the placebo effect,

這一陣子我

which might seem like an odd thing

對安慰劑效應感到興趣

for a magician to be interested in,

對一位魔術師而言

unless you think of it in the terms that I do,

對此感興趣似乎有點怪

which is, "Something fake

除非你和我對此事

is believed in enough by somebody

有相同看法，即「若某個人對某造假之事

that it becomes something real."

信得夠深，則該人

In other words, sugar pills

對該事會信以為真」

have a measurable effect in certain kinds of studies,

換句話說，糖丸子

the placebo effect,

在某些研究裡會產生可度量的效應

just because the person thinks

即「安慰劑效應」

that what's happening to them is a pharmaceutical

只不過因為人以為

or some sort of a --

所服用的是藥物

for pain management, for example,

或什麼的...

if they believe it enough there is a measurable effect in the body

以疼痛控制為例

called the placebo effect.

信得夠深也會對身體產生

Something fake becomes

可度量的安慰劑效應

something real

造假的東西

because of someone's perception of it.

就變成真的了

In order for us to understand each other,

只因人的感知受到了影響

I want to start by showing you a rudimentary,

為了讓我們互相了解

very simple magic trick.

我先讓各位看一個很簡單

And I'm going to show you how it works. This is a trick

粗淺的魔術手法

that's been in every children's magic book since at least the 1950s.

我來讓大家看看那是怎麼弄的

I learned it myself from Cub Scout Magic in the 1970s.

這個把戲最晚在1950年代就已出現在每一本小朋友的魔術書裡

I'll do it for you, and then I'll explain it.

我是在1970年代從《幼童軍魔術》書裡自學的

And then I'll explain why I explained it.

我先表演，然後做解釋

So, here's what happens.

然後我會解釋為什麼我做解釋

The knife, which you can examine; my hand, which you could examine.

嗯，過程是這樣的：

I'm just going to hold the knife in my fist like this.

大家可以檢查這把刀和我的手

I'll get my sleeve back.

我把袖子捲起來，再像這樣

And to make sure nothing goes up or down my sleeve

把刀子握進拳裡

I'm just going to squeeze my wrist right here.

要確定沒有東西

That way you can see that at no time

進出我的袖子，我還握住手腕這裡

can anything travel, as long as I'm squeezing there

這樣大家可以看到

nothing can go up or down my sleeve.

只要我握住這裡

And the object of this is quite simple.

就沒有東西能進出我的袖口

I'm going to open my hand,

這個戲法相當簡單

and hopefully, if all is well,

我會鬆開拳頭

my pure animal magnetism will hold the knife.

如果順利的話，可望只依靠

In fact it's held so tightly in place

我的動物磁力就能吸住這把刀

that I can shake it,

它的確牢牢黏在手上

and the knife does not come off.

即使我晃動它

Nothing goes up or down my sleeve,

刀子也不會掉掉下

no trickery. And you can examine everything.

並沒有東西進出袖口

Ta-da!

沒有作弊，大家可以徹底檢查

(Applause)

他～搭～～！

So, this is a trick that I often teach to young children

（掌聲）

that are interested in magic, because you can learn

我常拿這個把戲教導對魔術有興趣的孩子們

a great deal about deception by studying

因為儘管把戲的手法很簡單

this very -- even though it's a very simple trick methodologically.

仔細探究

Probably many of you in the room know this trick.

可以學到不少有關「欺騙」的技巧

What happens is this.

在座也許有人知道這個把戲

I hold the knife in my hand.

我是怎麼辦到的？

I say I'm going to grab hold of my wrist

我把刀拿在手上

to make sure nothing goes up or down my sleeve,

說「我要握住我的手腕

that is a lie.

確定沒有東西進出我的袖口」

The reason I'm holding onto my wrist

這是個謊言

is because that's actually the secret

我之所以握住手腕

of the illusion.

是因為這其實就是

In a moment when my hand moves from facing you

造成錯覺的秘訣

to being away from you,

就在我把拳頭從面向你們

this finger right here, my index finger is just going to shift

轉成背向你們的時候

from where it is, to a position

這邊這根食指會從這裡

pointing out like this.

移到那裡

Nice one.

像這樣指向外頭

Someone who didn't have a childhood is out there.

夠妙吧？

(Laughter)

在座可有人沒有渡過童年的？

So, it goes like this, from here, right.

（笑）

And as I move around my finger shifts.

那麼，食指從這兒移到那兒

And we could talk about why this is deceptive,

我移動時就把手指轉到那兒

why you don't notice there are only three fingers down here,

現在來談談為什麼這能用來騙人

because the mind, and the way it processes information,

為什麼大家沒注意到這下面只有三根指頭

it doesn't count, one, two, three. It groups them.

因為我們的腦袋處理資訊

But that's not really what this is about. Right? And then I open my hand up.

並非「1, 2, 3」這樣細數，而是攏在一起看的

Obviously it's clinging there, not by animal magnetism,

但真正的重點並不在此，對吧？

but by chicanery,

然後我打開拳頭，刀子顯然被按在手心，不是被生物磁吸住

my index finger being there.

我這是騙人的

And then when I close my finger, same thing,

我的食指按在這裡

as I move back, this motion

當我再握拳時，同樣地

kind of covers the moving back of my finger.

我這移回去時就是在

I take this hand away. You give the knife out.

掩飾把手指移回去的動作

There is a trick you can do for your friends and neighbors. Thanks.

我把這隻手拿開，你把刀拿走

Now, (Laughter)

這個把戲你可以表演給你的朋友或鄰居看。謝謝。

what does that have to do with the placebo effect?

那麼（笑）

I read a study a year or so ago

這跟安慰劑效應有什麼關係？

that really blew my mind wide open.

我大概一年前讀到一個研究

I'm not a doctor or a researcher, so this, to me,

讓我大大開竅

was an astonishing thing.

我不是醫生或研究者

It turns out that if you administer

所以這事兒令我大為訝異

a placebo in the form of a white pill,

研究說，如果服用的安慰劑

that's like aspirin shaped --

是白色的藥錠

it's just a round white pill -- it has some certain measurable effect.

像阿斯匹靈那種形狀

But if you change the form that you give the placebo in,

不過一顆白色的丸子就能產生某種可度量的效應

like you make a smaller pill,

但如果改變這顆安慰劑的形狀

and color it blue, and stamp a letter into it,

像是把安慰劑做得小一點

it is actually measurably more effective.

顏色改成藍色，打個字母上去

Even though neither one of these things

其可度量的效應就會變得更明顯

has any pharmaceutical -- they're sugar pills.

即使這兩種的哪一種

But a white pill is not as good as a blue pill.

都不含藥物－都是糖丸子罷了

What? (Laughter) That really flipped me out.

可是白的那顆不如藍的那顆好

Turns out though, that that's not even where it stops.

有這樣的事？（笑）這讓我抓狂了

If you have capsules,

研究還說，事情不只如此

they're more effective than tablets in any form.

用膠囊的效應比任何形狀的錠劑

A colored capsule, that's yellow on one end and red on the other

還更顯著

is better than a white capsule.

有顏色的膠囊，一端黃的一端紅的

Dosage has something to do with this.

比白色的膠囊更有效

One pill twice a day

劑量也有關係

is not as good at three pills --

一天兩顆

I don't remember the statistic now. Sorry.

不比一天三顆有效

But the point is ...

記不得統計數字了，抱歉

(Laughter) ... these dosages have something to do with it.

不過，重點是：

And the form has something to do with it.

（笑）劑量有關係

And if you want the ultimate in placebo,

形狀也有關係

you've go to the needle.

那麼要讓安慰劑效果達到極限

Right? A syringe with some inert --

你得試試針劑

a couple CCs of some inert something,

對吧？針筒裡裝某些無害的物質

and you inject this into a patient ...

大概幾毫升的無害物

Well this is such a powerful image in their mind,

注射到病患體內

it's so much stronger than the white pill.

這對病患會產生強大的意象

It's a really, this graph, well I'll show it to you

呃，比白色丸子有效多了

some other time when we have slides.

這真是！有一張圖，呃，我再秀給大家看

The point is

－有投影片的時候

the white pill is not as good as the blue pill

重點是

is not as good as the capsule is not as good as the needle.

白色丸子不如藍色丸子

And none of it has any real pharmaceutical quality,

也不如膠囊，更不如針劑...

it's only your belief that makes it real

而這些東西實際上都不含藥物

in your body and makes a stronger effect.

不過是你的信念在你的身體裡

I wanted to see if I could take that idea

讓藥效成真，還產生更強的效應

and apply it to a magic trick.

我想試試能不能把這個點子

And take something that is obviously a fake trick

用在魔術手法上

and make it seem real.

讓某個明顯是造假的把戲

And we know from that study

看起來像是真的

that when you want reality, you go to the needle.

我們從那個研究得知

This is a seven-inch hatpin. It's very, very sharp,

如果要達到真實的效果，那就用針

and I'm going to just sterilize it a tiny bit.

這是七吋長的帽針，非常非常尖銳

This is really my flesh. This is not

我先來把他稍微消毒一下

Damian's special-grown flesh.

這真的是我的肉喔！不是

That's my skin right there. This is not a Hollywood special effect.

Damian Marley那種特別的老肉

I'm going to pierce my skin

我的皮膚在這裡，不是好萊塢的特效

and run this needle through to the other side.

我要來刺穿我的皮膚

If you're queasy -- (Laughs)

還要讓針穿到另一邊

if you faint easily -- I was doing this for some friends

要是你會反胃（笑）

in the hotel room last night, and some people that I didn't know,

要是你容易暈倒－昨晚在旅館房裡

and one woman almost passed out.

表演這個給一些朋友看，有些我不認識的人

So, I suggest if you get queasy easy

結果有位女士幾乎昏倒

that you look away for about the next 30 --

所以我建議，如果你容易反胃

in fact, you know what, I'll do the first bad part behind it.

接下來30秒請看別的地方...

You'll get to see, you can look away too if you'd like to.

好吧，那我手臂朝內進行

So, here is what happens, right here,

最糟糕的部分，大家還看得見，要不然看別的地方也行

the beginning of my flesh

嗯，過程在這兒

at the lower part of my arm I just make

我從我的手臂

a little pierce.

偏下方的肉開始

I'm sorry, man. Am I freaking you out?

鑽一個小洞

OK, and then just through my skin a tiny bit,

抱歉，各位，嚇到你們了嗎？

and then out the other side like this.

然後呢，稍微刺進一點我的皮膚

Now, essentially we're in the same position we were in

然後從我的手臂另一邊刺出來

with the knife trick.

嗯，這個位置基本上和先前表演

(Laughter)

小刀魔術的位置相同

Sort of.

（笑）

But you can't count my fingers right now can you?

可以這麼說

So, let me show them to you. That's one, two

但各位現在無法數我的指頭吧？

three, four, five.

那我就讓大家看看

Yes, well...

這兒有1, 2,3, 4, 5根

I know what people think when they see this.

呃，這樣對吧...

They go, "Well, he's certainly not dumb enough

我知道看這的時候會想什麼

to stab himself through the skin to entertain us for a few minutes.

觀眾會想：「呃，這傢伙當然

So, let me give you a little peek.

不會笨到刺穿皮膚來取悅我們幾分鐘吧？」

How's that look out there? Pretty good.

所以讓你們稍稍看一下。

(Laughs)

這樣看起來怎樣？不錯吧！

Yeah, I know. (Laughs)

（笑）

And the people in the back go, "OK, I didn't really see that."

是的，我知道。（笑）

People in the satellite room are starting to move in now.

坐後面的想：「好吧！其實我沒看清楚」

Let me give you good close look at this.

隔壁小廳的現在開始進來了

That really is my skin. That is not a Hollywood special effect.

讓你們看個仔細

That's my flesh, and I can twist that around.

這真的是我的皮膚，不是好萊塢特效

I'm sorry. If you're getting queasy, look away,

這是我的肉，我可以這樣轉動長針

don't look at the thing.

抱歉，如果開始反胃了

People in the back or people on video years from now watching this

請看別的地方，不要看它

will go, "Well yeah, that looks kind of neat

坐後面的人或數年後

in some sort of effect there, but if it were real he would be --

看錄影的人會想：「是啊！看來很俐落

see there's a hole there and a hole there, if it were real he would be bleeding.

效果不錯，但如果是真的，那他...看這兒

Well let me work up some blood for you.

有個洞，那兒也有...如果是真的，那他應該會流血」

(Laughter)

好吧，我來弄點血給大家看。

Yes, there it is.

（笑）

(Applause)

是的，血在這裡！

(Laughter)

（掌聲）

Normally now, I would take the needle out.

（笑聲）

I would clean off my arm, and I would show you that there are no wounds.

通常呢，我現在會把針拿出來

But I think in this context

手臂清乾淨，讓大家看我的手臂上並沒有洞

and with the idea of taking something fake

不過現在這個情境裡，我想

and making it into something real,

為了維持「把造假的事

I'm just going to leave it there,

弄成像真的」那個想法

and walk off the stage.

我還是把針留在手臂上

(Laughter)

就這樣離開舞台

I will be seeing you several times over the next few days.

（笑）

I hope you're looking forward to that. Thank you very much.

這幾天我還會與各位相遇幾次

(Laughter)

我希望大家同樣期待能再相見。謝謝大家。

(Applause)

（笑）