You see, in every language, there's a subset of words and grammatical structures that are extremely hard to grasp despite being some of the most common elements of the language.

你看，在每種語言中，都有一部分單詞和語法結構儘管是語言中最常見的元素，但卻極難掌握。

Assuming these elements should be easy just because they're frequently used is an extremely common mistake that ends up causing language learners a lot of frustration.

僅僅因為這些元素經常使用，就認為它們應該很簡單，這是一個極其常見的錯誤，最終會給語言學習者帶來很多挫敗感。

Now, make sure to watch to the very end of the video because I actually have a completely free gift for anyone learning Japanese.

現在，請務必觀看視頻的最後部分，因為我為所有學習日語的人準備了一份完全免費的禮物。

It will help you fix your understanding of Japanese grammar, which actually contradicts the content of this video.

它將幫助您解決對日語文法的理解問題，而這實際上與本視頻的內容相矛盾。

So, make sure to watch the entire video to get the proper context.

是以，請務必觀看整個視頻，以獲得正確的背景資訊。

Do not skip to the end or you might actually end up worse off than you started.

不要跳到最後，否則你的結果可能比開始時更糟。

So, I call these extremely common yet difficult to grasp words or structures persistent puzzles.

是以，我把這些極為常見卻又難以掌握的單詞或結構稱為持久謎題。

They're persistent in the sense that, right from day one, you come across them all the time.

它們的頑固性在於，從第一天起，你就會經常遇到它們。

If you're doing a lot of immersion, you probably come across most persistent puzzles multiple times every day.

如果您經常身臨其境，您可能每天都會多次遇到大多數難題。

Yet, despite coming across these particular words and structures so frequently, you just can't seem to really figure them out.

然而，儘管你經常遇到這些特殊的詞彙和結構，但似乎就是無法真正弄懂它們。

And, in this sense, they're also persistently unsolvable.

從這個意義上說，這些問題也始終無法解決。

You might kind of get what one of these words mean in some sentences, but then in other sentences, you're completely lost.

在某些句子中，你可能有點明白這些詞的意思，但在另一些句子中，你就完全不明白了。

And even if you read multiple articles explaining the given word or structure, you only end up feeling more confused.

即使你閱讀了多篇解釋特定單詞或結構的文章，最終也只會感到更加困惑。

Now, to clarify, not all frequently used words and structures are persistent puzzles.

現在，我要澄清一點，並非所有常用詞和結構都是持久性難題。

In fact, many common words and structures are relatively easy to grasp.

事實上，許多常用單詞和結構都比較容易掌握。

In cases like this, although the word or structure itself may be persistent, the puzzle presented by the word or structure is not.

在這種情況下，雖然單詞或結構本身可能是持久的，但單詞或結構所呈現的謎題卻不是持久的。

By persistent puzzle, I'm specifically referring to words and structures that are both extremely common and nearly impossible to grasp until reaching a relatively high level in the language.

我所說的 "頑固難題"，特指那些既極為常見，又幾乎不可能掌握的單詞和結構，除非達到相對較高的語言水準。

Now, before I go on, I want to give a few examples to help make things more concrete.

現在，在我繼續說下去之前，我想先舉幾個例子，讓事情變得更加具體。

So, in Japanese, some of the most common persistent puzzles are wa vs ga, wake, and ki.

是以，在日語中，一些最常見的持久性謎題是 "wa vs ga"、"wake "和 "ki"。

Now, these are also some of the most common elements of the Japanese language in general.

現在，這些也是一般日語中最常見的元素。

In fact, they're taught in one form or another in most Japanese 101 classes.

事實上，大多數日語 101 課程都會以這樣或那樣的形式講授這些內容。

Yet, each of these elements are notorious for regularly giving Japanese learners trouble.

然而，這些要素中的每一個都經常給日語學習者帶來麻煩。

For example, despite the particles wa and ga being taught on probably the very first day of most Japanese 101 classes, most intermediate to advanced Japanese learners probably still don't feel like they 100% understand exactly what the difference really is.

例如，儘管在大多數日語 101 課程的第一天就教授了 wa 和 ga 這兩個微粒，但大多數中高級日語學習者可能仍然無法完全理解它們之間的區別。

Now, unfortunately, I can't provide examples of persistent puzzles for every target language, so if you're studying a language other than Japanese, please leave a comment with the persistent puzzles that you've struggled with the most.

遺憾的是，我無法為每種目標語言提供持久性難題的例子，是以如果您正在學習日語以外的語言，請在評論中留下您最頭疼的持久性難題。

So, like I've been alluding to, the thing about persistent puzzles is that despite them coming up all the time, it's not actually possible to fully solve them until you actually reach a high level in the language.

是以，就像我一直在暗示的那樣，持久謎題的特點是，儘管它們總是會出現，但在你真正達到較高的語言水準之前，實際上是不可能完全解決它們的。

And this aspect of persistent puzzles makes them very counterintuitive.

持久謎題的這一特點使它們非常反直覺。

Because they show up so often, on the surface, persistent puzzles often seem basic.

因為這些謎題經常出現，所以從表面上看，持久性謎題往往是最基本的。

I mean, after all, many of them are taught in college 101 classes on the language.

我的意思是，畢竟在大學 101 語言課上，很多人都學到了這些知識。

The problem is that this illusion of basicness leads many intermediate language learners to falsely assume that these persistent puzzles are something that they should have mastered a long time ago.

問題在於，這種基礎性的錯覺導致許多中級語言學習者錯誤地認為，這些頑固的難題是他們早就應該掌握的。

They end up beating themselves up for not being able to understand them despite having been learning the language for X amount of months or years.

儘管他們已經學了 X 個月或 X 年的語言，但最終還是因為聽不懂而自責。

And this leads them to feeling like they're dumb or bad at language learning and constantly feeling frustrated because of it.

這導致他們覺得自己在語言學習方面很笨或很差，並是以不斷感到沮喪。

Now, I am going to explain exactly how to deal with persistent puzzles, but before that, it's important to understand why the phenomenon of persistent puzzles occurs in the first place.

現在，我將具體解釋如何處理持久性難題，但在此之前，重要的是首先要了解為什麼會出現持久性難題這一現象。

The majority of persistent puzzles occur due to a target language word or structure having a meaning that can't be directly translated into English.

大多數持久性難題的出現都是由於目標語言單詞或結構的含義無法直接翻譯成英語。

This might sound a little abstract, but essentially, what language really is is a way of dividing the world up into concepts and then making statements about how those concepts relate to one another.

這聽起來可能有點抽象，但從本質上講，語言其實就是一種將世界劃分為若干概念，然後陳述這些概念之間關係的方式。

The specific way in which the world is divided up into concepts is fundamentally different for each language, and because of this, it's inevitable that there are some concepts that are simply not possible to translate from one language to another.

每種語言將世界劃分為概念的具體方式從根本上說是不同的，正因為如此，有些概念就不可避免地無法從一種語言翻譯成另一種語言。

To make this more concrete, take the word kakeru in Japanese.

為了更具體地說明這一點，可以用日語中的 "kakeru "一詞來解釋。

From the perspective of a Japanese person, kakeru is a simple word that represents a single core concept.

從日本人的角度來看，"kakeru "是一個簡單的詞，代表著一個核心概念。

Although kakeru has many specific usages, each of those individual usages can be understood as fundamentally meaning the same thing.

雖然 kakeru 有許多具體用法，但每個用法的基本含義都是相同的。

Now, in English, we simply don't have a word that means kakeru.

現在，在英語中，我們根本沒有一個詞能表達 kakeru 的意思。

In fact, we could even say that the English language doesn't contain the concept that kakeru represents.

事實上，我們甚至可以說，英語中並不包含 kakeru 所代表的概念。

Now, if you look up kakeru on the Japanese dictionary website jisho.org, 25 different English meanings are listed, including to put on in the sense of to put on glasses, to spend in the sense of to spend time or money on, and to deliberate in the sense of discussing something in a meeting.

現在，如果您在日語詞典網站 jisho.org 上查找 "kakeru"，會發現其中列出了 25 種不同的英語含義，包括 "戴上眼鏡 "的 "戴"、"花時間或金錢 "的 "花 "以及 "開會討論 "的 "議"。

So, on the surface, it would appear that kakeru simply has 25 different meanings.

是以，從表面上看，"kakeru "有 25 種不同的含義。

And depending on the situation, kakeru can indeed mean each of those 25 different things.

根據不同的情況，"kakeru "確實可以指這 25 種不同的意思。

But once you fully grasp the underlying concept behind kakeru, you realize that, at its essence, the word really only has one single core meaning.

但是，一旦你完全掌握了 kakeru 背後的基本概念，你就會意識到，這個詞的本質其實只有一個核心含義。

In reality, all of those English translations are simply that same core meaning viewed from different angles.

實際上，所有這些英文翻譯都只是從不同角度詮釋了相同的核心含義。

But because English doesn't contain the specific concept that kakeru represents, there's no way to use English to directly communicate the true essence of what kakeru really means.

但由於英語不包含 kakeru 所代表的特定概念，是以無法用英語直接傳達 kakeru 的真正含義。

The best the English language can do is take each individual situation that kakeru tends to be used in and list out what English expression would be used in a similar sort of situation.

英語語言所能做的，就是把 kakeru 往往用於的每一種情況，列出在類似情況下會使用的英語表達方式。

A good analogy for understanding this idea is the parable of the blind man and an elephant.

盲人摸象的寓言故事是理解這一思想的一個很好的比喻。

According to Wikipedia, the parable broadly goes like this.

根據維基百科的說法，這個寓言大致是這樣的。

A group of blind men heard that a strange animal called an elephant had been brought to the town.

一群盲人聽說鎮上來了一頭奇怪的動物--大象。

But none of them were aware of its shape and form.

但他們都不知道它的形狀和形態。

Out of curiosity, they said, we must inspect and know it by touch, of which we are capable.

他們說，出於好奇，我們必須通過觸摸來觀察和了解它，我們有能力做到這一點。

So they sought it out, and when they found it, they groped about it.

於是，他們四處尋找，找到之後，他們又四處摸索。

The first person, whose hand landed on the trunk, said, this being is like a thick snake.

第一個人的手落在樹幹上，他說，這個生命就像一條粗大的蛇。

For another one, whose hand reached its ear, it seemed like a kind of fan.

另一隻手伸到耳邊，似乎是一把扇子。

As for another person, whose hand was upon its leg, said, the elephant is a pillar like a tree trunk.

至於另一個人，他的手放在大象的腿上，說："大象是一根像樹幹一樣的柱子。

The blind man who placed his hand upon its side said the elephant is a wall.

盲人把手放在大象的側面，他說大象是一堵牆。

Another who felt its tail described it as a rope.

另一位摸到它尾巴的人形容它是一根繩子。

The last felt its tusk, stating the elephant is that which is hard, smooth, and like a spear.

最後一個人摸了摸象牙，說象就是堅硬、光滑、像矛一樣的東西。

In the context of language learning, we start off blind in the sense that we begin from a position of ignorance with regards to our target language.

在語言學習方面，我們一開始是盲目的，因為我們對目標語言一無所知。

All we have to rely on is our sense of touch, which, in this case, responds to our native language.

我們所依賴的只是觸覺，在這種情況下，觸覺會對我們的母語做出反應。

Because our target language is fundamentally different from our native language, trying to interpret our target language through our native language leads to partial, seemingly contradictory understandings.

由於我們的目標語言與我們的母語有本質區別，試圖通過我們的母語來解釋我們的目標語言會導致片面的、看似矛盾的理解。

Basically, trying to understand what kakeru means through the English language would be like trying to understand what an elephant is through touch alone.

基本上，試圖通過英語來理解 "kakeru "的含義，就好比試圖通過觸摸來理解 "大象 "的含義一樣。

In this way, the core reason that persistent puzzles occur is that when target language words or structures are sufficiently foreign from anything we know from our native language, they become impossible to fully grasp through translation.

這樣一來，出現持久性難題的核心原因是，當目標語言的詞彙或結構與我們從母語中瞭解到的任何東西都足夠陌生時，就無法通過翻譯完全掌握。

So, if this is the case, then how can persistent puzzles actually be solved?

那麼，如果是這樣的話，如何才能真正解決持久性難題呢？

Using the language of the elephant parable, how can we learn to see?

用大象比喻的語言，我們怎樣才能學會看？

Well, through learning to understand everything else besides the persistent puzzles, and then using inference to fill in the remaining gaps.

好吧，那就通過學習來理解除了頑固謎題之外的其他一切，然後用推理來填補剩餘的空白。

I think a good analogy for understanding this is, funnily enough, jigsaw puzzles.

我認為，要理解這一點，有趣的是，拼圖是一個很好的比喻。

You see, when you first start off solving a jigsaw puzzle, initially you don't have a very good idea where most of the pieces are going to go.

你看，當你第一次開始拼圖時，一開始你並不清楚大部分拼圖的位置。

For some pieces, the color or design might make it immediately obvious, but for most others, you won't have much clue.

對於某些產品，顏色或設計可能會讓人一目瞭然，但對於其他大多數產品，你不會有太多的線索。

As you assemble more and more of the puzzle, pieces that you were previously confused about start to become more clear.

隨著你拼出的拼圖越來越多，你以前感到困惑的部分開始變得越來越清晰。

Now, imagine a puzzle piece so vague and indiscriminate that right up until the very end of solving the puzzle, you have no idea where it's going to go.

現在，想象一下，有一塊拼圖是如此的模糊不清，直到解謎的最後一刻，你都不知道它要去哪裡。

This is essentially what persistent puzzles are.

這就是持久謎題的本質。

In this situation, the only way to figure out where that problem piece is going to go is to first solve the rest of the puzzle.

在這種情況下，要想知道那塊問題棋子的去向，唯一的辦法就是先解開謎題的其他部分。

Only once all the other pieces are in place will things finally become clear.

只有在所有其他環節都準備就緒之後，事情才會最終變得明朗。

In this way, when a given word or structure simply has no equivalent in your native language, the only way to figure out what it means is to infer from context.

這樣，當一個特定的詞或結構在您的母語中根本沒有對應的詞或結構時，唯一的辦法就是根據上下文來推斷它的意思。

Strictly speaking, this isn't only true for persistent puzzles.

嚴格來說，這不僅適用於持久性謎題。

When talking about languages that are vastly different from one another like English and Japanese, the number of words that have true one-to-one counterparts in each language is fairly small.

在談論英語和日語等差異巨大的語言時，每種語言中真正一一對應的單詞數量相當少。

Even for basic words such as table or blue, the underlying concept will have slightly different nuances and connotations in each language.

即使是 table 或 blue 這樣的基本詞彙，其基本概念在每種語言中也會有細微的差別和內涵。

And in these cases, it's only possible to grasp the true nuance of the target language counterpart through contextual inference.

而在這種情況下，只有通過上下文推理，才能掌握目標語言對應詞的真正細微差別。

What's unique in the case of persistent puzzles is that they occur when the conceptual gap between your target language and native language is so large that it becomes difficult to intuit the meaning of the word or structure in question.

持久性難題的獨特之處在於，當目標語言和母語之間的概念差距過大，以至於難以直觀地理解相關單詞或結構的含義時，難題就會出現。

In this way, persistent puzzles are the equivalent to maximally indiscriminate puzzle pieces, which don't become clear until everything else in the puzzle is already in place.

這樣一來，持久性謎題就相當於最大限度的無差別拼圖，只有在拼圖的其他部分都已就位時，謎題才會變得清晰。

This is the reason persistent puzzles are not possible to fully grasp until reaching an intermediate to advanced level.

這就是持久謎題要達到中高級水準才能完全掌握的原因。

The only way to infer what they really mean is to see them in countless contexts in which you already perfectly understand everything else except for the problematic word or component.

要想推斷出它們的真正含義，唯一的辦法就是在無數的語境中看到它們，而在這些語境中，除了有問題的詞或成分之外，你已經完全理解了其他一切。

And naturally, the only way this is possible is to already understand a majority of the language.

當然，要做到這一點，唯一的辦法就是已經能聽懂大部分語言。

So now that we understand how persistent puzzles work on a theoretical level, how do we practically apply these ideas to become better language learners?

既然我們已經從理論上理解了持久性難題的原理，那麼我們該如何實際應用這些想法，成為更好的語言學習者呢？

Well, if you're taking an immersion-based approach to learning a language, then you don't really have to do anything.

好吧，如果你採取的是沉浸式的語言學習方法，那麼你其實什麼都不用做。

As long as you keep immersing, every persistent puzzle will eventually become clear on its own.

只要你一直沉浸其中，每一個頑固的謎題最終都會自行解開。

Although the name persistent puzzle might suggest that you have to do something to solve them, in reality they solve themselves through immersion.

雖然 "持久謎題 "這個名字可能會讓人聯想到你必須做些什麼才能解開謎題，但實際上，謎題是通過沉浸式體驗自己解開的。

Once all the surrounding pieces are in place, the solution will become self-evident.

一旦周圍的一切都準備就緒，解決方案也就不言自明瞭。

And once a persistent puzzle finally clicks, it won't be long before you'll become able to use it yourself in output.

一旦一個持久性謎題最終被破解，用不了多久，您就能在輸出中使用它了。

On the other hand, until you reach the point where a persistent puzzle solves itself naturally, it simply won't be possible for you to fully grasp what it means.

另一方面，在你達到一個持久謎題自然解開的程度之前，你根本不可能完全理解它的含義。

Unfortunately, there are no magic cheat codes to let you bypass this reality.

遺憾的是，沒有神奇的作弊碼可以讓你繞過這一現實。

In fact, trying too hard to grasp the meaning of a persistent puzzle before your brain is ready can actually be counterproductive.

事實上，在大腦還沒有準備好的情況下，過於努力地去掌握一個持久謎題的含義，實際上會適得其反。

As I explained earlier, persistent puzzles simply can't be grasped through your native language.

正如我前面所解釋的，通過母語根本無法理解持久性難題。

So reading lots of English explanations can actually lead to developing a warped, English-based understanding of what the given word or structure means, which can actually get in the way of properly acquiring it.

是以，閱讀大量的英語解釋實際上會導致對特定單詞或結構的含義產生扭曲的、基於英語的理解，這實際上會妨礙正確掌握該單詞或結構。

Basically, you can end up like a blind person who thinks elephants are shaped like thick snakes.

基本上，你會像一個盲人一樣，認為大象的形狀像粗大的蛇。

Instead, it's better to simply read a single bare-bones English explanation of what the word or structure means, and after that, not make too much of an effort to understand it.

與其這樣，還不如簡單地閱讀有關單詞或結構含義的簡明英語解釋，之後就不要再花太多精力去理解它了。

Just notice it each time it comes up in your immersion, and allow your understanding to be vague and blurry.

只要注意到它每次在你的沉浸中出現，並允許你的理解模糊不清。

Remind yourself that even though the word or structure may be extremely common, that doesn't mean it's basic, and the fact that you can't fully understand it yet does not mean that you're dumb.

提醒自己，即使這個詞或結構可能非常常見，但這並不意味著它是基本的，你還不能完全理解它的意思並不意味著你很笨。

It's completely normal, and in fact inevitable.

這是完全正常的，事實上也是不可避免的。

As you continue to immerse and grow your understanding of your target language, the meaning of each persistent puzzle will gradually get clearer and clearer until you eventually have a eureka moment where it suddenly makes perfect sense.

隨著您不斷沉浸其中，加深對目標語言的理解，每道難題的含義都會逐漸變得越來越清晰，直到您最終有了一個恍然大悟的時刻，突然明白了一切。

You'll finally see where that indiscriminate puzzle piece goes, and once this happens, you'll wonder how something so obvious could have eluded you until now.

你終於會明白那塊不分青紅皁白的拼圖去了哪裡，一旦發生這種情況，你就會想，如此顯而易見的事情怎麼會讓你到現在才發現呢？

Of course, persistent puzzles aren't actually obvious.

當然，持續存在的謎題其實並不明顯。

But, like many things in life, once you finally understand them, they feel obvious in hindsight.

但是，就像生活中的許多事情一樣，一旦你最終理解了它們，事後就會覺得它們是顯而易見的。

So, to summarize, when it comes to persistent puzzles, all you have to do is be aware that they exist, tolerate ambiguity, and understand that it's not your fault you can't understand them yet.

是以，總而言之，說到持久性難題，你所要做的就是意識到它們的存在，容忍模糊性，並明白你還不能理解它們並不是你的錯。

As long as you do that, everything else will take care of itself.

只要做到這一點，其他一切都會迎刃而解。

Now, one more thing I want to point out is that persistent puzzles are a perfect example of why speaking from day one is not such a great idea.

現在，我還想指出的一點是，"持久謎題 "是一個完美的例子，說明了為什麼從第一天開始說話不是一個好主意。

Because persistent puzzles show up so commonly, it's practically impossible to avoid using them when trying to speak a language.

因為持久性難題出現得如此普遍，所以在嘗試說一種語言時，幾乎不可能避免使用它們。

And because persistent puzzles can't be fully grasped before developing a high level of comprehension, trying to use these words and structures yourself right from the start will inevitably lead to making countless mistakes and building lots of bad habits.

而且，由於在形成較高的理解能力之前無法完全掌握持久性謎題，如果一開始就試圖自己使用這些單詞和結構，勢必會導致錯誤百出，並養成許多壞習慣。

And by this point in the video, hopefully it's pretty clear that persistent puzzles are not simple enough for simply getting corrected by a native speaker to be enough to save you.

視頻講到這裡，希望大家都能清楚地認識到，持久性難題並不簡單，僅僅通過母語人士的糾正就足以拯救你。

And the last thing I'll note is what level you actually have to be at before a given persistent puzzle will click completely depends on the individual learner as well as what the specific puzzle is.

最後，我要說明的是，你必須達到什麼樣的水準，才能點擊某個持久謎題，這完全取決於學習者個人以及具體謎題的內容。

There are some puzzles that most people will acquire at around an intermediate level, whereas for other puzzles, most people will have to be at an advanced level to acquire them.

有些謎題，大多數人在中級水準左右就能掌握，而對於其他謎題，大多數人必須達到高級水準才能掌握。

Additionally, which specific puzzles people struggle with will be different from person to person.

此外，每個人都有不同的具體難題。

And on a similar note, the total number of persistent puzzles there will be will greatly depend on what your target language is.

同樣，持續性謎題的總數在很大程度上取決於您的目標語言是什麼。

If you're an English speaker learning a radically different language like Japanese, there's going to be quite a few.

如果你是一個講英語的人，在學習一門完全不同的語言，比如日語，就會有很多問題。

For closer languages like Okay, now it's time for the free gift I promised you.

對於像 "好的 "這樣比較接近的語言，現在該是我答應給你們的免費禮物的時候了。

If you skipped here, be prepared to end up worse off than you started.

如果你跳過了這裡，就要做好最後比開始更糟糕的準備。

So, the key to handling persistent puzzles is being able to tolerate ambiguity, which is probably the hardest part of learning a language through immersion.

是以，處理持久性難題的關鍵在於能夠容忍模糊性，這可能是通過沉浸式學習一門語言最難的部分。

So, in order to make this easier, I decided to make a cheat sheet for the top 5 persistent puzzles that Japanese learners struggle with the most.

是以，為了讓這一切變得更容易，我決定為日語學習者最頭疼的五大難題製作一份小抄。

Like I explained earlier, persistent puzzles often seem to have a multiplicity of different meanings on the surface, when in reality, they really only mean a single core concept that simply doesn't exist in English.

就像我之前解釋過的，持久性難題表面上看起來往往有多種不同的含義，但實際上，它們只意味著一個核心概念，而這個概念在英語中根本不存在。

Now, the only way to 100% grasp that core meaning is to actually reach a high level in the language.

現在，只有真正達到較高的語言水準，才能 100% 地掌握核心含義。

However, what I've done for you is I've distilled the core concept of each persistent puzzle into a simple 3 sentence guideline.

不過，我為你們所做的是，我把每個持久謎題的核心概念提煉成了簡單的三句話指南。

And if you just keep this guideline in mind while immersing, you'll be able to understand around 65% of the true meaning in the majority of cases.

如果你能在沉浸其中時牢記這一準則，那麼在大多數情況下，你就能理解大約 65% 的真正含義。

So, in order to get the cheat sheet, simply click the link in the description now and enter your email, so I know where to send your cheat sheet on the top 5 puzzles.

是以，要想獲得小抄，只需點擊說明中的鏈接，然後輸入您的電子郵件，這樣我就知道該把前 5 大謎題的小抄發到哪裡了。