It's time to start designing for our ears.

是時候開始為我們的耳朵而設計了(聽覺)。

Architects and designers tend to focus

建築師與設計師們似乎有個趨勢

exclusively on these.

都專注設計給這個 - (眼睛，視覺)。

They use these to design with and they design for them,

他們以視覺為考量去設計出一些只著重視覺觀感的設計，

which is why we end up sitting in restaurants that look

這也是為什麼餐廳看起來像這樣

like this — (loud crowd noise) — and sound like this,

但聽起來卻是這樣(吵雜聲)，

shouting from a foot away to try and be heard

必須大聲說話，試圖讓距離一尺外

by our dinner companion,

共進晚餐的朋友聽見，

or why we get on airplanes -- (flight attendant announcements) -- which cost 200 million pounds,

又或者為什麼在造價 2 億的飛機上 (空服員廣播聲)

with somebody talking through an old-fashioned telephone handset

卻聽到這樣經由老式話筒接收

on a cheap stereo system,

再由廉價的立體聲系統傳出的廣播，

making us jump out of our skins.

十分令人感到不舒服。

We're designing environments that make us crazy. (Laughter)

我們正設計些會讓我們發瘋的環境。 (笑聲)

And it's not just our quality of life which suffers.

這不只是降低我們的生活品質。

It's our health,

我們的健康，

our social behavior, and our productivity as well.

我們的社會行為以及我們的生產力都會受到影響。

How does this work? Well, two ways.

這是為什麼呢? 原因可分為兩方面。

First of all, ambience. I have a whole TEDTalk about this.

首先，週遭環境。 這部份在我另一個 TED 演講中有較完整的說明。

Sound affects us physiologically, psychologically,

聲音無時無刻都影響著我們的生理、心理、

cognitively and behaviorally all the time.

我們的認知以及我們的行為。

The sound around us is affecting us

即使我們沒有意識到，

even though we're not conscious of it.

我們周圍的聲音還是影響著我們。

There's a second way though, as well.

再來就是第二方面 - 干擾。

That's interference. Communication requires sending

溝通必須有傳送以及接收，

and receiving, and I have another whole TEDTalk

這我也在另一個 TED 演講中講到

about the importance of conscious listening,

有意識的聆聽的重要性，

but I can send as well as I like,

但即使我可以好好把訊息傳遞出去

and you can be brilliant conscious listeners.

而你也做為一個很好的有意識的聆聽者，

If the space I'm sending it in is not effective,

只要我們所處的空間環境不理想

that communication can't happen.

就無法有效地溝通。

Spaces tend to include noise and acoustics.

空間包括噪音以及音響效果。

A room like this has acoustics, this one very good acoustics.

像這個場地有很好的音響效果。

Many rooms are not so good.

很多其他場地的音響效果就沒這麼好了。

Let me give you some examples from a couple of areas

讓我舉幾個例子來說 --

which I think we all care about: health and education.

我想這是大家都關心的領域：健康和教育。

(Hospital noises) When I was visiting my terminally ill father

(醫院的噪音) 當我到醫院探望我病危的父親時

in a hospital, I was asking myself,

我問了自己一個問題 --

how does anybody get well in a place that sounds like this?

人們怎麼能在這樣的環境中康復呢?

Hospital sound is getting worse all the time.

醫院的噪音愈來愈嚴重。

Noise levels in hospitals have doubled

在過去幾年醫院的噪音程度翻了一倍，

in the last few years, and it affects not just the patients

這不只是影響病人，

but also the people working there.

也影響到在醫院工作的人。

I think we would like for dispensing errors to be zero,

我們都希望配藥出錯率為零

wouldn't we? And yet, as noise levels go up, so do

不是嗎? 然而隨著噪音程度的上升，

the errors in dispensing made by the staff in hospitals.

醫院員工的配藥出錯率也會上升。

Most of all, though, it affects the patients,

首當其衝的還是病人，

and that could be you, it could be me.

而這可能會是你也可能會是我。

Sleep is absolutely crucial for recovery.

睡眠是康復過程中最重要的一環。

It's when we regenerate, when we rebuild ourselves,

是我們再生、自我復原的時候，

and with threatening noise like this going on,

然而在這種吵雜的環境下

your body, even if you are able to sleep, your body

就算你可以睡得著，你的身體也會告訴你

is telling you, "I'm under threat. This is dangerous."

「我正受到威脅、這裡是危險的。」

And the quality of sleep is degraded, and so is our recovery.

於是睡眠的品質下降了，康復的速度也下降了。

There are just huge benefits to come

以聽覺的角度進行設計

from designing for the ears in our health care.

只會為我們的醫療保健帶來極大的益處。

This is an area I intend to take on this year.

這是我今年打算涉及的領域：

Education.

教育。

When I see a classroom that looks like this,

當我看到像這樣的教室，

can you imagine how this sounds?

你能想像上課聽起來怎樣嗎?

I am forced to ask myself a question.

我不禁問自己一個問題：

("Do architects have ears?") (Laughter)

(「建築師們有耳朵嗎?」) (笑聲)

Now, that's a little unfair. Some of my best friends

這樣說有點不公平，畢竟我有一些摯友就是建築師，

are architects. (Laughter) And they definitely do have ears.

(笑聲) 而他們也都有耳朵。

But I think sometimes they don't use them

但我覺得有時候他們在設計時並沒有考量到耳朵的部份。

when they're designing buildings. Here's a case in point.

這就是個實際的例子。

This is a 32-million-pound flagship academy school

這是一所耗資 3200 萬英鎊的旗艦學校，

which was built quite recently in the U.K. and designed

最近剛在英國落成

by one of Britain's top architects.

而且是由一位英國頂尖的建築師設計的。

Unfortunately, it was designed like a corporate

不幸的是，它被設計的像個企業總部，

headquarters, with a vast central atrium

有個大型的中庭，

and classrooms leading off it with no back walls at all.

然後教室緊接著中庭而且沒有背牆。

The children couldn't hear their teachers.

孩子們根本聽不到老師在講什麼。

They had to go back in and spend 600,000 pounds

後來只好又花了 60 萬英鎊加建背牆。

putting the walls in. Let's stop this madness

請停止這種開放式教室瘋狂的設計吧!

of open plan classrooms right now, please.

拜託，請立刻停止吧!

It's not just these modern buildings which suffer.

不只這種新式設計有問題，

Old-fashioned classrooms suffer too.

舊式的教室也有這種問題。

A study in Florida just a few years ago found

在一個佛羅里達州沒幾年前的研究發現

that if you're sitting where this photograph was taken

如果你坐在拍攝這張照片的地方 -- 第四排，

in the classroom, row four, speech intelligibility

語言的辨別理解度

is just 50 percent.

僅剩下 50%。

Children are losing one word in two.

孩子們只能聽到一半的內容。

Now that doesn't mean they only get half their education,

當然這不代表他們只接受到一半的教育，

but it does mean they have to work very hard

但卻表示他們必須花更多心力

to join the dots and understand what's going on.

把前後連貫才有辦法理解內容。

This is affected massively by reverberation time,

這絕大部分是受到回響的時間影響，

how reverberant a room is.

看這個空間的回響程度而定。

In a classroom with a reverberation time of 1.2 seconds,

在一個回響時間 1.2 秒的教室中 -- 這是很常見的情況，

which is pretty common, this is what it sounds like.

聲音聽起來是像這樣的。

(Inaudible echoing voice)

(無法辨別、有回響的語音)

Not so good, is it?

不是很好，對吧?

If you take that 1.2 seconds down to 0.4 seconds

如果藉由裝設一些改善音響效果的裝置、

by installing acoustic treatments, sound absorbing materials

吸音材料等，將回響時間由 1.2 秒降到 0.4 秒，

and so forth, this is what you get.

可以得到這樣的結果。

Voice: In language, infinitely many words can be written

語音：在語言中，由一小組的字母

with a small set of letters. In arithmetic,

就可以寫出無限多的詞彙。

infinitely many numbers can be composed

在數學中，由幾個數字再加上 "0"

from just a few digits with the help of the simple zero.

就可以組合成無限多個數值。

Julian Treasure: What a difference.

Julian Treasure: 如此大的差異。

Now that education you would receive,

這樣的教育你就可以接收到了。

and thanks to the British acoustician Adrian James

剛才的情況模擬是由英國聲學專家 Adrian James 所提供。

for those simulations. The signal was the same,

在剛才的兩個情況中，

the background noise was the same.

聲音訊號以及背景噪音都沒有變動。

All that changed was the acoustics of the classroom

唯一改變的就只有

in those two examples.

教室的音響效果。

If education can be likened to watering a garden,

如果把教育比喻作在花園澆水 -- 這是蠻合理的比喻，

which is a fair metaphor, sadly, much of the water

很遺憾的，大部分的水分

is evaporating before it reaches the flowers,

在澆到花之前就蒸發掉了，

especially for some groups,

這情形對某些類別的人更是如此，

for example, those with hearing impairment.

例如: 聽力受損的人。

Now that's not just deaf children. That could be any child

這不只是指失聰的孩子，還包括感冒、

who's got a cold, glue ear, an ear infection,

漿液性中耳炎、耳道感染甚至花粉症的孩子。

even hay fever. On a given day, one in eight children

任一天，每八個孩子就有一個

fall into that group, on any given day.

是以上這個類別的人。

Then you have children for whom English is a second language,

再加上英語為第二語言的孩子

or whatever they're being taught in is a second language.

或是以任何第二語言學習的孩子。

In the U.K., that's more than 10 percent of the school population.

在英國就有超過 10% 的孩子是如此。

And finally, after Susan Cain's wonderful TEDTalk in February,

最後，在聽過 Susan Cain 在二月份精彩的 TED 演講之後，

we know that introverts find it very difficult to relate

我們知道生性內向的人很難在吵雜的環境中

when they're in a noisy environment doing group work.

在團體作業中取得共鳴。

Add those up. That is a lot of children

以上這些加總起來。實在很多孩子

who are not receiving their education properly.

都沒有確實地接受到完整的教育。

It's not just the children who are affected, though.

然而，不只是孩子們受到影響。

(Noisy conversation) This study in Germany found

(吵雜的對話聲) 這個在德國的研究發現

the average noise level in classrooms is 65 decibels.

教室中平均的噪音程度是 65 分貝。

I have to really raise my voice to talk over 65 decibels

我必須提高我的音量才有辦法在 65 分貝的環境中被聽到，

of sound, and teachers are not just raising their voices.

而老師們也不只是提高他們的音量。

This chart maps the teacher's heart rate

這個圖表對照出老師的心跳速率

against the noise level.

跟噪音程度的關係。

Noise goes up, heart rate goes up.

噪音程度提升時心跳速率也會上升。

That is not good for you.

這對身體是不好的。

In fact, 65 decibels is the very level at which this big survey

事實上，在這個噪音與健康的研究中也指出，

of all the evidence on noise and health found that, that is

65 分貝也正好是噪音誘發心肌梗塞

the threshold for the danger of myocardial infarction.

的閾值 (臨界值)。

To you and me, that's a heart attack.

對你我來說，就是指心臟病。

It may not be pushing the boat out too far to suggest

我們甚至可以說，老師們

that many teachers are losing significant life expectancy

每天在這樣的環境中教學

by teaching in environments like that day after day.

就是在縮短他們的壽命。

What does it cost to treat a classroom

把教室的回響時間降到 0.4 秒

down to that 0.4-second reverberation time?

到底要花多少錢呢?

Two and a half thousand pounds.

2,500 英鎊。

And the Essex study which has just been done in the U.K.,

剛在英國艾塞克斯 (Essex) 完成的一個研究指出，

which incidentally showed that when you do this,

這樣的改造不只是

you do not just make a room that's suitable

創造一個更適合那些聽力受損孩子的環境，

for hearing-impaired children, you make a room

更可以顯著提升孩子們的

where behavior improves, and results improve significantly,

行為表現以及學習成效。

this found that sending a child out of area to a school

研究也指出，如果學校沒有這樣的教室環境

that does have such a room, if you don't have one,

而把孩子送到別區中有這樣教室環境的學校，

costs 90,000 pounds a year.

每年需花費 90,000 英鎊。

I think the economics are pretty clear on this.

我想，這從經濟的角度來看也很清楚了吧。

I'm glad that debate is happening on this.

我很高興人們開始思考、討論這個議題。

I just moderated a major conference in London

幾個禮拜前我在倫敦 (London) 主持了一個

a few weeks ago called Sound Education,

大型會議，主題是「聲音教育」，

which brought together top acousticians,

吸引了許多頂尖聲學專家、

government people, teachers, and so forth.

政府人員及老師等來參與。

We're at last starting to debate this issue, and the benefits

我們終於開始探討這個議題，

that are available for designing for the ears in education,

而在教育的部份，為耳朵 (聽覺) 的設計所帶來益處

unbelievable.

是非常驚人的。

Out of that conference, incidentally, also came

這場會議也偶然地帶來了一款免費的程式，

a free app which is designed to help children study

專門設計來幫助孩子

if they're having to work at home, for example,

在家裡吵雜的環境中 (如廚房)

in a noisy kitchen.

學習。

And that's free out of that conference.

這套軟體是免費的。

Let's broaden the perspective a little bit

讓我們放寬我們的焦點

and look at cities.

看到了城市。

We have urban planners.

我們有都市計劃的人員。

Where are the urban sound planners?

那都市聲音規劃的人員呢?

I don't know of one in the world, and the opportunity is there

我從未遇到過一個，而我們也確實有這個機會

to transform our experience in our cities.

可以改善居住在都市中的經驗品質。

The World Health Organization estimates

世界衛生組織 (WHO) 估計

that a quarter of Europe's population is having its sleep

有 1/4 歐洲人口因為都市的噪音導致睡眠品質的下降。

degraded by noise in cities. We can do better than that.

這都是我們可以改善的。

And in our offices, we spend a lot of time at work.

又例如我們的辦公室，我們花很多時間在那工作。

Where are the office sound planners?

那辦公室聲音規劃的人員呢?

People who say, don't sit that team next to this team,

有人會說，不要把這兩組人排在一起

because they like noise and they need quiet.

因為一組喜歡喧鬧另一組喜歡安靜。

Or who say, don't spend all your budget on a huge screen

也有人會說，不要把預算全部

in the conference room,

花在會議室的大螢幕然後

and then place one tiny microphone

只在 30 人的會議桌中央

in the middle of a table for 30 people. (Laughter)

裝設一支小小的麥克風。 (笑聲)

If you can hear me, you can understand me

如果你可以聽清楚我說的話，不需要看到我就可以

without seeing me. If you can see me without hearing me,

了解我想表達的事情。但如果你只看的到我卻聽不到，

that does not work.

這是沒有用的。

So office sound is a huge area, and incidentally,

所以我們知道辦公室的聲音效果很重要，

noise in offices has been shown to make people

湊巧的是，辦公室的噪音也讓人變得冷漠、

less helpful, less enjoy their teamwork,

變得較無法享受團隊工作的樂趣

and less productive at work.

以及使生產力下降。

Finally, we have homes. We use interior designers.

最後，看到我們的居家環境。我們有室內設計師。

Where are the interior sound designers?

但室內聲音規劃的人員呢?

Hey, let's all be interior sound designers,

讓我們都來做室內聲音的規劃吧，

take on listening to our rooms and designing sound

讓我們開始聆聽我們的房間並設計一個讓聲音可以

that's effective and appropriate.

適當、有效地傳遞的空間吧。

My friend Richard Mazuch, an architect in London,

我的朋友 Richard Mazuch，一名倫敦的建築師，

coined the phrase "invisible architecture."

創造了一個詞「隱形的建築設計」。

I love that phrase.

我太愛這個詞了。

It's about designing, not appearance, but experience,

它是指關注實際體驗、感受的設計而非只注重外表，

so that we have spaces that sound as good as they look,

這樣才能讓空間的視覺效果跟聽覺效果兼具，

that are fit for purpose, that improve our quality of life,

讓空間可以符合規劃的用途、提升我們的生活品質及健康、

our health and well being, our social behavior

提升我們的社會行為

and our productivity.

以及我們的生產力。

It's time to start designing for the ears.

是時候開始為我們的耳朵而設計了(聽覺)。

Thank you. (Applause)

謝謝。(掌聲)

(Applause)

(掌聲)

Thank you. (Applause)

謝謝。(掌聲)