能扔掉镜子,忘却麻痹, 并且开始移动幻肢, 消除疼痛。”
dispense:v.分配;分发;提供;配药;
So he said OK, and he took it home. 他说好啊,他就带它回家。
I said, "Look, it's after all, two dollars. Take it home." 我说:“两块钱而已,带回家吧。”
So he took it home, and after two weeks he phones me, and he said, "Doctor, you're not going to believe this." 于是他把镜子带回了家。两周后他打来电话来 说:“大夫,你一定不相信。”
I said, "What?" 我说:“什么？”
He said, "It's gone." 他说:“它不见了。”
I said, "What's gone?" 我说:“什么不见了。”
I thought maybe the mirror box was gone. 我还以为镜盒可能不见了。
(Laughter) (众笑)
He said, "No, no, no, you know this phantom I've had for the last 10 years? 他说:“不不不,这个跟了我十年的幻肢,
It's disappeared ." 它消失了！”
disappeared:adj.消失的;消失了的;v.消失,失踪;(disappear的过去式和过去分词)
And I said -- I got worried, I said, my God, 我说,我担心,我说,天啊
I mean I've changed this guy's body image, what about human subjects, ethics , and all of that? 我改变了这个人的体象, 有关人类主体, 伦理,所有的方面会有什么问题吗？
ethics:n.伦理学;伦理观;道德标准;
And I said, "Derek, does this bother you?" 我说:“德里克,你觉得困扰吗？”
bother:v.烦扰,打扰;使…不安;操心,麻烦;n.麻烦;烦恼;
He said "No, last three days I've not had a phantom arm and therefore no phantom elbow pain, no clenching, no phantom forearm pain, all those pains are gone away. 他说:“才没有！过去三天,我没了幻肢, 于是就没了幻肢肘关节痛,没了握拳, 没了幻肢上臂疼痛,所有这些疼痛都消失了。
elbow:n.肘;弯头;肘状物;v.用肘推;挤进;讨价还价; forearm:n.前臂;v.预先武装;准备;
But the problem is I still have my phantom fingers dangling from the shoulder, and your box doesn't reach." 但问题的,我的幻手指还挂在肩膀这边, 你的镜子够不到
dangling:v.悬垂;悬挂;提着;来回摆动着;(dangle的现在分词)
(Laughter) (众笑)
'"So can you change the design and put it on my forehead so I can, you know, do this and eliminate my phantom fingers?" 你能不能把设计改一下,把它放在我的前额, 让我作类似的练习消除我的幻手指？”
forehead:n.前额; eliminate:v.消除;排除;
He thought I was some kind of magician. 他认为我是某类魔术师.
Now why does this happen? 为什么会发生这样的事？
It's because the brain is faced with tremendous sensory conflict . 因为脑面临巨大的感觉冲突,
tremendous:adj.极大的,巨大的;惊人的;极好的; conflict:n.冲突;矛盾;争执;抵触;v.抵触;
It's getting messages from vision saying the phantom is back. 它收到视觉信号,说幻肢又回来了;
On the other hand , there's no appropriate reception, muscle signals saying that there is no arm, right? 但另一方面,又没有接收到相应的 来自肌肉的信号说它没有手臂,对吧?
On the other hand:另一方面; muscle:n.肌肉;力量;v.加强;使劲搬动;使劲挤出;
And your motor command saying there is an arm, and because of this conflict, the brain says, to hell with it, there is no phantom, there is no arm, right? 你的动作信号也在告诉你有一只手臂。 以为这种冲突,大脑说,见鬼去吧, 根本就没有什么幻肢,这条手臂已经不在了。”
It goes into a sort of denial -- negates the signals. 它进入某种否认,否认了那个信号.
denial:n.否认;否定;剥夺(应有的权利);拒不承认(令人不快、痛苦的事); negates:vt.否定;取消;使无效;vi.否定;否认;无效;n.对立面;反面;
And when the arm disappears , the bonus is the pain disappears because you can't have disembodied pain floating out there, in space. 当手臂消失时,好处就是疼痛也一并消失, 因为不可能有一种无形体的疼痛漂浮空中。
disappears:v.消失;不见;消亡;失踪;丢失;(disappear的第三人称单数) disembodied:adj.空洞的;无实质的;无实体的;
So that's the bonus. 那是奖励.
Now, this technique has been tried on dozens of patients by other groups in Helsinki, so it may prove to be valuable as a treatment for phantom pain, and indeed, people have tried it for stroke rehabilitation . 此疗法现在已经在几十个病人身上试验了 在赫尔辛基的其他团体中. 也许能证明是一种治疗幻肢疼痛的有价值的方法。 的确,人们已经试验用它复原中风。
technique:n.技巧,技术;手法; valuable:adj.有价值的;贵重的;可估价的;n.贵重物品; treatment:n.治疗;疗法;对待;处理;讨论; rehabilitation:n.康复;恢复;善后;平反;复权;
Stroke, you normally think of as damage to the fibers , nothing you can do about it. 通常认为中风是由于神经纤维受损 你没有办法做什么。
fibers:n.纤维(fiber的复数);
But, it turns out some component of stroke paralysis is also learned paralysis, and maybe that component can be overcome using mirrors. 然而,结果发现是有一些中风瘫痪的成分也是习得性麻痹, 或许也能用镜子加以克服。
This has also gone through clinical trials, helping lots and lots of patients. 临床试验也正在进行中, 以帮助许多病患。
OK, let me switch gears now to the third part of my talk, which is about another curious phenomenon called synaesthesia. 好了,接下来开始讲第三部分, 是关于另一个奇怪现象的,它叫做“共感”（Synesthesia）。
gears:n.[机]齿轮,[机]传动装置(gear的复数形式); v.以齿轮连起,安排(gear的三单形式); phenomenon:n.现象;杰出的人;非凡的人(或事物);
This was discovered by Francis Galton in the 19th century. 这是由弗朗西斯.高尔顿在十九世纪发现的。
He was a cousin of Charles Darwin. 他是查尔斯.达尔文的表亲。
He pointed out that certain people in the population, who are otherwise completely normal, had the following peculiarity -- every time they see a number it's colored. 他指出,人群中某些成员, 其他方面均与常人无异,却有如下特别之处: 他们看到一个数字时,就能感受到色彩。
peculiarity:n.特性;特质;怪癖;奇特;
Five is blue, seven is yellow, eight is chartreuse , nine is indigo , OK? 5是蓝色的,7是黄色的,8是黄绿色的, 9是紫蓝色的。
chartreuse:n.黄绿色;查特酒(法国查特修道院所酿的酒);adj.淡黄绿色的; indigo:n.靛蓝,靛蓝染料;靛蓝色;槐蓝属植物;adj.靛蓝色的;
Bear in mind , these people are completely normal in other respects. 记住,这些人其他方面完全正常。
Bear in mind:vi.记住;考虑到;
Or C sharp . Sometimes tones evoke color. 或者升C,有时候从音符中感觉到颜色,
sharp:锋利的,尖的 tones:n.声调;基本音色(tone的复数);v.调节音调(tone的第三人称单数); evoke:vt.引起,唤起;博得;
C sharp is blue, F sharp is green, another tone might be yellow, right? 升C是蓝色的,升F是绿色的, 另一个音符也许是黄色的。
Why does this happen? 为什么会这样？
This is called synaesthesia -- Galton called it synaesthesia, a mingling of the senses. 这成为“共感”,高尔顿把这称为“共感”(synaesthesia). 一种感觉的混合。
mingling:v.(使)与…结合;相交往,混杂其中;(mingle的现在分词)
In us, all the senses are distinct . 对我们来说,感觉之间是不同的,
distinct:adj.明显的;独特的;清楚的;有区别的;
These people muddle up their senses. 这些人会混合他们的感觉。
muddle:vt.混合; n.糊涂; vi.胡乱思考;
Why does this happen? 为什么会这样？
One of the two aspects of this problem are very intriguing . 这个问题的两个方面中的一个非常有意思,
aspects:n.方面;相位;面貌(aspect的复数); intriguing:adj.有趣的;迷人的;v.引起…的兴趣;策划阴谋;私通;(intrigue的现在分词)
Synaesthesia runs in families, so Galton said this is a hereditary basis, a genetic basis. “共感”在家族中遗传。 因此高尔顿说认为其中有遗传基础,基因基础。
hereditary:adj.遗传的;世袭的;世代相传的;n.遗传类;
Secondly, synaesthesia is about -- and this is what gets me to my point about the main theme of this lecture , which is about creativity -- synaesthesia is eight times more common among artists, poets, novelists and other creative people than in the general population. 其次,“共感”是一种关于 - 这是我要阐明的观点 有关这个演讲的主题,与创造力有关。 “共感”在艺术家,诗人,作家中更普遍,是普通人的8倍。 以及其他有创意的人,对比于普通的人群。
lecture:n.演讲;讲座;讲课;谴责;v.开讲座;讲授;讲课;指责;告诫 novelists:n.小说家(novelist的复数); creative:adj.创造性的; in the general:通常,一般;
Why would that be? 为什么会这样？
I'm going to answer that question. 我就要回答这个问题,
It's never been answered before. 此前没有人回答过。
OK, what is synaesthesia? What causes it? 好了,什么是共感,成因是什么？
Well, there are many theories. 有许多理论做出解释。
One theory is they're just crazy. 一种理论认为,他们就是疯了而已。
Now that's not really a scientific theory so we can forget about it. 那算不上什么科学理论,所以别管它了。
Another theory is they are acid junkies and potheads , right? 另一个理论是这些人吸毒者,大麻瘾君子。
junkies:n.毒品贩子;吸毒者(junky的复数); potheads:n.瘾君子;巨头鲸鱼;
Now, there may be some truth to this because it's much more common here in the Bay Area than in San Diego. 或许有点道理, 因为共感在湾区比在圣地亚哥常见。
(Laughter) (众笑)
OK. Now, the third theory is that -- well, let's ask ourselves what's really going on in synaesthesia? All right? 好的。第三个理论是, 我们来问问自己:共感到底是什么？
So we found that the color area and the number area are right next to each other in the brain, in the fusiform gyrus. 我们发现,图中的颜色区和数字区 在大脑的梭状回里彼此相邻,
So we said there's some accidental cross-wiring between color and numbers in the brain. 因此我们认为,之间发生了意外的串线（cross-wiring）, 在大脑中颜色和数字区之间。
accidental:n.偶然;[乐]临时符;adj.不测的;非本质的;
So every time you see a number, you see a corresponding color, and that's why you get synaesthesia. 所以,每次你看见数字,就会同时相应的颜色, 于是就有了共感。
corresponding:adj.符合的; v.相一致; (correspond的现在分词)
Now remember -- why does this happen? 现在记住,为什么这会发生呢？
Why would there be crossed wires in some people? 为什么有些人会发生串线呢？
Remember I said it runs in families? 记得我说过这是家族遗传的。
That gives you the clue . 这就给了你线索。
clue:n.提示;迹象;(纵横填字谜、游戏或问题的)提示词语;v.提示;为…提供线索;
And that is there is an abnormal gene, a mutation in the gene, that causes this abnormal cross-wiring. 说不定是某个异常的基因 一种基因突变,引起了异常的串线。
abnormal:adj.反常的,不规则的;变态的; mutation:n.[遗]突变;变化;元音变化;
In all of us, it turns out, we are born with everything wired to everything else. 结果是,我们每个人, 我们在出生时,所有的与其他相连,
So every brain region is wired to every other region, and these are trimmed down to create the characteristic modular architecture of the adult brain. 脑中的所有区域都彼此相连, 它们被修剪成为 成人脑中的不同特征模块。
trimmed:adj.平衡的;切边;纵倾的;修整过的; characteristic:n.特征;特点;品质;adj.典型的;独特的;特有的; modular:adj.模块化的;模数的;有标准组件的; architecture:n.建筑学;建筑风格;建筑式样;架构;
So if there's a gene causing this trimming , and if that gene mutates , then you get deficient trimming between adjacent brain areas, and if it's between number and color, you get number-color synaesthesia. 如果有一个基因控制这种修剪过程, 并且基因变异了, 那么你在不同脑区中的修剪就不充分了. 并且如果这是在数字和颜色之间,你就得了数字-颜色共感症.
trimming:n.(菜肴的)配料; v.修剪; (trim的现在分词) mutates:vi.变化,产生突变;vt.改变,使突变; deficient:adj.不足的;有缺陷的;不充分的;
If it's between tone and color, you get tone-color synaesthesia. 如果这是在音调和颜色之间,你就得音调-颜色共感症.
So far, so good. 到目前还好。
Now what if this gene is expressed everywhere in the brain, so everything is cross-connected? 那么,如果此基因在脑中的所有地方都启作用又怎样？ 那么所有的地方都相联如何?
expressed:v.表示;表达;显而易见;不言自明;(express的过去分词和过去式)
Well, think about what artists, novelists and poets have in common, the ability to engage in metaphorical thinking, linking seemingly unrelated ideas, such as, "it is the East, and Juliet is the Sun." 好,想一下艺术家、作家和诗人之间有什么共通的地方, 他们都能进行隐喻思维（metaphorical thinking）, 把表面上无关的想法联系在一起, 比如“这是东方,朱丽叶就是太阳。”
engage:v.吸引,占用;使参加;雇佣;使订婚;预定; metaphorical:adj.比喻性的,隐喻性的; unrelated:adj.无关的,不相干的;
Well, you don't say Juliet is the sun -- does that mean she's a glowing ball of fire? 你不会说朱丽叶是个太阳 这句话的意思难道是“她是个炙热的火球”吗？
glowing:adj.灼热的;热情洋溢的;鲜艳的;v.发光;容光焕发;发热;(glow的现在分词)
I mean, schizophrenics do that, but it's a different story, right? 精神分裂的人会那么想,但那是另外一回事,对吗？
schizophrenics:adj.精神分裂症的;n.精神分裂症的患者;
Normal people say she's warm like the sun, she's radiant like the sun, she's nurturing like the sun. 正常人会说她像太阳一样温暖, 她象太阳一样发光,她象太阳一样哺育他人。
radiant:adj.辐射的;容光焕发的;光芒四射的;n.光点;发光的物体; nurturing:v.养育;培养;扶持;支持;助长;(nurture的现在分词)
Instantly you've found the links. 你马上就能领会其中的联系。
Now, if you assume that this greater cross-wiring and concepts are also in different parts of the brain, then it's going to create a greater propensity towards metaphorical thinking and creativity in people with synaesthesia. 现在,如果你假设这种较大的串线, 以及概念也位于脑的不同部分, 那就说明有一种较大的倾向 对于隐喻思维和创造性 在有共感症的人当中(更为突出).
assume:v.承担;假定;采取;呈现; propensity:n.倾向,习性;癖好,偏爱;
And, hence , the eight times more common incidence of synaesthesia among poets, artists and novelists. 因此,(某类人群)患共感症是常人的八倍 其中包括艺术家、诗人和作家.
hence:adv.因此;今后; incidence:n.发生率;影响;[光]入射;影响范围;
OK -- it's a very phrenological view of synaesthesia. 好的,这是关于共感症的一种颅相学的观点.
The last demonstration -- can I take one minute? 看最后一个演示。-- 给我一分钟时间好吗?
demonstration:n.示范;演示;论证;证明;
(Applause) (鼓掌)
OK. I'm going to show you that you're all synaesthetes, but you're in denial about it. 我将向诸位展示:你们全都有共感症,只是自己不承认罢了。
Here's what I call Martian alphabet, just like your alphabet, 图中是我称为 火星字母表 的东西,就象你的字母表.
Martian:adj.火星的;n.火星人;
A is A, B is B, C is C, different shapes for different phonemes, right? A是A,B是B,C是C, 不同的音素有着不同的形状,对吧?
Here you've got Martian alphabet. 这是 火星字母表 .
One of them is Kiki, one of them is Buba. 其中一个叫“Kiki”,另一个叫“Buba”。
Which one is Kiki and which one is Buba? 哪一个是“Kiki”,哪一个是“Buba”呢？
How many of you think that's Kiki and that's Buba? Raise your hands. 有多少人觉得这边是“kiki”,那边是“buba”的?举下手。
Well, it's one or two mutants . 好了,有一两位突变体。
mutants:n.[遗]突变体(mutant的复数);
(Laughter) (众笑)
How many of you think that's Buba, that's Kiki? Raise your hands. 有多少人觉得这边是“Buba ,那边是“Kiki”的?举下手。
99 percent of you. 百分之九十九的人。
Now, none of you is Martian, how did you do that? 好了,诸位都不是火星人,你们是怎么认出来？
It's because you're all doing a cross-model -- synaesthetic abstraction -- meaning, you're saying that that sharp inflection , Kiki, in your auditory cortex, the hair cells being excited, Kiki, mimics the visual inflection -- sudden inflection -- of that jagged shape. 因为诸位都在进行跨模块的共感的抽象, 意思是,你觉得那尖尖的东西看上去像“Kiki”。 在你的听觉皮层中,听毛细胞受刺激, Kiki 产生了视觉上的曲折,一种突然的曲折,就像那个锯齿的形状.
abstraction:n.抽象;出神;心神专注;提取;分离; inflection:n.弯曲,变形;音调变化; auditory:n.听众;礼堂;adj.听觉的;耳朵的; mimics:v.模仿; n.会模仿的人(或动物); (mimic的第三人称单数和复数)
Now this is very important, because what it's telling you is your brain is engaging in a primitive -- it's just -- it looks like a silly illusion , but these photons in your eye are doing this shape, 这非常的重要.因为它告诉你 你的大脑正在从事一种原始的 它就象-就象一个可笑的错觉, 这些光子在你的眼中形成这个形状
engaging:adj.有趣的; v.吸引住(注意力、兴趣); (engage的现在分词) primitive:adj.原始的,远古的;简单的,粗糙的;n.原始人; illusion:n.幻觉,错觉;错误的观念或信仰; photons:n.[物]光子;[量子]光量子(photon的复数);
and hair cells in your ear are exciting the auditory pattern, but the brain is able to extract the common denominator . 同时你耳中的听毛细胞对这个听觉模式兴奋, 但大脑能够抽取两者的共性。
extract:v.提取;取出;摘录;榨取;n.汁;摘录;榨出物;选粹; denominator:n.[数]分母;命名者;共同特征或共同性质;平均水平或标准;
It's a primitive form of abstraction, and we now know this happens in the fusiform gyrus of the brain because when that's damaged, these people lose the ability to engage in Buba Kiki, but they also lose the ability to engage in metaphor. 这是抽象的一种原始形式. 我们现在知道,这发生在大脑的梭状回. 因为当那里受损时, 病人就失去判断“Buba Kiki”的能力, 他们也失去了比喻的能力。
If you ask this guy, what "All that glitters is not gold," 你要是问他:“发光的未必是黄金
glitters:n.灿烂,辉耀(glitter的复数形式);v.灿烂,闪烁(glitter的第三人称单数);
what does that mean?" 这句话是什么意思?
The patient says, "Well if it's metallic and shiny , it doesn't mean it's gold. 病人会说:“意思是金属的会闪光的不一定是黄金,
metallic:adj.金属的,含金属的; shiny:adj.闪亮的;光亮的;反光的;有光泽的;
You have to measure its specific gravity , OK? 你得测试它的比重。”
specific gravity:na.[物]比重;
So they completely miss the metaphorical meaning. 他完全不明白其中的比喻意义。
So this area is about eight times the size in higher -- especially in humans, as in lower primates . 这个脑区在体积上八倍于 如果比较人类和低等灵长类.
especially:adv.尤其;特别;格外;十分; primates:n.灵长类;
Something very interesting is going on here in the angular gyrus, because it's the crossroads between hearing, vision and touch, and it became enormous in humans -- and something very interesting is going on. 这边的角型脑回(angular gyrus)区域很有意思, 因为它是视觉、听觉和触觉的交汇处。 人类的角型脑回特别大,有一些非常有意思的(研究)正在进行
angular:adj.[生物]有角的;生硬的,笨拙的;瘦削的; crossroads:n.十字路口;交叉路口;聚会的中心地点(crossroad的复数形式); enormous:adj.庞大的,巨大的;凶暴的,极恶的;
And I think it's a basis of many uniquely human abilities like abstraction, metaphor and creativity. 我认为这对许多人类特有的能力是非常基本的, 比如抽象、类比,和创新。
uniquely:adv.独特地;珍奇地;
All of these questions that philosophers have been studying for millennia , we scientists can begin to explore by doing brain imaging , and by studying patients and asking the right questions. 这些问题,哲学家已经研究上千年了, 现在我们科学家能够通过脑成像, 研究病人,还有提出正确的问题来开始进行探索了。
philosophers:n.哲学家(philosopher的复数); millennia:n.千年期(millennium的复数);一千年;千年庆典;太平盛世; explore:v.探索:探测:探险: imaging:n.[物]成像;造像;v.反映;想像;作…的像;象征;(image的现在分词形式)
Thank you. 谢谢.
(Applause) (鼓掌)
Sorry about that. 很抱歉.
(Laughter) (众笑)