because I can.

因為我會

This is one of these magical abilities that we humans have.

這是我們人類擁有的其中一項神奇能力

We can transmit really complicated thoughts to one another.

我們能夠把複雜的想法傳達給他者

So what I'm doing right now is, I'm making sounds with my mouth

我現在在做的，其實就是在用嘴巴發出聲音

as I'm exhaling.

同時呼氣

I'm making tones and hisses and puffs,

我發出聲調、嘶嘶聲和氣聲

and those are creating air vibrations in the air.

這些都會在空氣中造成空氣震動

Those air vibrations are traveling to you,

這些震動傳達到你

they're hitting your eardrums,

他們到達你的鼓膜

and then your brain takes those vibrations from your eardrums

然後你的大腦透過鼓膜接收到震動

and transforms them into thoughts.

將之轉換為想法

I hope.

我是這樣希望啦！

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

I hope that's happening.

我希望情況是這樣

So because of this ability, we humans are able to transmit our ideas

因著這項能力，我們人類能夠傳遞想法

across vast reaches of space and time.

穿越時空的疆界

We're able to transmit knowledge across minds.

我們能夠傳遞知識到別人心裡

I can put a bizarre new idea in your mind right now.

我現在就能將一個詭異的新想法植入你的心裡

I could say,

我可以說

"Imagine a jellyfish waltzing in a library

「想像一隻水母在圖書館邊跳華爾滋，

while thinking about quantum mechanics."

邊思考量子力學。」

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Now, if everything has gone relatively well in your life so far,

嗯，如果目前為止你的人生都還正常

you probably haven't had that thought before.

你應該從沒想過這個

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

But now I've just made you think it,

但就在剛剛我讓你開始想了

through language.

透過語言

Now of course, there isn't just one language in the world,

當然，那並非全世界唯一一種語言

there are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world.

世界上約有 7,000 個被使用的語言

And all the languages differ from one another in all kinds of ways.

而這所有語言都各自不同

Some languages have different sounds,

有些語言有不同的聲音

they have different vocabularies,

他們有不同的詞彙

and they also have different structures --

也有不同的結構

very importantly, different structures.

不同的結構，這點很重要

That begs the question:

這點出了這道問題：

Does the language we speak shape the way we think?

我們使用的語言是否會形塑我們思考的方式？

Now, this is an ancient question.

這是一個久被探討的問題

People have been speculating about this question forever.

人們總是在探究這個問題

Charlemagne, Holy Roman emperor, said,

神聖羅馬帝國的皇帝查理曼大帝曾說過

"To have a second language is to have a second soul" --

「擁有第二語言就如同擁有第二靈魂。」

strong statement that language crafts reality.

強烈聲明語言能構成現實

But on the other hand, Shakespeare has Juliet say,

但另一方面，莎士比亞的茱麗葉說

"What's in a name?

「名字有何意義？

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

玫瑰不叫玫瑰，依然芬芳如故。」

Well, that suggests that maybe language doesn't craft reality.

這又或許聲明了語言不能構成現實

These arguments have gone back and forth for thousands of years.

這些言論在千年之間輾轉輪迴

But until recently, there hasn't been any data

但直到最近為止，還沒有任何資料

to help us decide either way.

能夠幫助我們佐證任一方

Recently, in my lab and other labs around the world,

最近，在我的實驗室以及其他遍佈世界各地的實驗室中

we've started doing research,

我們已經開始研究

and now we have actual scientific data to weigh in on this question.

而現在，我們有了確切的科學數據能夠參與解答這道問題

So let me tell you about some of my favorite examples.

讓我來告訴你們一些我最喜歡的例子

I'll start with an example from an Aboriginal community in Australia

我會從這個例子開始，我曾經有幸能夠

that I had the chance to work with.

和澳洲一個原住民部落一起工作

These are the Kuuk Thaayorre people.

這些是 Kuuk Thaayorre 族人

They live in Pormpuraaw at the very west edge of Cape York.

他們居住在 Pormpuraaw ，位於約克角的最西邊

What's cool about Kuuk Thaayorre is,

有關 Kuuk Thaayorre 族很酷的一點是

in Kuuk Thaayorre, they don't use words like "left" and "right,"

在他們的語言裡，並沒有「左」和「右」這類詞彙

and instead, everything is in cardinal directions:

取而代之地，所有東西都是用方位標明：

north, south, east and west.

北、南、東、西

And when I say everything, I really mean everything.

我指的所有東西真的就是所有東西

You would say something like,

你可能會說這類的話

"Oh, there's an ant on your southwest leg."

「噢，在你的西南腳上有一隻螞蟻。」

Or, "Move your cup to the north-northeast a little bit."

或「把你的杯子往北北東移一點。」

In fact, the way that you say "hello" in Kuuk Thaayorre is you say,

事實上在 Kuuk Thaayorre 語中，你說「你好」的方式是

"Which way are you going?"

「你要去哪裡？」

And the answer should be,

回答可能是

"North-northeast in the far distance.

「遙遠的北北東方，

How about you?"

你呢？」

So imagine as you're walking around your day,

所以想像看看，當你走來走去時

every person you greet,

每遇到一個你打招呼的人

you have to report your heading direction.

你都必須回答你正前往的方向

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

But that would actually get you oriented pretty fast, right?

但那其實可以幫助你迅速找到方向感，對吧？

Because you literally couldn't get past "hello,"

因為要是你不知道你要走的方向

if you didn't know which way you were going.

你根本無法回答別人的問好

In fact, people who speak languages like this stay oriented really well.

事實上，這類語言的使用者擁有很好的方向感

They stay oriented better than we used to think humans could.

他們擁有更好的定位能力，比我們過去以為人類所能達到的還要好

We used to think that humans were worse than other creatures

我們過去因著一些生理原因

because of some biological excuse:

以為人類比其他生物都要遜色

"Oh, we don't have magnets in our beaks or in our scales."

「噢，我們沒有帶有磁力的喙或是鱗片呀。」

No; if your language and your culture trains you to do it,

不，若是你的語言及你的文化訓練你

actually, you can do it.

你實際上辦得到

There are humans around the world who stay oriented really well.

世界上有很多方向感很好的人類

And just to get us in agreement

為了讓大家都知道

about how different this is from the way we do it,

這跟我們習慣的有多不一樣

I want you all to close your eyes for a second

我想要你們全都閉上眼睛

and point southeast.

然後指出東南方

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Keep your eyes closed. Point.

閉上眼睛。指出來

OK, so you can open your eyes.

好，現在睜開眼

I see you guys pointing there, there, there, there, there ...

看得出你們有些人指這裡、那裡，還有好多不同方向

I don't know which way it is myself --

我自己其實也不知道到底是哪裡

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

You have not been a lot of help.

你們沒幫上什麼忙啊

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So let's just say the accuracy in this room was not very high.

那我們就說這間房裡的人們方位精確程度不是很高

This is a big difference in cognitive ability across languages, right?

不同語言之間的感知能力還真是不一樣，是吧？

Where one group -- very distinguished group like you guys --

對於一群人來說，比如你們特定一群

doesn't know which way is which,

並不知道哪個方位是哪裡

but in another group,

但對於另一群人

I could ask a five-year-old and they would know.

一個五歲小朋友都知道答案

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

There are also really big differences in how people think about time.

人們對時間的認知也有很多差異

So here I have pictures of my grandfather at different ages.

這些是我祖父在不同年齡時的照片

And if I ask an English speaker to organize time,

若是我要一個英語使用人士按時間排列

they might lay it out this way,

他們或許會按這個順序排列

from left to right.

由左到右

This has to do with writing direction.

這是和寫字方向有關

If you were a speaker of Hebrew or Arabic,

要是你是一個希伯來語或是阿拉伯語使用者

you might do it going in the opposite direction,

你或許會用相反的方向排

from right to left.

由右到左

But how would the Kuuk Thaayorre,

但如果是 Kuuk Thaayorre 族人

this Aboriginal group I just told you about, do it?

這個我剛和你們介紹的原住民族群呢？

They don't use words like "left" and "right."

他們不用「左」和「右」這類的字

Let me give you hint.

讓我給你點提示

When we sat people facing south,

當我們讓人面向南方

they organized time from left to right.

他們由左至右排列時間順序

When we sat them facing north,

當他們面向北邊時

they organized time from right to left.

他們由右至左排列

When we sat them facing east,

當他們面向東方時

time came towards the body.

時間是朝向身體

What's the pattern?

模式是什麼？

East to west, right?

由東至西，對吧？

So for them, time doesn't actually get locked on the body at all,

所以對他們而言，時間軸並非依據身體

it gets locked on the landscape.

而是依據地景

So for me, if I'm facing this way,

對我來說，要是我朝這邊

then time goes this way,

時間軸就是這樣

and if I'm facing this way, then time goes this way.

若是我朝這邊，時間就是這樣

I'm facing this way, time goes this way --

朝這邊，時間就是這樣

very egocentric of me to have the direction of time chase me around

我每轉身一次，就要時間軸跟著我轉

every time I turn my body.

這樣還頗自我中心主義的

For the Kuuk Thaayorre, time is locked on the landscape.

對於 Kuuk Thaayorre 族來說，時間軸是依據地景

It's a dramatically different way of thinking about time.

這是一個非常不一樣的時間思考方式

Here's another really smart human trick.

下面是另一個非常聰明的人類技巧

Suppose I ask you how many penguins are there.

假設我問你這裡有幾隻企鵝

Well, I bet I know how you'd solve that problem if you solved it.

我想我知道你如何解答，要是你已經完成了

You went, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight."

你數，「一、二、三、四、五、六、七、八」

You counted them.

你數出他們

You named each one with a number,

你用數字命名每一個

and the last number you said was the number of penguins.

你最後一個講到的數字就是企鵝的數量

This is a little trick that you're taught to use as kids.

這是你還是小孩時就被教導的技巧

You learn the number list and you learn how to apply it.

你學習數字順序，你學習如何應用

A little linguistic trick.

一個小小的語言技巧

Well, some languages don't do this,

但有些語言不會那麼做

because some languages don't have exact number words.

因為有些語言沒有確切的數字詞彙

They're languages that don't have a word like "seven"

這些語言有些沒有「七」這個字

or a word like "eight."

或是「八」

In fact, people who speak these languages don't count,

事實上，這些語言的使用者不數數

and they have trouble keeping track of exact quantities.

他們就沒辦法計算確切的數量

So, for example, if I ask you to match this number of penguins

所以，舉例來說，要是我要你們把這些數量的企鵝

to the same number of ducks,

對應到一樣多的鴨子

you would be able to do that by counting.

你可以透過數數辦到

But folks who don't have that linguistic trick can't do that.

但是沒有這種語言技巧的人就辦不到

Languages also differ in how they divide up the color spectrum --

區別顏色光譜的方式也因語言而異

the visual world.

也就是視覺世界

Some languages have lots of words for colors,

有些語言有很多顏色詞彙

some have only a couple words, "light" and "dark."

有些只有一些字，「亮」和「暗」

And languages differ in where they put boundaries between colors.

分隔顏色的方法因語言而不同

So, for example, in English, there's a word for blue

舉個例子，在英語有「藍色 (blue)」這個字

that covers all of the colors that you can see on the screen,

涵蓋了你在銀幕上能看到的所有顏色

but in Russian, there isn't a single word.

但在俄語中，並不只有一個字

Instead, Russian speakers have to differentiate

取而代之，俄語使用者必須分別

between light blue, "goluboy,"

亮藍色 (goluboy)

and dark blue, "siniy."

和暗藍色 (siniy)

So Russians have this lifetime of experience of, in language,

所以俄語使用者終其一生都在經歷

distinguishing these two colors.

利用語言區別這兩類顏色

When we test people's ability to perceptually discriminate these colors,

當我們測驗人們憑感覺區別這些顏色的能力時

what we find is that Russian speakers are faster

我們發現俄語使用者

across this linguistic boundary.

在這方面比較迅速

They're faster to be able to tell the difference

他們判斷亮藍和暗藍

between a light and dark blue.

的速度比較快

And when you look at people's brains as they're looking at colors --

而要是你在他們觀察顏色時看他們的腦部活動

say you have colors shifting slowly from light to dark blue --

假設你讓顏色慢慢從亮藍變到暗藍

the brains of people who use different words for light and dark blue

會使用不同詞彙表示亮藍和暗藍的語言使用者的腦部

will give a surprised reaction as the colors shift from light to dark,

會在顏色由亮轉暗的時候發出驚人的反應

as if, "Ooh, something has categorically changed,"

比如，「噢，類別不同了」

whereas the brains of English speakers, for example,

而英語使用者的腦部，舉例來說

that don't make this categorical distinction,

並不會區別這種類別差異

don't give that surprise,

也不會感到驚訝

because nothing is categorically changing.

因為類別並沒有改變

Languages have all kinds of structural quirks.

語言有許多結構雙關

This is one of my favorites.

以下是我最喜歡的一種

Lots of languages have grammatical gender,

許多語言有文法性別

so every noun gets assigned a gender, often masculine or feminine.

每一個名詞被分配到一個性別，通常是陽性和陰性

And these genders differ across languages.

而這些性別因語言而異

So, for example, the sun is feminine in German but masculine in Spanish,

舉例來說，在德語中太陽是陰性，但是在西班牙語是陽性

and the moon, the reverse.

月亮則相反

Could this actually have any consequence for how people think?

這會不會影響人們思考的方式呢？

Do German speakers think of the sun as somehow more female-like,

德語使用者會不會覺得太陽比較有女性傾向

and the moon somehow more male-like?

而月亮則比較傾向男性？

Actually, it turns out that's the case.

事實上結果正是如此

So if you ask German and Spanish speakers to, say, describe a bridge,

舉例，若是你要一個說德語的和一個說西語的人描述一座橋

like the one here --

像是這裡這座

"bridge" happens to be grammatically feminine in German,

「橋」在德語的文法性別剛好是陰性

grammatically masculine in Spanish --

在西語則是陽性

German speakers are more likely to say bridges are "beautiful," "elegant"

德語使用者比較可能用「美麗」、「優雅」來描述橋

and stereotypically feminine words.

這些刻板印象中偏女性向的字

Whereas Spanish speakers will be more likely to say

然而西語使用人士比較可能說

they're "strong" or "long,"

「強壯」或是「長」

these masculine words.

這些男性向字眼

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Languages also differ in how they describe events, right?

不同語言描述事件的方式也不一樣，對吧？

You take an event like this, an accident.

你覺得這種事件是一場意外

In English, it's fine to say, "He broke the vase."

用英語，你可以說「他打破了花瓶」(He broke the vase.)

In a language like Spanish,

用西班牙語這個語言

you might be more likely to say, "The vase broke,"

你比較可能說「花瓶破了。」

or, "The vase broke itself."

或是，「花瓶自己破了。」

If it's an accident, you wouldn't say that someone did it.

如果是意外，你就不會說是誰造成的

In English, quite weirdly, we can even say things like,

在英語，很奇怪地我們甚至可以說

"I broke my arm."

「我打斷了我的手。」( I broke my arm.)

Now, in lots of languages,

在很多語言裡

you couldn't use that construction unless you are a lunatic

你不能這樣構句，除非你是一個瘋子

and you went out looking to break your arm --

試圖打斷你的手臂

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

and you succeeded.

而且還成功了

If it was an accident, you would use a different construction.

如果是一場意外，你會用不同的句構

Now, this has consequences.

這其實會有影響

So, people who speak different languages will pay attention to different things,

說不同語言的人會注意不同的事

depending on what their language usually requires them to do.

取決於他們的語言通常要求他們什麼

So we show the same accident to English speakers and Spanish speakers,

所以我們把同樣的意外拿給英語人士和西語人士

English speakers will remember who did it,

英語人士會記得是誰做的

because English requires you to say, "He did it; he broke the vase."

因為用英文你必須說「他做的，他打破了花瓶」( He did it; he broke the vase. )

Whereas Spanish speakers might be less likely to remember who did it

而西語人士較不可能記得是誰做的

if it's an accident,

若那是一場意外

but they're more likely to remember that it was an accident.

但他們會比較可能記得這是一場意外

They're more likely to remember the intention.

他們比較可能記得意圖

So, two people watch the same event,

因此，兩組不同的人目睹一樣的事件

witness the same crime,

目睹一樣的犯罪

but end up remembering different things about that event.

但最後卻記得有關事件的不同事情

This has implications, of course, for eyewitness testimony.

當然，這可能就目擊證人說詞另有意涵

It also has implications for blame and punishment.

在歸咎和懲罰方現也是

So if you take English speakers

所以，若是找來一位英語使用者

and I just show you someone breaking a vase,

給他看某人打破花瓶

and I say, "He broke the vase," as opposed to "The vase broke,"

然後，比起說「花瓶破了」(The vase broke.)，我說「他打破了花瓶」(He broke the vase.)

even though you can witness it yourself,

就算親眼目睹了事件

you can watch the video