Name: 語言相對論語言如何塑造思想 (Linguistic Relativity: How Language Shapes Thought)
Uploaded: 2025-07-20T18:55:33.000Z
Duration: 6 min 35 s

程度副詞

Linguistic relativity theory suggests that the languages we pick up and use influence how we see the world, the perception of our surroundings, our sense of time, our memories, our behavior, and even our sense of self.

語言相對論認為，我們掌握和使用的語言會影響我們看待世界的方式、對周圍環境的感知、時間感、記憶、行為，甚至自我意識。

Each language has different words that describe the things around us, and these differences change the way we perceive these things.

每種語言都有不同的詞彙來描述我們周圍的事物，這些差異改變了我們感知這些事物的方式。

For example, an Italian might see objects as male or female, while an English speaker won't, a phenomenon that extends to the perception of space.

例如，意大利人可能會把物體看成男性或女性，而說英語的人則不會，這種現象還延伸到對空間的感知上。

The Cooktaior, an aboriginal tribe, does not use left or right in their language.

庫克泰爾人是一個原住民部落，他們的語言中沒有左右之分。

Instead, they rely on cardinal directions, north, east, south, and west.

相反，他們依靠的是東、西、南、北四個基本方向。

They might say, pass me the salt on the southwest of the pepper.

他們可能會說，把胡椒粉西南面的鹽遞給我。

It's probably no coincidence that they have supernatural navigational skills.

他們擁有超自然的導航技能可能並非巧合。

Because languages are written in different directions, people who write left to right will perceive the sequence of events accordingly.

由於語言的書寫方向不同，從左到右書寫的人會相應地感知事件的順序。

Speakers of Arabic and Hebrew might do so the other way around.

講阿拉伯語和希伯來語的人可能會反過來這樣做。

In the Emil language in Papua New Guinea, there are three forms of past tense, today's past tense, yesterday's, and remote past tense.

在巴巴新幾內亞的埃米爾語中，過去時有三種形式：今天過去時、昨天過去時和遠古過去時。

To use the correct verb, speakers need to pay close attention to when something has happened, and hence may perceive the past in greater detail.

為了使用正確的動詞，說話者需要密切關注事情發生的時間，是以可能會更詳細地感知過去。

In English, if a child breaks a vase accidentally, we may say, he broke the vase, putting the responsibility on the kid.

在英語中，如果孩子不小心打碎了花瓶，我們可以說 "他打碎了花瓶"，把責任推給孩子。

In Spanish, people would say, el jarón se rompió, or the vase broke, giving more credit to the environment, a small difference with big consequences.

在西班牙語中，人們會說 "el jarón se rompió "或 "花瓶打碎了"，把更多的功勞歸功於環境，一個小小的差異卻帶來了巨大的影響。

Studies show that speakers of languages like Spanish that tend to consider these kind of events accidental are less likely to recall the people involved.

研究表明，講西班牙語等傾向於將此類事件視為偶然事件的語言的人，不太可能回憶起相關的人。

In languages that emphasize an intention, the actors are remembered more clearly.

在強調意圖的語言中，演員的記憶會更加清晰。

And if things end up in court, the accused is more likely to be found guilty if the language used during the trial is active, like English.

如果事情最終鬧上法庭，如果審判時使用的語言是英語等活躍語言，被告被判定有罪的可能性會更大。

Languages are often associated with culture and with the context in which it was learned.

語言通常與文化和學習語言的環境相關聯。

As a result, those who speak various languages access different parts of themselves.

是以，講各種語言的人可以接觸到自身的不同部分。

One study on Spanish-English bilinguals showed that people exhibit different personality traits when switching their language.

一項針對西班牙語和英語雙語者的研究表明，人們在轉換語言時會表現出不同的個性特徵。

When speaking English, subjects were more agreeable, but when they switched to Spanish, they were more neurotic.

說英語時，受試者更容易接受，但當他們換成西班牙語時，他們就更神經質了。

The words we speak also influence how we feel about ourselves.

我們所說的話也會影響我們對自己的感覺。

Self-affirming language, for example, activates brain areas linked to reward and self-perception and can increase our confidence, an effect that extends to how we perceive pain.

例如，自我肯定的語言會激活與獎勵和自我感知有關的腦區，並能增強我們的信心，這種效果會延伸到我們如何感知疼痛。

Bilinguals report greater levels of pain when they speak the language to which they relate the most.

雙語者在說與自己關係最密切的語言時，其痛苦程度更大。

If one language represents a bigger part of their identity, they also perceive the sensations inside their body with greater intensity.

如果一種語言在他們的身份中佔了更大的比重，他們也會更強烈地感受到身體內部的感覺。

With about 7,000 languages all around us, nobody knows exactly how they affect our minds, but they certainly frame our thoughts and influence the way we look at the world.

我們周圍有大約 7000 種語言，沒有人確切知道它們是如何影響我們的思想的，但它們肯定會構建我們的思想，影響我們看待世界的方式。

In Thai, for example, the word for heart, jai, is woven into their language to describe a variety of human traits.

例如，在泰語中，"心"（jai）這個詞被編織在他們的語言中，用來描述人類的各種特徵。

Someone friendly is jai di, literally a good heart.

友好的人是 jai di，字面意思是心地善良。

Someone that's patient is jai yen, a cool heart.

有耐心的人就是海燕，一顆冷靜的心。

And someone generous is jai guang, a big heart.

As Benjamin Lee Whorf, the linguist behind the theory, wrote, language is not merely a reproducing instrument for voicing ideas, but rather is itself the shaper of ideas, the program and guide for the individual's mental activity.

正如該理論背後的語言學家本傑明-李-沃爾夫（Benjamin Lee Whorf）所寫的那樣，語言不僅僅是表達思想的複製工具，它本身就是思想的塑造者，是個人心理活動的程序和指南。

So if you ever learn a new language, remember, you're not just learning new words, you're opening your mind to a new way of seeing and interacting with the world.

是以，如果你要學習一門新語言，請記住，你不僅僅是在學習新單詞，你更是在打開心智，以一種全新的方式看待世界，與世界互動。

And if so, do you feel like your behavior changes when you switch between them?

如果是這樣，您是否感覺自己的行為在它們之間切換時發生了變化？

Tell us your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

請在下面的評論中告訴我們您的想法和經驗。

This video was brought to you by WiseOne.io.

WiseOne is an all-in-one browser extension that offers a new way of reading and exploring information online.

WiseOne 是一個多功能瀏覽器擴展，提供了一種閱讀和探索在線資訊的新方式。

Focus helps you understand complex concepts and words.

集中注意力有助於理解複雜的概念和單詞。

Crosscheck helps you access factual and reliable sources reporting on the same subject to get diverse perspectives.

Crosscheck 可幫助您訪問對同一主題進行報道的真實可靠的來源，從而獲得不同的觀點。

Ask Anything simplifies complex information into understandable and sourced answers from the web.

Ask Anything 可將複雜的資訊簡化為易於理解和來源於網絡的答案。

Summarize helps you read more efficiently without losing information by providing key takeaways to remember.

通過提供需要記住的關鍵要點，"摘要 "可幫助您更高效地閱讀，而不會丟失資訊。

And Explore provides articles and videos from diverse sources to deepen your understanding of a topic.

此外，"探索 "還提供不同來源的文章和視頻，以加深對某個主題的理解。

WiseOne is free and available in different languages and also works on PDFs.

WiseOne 是免費的，有不同的語言版本，也適用於 PDF 文件。

All of this makes WiseOne an excellent tool for learning new things, developing your critical thinking and getting answers to your most complex questions.

所有這些使 WiseOne 成為學習新知識、培養批判性思維和解答最複雜問題的絕佳工具。

To install WiseOne, visit wiseone.io, click the Add on Chrome button and install the extension.

要安裝 WiseOne，請訪問 wiseone.io，點擊 "添加到 Chrome 瀏覽器 "按鈕並安裝擴展。

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如果您覺得這對您有幫助，請查看我們的其他視頻並訂閱。

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如果您想支持我們的工作，請登錄 patreon.com slash sprouts 加入我們。

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欲瞭解更多資訊和其他內容，請訪問 sproutschools.com