ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Andrew Bird - Musician
Andrew Bird is a virtual one-man band -- he’s a singer and songwriter and plays the violin, guitar, glockenspiel.

Why you should listen

Andrew Bird began to play the violin at age 4, learning to play Bach and Mozart by ear as if they were folk tunes. Though raised on classical repertoire, he still has little use for the written note and spins melody and words out of his cumulative experience, mixing elements of many genres without confining itself to any one in particular. While his early work with his band Bowl of Fire was influenced by pre-war jazz and showcased his violin skills, his sound began to evolve in an indie-folk direction after he went solo. But indie-folk -- or any single genre -- is just a backbone for a swirl of loops, samples and gorgeously rich instrumentation underpinning lyrics of mysterious import.
 
In 2002, Bird flew his Chicago coop for rural Illinois to live the rural life (yes, he had chickens) and set up his studio in a converted barn. This new environment inspired his 2003 solo album, Weather Systems, which has a surreal quality and poetic, thought-provoking lyrics. His sound progressed further with his 2005 album, The Mysterious Production of Eggs, which used multitrack recorders and loop pedals to layer samples, and featured more guitar, whistling and glockenspiel. Bird released his fifth solo album, Noble Beast, in early 2009 to acclaim; he's now working on a film score and an art installation.

More profile about the speaker
Andrew Bird | Speaker | TED.com
TED2010

Andrew Bird: A one-man orchestra of the imagination

安德魯•伯德的幻想一人樂隊

Filmed:
1,429,132 views

音樂革新者安德魯•伯德Andrew Bird帶來了包含木琴、人聲及複雜的電子線路的標誌性的小提琴技術。加上他能用口哨演奏任何事物的怪誕能力,他變成了令人著迷的一人樂隊。
- Musician
Andrew Bird is a virtual one-man band -- he’s a singer and songwriter and plays the violin, guitar, glockenspiel. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:18
Well, there's lots to talk about,
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嗯,我有許多話想要說,
00:20
but I think I'm just going to play to start開始 off.
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但我想我還是先從演奏開始吧。
00:24
(Music音樂)
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(音樂)
03:09
♫ When I wake喚醒 up ♫
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♫當我早上♫
03:13
♫ in the morning早上
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♫醒來♫
03:16
♫ I pour the coffee咖啡
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♫倒杯咖啡♫
03:20
♫ I read the paper
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♫讀讀報紙♫
03:23
♫ And then I slowly慢慢地
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♫然後我慢慢地♫
03:30
♫ and so softly輕輕的
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♫輕輕地♫
03:39
♫ do the dishes碗碟
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♫開始做菜♫
03:44
♫ So feed飼料 the fishes魚類
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♫餵餵魚兒♫
03:52
♫ You sing me happy快樂 birthday生日
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♫你對我唱著生日快樂♫
04:00
♫ Like it's gonna be ♫
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♫仿佛這是♫
04:03
♫ your last day ♫
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♫你在世上的♫
04:07
♫ here on Earth地球
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♫最後一天♫
05:33
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
05:44
All right.
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好了。
05:46
So, I wanted to do something special特別 today今天.
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那麼,我今天想做點特別的事。
05:48
I want to debut登場 a new song歌曲 that I've been working加工 on
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我想演唱一首新歌,這首歌是
05:51
in the last five or six months個月.
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在過去五個或六個月內創作的。
05:54
And there's few少數 things more thrilling驚險
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沒有什麼比在觀眾
05:56
than playing播放 a song歌曲
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面前第一次演唱一首歌
05:58
for the first time in front面前 of an audience聽眾,
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更讓人激動的了,
06:01
especially特別 when it's half-finished半成品.
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尤其是這首歌是半成品。
06:03
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
06:05
I'm kind of hoping希望 some conversations對話 here
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我希望在這兒能產生些交流
06:07
might威力 help me finish it.
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也許能幫我完成它。
06:09
Because it gets得到 into all sorts排序
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因為它進入了一種
06:11
of crazy realms境界.
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瘋狂的境界。
06:13
And so this is basically基本上 a song歌曲
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基本上,這是首關於
06:15
about loops循環,
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迴圈的歌,
06:17
but not the kind of loops循環 that I make up here.
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但不是我在這兒做的這種迴圈。
06:19
They're feedback反饋 loops循環.
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它是回饋迴圈。
06:21
And in the audio音頻 world世界
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在音頻的世界裏,
06:23
that's when the microphone麥克風 gets得到 too close
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當麥克風離它的
06:26
to its sound聲音 source資源,
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音源太近時,
06:29
and then it gets得到 in this self-destructive自我毀滅 loop循環
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它會產生自我消音的迴圈,
06:31
that creates創建 a very unpleasant不愉快 sound聲音.
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這會產生讓人非常不舒服的聲音。
06:33
And I'm going to demonstrate演示 for you.
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我將向你們展示一下。
06:35
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
06:38
I'm not going to hurt傷害 you. Don't worry擔心.
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我不會傷害你們。別擔心。
06:43
♫ This is a loop循環, feedback反饋 loop循環
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♫這是個迴圈,回饋迴圈♫
06:46
♫ This is a loop循環, feedback反饋 loop循環
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♫這是個迴圈,回饋迴圈♫
06:49
♫ This is a loop循環, feedback反饋 loop循環
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♫這是個迴圈,回饋迴圈♫
06:51
♫ This is a loop循環, feedback反饋 loop循環
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♫這是個迴圈,回饋迴圈♫
06:54
♫ This is a loop循環, feedback反饋 loop循環
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♫這是個迴圈,回饋迴圈♫
06:56
♫ This is a loop循環, feedback反饋 loop循環
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♫這是個迴圈,回饋迴圈♫
06:59
♫ This is a -- (Feedback反饋)
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♫這是個--(回饋)
07:07
All right. I don't know if that was necessary必要 to demonstrate演示 --
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好了。我不知道是不是還需要演示下去了
07:10
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
07:12
-- but my point is it's the sound聲音 of self-destruction自我毀滅.
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--但我想說的是聲音的自我消音。
07:17
And I've been thinking思維 about
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我曾經想過
07:19
how that applies適用 across橫過 a whole整個 spectrum光譜 of realms境界,
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怎樣跨越整個頻域,
07:23
from, say, the ecological生態, okay.
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從,呃,生態的,好吧。
07:26
There seems似乎 to be a rule規則 in nature性質
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自然中似乎有個規則:
07:29
that if you get too close to where you came來了 from,
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如果你距離你所來的地方太近,
07:32
it gets得到 ugly醜陋.
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就會變得醜陋。
07:34
So like, you can't feed飼料 cows奶牛 their own擁有 brains大腦
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就像,你不能用牛的大腦來餵牛,
07:37
or you get mad cow disease疾病,
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不然就會出現狂牛症,
07:39
and inbreeding近親交配 and incest亂倫
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還有近親結婚和亂倫,
07:41
and, let's see,
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讓我們看看,
07:43
what's the other one?
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還有什麼?
07:45
Biological生物 -- there's autoimmune自身免疫性 diseases疾病,
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生物學上 -- 自身免疫的疾病,
07:47
where the body身體 attacks攻擊 itself本身
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就是由於身體自我攻擊
07:49
a little too overzealously虛假的熱情
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有點過於激烈,
07:51
and destroys破陣 the host主辦,
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把宿主或是人
07:53
or the person.
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給摧毀了。
07:58
And then -- okay, this is where we get to the song歌曲 --
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接下來 -- 好了,再演奏首歌曲 --
08:01
kind of bridges橋樑 the gap間隙 to the emotional情緒化.
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有點像情感空白間的聯繫。
08:04
Because although雖然 I've used scientific科學 terms條款
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因為儘管我在歌中使用了
08:07
in songs歌曲,
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科學名詞,
08:09
it's very difficult sometimes有時 to make them lyrical抒情.
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有時還是很難讓它表現得很抒情。
08:12
And there's some things
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而有些東西
08:14
you just don't need to have in songs歌曲.
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不需要放在歌中。
08:18
So I'm trying to bridge this gap間隙
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因此,我試著在這個想法和這首曲子
08:20
between之間 this idea理念 and this melody旋律.
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之間建個聯繫。
08:23
And so, I don't know if you've ever had this,
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雖然我不知道你們是否有過這種感覺,
08:26
but when I close my eyes眼睛 sometimes有時
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但有時當我閉上雙眼
08:29
and try to sleep睡覺,
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試著睡著時,
08:31
I can't stop thinking思維 about my own擁有 eyes眼睛.
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我情不自禁的想到我的雙眼。
08:34
And it's like your eyes眼睛
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就像你的眼睛
08:36
start開始 straining使勁 to see themselves他們自己.
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開始練習看著自己。
08:38
That's what it feels感覺 like to me.
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這就是我所感覺到的。
08:40
It's not pleasant愉快.
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不是很愉快的感覺。
08:42
I'm sorry if I put that idea理念 in your head.
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如果我讓你有這種感覺的話,我很抱歉。
08:44
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
08:46
It's impossible不可能, of course課程, for your eyes眼睛 to see themselves他們自己,
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當然,讓眼睛看自己是不可能的。
08:48
but they seem似乎 to be trying.
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但它們似乎在做這種嘗試。
08:51
So that's getting得到 a little more closer接近 to a personal個人 experience經驗.
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這是種個人的體驗。
08:55
Or ears耳朵 being存在 able能夠 to hear themselves他們自己 --
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或許耳朵也能夠聆聽它們自己--
08:57
it's just impossible不可能.
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這也是不可能的;
08:59
That's the thing.
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就是這樣。
09:01
So, I've been working加工 on this song歌曲
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那麼,我創作的這首歌中
09:04
that mentions提到 these things
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提到了這些事情
09:07
and then also imagines不可想像
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還有想像,
09:09
a person who's誰是 been so successful成功
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想像一個人成功地
09:11
at defending衛冕 themselves他們自己 from heartbreak心碎
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抵禦了他們留給自己的
09:14
that they're left to do the deed契據 themselves他們自己,
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難以忍耐的悲傷,
09:17
if that's possible可能.
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如果可能的話。
09:19
And that's what the song歌曲 is asking.
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這就是這首歌所追問的。
09:23
All right.
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好了。
09:25
It doesn't have a name名稱 yet然而.
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它還沒有名字呢。
09:27
(Music音樂)
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(音樂)
11:23
♫ Go ahead and congratulate祝賀 yourself你自己
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♫前進吧,祝賀自己吧♫
11:26
♫ Give yourself你自己 a hand, the hand is your hand
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♫幫自己一把,用自己的手♫
11:30
♫ And the eye that eyes眼睛 itself本身 is your eye
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♫眼睛,用自己的眼睛♫
11:33
♫ And the ear that hears就听 itself本身 is near
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♫耳朵聽到它自己就在附近♫
11:37
'Cause'原因 it's your ear, oh oh ♫
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♫因為它是你的耳朵,哦 哦♫
11:40
♫ You've doneDONE the impossible不可能 now ♫
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♫你現在做到了本不可能的事♫
11:43
Took yourself你自己 apart距離
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♫把自己拆開♫
11:47
♫ You made製作 yourself你自己 invulnerable無懈可擊
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♫你讓自己不再受傷害♫
11:50
♫ No one can break打破 your heart
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♫沒人能讓你傷心♫
11:54
♫ So you wear穿 it out ♫
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♫你把它耗盡♫
11:58
♫ And you wring it out ♫
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♫你把它扭乾♫
12:01
♫ And you wear穿 it out ♫
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♫你把它耗盡♫
12:04
♫ And you break打破 it yourself你自己
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♫你自己把它擊碎♫
12:06
Breaking打破 your own擁有, break打破 it yourself你自己
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♫突破自己,自己擊碎它♫
12:09
Breaking打破 your own擁有, break打破 it yourself你自己
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♫突破自己,自己擊碎它♫
12:13
Breaking打破 your own擁有
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♫突破自己♫
12:29
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
12:33
Thanks謝謝.
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謝謝。
12:35
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
12:40
All right.
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好了。
12:42
It's kind of cool. Songwriters詞曲作者 can sort分類 of get away with murder謀殺.
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有點酷。歌曲作者可以逃脫謀殺。
12:45
You can throw out crazy theories理論
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你能拋開這些瘋狂的理論,
12:48
and not have to back it up with data數據
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不用數據
12:51
or graphs or research研究.
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圖表、或研究來支撐它。
12:54
But, you know, I think reckless魯莽 curiosity好奇心
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但,你知道,我想魯莽的好奇心
12:57
would be what the world世界 needs需求 now,
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是這個世界現在所需要的,
13:00
just a little bit.
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只要一點點。
13:02
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
13:06
I'm going to finish up with a song歌曲 of mine
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我想以我的一首歌作為結束,
13:08
called "Weather天氣 Systems系統."
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歌名是“天氣系統”。
13:10
(Music音樂)
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(音樂)
13:27
Quiet安靜
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♫安靜♫
13:32
Quiet安靜 down, she said ♫
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♫安靜下來,她說♫
13:36
Speak說話 into the back of his head
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♫她對著他腦後說♫
13:39
♫ On the edge邊緣 of the bed, I can see your blood血液 flow
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♫在床的邊緣,我能看到你在流血♫
13:43
♫ I can see your ♫
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♫我能看到你的♫
13:47
cells細胞 grow增長
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♫細胞生長♫
13:54
Hold保持 still awhile一會兒
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♫堅持一會兒♫
13:57
♫ Don't spill the wine紅酒
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♫別把酒灑了♫
14:00
♫ I can see it all from here ♫
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♫我從這兒能看到一切♫
14:03
♫ I can see ♫
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♫我能看到♫
14:05
♫ oh, I ♫
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♫哦,我♫
14:07
♫ I can see ♫
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♫我能看到♫
14:14
weather天氣 systems系統
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♫世界的♫
14:17
♫ of the world世界
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♫天氣系統♫
14:30
Weather天氣 systems系統
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♫世界的♫
14:33
♫ of the world世界
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♫天氣系統♫
15:07
♫ Some things you say ♫
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♫你說有些東西♫
15:10
♫ are not for sale拍賣
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♫是無價的♫
15:14
♫ I would hold保持 it where ♫
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♫我會保留它♫
15:17
♫ our free自由 agents代理 of some substance物質 are ♫
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♫我們的一些事物的自由代理人♫
15:23
scared害怕
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♫感到了恐懼♫
15:30
Hold保持 still a while ♫
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♫再堅持一會兒♫
15:33
♫ Don't spill the wine紅酒
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♫別把酒灑了♫
15:37
♫ I can see it all from here ♫
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♫我從這兒能看到一切♫
15:40
♫ I can see ♫
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♫我能看到♫
15:42
♫ oh, I ♫
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♫哦,我♫
15:44
♫ I can see ♫
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♫我能看到♫
15:49
weather天氣 systems系統 of the world世界
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♫世界的天氣系統♫
17:42
Weather天氣 systems系統
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♫世界的♫
17:47
♫ of the world世界
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♫天氣系統♫
18:56
Thanks謝謝.
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謝謝。
18:58
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by Shelley Krishna R. TSANG
Reviewed by Geoff Chen

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Andrew Bird - Musician
Andrew Bird is a virtual one-man band -- he’s a singer and songwriter and plays the violin, guitar, glockenspiel.

Why you should listen

Andrew Bird began to play the violin at age 4, learning to play Bach and Mozart by ear as if they were folk tunes. Though raised on classical repertoire, he still has little use for the written note and spins melody and words out of his cumulative experience, mixing elements of many genres without confining itself to any one in particular. While his early work with his band Bowl of Fire was influenced by pre-war jazz and showcased his violin skills, his sound began to evolve in an indie-folk direction after he went solo. But indie-folk -- or any single genre -- is just a backbone for a swirl of loops, samples and gorgeously rich instrumentation underpinning lyrics of mysterious import.
 
In 2002, Bird flew his Chicago coop for rural Illinois to live the rural life (yes, he had chickens) and set up his studio in a converted barn. This new environment inspired his 2003 solo album, Weather Systems, which has a surreal quality and poetic, thought-provoking lyrics. His sound progressed further with his 2005 album, The Mysterious Production of Eggs, which used multitrack recorders and loop pedals to layer samples, and featured more guitar, whistling and glockenspiel. Bird released his fifth solo album, Noble Beast, in early 2009 to acclaim; he's now working on a film score and an art installation.

More profile about the speaker
Andrew Bird | Speaker | TED.com