TEDGlobal 2009
James Geary: Metaphorically speaking
詹姆斯.吉理 (James Geary) :譬喻
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愛好收集研究格言的作家 詹姆斯.吉理 (James Geary) 介紹人類語言的一個有趣的固定型式：譬喻。從亞裏士多德到貓王，譬喻甚至會影響我們的決策。
James Geary - Aphorist
Lost jobs, wayward lovers, wars and famine -- come to think of it, just about any of life's curveballs -- there's an aphorism for it, and James Geary's got it. Full bio
Lost jobs, wayward lovers, wars and famine -- come to think of it, just about any of life's curveballs -- there's an aphorism for it, and James Geary's got it. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
Metaphor lives a secret life all around us.
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譬喻隱密存在於我們生活周遭
00:19
We utter about six metaphors a minute.
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我們每分鐘大約會說六個譬喻
00:23
Metaphorical thinking is essential
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譬喻式的思考
00:25
to how we understand ourselves and others,
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對於了解自我和別人
00:28
how we communicate, learn, discover
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對於如何溝通、學習、發現
00:31
and invent.
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和發明都很重要
00:33
But metaphor is a way of thought before it is a way with words.
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但譬喻是一種思考的方式再轉化爲文字
00:38
Now, to assist me in explaining this,
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爲了説明這點
00:41
I've enlisted the help of one of our greatest philosophers,
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我找來一位偉大的哲學家協助
00:44
the reigning king of the metaphorians,
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他是譬喻領域的國王
00:48
a man whose contributions to the field
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他對譬喻的貢獻之大
00:50
are so great that he himself
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使得他自己
00:53
has become a metaphor.
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也成為一個譬喻
00:55
I am, of course, referring to none other
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我指的，當然，不作他人想
00:59
than Elvis Presley.
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是貓王艾維斯·普利斯萊
01:01
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
01:02
Now, "All Shook Up" is a great love song.
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神魂顛倒（按：也作”上下搖動“解）“是一首經典情歌
01:05
It's also a great example of how
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同時也是一個相當好的例子
01:07
whenever we deal with anything abstract --
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當我們要描述抽象的事物
01:09
ideas, emotions, feelings, concepts, thoughts --
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想法、情緒、感覺、概念、思想
01:13
we inevitably resort to metaphor.
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無可避免地我們會用到譬喻
01:15
In "All Shook Up," a touch is not a touch, but a chill.
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在”神魂顛倒“裏，觸摸不是觸摸，而是一陣冷顫
01:20
Lips are not lips, but volcanoes.
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嘴唇不是嘴唇，而是火山
01:23
She is not she, but a buttercup.
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她不是她，而是金鳳花
01:26
And love is not love, but being all shook up.
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愛也不是愛， 而是上下搖動，神魂顛倒
01:31
In this, Elvis is following Aristotle's classic definition of metaphor
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在這裡，貓王遵循亞里斯多德給譬喻下的經典定義
01:35
as the process of giving the thing
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也就是“ 給予一件事物
01:38
a name that belongs to something else.
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另一件事物名稱”的程序
01:41
This is the mathematics of metaphor.
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這是譬喻的數學公式
01:44
And fortunately it's very simple.
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而很幸運地這很簡單
01:46
X equals Y.
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X等於Y
01:48
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
01:51
This formula works wherever metaphor is present.
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當譬喻出現時這個公式就會成立
01:54
Elvis uses it, but so does Shakespeare
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“羅密歐與茱麗葉”裏有名的句子：
01:57
in this famous line from "Romeo and Juliet:"
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在他“羅密歐與茱麗葉”裏有名的句子：
01:59
Juliet is the sun.
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茱麗葉是太陽
02:02
Now, here, Shakespeare gives the thing, Juliet,
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在這裡，莎士比亞給予茱麗葉
02:06
a name that belongs to something else, the sun.
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另一個事物的名稱，也就是“太陽”
02:11
But whenever we give a thing a name that belongs to something else,
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但是一旦我們給予一件事物另一件事的名稱
02:14
we give it a whole network of analogies too.
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我們同時也建立了完整的類比關係網
02:17
We mix and match what we know about the metaphor's source,
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在這個例子裡
02:20
in this case the sun,
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我們將譬喻來源“太陽”
02:22
with what we know about its target, Juliet.
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與譬喻對象“茱麗葉”加以混合重組
02:25
And metaphor gives us a much more vivid understanding of Juliet
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譬喻讓我們對茱麗葉有更清晰的理解
02:28
than if Shakespeare had literally described what she looks like.
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這要比莎士比亞具體地描述她更為生動
02:33
So, how do we make and understand metaphors?
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所以，我們如何產生和理解這些譬喻呢？
02:35
This might look familiar.
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這看起來應該不陌生
02:37
The first step is pattern recognition.
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第一步是圖形模式的識別
02:39
Look at this image. What do you see?
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這張圖，你看到了什麽？
02:42
Three wayward Pac-Men,
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三個難搞的小精靈
02:44
and three pointy brackets are actually present.
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和三個尖角同時出現
02:47
What we see, however,
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事實上我們看到的
02:49
are two overlapping triangles.
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是兩個疊在一起的三角形
02:51
Metaphor is not just the detection of patterns;
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譬喻不只是圖形模式的察覺
02:54
it is the creation of patterns.
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譬喻也是圖形模式的創造
02:56
Second step, conceptual synesthesia.
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第二步，感官的牽連感覺（聯覺）
02:59
Now, synesthesia is the experience of a stimulus in once sense organ
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所謂牽連感覺， 是指對某一感官的刺激
03:04
in another sense organ as well,
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也對其它的感官產生作用
03:06
such as colored hearing.
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比如説色彩聽覺
03:08
People with colored hearing
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有色彩聽覺的人
03:10
actually see colors when they hear the sounds
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當他們聽到聲音時也會看到顔色
03:13
of words or letters.
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他們聽到的字或字母是有顔色的
03:15
We all have synesthetic abilities.
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我們都有牽連感覺的能力
03:17
This is the Bouba/Kiki test.
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接下來這是Bouba/Kiki測試
03:20
What you have to do is identify which of these shapes
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你要做的是去決定這兩個圖形
03:22
is called Bouba, and which is called Kiki.
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哪一個叫Bouba，哪一個叫Kiki
03:26
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
03:27
If you are like 98 percent of other people,
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你如果跟其他98%的人一樣
03:29
you will identify the round, amoeboid shape as Bouba,
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那麽你會叫這個圓圓的，像變形蟲的圖形Bouba
03:33
and the sharp, spiky one as Kiki.
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叫這個尖尖的星狀的Kiki
03:36
Can we do a quick show of hands?
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大家擧個手讓我們看一看吧
03:38
Does that correspond?
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是不是這樣啊？
03:40
Okay, I think 99.9 would about cover it.
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OK,我想99.9%的人都是如此
03:44
Why do we do that?
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為什麽我們這樣做？
03:46
Because we instinctively find, or create,
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因爲我們本能地會去找到或連結
03:50
a pattern between the round shape
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圓形圖形和
03:52
and the round sound of Bouba,
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圓滑聲音Bouba之間的關聯模式
03:55
and the spiky shape and the spiky sound of Kiki.
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還有尖型圖形和尖銳聲音Kiki的關聯模式
04:00
And many of the metaphors we use everyday are synesthetic.
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在日常生活中我們所用的譬喻很多是牽連感覺的：
04:04
Silence is sweet.
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寂靜是甜美的
04:06
Neckties are loud.
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領帶是吵雜的
04:08
Sexually attractive people are hot.
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性感的人是火辣辣的
04:11
Sexually unattractive people leave us cold.
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不性感的人讓我們覺得冷冰冰的
04:14
Metaphor creates a kind of conceptual synesthesia,
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譬喻會產生類似的感官牽連感覺
04:17
in which we understand one concept
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從另一種語意的情境中
04:19
in the context of another.
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來理解一個概念
04:22
Third step is cognitive dissonance.
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第三步是認知的不協調
04:24
This is the Stroop test.
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這是Stroop測試
04:26
What you need to do here is identify
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你要做的是
04:28
as quickly as possible
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在最短的時間内辨別出
04:30
the color of the ink in which these words are printed.
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這些字體的顔色
04:33
You can take the test now.
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你可以開始做測試
04:37
If you're like most people, you will experience
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你如果跟一般人一樣
04:39
a moment of cognitive dissonance
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那麽你將會有認知的不協調
04:41
when the name of the color
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當顔色的名稱
04:44
is printed in a differently colored ink.
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是用不同的顔色列印出來時
04:46
The test shows that we cannot ignore the literal meaning of words
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這個測試證明了我們無法忽視字面上的意義
04:49
even when the literal meaning gives the wrong answer.
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即使字面上的意義是不正確的
04:52
Stroop tests have been done with metaphor as well.
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Stroop測試也用比喻作過
04:54
The participants had to identify, as quickly as possible,
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測試者被要求在最短的時間裏辨認出
04:58
the literally false sentences.
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字面上錯誤的句子
05:00
They took longer to reject metaphors as false
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結果他們要花較多的時間去辨認譬喻上的錯誤
05:03
than they did to reject literally false sentences.
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花較少的時間去辨認字面上的錯誤
05:06
Why? Because we cannot ignore
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爲什麽呢？因爲我們無法忽視
05:09
the metaphorical meaning of words either.
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譬喻上的意義
05:12
One of the sentences was, "Some jobs are jails."
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一個例子是“某些工作是監獄”
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Now, unless you're a prison guard,
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除非你在監獄裏工作
05:18
the sentence "Some jobs are jails" is literally false.
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不然這樣的句子在字面上的意義是錯的
05:21
Sadly, it's metaphorically true.
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可是，在譬喻上來說卻是對的
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And the metaphorical truth interferes with our ability
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所以譬喻上的真實性會干擾
05:27
to identify it as literally false.
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我們對字面上意義的判斷能力
05:29
Metaphor matters because
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譬喻很重要
05:31
it's around us every day, all the time.
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因爲每一天，它無所不在
05:34
Metaphor matters because it creates expectations.
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譬喻很重要，因爲它使你產生期待
05:37
Pay careful attention the next time you read the financial news.
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下次當你讀財政新聞時留意
05:41
Agent metaphors describe price movements
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擬人化的譬喻
05:43
as the deliberate action of a living thing,
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將價格的波動譬喻成生物的動作
05:45
as in, "The NASDAQ climbed higher."
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譬如說，”NASDAQ指數又向上爬升“
05:49
Object metaphors describe price movements
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擬物化的譬喻
05:52
as non-living things,
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將價格的波動譬喻成東西
05:54
as in, "The Dow fell like a brick."
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像“道瓊指數像磚塊直直落”
05:57
Researchers asked a group of people
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研究人員請一群人
05:59
to read a clutch of market commentaries,
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讀過一些市場的評論以後
06:01
and then predict the next day's price trend.
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去預測隔天的股價
06:04
Those exposed to agent metaphors
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是因爲擬人化的譬喻暗示
06:06
had higher expectations that price trends would continue.
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大多覺得未來股價會繼續上揚
06:09
And they had those expectations because
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他們之所以會這麽覺得
06:11
agent metaphors imply the deliberate action
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是因爲擬人化的譬喻暗示了
06:14
of a living thing pursuing a goal.
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生物追求一個目標的行動
06:17
If, for example, house prices
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假如說，房子的價格
06:19
are routinely described as climbing and climbing,
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總是被描述成“往上、再往上爬”
06:22
higher and higher, people might naturally assume
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人們會很自然地假設
06:24
that that rise is unstoppable.
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房價的上揚是停不下來的
06:26
They may feel confident, say,
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他們便有可能會去
06:28
in taking out mortgages they really can't afford.
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申請他們實際上負擔不起的貸款
06:31
That's a hypothetical example of course.
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這當然是一個假設性的例子
06:34
But this is how metaphor misleads.
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但這説明了比喻如何誤導我們
06:38
Metaphor also matters because it influences decisions
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譬喻之所以重要，因爲它也會激發類比機制
06:41
by activating analogies.
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而影響我們的決策
06:44
A group of students was told that a small democratic country
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一群學生被告知說
06:46
had been invaded and had asked the U.S. for help.
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有個民主小國被侵略並尋求美國的幫助
06:49
And they had to make a decision.
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他們必須做一個決定
06:51
What should they do?
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接下來該怎麽做？
06:53
Intervene, appeal to the U.N., or do nothing?
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介入干涉，向聯合國申訴，或者什麽也不做？
06:56
They were each then given one of three
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這群學生被分別告知下列
06:58
descriptions of this hypothetical crisis.
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三個假設性危機的敍述之一
07:00
Each of which was designed to trigger
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而每一個假設性危機的敍述
07:03
a different historical analogy:
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暗示著歷史上不同的類比事件：
07:05
World War II, Vietnam,
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二次世界大戰、越南
07:07
and the third was historically neutral.
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第三個則是中立的事件
07:10
Those exposed to the World War II scenario
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被告知二次世界大戰情節的
07:12
made more interventionist recommendations
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比起其它學生
07:14
than the others.
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更會建議採取干涉的手段
07:16
Just as we cannot ignore the literal meaning of words,
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正如我們不能對字面上的意義視而不見
07:19
we cannot ignore the analogies
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我們也不能忽視
07:21
that are triggered by metaphor.
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譬喻激發的類比機制
07:25
Metaphor matters because it opens the door to discovery.
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譬喻很重要因爲
07:28
Whenever we solve a problem, or make a discovery,
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當我們替問題找解答或發現新事物時
07:31
we compare what we know with what we don't know.
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我們總是把我們所已知的和未知的做比較
07:34
And the only way to find out about the latter
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而要更進一步了解未知的唯一方法
07:36
is to investigate the ways it might be like the former.
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只有去研究未知和已知之間可能相似的地方
07:40
Einstein described his scientific method as combinatory play.
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愛因斯坦曾經描述他的科學方法為組合式的遊戲
07:44
He famously used thought experiments,
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他應用想像實驗是有個名的例子
07:46
which are essentially elaborate analogies,
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基本上這樣的實驗要用到複雜的類比機制
07:49
to come up with some of his greatest discoveries.
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而他也由此得到了一些他最有名的發現
07:52
By bringing together what we know
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透過類比機制
07:54
and what we don't know through analogy,
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可以拉起已知和未知之間的關係
07:56
metaphorical thinking strikes the spark
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譬喻式的想法會激發火花
07:58
that ignites discovery.
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進一步點燃更多的發現
08:02
Now metaphor is ubiquitous, yet it's hidden.
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譬喻是無所不在的也是隱藏的
08:06
But you just have to look at the words around you
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你只需要看看你周遭的文字
08:09
and you'll find it.
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你就會看到它
08:11
Ralph Waldo Emerson described language
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名詩人艾默生把語言描述成
08:13
as "fossil poetry."
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”詩的化石“
08:15
But before it was fossil poetry
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但在語言成爲詩的化石之前
08:17
language was fossil metaphor.
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它會先成爲比喻的化石
08:20
And these fossils still breathe.
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而這些化石到現在還會呼吸呢
08:23
Take the three most famous words in all of Western philosophy:
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我們拿西方哲學裏最有名的三個字為例子
08:28
"Cogito ergo sum."
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“Cogito ergo sum”
08:30
That's routinely translated as, "I think, therefore I am."
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這一向被翻譯成“我思故我在”
08:34
But there is a better translation.
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但是有一個更好的翻譯
08:36
The Latin word "cogito"
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這個拉丁字"cogito"
08:38
is derived from the prefix "co," meaning "together,"
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可分成字首"co", 表示“一起”
08:41
and the verb "agitare," meaning "to shake."
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動詞"agitare"的原意是“搖動”
08:44
So, the original meaning of "cogito"
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所以"cogito"的原始意義是
08:47
is to shake together.
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”一起搖動“
08:49
And the proper translation of "cogito ergo sum"
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"cogito ergo sum"正確的翻譯應該是
08:52
is "I shake things up, therefore I am."
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“我把事物一起上下搖動，所以我存在”
08:56
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
08:58
Metaphor shakes things up,
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比喻將不同的事物混”搖“在一起
09:00
giving us everything from Shakespeare to scientific discovery in the process.
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帶給了我們莎士比亞，科學發現
09:05
The mind is a plastic snow dome,
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我們的心靈是一個塑膠的雪花球
09:08
the most beautiful, most interesting,
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是最美，最有趣的
09:10
and most itself, when, as Elvis put it,
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尤其當它，如貓王所說
09:13
it's all shook up.
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被上下搖動（神魂顛倒）時。
09:15
And metaphor keeps the mind shaking,
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譬喻使我們的心靈時時搖動
09:17
rattling and rolling, long after Elvis has left the building.
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喋喋不休，上下起伏，即使貓王已退場很久了
09:20
Thank you very much.
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謝謝各位
09:22
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
James Geary - AphoristLost jobs, wayward lovers, wars and famine -- come to think of it, just about any of life's curveballs -- there's an aphorism for it, and James Geary's got it.
Why you should listen
One of a handful of the world's professional aphorists, James Geary has successfully fused early creative endeavors in performance art, poetry and juggling with his childhood fascination with the "Quotable Quotes" column in Reader's Digest. His books Geary's Guide to the World's Great Aphorists and the bestselling The World in a Phrase are invaluable journeys through the often-ignored art of the witty (and memorably brief) summation.
His next book is about the secret life of metaphors, and how metaphorical thinking drives invention and creativity. Geary is a former writer for Time Europe and is now an editor for Ode magazine, a print and online publication devoted to optimism and positive news.
James Geary | Speaker | TED.com