In this video, I'm going to share with you a technique that you can use to remember English vocabulary.

在這部影片中，我要跟大家分享一個背英文單字的技巧。

And the reason that I recommend this technique is that it's pretty effective.

我想推薦這個技巧是因為它真的很有效。

I actually did a small experiment.

事實上，我做了一個小實驗。

I created two lists of words that I didn't know, and I just tried to memorize the words in each list.

我做了兩張單字表，然後試著全部背起來。

I did not use any technique to memorize the first list.

我沒有用任何技巧來背第一張單字表

It was just pure repetition.

只是單純複誦。

But for the second list, I used the technique that you're about to learn.

第二張單字表就使用了你接下來要學的記憶技巧。

The next day I tried to recall the meanings of the words in both lists.

隔天，我試著回想這兩張單字表上面每個單字的意思。

For the first list, I was able to recall only 12 percent.

第一張單字表我只能記得大約 12% 的單字。

But for the second list, I recalled as much as 50 percent.

但是第二張表我卻可以記得 50% 的單字。

This is pretty impressive, considering the fact that I spent only one minute memorizing each word.

這真的蠻了不起的，尤其是我只花了一分鐘去背每個單字。

So let me explain the technique and at the end of this video, I will give you a link to an exercise that you can do to practice this technique.

所以，我現在要來解釋如何使用這個技巧，在影片的最後我會給你們一個連結，讓你多練習使用這個技巧。

So, let's say we want to remember the word "adroit," which means "clever or skillful at something, really good at something".

假設我們要背 adroit 這個字，意思是「熟練或是對某事很在行」。

The first thing we need to do is to come up with another word that sounds similar to this word.

首先，我們必須先想一個跟這個單字唸起來音很像的另一個字。

And that word must refer to something that we can visualize—something that we can see in our mind.

這個字必須代表某個我們可以視覺化的東西—我們可以在腦海裡想像出來的東西。

So, for this word, the substitute word could be the word "android," which means "a robot," right?

舉例來說，我們可以用 android 這個字來代替，意思是「機器人」。

Adroit and android sound pretty close to each other.

Adroit 和 android 發音聽起來很類似。

We could also use the phrase "a drawing."

或者，也可以用 drawing 這個字。

That sounds similar as well.

它們的發音也很像。

Adroit.

Adroit。

A drawing.

A drawing。

Now, what these words have in common is that they refer to something that we can visualize.

這些字的共同點在於，它們都可以被視覺化。

And this is a very important point, and you're going to find out why soon.

這點非常重要，你馬上就會知道原因。

So, we have two options here, but let's use the word "android" as the substitute word.

所以現在我們有兩個選擇，但我們來用 android 這個字。

Now visualize an android—you know, a robot that looks like a human.

現在來想像一個機器人...你知道的，一個跟人很像的機器人。

Next, we have to associate this image to the meaning of the word that we want to remember.

接著，把這個圖像跟我們想背的單字連結在一起。

And again, the meaning is "skillful at something."

再說一次，這個字的意思是「對某事很在行」。

That's the meaning.

這是這單字的意思。

So, perhaps we can imagine the android doing something that requires a lot of skill.

所以，或許我們可以想像一個機器人要做某件很技巧性的事情。

Maybe we can imagine the android playing the guitar on stage.

例如：機器人在台上彈奏吉他。

Maybe there's a competition going on, and we can imagine other guitarists come up on stage and try to compete with the android.

也許是場吉他比賽，還有其它選手要同台競逐要和機器人一較高下。

But everybody loses because the android is very good at playing the guitar.

但是所有人都輸了，因為機器人真的非常會彈吉他。

The android is adroit at playing the guitar.

機器人很擅長彈吉他。

So, what we're doing here is associate (associating) the pronunciation with the meaning through an image or a story.

想辦法把發音跟單字的意思用一個畫面或是一個故事來連結。

We're creating an association between them.

創造兩者之間的關聯性。

So, when you come across this word again, the pronunciation will remind you of the association, and therefore the meaning of the word.

所以當你再遇到這個字的時候，發音會讓你想起一開始的那個聯想，所以你就會想起單字的意思。

Let's take a look at one more example.

讓我們再看一個例子。

Suppose we want to memorize the word, "lambaste," which means "to criticize someone or something harshly."

假設我們要背 lambaste 這個單字，意思是「嚴厲地批評某人或某事」。

For the first syllable "lam," we can use "lamb," the animal, or "lamp," the thing that generates light, as the substitute word.

第一個音節 lam，我們可以用 lamb (小羊)，或是 lamp (燈)，作為替代單字。

For the second syllable "baste," we can use "bass," the musical instrument, and I also happen to have a friend named "Bass."

第二個音節 baste，我們可以用 bass (一種樂器)，而且我剛好有個朋友的名字是 Bass。

So personally, I can use his name as the substitute word as well.

所以，我也可以用那個朋友的名字當作替代的字。

But let's use "lamb" the animal and "bass" the musical instrument together.

我們先用 lamb 和 bass 作為替代單字。

So we can imagine a lamb playing the bass.

試著想像一隻正在彈奏貝斯的小羊。

But unfortunately, the lamb is really terrible at playing the bass.

而這隻小羊彈貝斯彈得很糟。

So the bass gets angry and starts criticizing the lamb.

所以，這把貝斯大發雷霆，並開始罵這隻小羊。

The bass is lambasting the lamb.

這把貝斯正嚴厲地批評小羊。

Okay, that's it!

沒錯，就是這樣。

I hope you find this video useful.

我希望你看完這部影片後有所收穫。

And I have an exercise for you if you want to practice this technique.

我另外準備了些練習題讓你熟練這個記憶技巧。

Just click here to go to the exercise.

你可以點擊這裡進入練習。

Now, unfortunately, this technique doesn't work if you don't know the pronunciation of the word that you want to remember.

不過很不幸地，如果你不知道單字的發音，你就無法使用這個技巧。

So if that is the case, you need to use another method, which is beyond the scope of this video.

在這個情況下，你需要的是另外一種方法，但那就脫離這部影片的主題了。

If you want to learn about it, click here to go read about it.

如果想要知道，你可以點擊這裡來了解。