返回首页

VilayanurRamachandran_2009I-_一探神经元_何以筑文明_
I'd like to talk to you today about the human brain, which is what we do research on at the University of California. 今天,我想和大家一探大脑的奥秘, 这是我于加州大学所做的研究。
Just think about this problem for a second. 试着思考一下这个问题。
Here is a lump of flesh , about three pounds, which you can hold in the palm of your hand. 这里有一堆肉,大概重三磅左右, 可以用一掌来握住。
lump:n.肿块;(通常为无定形的)块;隆起;笨重的人;v.把…归并一起(或合起来考虑); flesh:n.肉;肉体;v.喂肉给…;发胖; palm:n.手掌;手心;棕榈树;v.把…藏在手中(尤指玩戏法);
But it can contemplate the vastness of interstellar space. 但它却可以探究浩瀚的星际空间;
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 , ask questions about the meaning of its own existence, about the nature of God. 可以探究无限的意义; 可以探究自身存在的意义; 可以探究上帝的本质。
infinity:n.无穷;无限大;无限距;
And this is truly the most amazing thing in the world. 这是世界上最不可思议之事。
It's the greatest mystery confronting human beings: 这是人类面临的最大难题之一。
confronting:v.直面;无法回避;降临于;处理;对抗;(confront的现在分词)
How does this all come about? 这一切是怎么来的？
Well, the brain, as you know, is made up of neurons. 正如你们所知,脑组织是由神经元所组成的。
made up of:由…组成,由…构成;
We're looking at neurons here. 这就是神经元。
There are 100 billion neurons in the adult human brain. 成人脑组织里含有一千亿个神经元。
And each neuron makes something like 1,000 to 10,000 contacts with other neurons in the brain. 每个神经元与其它神经元的 交接点约有一千至一万处。
neuron:n.[解剖]神经元,神经单位; contacts:v.联系,联络;(contact的第三人称单数)
And based on this, people have calculated that the number of permutations and combinations of brain activity exceeds the number of elementary particles in the universe. 基于此,人们对之进行了计算, 并得出各种大脑活动的组合总量 超过了宇宙中基本粒子的数量。
permutations:n.[数]排列(permutation的复数); combinations:n.[数]组合;制品(combination的复数);合谱; exceeds:v.超过;胜过; elementary:adj.基本的;初级的;[化学]元素的; particles:n.微粒,粒子;粒子系统;碎木料(particle的复数形式);
So, how do you go about studying the brain? 所以,我们应该如何研究大脑？
One approach is to look at patients who had lesions in different part of the brain, and study changes in their behavior. 一种方法是观察那些有受过脑部 损伤的人,以来研究他们行为的变迁。
approach:n.方法;路径;v.接近;建议;着手处理; patients:n.接受治疗者,病人;(patient的复数) lesions:[生物]损伤;
This is what I spoke about in the last TED. 这是我于上次TED大会上所讲的内容。
Today I'll talk about a different approach, which is to put electrodes in different parts of the brain, and actually record the activity of individual nerve cells in the brain. 今天我将讲述一种新的方法。 这种方法是将电极线置放于大脑的不同部位, 以记录单个神经细胞的活动性。
electrodes:n.[电]电极(electrode的复数);电焊条; individual:n.个人;有个性的人;adj.单独的;个别的; nerve:n.神经;勇气;神经质;神经紧张;v.鼓足勇气;振作精神;
Sort of eavesdrop on the activity of nerve cells in the brain. 颇类似于窃听神经细胞在大脑内的活动。
eavesdrop:n.屋檐上流下来的水;vi.偷听,窃听;
Now, one recent discovery that has been made by researchers in Italy, in Parma, by Giacomo Rizzolatti and his colleagues , is a group of neurons called mirror neurons, which are on the front of the brain in the frontal lobes . 最近,意大利帕尔马的 研究人员们,亦就是里佐拉蒂与其同事们, 在大脑前额叶 发现了一组神经元, 这组神经元被他们称作镜像神经元。
colleagues:n.同事;同行(colleague的复数); frontal:adj.额的;正面的,前面的;n.额骨,额部;房屋的正面; lobes:n.耳垂;脑叶(lobe的复数形式);
Now, it turns out there are neurons which are called ordinary motor command neurons in the front of the brain, which have been known for over 50 years. 此外,大脑里面还有一组神经元, 称作运动神经元,也位于大脑的前半部分, 这组神经元是50年前的发现。
These neurons will fire when a person performs a specific action. 当我们要做某种运动时,这组神经元就会发射信息至相关器官。
performs:v.执行;表演;演出;履行(perform的第三人称单数) specific:adj.特殊的,特定的;明确的;详细的;[药]具有特效的;n.特性;细节;特效药;
For example, if I do that, and reach and grab an apple, a motor command neuron in the front of my brain will fire. 例如,假若我这样做,我向前屈伸,然后抓住一只苹果, 一个运动神经元则会[向我的手]发射一组信息。
grab:v.攫取;霸占;将…深深吸引;n.攫取;霸占;夺取之物;
If I reach out and pull an object, another neuron will fire, commanding me to pull that object. 假如我向前屈伸,并回拉一件物品,另外一个神经元则会 发射另一组信息以控制我的行动。
These are called motor command neurons that have been known for a long time. 很早以前,这些运动神经元就被发现了。
But what Rizzolatti found was a subset of these neurons, maybe about 20 percent of them, will also fire when I'm looking at somebody else performing the same action. 不过,里佐拉蒂他们发现 这组神经元中包含着另外一组神经元, 大约百分之二十左右。这些神经元是会当我观看他人 行动时,发出与此行动一样的信息。
subset:n.[数]子集;子设备;小团体; performing:adj.表演的;演奏的;v.做;执行;演出;运转(perform的现在分词)
So, here is a neuron that fires when I reach and grab something, but it also fires when I watch Joe reaching and grabbing something. 所以,当我向前抓住某物件时,有个神经元会发出相关信息, 可是若我观看乔做相同的动作时,另一个神经元也会发出相关信息。
grabbing:v.抓住;夺得;利用,抓住(机会)(grab的现在分词)
And this is truly astonishing . 这实在是令人震惊。
astonishing:adj.令人十分惊讶的;v.使十分惊讶;使吃惊;(astonish的现在分词)
Because it's as though this neuron is adopting the other person's point of view . 因为这表明,神经元也会 采纳别人的观点。
adopting:v.收养;领养;采用;表决采纳;(adopt的现在分词) point of view:观点;见地;立场;
It's almost as though it's performing a virtual reality simulation of the other person's action. 几乎就是模仿了他人的动作, 有如虚拟现实仿真。
virtual reality:n.(计算机创造的)虚拟现实; simulation:n.仿真;模拟;模仿;假装;
Now, what is the significance of these mirror neurons? 那么,这些镜像神经元有何存在意义呢？
significance:n.意义;重要性;意思;
For one thing they must be involved in things like imitation and emulation . 这里我必须引入模仿和仿真的概念。
For one thing:首先;一则; involved:adj.有关的; v.涉及; (involve的过去式和过去分词) imitation:n.模仿;仿制品;赝品;效仿; emulation:n.[计]仿真;竞争;效法;
Because to imitate a complex act requires my brain to adopt the other person's point of view. 假使我们要模仿一种复杂的行为, 那么我们的大脑则需要采纳他人的行为观点。
imitate:v.模仿;仿效;模仿(某人的讲话、举止);作滑稽模仿; complex:adj.复杂的;合成的;n.复合体;综合设施;
So, this is important for imitation and emulation. 因此模仿和仿真是非常重要的。
Well, why is that important? 好了,它们为什么重要呢？
Well, let's take a look at the next slide. 让我们看看下一张幻灯片。
take a look at:看一看;检查;
So, how do you do imitation? Why is imitation important? 你怎样进行模仿？模仿为什么重要？
Mirror neurons and imitation, emulation. 镜像神经元,模仿和仿真。
Now, let's look at culture, the phenomenon of human culture. 现在,让我们从人类文化方面入手。
phenomenon:n.现象;杰出的人;非凡的人(或事物);
If you go back in time about [75,000] to 100,000 years ago, let's look at human evolution , it turns out that something very important happened around 75,000 years ago. 让我们回到七万五千年至十万年前时, 我们来观测下人类进化的过程,结果发现 于七万五千年前左右,一件重大事件影响了人类的发展。
evolution:n.演变;进化;发展;渐进;
And that is, there is a sudden emergence and rapid spread of a number of skills that are unique to human beings like tool use, the use of fire, the use of shelters, and, of course, language, and the ability to read somebody else's mind and interpret that person's behavior. 那就是,各种独特的“人类”技巧 突然出现以及迅速传播。这些技巧包括 工具的使用、 火的使用、房屋的出现和语言交流, 以及读取他人心思的能力和 理解他人的行为。
emergence:n.出现,浮现;发生;露头; unique:adj.独特的,稀罕的;[数]唯一的;n.独一无二的人或物; interpret:v.诠释;说明;口译;把…理解为;
All of that happened relatively quickly. 这一切都相对地较快发生。
relatively:adv.相当程度上;相当地;相对地;
Even though the human brain had achieved its present size almost three or four hundred thousand years ago, 100,000 years ago all of this happened very, very quickly. 原始人类的大脑形状大约于四至五十万年前 就已经发育至今人的形状, 不过这些事件则是十万年前才快速地发生。
And I claim that what happened was the sudden emergence of a sophisticated mirror neuron system, which allowed you to emulate and imitate other people's actions. 我认为这些事件的产生是 源于先进的镜像神经元系统的突然浮现, 这些神经元将允许你模仿他人的行为
claim:v.要求;声称;需要;认领;n.要求;声称;索赔;断言;值得; sophisticated:adj.复杂的;老练的;见多识广的;水平高的; emulate:vt.仿真;模仿;尽力赶上;同…竞争;n.仿真;仿效;
So that when there was a sudden accidental discovery by one member of the group, say the use of fire, or a particular type of tool, instead of dying out, 所以当氏族的某一成员偶然 发现,火的使用, 或者某种工具的使用,这种方法将会迅速传播
accidental:n.偶然;[乐]临时符;adj.不测的;非本质的;
this spread rapidly, horizontally across the population, or was transmitted vertically , down the generations. 而非凋零消亡,这种方法将会横向传播于氏族中, 或者代代纵向传播。
horizontally:adv.水平地;地平地; transmitted:v.传送;输送;发射;播送;传播;传染;(transmit的过去分词和过去式) vertically:adv.垂直地;
So, this made evolution suddenly Lamarckian, instead of Darwinian . 所以,这是一种拉马克式进化, 而非达尔文式。
Darwinian:adj.达尔文的;达尔文学说的;n.进化论者;
Darwinian evolution is slow; it takes hundreds of thousands of years. 达尔文式进化是异乎缓慢的,它大概需要几千年的时间来产生效用。
A polar bear , to evolve a coat, will take thousands of generations, maybe 100,000 years. 若要使一只北极熊进化出一件外衣, 则需要他们经过数千代的传承,或许需要十万年方能得出外衣。
polar bear:n.北极熊;白熊; evolve:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成;
A human being, a child, can just watch its parent kill another polar bear, and skin it and put the skin on its body, fur on the body, and learn it in one step. What the polar bear took 100,000 years to learn, it can learn in five minutes, maybe 10 minutes. 一个人类小孩,则仅需观看他的父母 如何屠杀另一只北极熊, 将其剥皮拆骨,用来制造外衣。 小孩因此可以快速掌握这一技能。 北极熊需要十万年才得以进化出外衣, 人类小孩仅仅要五分钟或者十分钟就学会了。
And then once it's learned this it spreads in geometric proportion across a population. 当他们学会之后,这项技能将以 燎原之势散播于他们的氏族当中。
geometric:adj.几何学的;[数]几何学图形的; proportion:n.比例;部分;份额;均衡;v.摊派;使相称;
This is the basis. The imitation of complex skills is what we call culture and is the basis of civilization . 这就是本源。文化就是模仿 复杂的行为活动,而文明则产于此。
civilization:n.文明;文明社会;文明世界;(特定时期和地区的)社会文明;
Now there is another kind of mirror neuron, which is involved in something quite different. 现在我将讲到另外一种镜像神经元, 担负另外的功能。
And that is, there are mirror neurons, just as there are mirror neurons for action, there are mirror neurons for touch. 有些镜像神经元只管活动, 另外一些则管触觉。
In other words, if somebody touches me, my hand, neuron in the somatosensory cortex in the sensory region of the brain fires. 换句话来说,假如某人触碰了我, 我的手,位于躯体感觉皮层的神经元 将会发出一组信息。
somatosensory:adj.躯体感觉的;体觉的; cortex:n.[解剖]皮质;树皮;果皮; region:n.地区;范围;部位;
But the same neuron, in some cases, will fire when I simply watch another person being touched. 但同一个神经元,在某些情况下, 当我观看他人被触碰时,也会发出信息。
So, it's empathizing the other person being touched. 注意,我是说他人被触碰。
empathizing:移情;神会;
So, most of them will fire when I'm touched in different locations . Different neurons for different locations . 大多数的神经元都会于我被触碰时 发出信息。不同的神经元负责不同的身体区域。
locations:n.地方;地点;位置;定位(location的复数)
But a subset of them will fire even when I watch somebody else being touched in the same location. 偏偏有小部分的神经元在我观看他人被触碰时 也会发出相同的信息。
So, here again you have neurons which are enrolled in empathy . 因此,这里又有一群神经元 参与进了你与他人之间的共鸣。
enrolled:v.(使)加入;注册;登记;(enroll的过去分词和过去式) empathy:n.神入;移情作用;执着;
Now, the question then arises : If I simply watch another person being touched, why do I not get confused and literally feel that touch sensation merely by watching somebody being touched? 不过问题是:假如我只观看他人被触碰, 那么为什么我不会 有那种被触碰的感觉呢？
arises:v.出现;发生;站立; confused:adj.困惑的; v.使糊涂; (confuse的过去分词和过去式) literally:adv.按字面:字面上:确实地: sensation:n.感觉;轰动;感动; merely:adv.仅仅,只不过;只是;
I mean, I empathize with that person but I don't literally feel the touch. 我与那人产生共鸣,但我并未产生触碰感。
empathize:vt.移情;神会;
Well, that's because you've got receptors in your skin, touch and pain receptors, going back into your brain and saying "Don't worry, you're not being touched. 那是因为我们皮肤上有感受器, 一种痛感受器,它会向大脑 反馈道:“切莫担心,你还未被触碰呢。
receptors:n.[生化]受体;接受器;神经末梢(receptor的复数);
So, empathize, by all means , with the other person, but do not actually experience the touch, otherwise you'll get confused and muddled ." 注意,是另外一个人被触碰呢, 而不是我们自己呀。 要不我们自己则会搞混呢。”
by all means:一定,务必;尽一切办法; muddled:adj.糊涂的;混乱的;头脑昏昏然的;v.使一团糟(muddle的过去分词);
Okay, so there is a feedback signal that vetoes the signal of the mirror neuron preventing you from consciously experiencing that touch. 所以,这里会有一种反馈信号 以阻止镜像神经元所发出的信号, 从而使你避免感觉到那股错误的触碰感。
feedback:n.反馈;反馈意见;回授;[电子]反馈; vetoes:n.否决;否决权; consciously:adv.自觉地;有意识地;
But if you remove the arm, you simply anesthetize my arm, so you put an injection into my arm, anesthetize the brachial plexus , so the arm is numb, and there is no sensations coming in, if I now watch you being touched, 然而,当你移除你的手臂时, 或者向你的手臂注射麻醉剂, 从而麻醉臂丛神经 使你无法感觉到你的手臂的时候, 假如你现在观看他人手掌被触碰,
anesthetize:vt.使麻醉(anaesthetize);使麻痹; injection:n.注射;大量资金的投入;(液体的)注入; brachial:adj.臂的,臂状的; plexus:n.(血管,淋巴管,神经等的)[解剖]丛; sensations:n.感觉;轰动;感动;
I literally feel it in my hand. 你的手掌也会有被触碰的感觉。
In other words, you have dissolved the barrier between you and other human beings. 换句话说,你将你与他人之间的 隔膜溶解了。
dissolved:v.溶;使(固体)溶解;解除;终止;(dissolve的过去式和过去分词) barrier:n.屏障;障碍;障碍物;关口;v.用栅围住;
So, I call them Gandhi neurons, or empathy neurons. 因此,我称他们为甘地神经元,或者是共鸣神经元。
Gandhi:n.甘地(印度政府,社会和宗教领袖);
(Laughter) (笑声)
And this is not in some abstract metaphorical sense. 这并不是种抽象的道理,
abstract:n.摘要; adj.抽象的; vt.摘要; vi.做摘要; metaphorical:adj.比喻性的,隐喻性的;
All that's separating you from him, from the other person, is your skin. 将你与他人隔开的 就是你的皮肤。
Remove the skin, you experience that person's touch in your mind. 移除你的皮肤,你将会与他人感同身受。
You've dissolved the barrier between you and other human beings. 你将你与他人之间的隔膜溶解了。
And this, of course, is the basis of much of Eastern philosophy , and that is there is no real independent self, aloof from other human beings, inspecting the world, inspecting other people. 这些当然就是大部分东方哲学的基础。 那就是没有真实独立的自我 将你与他人隔开,从而以审视这个世界, 审视他人。
Eastern:adj.东方的;向东的;东部的;东方国家的;n.东方人;东正教信徒; philosophy:n.哲学;哲理;人生观; independent:adj.独立的; n.无党派议员(或候选人等); aloof:adj.冷淡的;远离的;冷漠的;adv.远离;避开地; inspecting:adj.检查的;v.检查(inspect的ing形式);
You are, in fact, connected not just via Facebook and Internet, you're actually quite literally connected by your neurons. 事实上,我们与他人交结并不只是通过Facebook或是网络, 而是各式各样的神经元。
via:prep.通过;经由;n.道路;[医]管道;
And there is whole chains of neurons around this room, talking to each other. 在这间大厅里,有一群的神经元正互相交谈着呢。
And there is no real distinctiveness of your consciousness from somebody else's consciousness. 你与他人的意识 并没有任何真正的差异。
distinctiveness:n.特殊性;区别性;辨别性; consciousness:n.意识;知觉;觉悟;感觉;
And this is not mumbo-jumbo philosophy. 这并不是晦涩难懂的哲学。
mumbo-jumbo:n.繁琐严肃但无意义的语言(或仪式);
It emerges from our understanding of basic neuroscience . 这是由基础神经学所引申出来的。
emerges:vi.浮现;摆脱;暴露; neuroscience:n.神经系统科学(指神经病学,神经化学等);
So, you have a patient with a phantom limb . If the arm has been removed and you have a phantom, and you watch somebody else being touched, you feel it in your phantom. 当你接诊一位有幻肢的病人时,幻肢即是 截肢或残废的患者仍感到自己有该肢体的存在,当他观察他人 被触碰时,他也会有此感。
phantom limb:na.(截肢后依然感到肢体存在的)幻肢(感);
Now the astonishing thing is, if you have pain in your phantom limb, you squeeze the other person's hand, massage the other person's hand, that relieves the pain in your phantom hand, almost as though the neuron were obtaining relief from merely watching somebody else being massaged . 令人震惊的是, 当你患有幻肢痛时,你对他人的手掌 进行按摩时, 你的疼痛感便会减轻。 这是因为你的神经元 正获取他人被按摩时 所获得的舒适感。
squeeze:v.挤;紧握;勒索;压榨;n.压榨;紧握;拥挤;佣金; relieves:v.解除,减轻,缓和;缓解;调剂;(relieve的第三人称单数) obtaining:n.得到,获取;v.得到(obtain的现在分词); relief:n.救济;减轻,解除;安慰;浮雕; massaged:v.按摩;推拿;美化(事实);虚报(数量);(massage的过去分词和过去式)
So, here you have my last slide. 这是我最后一张幻灯片。
For the longest time people have regarded science and humanities as being distinct. 长期以来,人们都将科学与 人文学科分开,
humanities:n.人文学科(humanity的复数);
C.P. Snow spoke of the two cultures: science on the one hand , humanities on the other; never the twain shall meet. C.P.斯诺指出两种文化: 一种是科学,一种是人文; 将永不相见。
on the one hand:一方面;
So, I'm saying the mirror neuron system underlies the interface allowing you to rethink about issues like consciousness, representation of self, what separates you from other human beings, 而我则认为镜像神经元系统将再次引起 一场思潮,将使你重新思考什么是意识, 什么代表自我, 什么将你于他人区分开,
underlies:vt.成为…的基础;位于…之下; interface:n.接口;人机界面;连接电路;v.连接; rethink:v.重新考虑;再想;n.重新考虑;反思;新想法; issues:n.重要议题;争论的问题;v.宣布;公布;发出;(issue的第三人称单数和复数) representation:n.表现;代表;描述;陈述
what allows you to empathize with other human beings, and also even things like the emergence of culture and civilization, which is unique to human beings. Thank you. 什么使你与他人产生共鸣, 什么使文化与文明产生, 什么才是人类所独有的事物。谢谢。
(Applause) (鼓掌)