First of all, I've been watching this trend

首先，我一直都在關注這個趨勢

where we have these books like such and such "For Dummies."

市面上不也有很多像是＂傻瓜也會...＂的這類書嗎？

Do you know these books, these such and such "For Dummies?"

你知道這類書嗎？教你一學就上手的指南

My daughters pointed out that I'm very similar looking, so this is a bit of a problem.

我女兒說我長得很像這書中的傻瓜，聽起來不太妙...

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

But I was looking online at Amazon.com for other books like this.

我也在亞馬遜的網站上搜尋這樣的書

You know, there's also something called the "Complete Idiot's Guide?"

你知道嗎？甚至還有＂白痴大全＂呢？

There's a sort of business model around being stupid in some sense.

似乎有些商業模式本身就蠻愚蠢的

We like to have technology make us feel bad, for some strange reason.

而不知什麼原因，我們也喜歡擁有讓自己感覺很糟的科技

But I really like that, so I wrote a book called "The Laws of Simplicity."

我也喜歡，所以我寫了一本書叫做＂簡單的法則＂

I was in Milan last week, for the Italian launch.

為了這本新書在義大利上市，上週我到米蘭

It's kind of a book about questions, questions about simplicity.

這本書提了很多問題，都是關於簡單

Very few answers. I'm also wondering myself, what is simplicity?

但是答案很少。我也常問自己，到底簡單是什麼？

Is it good? Is it bad? Is complexity better? I'm not sure.

簡單是好事？是壞事？複雜點會不會更好？我不知道

After I wrote "The Laws of Simplicity,"

但當我寫完這本＂簡單的法則＂時

I was very tired of simplicity, as you can imagine.

不難想像，我對這二個字有多厭惓

And so in my life, I've discovered that

同時，我也發現

vacation is the most important skill for any kind of over-achiever.

好好渡個假對於工作狂來說絕對是最重要的技能

Because your companies will always take away your life,

因為工作總是佔用你的生活

but they can never take away your vacation -- in theory.

但絕無法奪走你的假期....理論上來說

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So, I went to the Cape last summer to hide from simplicity,

為了躲避＂簡單＂，去年夏天我跑去鱈魚角渡假

and I went to the Gap, because I only have black pants.

得去GAP逛逛，因為我只有黑色褲子

So I went and bought khaki shorts or whatever,

想買些卡其布的衣服短褲之類的

and unfortunately, their branding was all about "Keep It Simple."

沒想到，GAP的品牌代表著"保持簡單"

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

I opened up a magazine, and Visa's branding was,

我翻開雜誌，Visa 的品牌形象是

"Business Takes Simplicity."

＂商業在於簡單＂

I develop photographs, and Kodak said, "Keep It Simple."

連去洗相片時，柯達的廣告還是＂保持簡單＂

So, I felt kind of weird that simplicity was sort of following me around.

奇怪，怎麼簡單這二個字到處都是

So, I turned on the TV, and I don't watch TV very much,

打開電視，其實我不常看電視的

but you know this person? This is Paris Hilton, apparently.

這個人Paris Hilton，顯然你們都知道她

And she has this show, "The Simple Life."

她主持＂簡單生活＂這個節目

So I watched this. It's not very simple, a little bit confusing.

我看了，嗯，內容不太簡單，好像還有點複雜

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So, I looked for a different show to watch.

所以我想看其他節目

So, I opened up this TV Guide thing,

打開電視節目指南

and on the E! channel, this "Simple Life" show is very popular.

啊，是E!頻道！看來＂簡單生活＂很紅呢

They'll play it over, and over, and over.

所以E!頻道不斷重播

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So it was traumatizing, actually.

總之，真是種精神折磨

So, I wanted to escape again, so I went out to my car.

所以我決定再度逃走，開了車

And Cape Cod, there are idyllic roads, and all of us can drive in this room.

到了鱈魚角，那有田園詩般的美麗道路，所有人都能在這環境中享受開車樂趣

And when you drive, these signs are very important.

當然，開車時交通標誌很重要的

It's a very simple sign, it says, "road" and "road approaching."

簡單的標誌，只寫著＂道路＂及＂分叉路＂

So I'm mostly driving along, okay, and then I saw this sign.

大部份時間我延著路一直開，都沒什麼問題，直到看到這個

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So, I thought complexity was attacking me suddenly,

我想複雜是不是突然間開始襲擊我？

so I thought, "Ah, simplicity. Very important."

我又想：嗯！簡單...原來真的很重要

But then I thought, "Oh, simplicity. What would that be like on a beach?

我又想：簡單，在海攤上又會是什麼樣呢

What if the sky was 41 percent gray? Wouldn't that be the perfect sky?"

41%的灰色天空，會不會更美好呢？

I mean that simplicity sky.

我是說簡單一點的天空

But in reality, the sky looked like this. It was a beautiful, complex sky.

但事實上，天空是長這樣的，很美，也很複雜

You know, with the pinks and blues. We can't help but love complexity.

你看，粉紅色和藍色混合著，怎麼可能不愛呢?

We're human beings: we love complex things.

我們是人，人都愛複雜的東西

We love relationships -- very complex. So we love this kind of stuff.

我們喜歡搞關係，搞複雜，我們就是熱愛這種複雜事物

I'm at this place called the Media Lab.

這是＂媒體實驗室＂，我工作的地方

Maybe some of you guys have heard of this place.

也許有些人聽過

It's designed by I. M. Pei, one of the premier modernist architects.

貝聿銘設計的，一個頂尖的現代主義建築師

Modernism means white box, and it's a perfect white box.

現代主義指的是這白色箱子，一個完美的白色箱子

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

And some of you guys are entrepreneurs, etc., whatever.

你們之中，也許有些人是創業家，企業家之類的

Last month, I was at Google, and, boy, that cafeteria, man.

上個月我在Google，天啊！那咖啡廳真棒！

You guys have things here in Silicon Valley like stock options.

在矽谷，科技界有＂股票選擇權＂

See, in academia, we get titles, lots of titles.

而在學術界，我們則有頭銜，很多很多的頭銜

Last year at TED, these were all my titles. I had a lot of titles.

這是去年在TED論壇上，這些都是我的頭銜，多得數不完的頭銜

I have a default title as a father of a bunch of daughters.

還有個不在枱面上的，一堆女兒的父親

This year at TED, I'm happy to report that I have new titles,

今年同樣在這論壇上，我很高興告訴大家，我又有新的頭銜

in addition to my previous titles.

除了已有的頭銜外

Another "Associate Director of Research."

還有一個是研究室主任

And this also happened, so I have five daughters now.

這個也是新加的，所以我有五個女兒囉

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

That's my baby Reina. (Applause) Thank you.

我的女兒Reina，謝謝

And so, my life is much more complex because of the baby, actually,

事實上我的生活因為她而變得更加複雜

but that's okay. We will still stay married, I think.

但是沒關係，我們會繼續維持婚姻關係的，我想會的

But looking way back, when I was a child --

不過，回想我小時候

you see, I grew up in a tofu factory in Seattle.

我在西雅圖一個豆腐工廠長大

Many of you may not like tofu because you haven't had good tofu,

你們很多人可能不喜歡豆腐，那是因為你們沒吃過真正好吃的豆腐

but tofu's a good food. It's a very simple kind of food.

豆腐真的很棒，它是一種簡單的食物

It's very hard work to make tofu.

但製作豆腐的過程卻非常辛苦

As a child, we used to wake up at 1 a.m. and work till 6 p.m., six days a week.

小時候，我們通常從早上1點工作到晚上6點，一週工作六天

My father was kind of like Andy Grove, paranoid of the competition.

我父親是像Andy Grove 一樣，不喜歡認輸

So often, seven days a week. Family business equals child labor.

所以經常，一週工作七天，家族企業其實都是童工

We were a great model. So, I loved going to school.

我們樹立一個良好典範。我也愛上學

School was great, and maybe going to school

學校生活很棒，也許上學

helped me get to this Media Lab place, I'm not sure.

才讓我有機會到媒體實驗室這樣的地方，我不知道

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Thank you.

謝謝

But the Media Lab is an interesting place, and it's important to me

媒體實驗室是個有趣的地方，對我來說很重要

because as a student, I was a computer science undergrad,

大學時，我主修資訊電腦

and I discovered design later on in my life.

之後，才開始接觸設計

And there was this person, Muriel Cooper.

這個人Muriel Cooper

Who knows Muriel Cooper? Muriel Cooper?

有誰聽過她嗎？Muriel Cooper?

Wasn't she amazing? Muriel Cooper. She was wacky.

她很令人驚訝吧，Muriel Cooper，也是個怪胎

And she was a TEDster, exactly, and she showed us,

她還是個TED人，事實上，她告訴我們

she showed the world how to make the computer beautiful again.

我們所有人，電腦也可以很美的

And she's very important in my life,

同時，她也是我生命中很重要的人

because she's the one that told me to leave MIT and go to art school.

因為就是她勸我離開MIT，去唸藝術學校的

It was the best advice I ever got. So I went to art school, because of her.

這是我聽過最好的建議，我會去唸藝術學校，是因為她

She passed away in 1994,

1994年她過世了

and I was hired back to MIT to try to fill her shoes, but it's so hard.

之後，MIT聘請我回去接替她的位子，但這位子實在太難坐了

This amazing person, Muriel Cooper.

就是這個了不起的人，Muriel Cooper

When I was in Japan -- I went to an art school in Japan --

當我在日本時，我去那的一間藝術學校

I had a nice sort of situation, because somehow I was connected to Paul Rand.

那是個很棒的經歷，因為和Paul Rand有點關係

Some of you guys know Paul Rand,

你們有些人可能知道他

the greatest graphic designer -- I'm sorry -- out there.

最棒的平面設計師，抱歉，我是說除了你們之外

The great graphic designer Paul Rand

最棒的平面設計師Paul Rand

designed the IBM logo, the Westinghouse logo.

IBM, 西屋的商標都是他的傑作

He basically said, "I've designed everything."

基本上他說過＂我可以設計任何東西＂

And also Ikko Tanaka was a very important mentor in my life --

Ikko Tanaka是我人生中一個很重要的導師

the Paul Rand of Japan. He designed most of the major icons of Japan,

他被稱為日本的Paul Rand。日本企業有名的商標都出自他手

like Issey Miyake's brand and also Muji.

像是三宅一生，還有無印良品

When you have mentors -- and yesterday,

當你生命中出現導師，昨天

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talked about mentors,

Kareen Abdul-Jabbar 談論到導師

these people in your life -- the problem with mentors is that they all die.

這些人曾出現在你的生命中，問題是現在他們都不在了

This is a sad thing, but it's actually a happy thing in a way,

這當然令人傷心，但某些方面也是好事

because you can remember them in their pure form.

因為你總是記得他們最好的一面

I think that the mentors that we all meet sort of humanize us.

他們總能在某方面教化我們

When you get older, and you're all freaked out, whatever,

當你年歲漸長，當你不知所措時

the mentors calm us down.

他們讓我們的心平靜下來

And I'm grateful for my mentors, and I'm sure all of you are too.

我很感謝這些曾出現在我生命中的導師，我相信你們也是

Because the human thing is very hard when you're at MIT.

因為＂人際關係＂在MIT裡是很難經營的

The T doesn't stand for "human," it stands for "technology."

"T"代表的是＂科技＂，不是＂人＂

And because of that, I always wondered about this human thing.

也因為如此，我總是對人有關的事物感到好奇

So, I've always been Googling this word, "human,"

所以我在網路上Google ＂人＂

to find out how many hits I get.

想知道我能找到多少答案

And in 2001, I had 26 million hits, and for "computer,"

2001年我Google到2600萬筆，至於＂電腦＂

because computers are against humans a bit,

電腦某種程度似乎和人類是相對的

I have 42 million hits. Let me do an Al Gore here.

我Google 到4200萬筆。讓我當一下高爾吧！

So, if you sort of compare that, like this,

如果做個比較，像這樣

you'll see that computer versus human --

你會發現＂電腦＂對＂人類＂

I've been tracking this for the last year --

過去一年來我一直在追踪這個數據

computer versus human over the last year has changed.

＂電腦＂對＂人類＂的比例在過去一年中發生了變化

It used to be kind of two to one. Now, humans are catching up.

以前大約是２比１吧！現在＂人類＂的數字增加了

Very good, us humans! We're catching up with the computers.

太好了，我們人類，迎頭趕上電腦囉

In the simplicity realm, it's also interesting.

在簡單的領域中，蠻有趣的

So if you compare complexities to simplicity,

如果比較＂複雜＂對＂簡單＂

it's also catching up in a way, too.

你會發現簡單也以同樣方式追上來

So, somehow humans and simplicity are intertwined, I think.

因此，不知不覺中，人類和簡單是交織在一起的

I have a confession: I'm not a man of simplicity.

我要坦白一件事，我並非一個簡單的人

I spent my entire early career making complex stuff.

早期的職業生涯我都在做複雜的事

Lots of complex stuff.

很多複雜的事

I wrote computer programs to make complex graphics like this.

我寫的電腦程式形成這樣複雜的圖形

I had clients in Japan to make really complex stuff like this.

日本有個客戶要我做出像這樣複雜的東西

And I've always felt bad about it, in a sense.

對這一切，我常覺得很糟

So, I hid in a time dimension.

所以我將這些藏在時間維度裡

I built things in a time-graphics dimension.

創造了一些具有時間維度的圖形

I did this series of calendars for Shiseido.

這是我為資生堂設計的日曆

This is a floral theme calendar in 1997,

這是97年以花為主題的日曆

and this is a firework calendar. So, you launch the number into space,

這是煙火日曆，你看數字在空中發射

because the Japanese believe that when you see fireworks,

日本人相信當你看見煙火時

you're cooler for some reason.

基於某些原因你會變得冷靜

This is why they have fireworks in the summer.

也就是為什麼他們會在夏天放煙火

A very extreme culture.

一個相當特別的文化

Lastly, this is a fall-based calendar,

最後一個，以秋天為背景的日曆

because I have so many leaves in my yard.

因為我的院子裡有太多的落葉

So this is the leaves in my yard, essentially.

所以這些基本上都是我院子裡的落葉

And so I made a lot of these types of things.

我也做了很多這類型的設計

I've been lucky to have been there before people made these kind of things,

很幸運地，我有這些經驗

and so I made all this kind of stuff that messes with your eyes.

只是這些令人眼花撩亂的東西

I feel kind of bad about that.

讓我感覺不是很好