Name: 語言讓人類進化？為什麼只有我們能開口說話？ (Why are humans the only species that can talk? - BBC World Service)
Uploaded: 2025-10-14T21:01:20.000Z
Duration: 5 min 18 s

This tiny bone at the top of your neck could be key to understanding why we speak.

脖子頂端這個小小的骨頭，可能是理解我們為什麼會說話的關鍵。

It's called the hyoid bone and supports the tongue and larynx.

它叫做舌骨，支撐著舌頭和喉頭。

基礎被動語態

This bone is found across the animal kingdom,

allowing species like this howler monkey to make sounds.

讓吼猴這類的物種能發出聲音。

But in humans, it's shaped in a unique way,

但在人類身上，它的形狀很獨特，

From analyzing fossils, we are able to say that at least 135,000 years ago,

從化石分析，我們可以說，至少在十三萬五千年前，

linguistic capacity was present in humans.

Studying ancient DNA has also given scientists clues to our speech.

研究古DNA也給了科學家關於我們語言的線索。

The FOXP2 gene is linked to the evolution of language

and is found in early modern humans and their predecessors, the Neanderthals.

在早期現代人類和他們的祖先尼安德塔人身上都發現了。

It's found in a wide range of vertebrates, including primates, birds, and even fish.

在各種脊椎動物身上都找得到，包括靈長類、鳥類，甚至魚類。

Humans seem to have a specific mutation of the FOXP2 gene,

人類似乎有FOXP2基因的特定突變，

which controls communication centers in the brain.

這個突變控制著大腦的溝通中樞。

We have a very specific combination of anatomy and cognition

我們擁有一種非常獨特的解剖結構和認知的組合，

that doesn't occur anywhere else in the animal kingdom.

And this seems to be the reason why human language is so sophisticated.

這似乎是人類語言如此精緻的原因。

But why did we start talking in the first place?

但我們一開始為什麼要說話呢？

Linguistic experts have several origin theories.

We can't go back in time to prove any of the theories about language origins,

我們無法回到過去來證明任何關於語言起源的理論，

and there are a lot of them, but we can make some pretty educated guesses.

而且有很多理論，但我們可以做出一些相當有根據的猜測。

One theory is that we started communicating with gestures first,

一種理論是我們一開始是用手勢溝通，

while another is that cognitive skills required to make tools

另一種理論是製造工具所需的認知技能

also helped us shape thoughts into sentences.

也幫助我們將想法轉化為句子。

it's why we talk, to keep us together and to share common ideas.

我們說話是為了讓我們團結在一起，分享共同的想法。

Some experts believe speech evolved as a way to maintain bonds in large social groups,

有些專家認為語言是為了在大型社會群體中維持聯繫而演化出來的，

beginning with grooming and evolving into gossiping.

從梳理開始，然後演變成閒聊。

Another theory was coined by the famous linguist Noam Chomsky,

另一種理論是由著名的語言學家 Noam Chomsky 提出的，

who argued that humans are born with an innate capacity for language hardwired into their brain.

他認為人類天生就具備一種硬體連接到大腦的語言天生能力。

The truth is probably some combination of all of these.

事實上，很可能是這些理論的綜合。

We were gossiping, we were developing tool use, and our brains were getting bigger over.

我們在閒聊，我們在發展工具使用，而我們的大腦也隨之變得更大。

Ancient works of art and tools give us clues about complex human behavior and language

古代藝術品和工具能提供我們關於複雜人類行為和語言的線索，

When you look at these artifacts, they can be interpreted as markers of identity,

當你看到這些人造物品時，它們可以被詮釋為身份的標記，

ways of telling people, who are your family?

用來告訴別人，你的家人是誰？

Pretty much like wearing an arsenal shirt today.

這就像今天穿著一件 Arsenal 的球衣一樣。

As communities grew larger, we had more need to identify ourselves.

隨著社群規模的擴大，我們更需要辨識彼此。

And this could help us figure out what the first word was.

這或許能幫助我們找出第一個詞是什麼。

Some researchers have found that whales seem to use song to sing unique identifying names for themselves.

有些研究人員發現，鯨魚似乎會利用歌聲來唱出獨特的辨識名字給自己。

So it's possible that the first words in human language did something similar.

所以，人類語言的第一批詞彙，可能也做了類似的事情。

They might have been a way to name ourselves.

它們或許是我們用來稱呼自己的方式。

Some experts believe a Very early language emerged with the first humans in East Africa.

有些專家認為，最早的語言出現在東非的第一批人類之中。

Some languages in Africa, they have cliques,

非洲的一些語言，有著「小團體」的說法，

which is something that you don't hear in other languages.

這是你在其他語言中聽不到的。

So some hypotheses will say that these cliques, they might have been right there in the earliest languages.

所以有些假設會說，這些「小團體」可能就存在於最早的語言裡。

As humans dispersed across the globe, variation in language grew.

隨著人類散佈到全球各地，語言的變異也隨之增加。

And there are over 7,000 languages spoken worldwide today.

而如今全世界有超過 7,000 種語言在使用。

While not the earliest spoken languages, the oldest written ones include Sumerian, Egyptian and Akkadian.

雖然不是最早口說的語言，但現存最古老的書寫語言包括蘇美人語、埃及語和阿卡德語。

The oldest language still in use today is believed to be Tamil,

今天仍在使用的最古老語言，據信是泰米爾語，

spoken in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore.

在印度、斯里蘭卡、馬來西亞、新加坡等地使用，

And how we communicate continues to evolve.

而我們的溝通方式也持續演變。

As society became more complex, it's likely that language evolved along with it.

隨著社會變得越來越複雜，語言很可能也隨之演進。

but what was really important was the way we interacted socially,

但是真正重要的是我們如何進行社交互動，

like coming of age rituals and fashion and even table manners.

像是成年的儀式、時尚，甚至是餐桌禮儀。

And our complex language is a completely unique part of being human.

而我們複雜的語言，是身為人類非常獨特的一部分。

Language allows us to tell stories and to dream and to fantasize.

語言讓我們能夠說故事，也能夠做夢和幻想。

It allows us to time travel and talk about possible futures.

它讓我們能夠穿越時空，談論未來各種可能性。

語言的變化速度比以往任何時候都快，

with new slang, emojis and terms emerging with every generation.

每一代人都在不斷湧現新的俚語、表情符號和術語。

But the reason we communicate hasn't changed to connect, share, and be understood.

但我們溝通的原因並沒有改變，那就是為了連結、分享和被理解。