You might remember it from your childhood.

你可能還記得它是從你的童年時光。

Some of these might still be tucked away in the attic at your parents’ house.

其中一些可能仍然藏在你父母家的閣樓裡。

It’s also very likely that your kids are playing with them right now in your living room.

很可能你的孩子現在正在客廳玩它們。

It’s just one of those toys you never really get rid of it stays with your family for generations

這是那種你永遠不會放棄的玩具，會一代一代留在你的家庭中。

So, what makes DUPLO bricks so special?

那麼，是什麼讓DUPLO積木如此特別呢？

How come they’ve been in our lives for over 50 years now but are still landing at the top of almost every birthday and holiday wish list worldwide?

它們已經在我們生活中超過50年，但仍然位列全球幾乎每個生日和節日願望清單的頂部，這是為什麼呢？

The first reason is simple: they are a part of a carefully crafted system in play.

第一個原因很簡單：它們是精心設計的遊戲系統的一部分。

The DUPLO story starts in the early ‘60s when the LEGO HQ in Billund, Denmark was still buzzing with excitement following the successful launch of the standard LEGO brick in 1958.

DUPLO的故事始於1960年代，當時丹麥比倫總部興奮地慶祝標準LEGO積木在1958年成功推出。

But while millions of children worldwide were busy building their first LEGO cities, planes, and cars,

但當全球數百萬兒童正忙著建造他們的第一個LEGO城市、飛機和汽車時，

it quickly became obvious that the play experience unintentionally excluded a large group of kids:t oddlers!

很快就發現，遊玩的經驗無意中排除了一大群兒童：幼兒！

The LEGO brick was simply too small for them to play with in a safe way.

LEGO積木對他們來說太小了，無法安全地玩耍。

As a response, the LEGO Group came back with LEGO Jumbo kindergarten bricks.

作為回應，LEGO集團推出了LEGO Jumbo幼兒園積木。

Much bigger than the standard LEGO brick.

它們比標準LEGO積木大得多。

They came in 3 different colors and proved to be an instant hit especially with North American parents and pre-school teachers.

它們有3種不同的顏色，尤其受到北美的家長和學前教師的歡迎。

But while the bricks were flying off the shelves, Godfred Kirk Christiansen, the owner of the LEGO Group at the time, discovered yet another issue that needed addressing -

但在積木銷售一空的同時，當時的LEGO集團所有者Godfred Kirk Christiansen發現了另一個需要解決的問題 -

LEGO Jumbo bricks existed as a completely separate product.

LEGO Jumbo積木作為完全獨立的產品存在。

Not only did the different-sized bricks not fit together but there was no system to how kids played with them.

不僅不同尺寸的積木無法拼在一起，而且兒童玩它們沒有系統。

Godfred really wanted to avoid producing yet another limited, throw-away toy.

Godfred真的想避免生產另一個限制性的、一次性的玩具。

He wanted to create something that could entertain for years and last for generations.

他希望創造出一種可以娛樂多年並世代流傳的東西。

The reinvention of the LEGO Jumbo brick started with three new prototypes.

LEGO Jumbo積木的重新設計始於三種新的原型。

The 2:1 model quickly came up as a frontrunner in terms of size.

2:1模型很快就成為尺寸方面的領跑者。

That’s also where the name DUPLO comes from: in Latin, "duplus"means "double."

DUPLO的名稱也來自於此：在拉丁語中，duplus 意味著「雙倍」。

But the question of making the bigger bricks fit with the standard ones was a puzzle that still needed to be solved.

但如何使更大的積木與標準積木配合仍然是一個需要解決的難題。

According to a legend, after months of testing and failing, Kristiansen quite literally dreamt up a solution:

根據傳說，經過數月的測試和失敗後，克里斯蒂安森確實夢見了一個解決方案：

by hollowing out the studs on top of the larger bricks, you can clutch the standard LEGO brick together with the new, bigger design,

透過挖空更大積木頂部的凸起，你可以用標準LEGO積木和新的更大設計拼在一起，

all thanks to the tubes at the bottom of each brick!

這都歸功於每個積木底部的管道！

With that invention, LEGO play became an experience with a logical continuation as the child grows

有了這個發明，LEGO的遊戲在兒童成長過程中有了邏輯延續的體驗。

And the design hasn’t changed since the 1960s, so the first DUPLO bricks still fit with the bricks you buy today.

並且自1960年代以來，設計沒有發生變化，因此第一代DUPLO積木仍然可以與今天購買的積木相匹配。

The LEGO System in Play is working.

LEGO的遊戲系統很成功。

Godtfred would be proud!

戈特弗德一定會引以為傲！

Another reason why DUPLO bricks are so special is the fact that they’re extremely safe for toddlers.

DUPLO積木如此特別的另一個原因是它們對幼兒來說非常安全。

It’s a well-known fact that little kids love putting things in their mouths.

眾所周知，小孩子喜歡把東西放進嘴裡。

That of course includes, on top of your car keys, your phone, and your dangly necklace, all other small objects laying around your house - like LEGO bricks!

當然，這包括你的車鑰匙、手機和掛墜項鍊之外，房子裡其他的小物件，像是LEGO積木！

The larger DUPLO brick by design is too big to fit through the child’s airways.

從設計來看，更大的DUPLO積木太大，無法進入孩子的呼吸道。

Every new DUPLO element that’s been introduced since the 1960s, no matter how big or small has been checked for toddler-choking potential (or lack thereof).

自1960年代以來，引入的每個新的DUPLO元素，無論大小，都經過了嬰幼兒誤吞風險（或無風險）的檢查。

Of course, DUPLO elements go through other rigorous tests as well.

當然，DUPLO元素也經過其他嚴格的測試。

Through pulling and stomping, to dropping and squeezing – all this to mimic the behavior of an average toddler and make sure even unattended DUPLO play is safe (and fun)!

透過拉扯、踩踏、丟棄和擠壓，以模擬普通幼兒的行為，確保即使沒有人看護，DUPLO遊戲也是安全的（而且有趣）！

And unlike the traditional LEGO minifigures that come apart and are made of interchangeable pieces,

與傳統的LEGO迷你人偶不同，後者可以拆卸並由可互換的零件製成，

DUPLO figures have continuously been made to stay together as one element since their debut in the ‘70s

DUPLO人偶自70年代首次亮相以來一直被設計成一個整體。

Although their design has changed significantly over the years, the focus on safety has stayed the same.

儘管多年來DUPLO積木的設計發生了重大改變，但安全始終是他們的關注重點。

Behind the design of every DUPLO set, there’s hours of child development research.

每個DUPLO套裝的設計背後都有數小時的兒童發展研究。

The brain of a toddler is like a sponge, hungry for knowledge.

幼兒的大腦就像一塊吸水的海綿，渴望知識。

At this stage of human development, learning mainly happens through handling objects and familiarizing yourself with the world around you:

在人類發展的這個階段，學習主要是透過處理物品和熟悉周圍的世界來實現的：

the places you visit, the things you see on your way from the playground, everything that you hear, touch, or taste.

你參觀的地方，從遊樂場到家的路上看到的東西，以及你聽到、觸摸或品嚐的一切。

LEGO already knew this about toddlers in the ‘70s, and it was the main reason the first trains and cars were introduced.

LEGO在70年代就已經了解到幼兒的這個特點，這也是第一列火車和汽車的主要原因。

On top of brining immense joy to the little ones, they were also perfect for helping toddlers develop their fine motor skills, like grabbing or pushing.

除了為小孩帶來巨大的樂趣，它們也非常適合幫助幼兒發展他們的精細運動技能，如抓取或推動

A little bit later, the first generation of figures and animals came into play.

稍後，第一代人物和動物進入了遊戲。

These opened up millions of possibilities for roleplaying and storytelling, so important in every child’s emotional intelligence development.

這為角色扮演和講故事提供了數百萬種可能性，這對每個兒童的情感智力發展至關重要。

And when you look at the newest LEGO DUPLO elements, they are far from your grandpa’s DUPLO sets:

當你看最新的LEGO DUPLO元素時，它們遠遠不是你爺爺奶奶的DUPLO套裝：

with new, eye-catching colors, figures with different skin tones, and many special, exciting elements to support character roleplay.

有了新穎的顏色，不同膚色的人物和許多特殊的令人興奮的元素來支持角色扮演。

They help reflect the modern world well.

它們有助於很好地反映現代世界。

But the biggest educational benefit comes from the brick itself:

但最大的教育好處來自於積木本身：

by building, unbuilding, and rebuilding of the DUPLO towers, houses, and cities,

透過建立、拆卸和重建DUPLO塔、房屋和城市，

toddlers boost their resilience, a skill so needed in today’s modern, chaotic, and fast-changing society.

幼兒增強了他們的韌性，這是今天現代、混亂和快速變化的社會中非常需要的技能。

In the last 50 years, the DUPLO brick has changed immensely, from the colors of the bricks to the variety of the special pieces, that make DUPLO play even more exciting.

在過去的50年中，DUPLO積木發生了巨大的變化，從積木的顏色到各種特殊元素的多樣性，這使DUPLO遊戲變得更加令人興奮。

But one thing remained unchanged through all this time, it always has been and will be special in every way.

但在所有這段時間裡，有一件事一直沒有改變，那就是DUPLO一直都是特別的，無論從哪個方面看。