ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Robin Ince - Comedian
The rational-minded Robin Ince conducts live experiments in comedy.

Why you should listen

Is rational thought funny? And is comedy scientific? are the pair of questions on which Robin Ince has built his recent career. On his own and as part of the BBC4 radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage, Robin Ince makes science-friendly comedy with pals like Brian Cox, Ben Goldacre and Simon Singh. TIMC just won the Best Speech Programme at the 2011 Sony Radio Awards, the first science program to win in ... aeons. They recently took the show on the road as "Uncaged Monkeys," about which the Telegraph's critic said, "I was expecting more knickers thrown at the stage, to be honest."

Onstage, Ince conducts live experiments into the science of comedy and laughter. He and his team set out to discover secret of timing, discover if people are born funny, and if computers can tell jokes.

He says: "Most scientists I know have movies and novels in their houses, whereas there are novelists whose houses I've been to who don't have any science books."

More profile about the speaker
Robin Ince | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2011

Robin Ince: Science versus wonder?

罗宾·因斯:科学毁了幻想?

Filmed:
807,015 views

是否科学摧毁了生活中幻想的存在?在这个爱抱怨但是很吸引人的演讲中,罗宾·因斯对此进行了辩护。我们越是对宇宙中不可思议的事情了解越多--就越会心存敬畏。
- Comedian
The rational-minded Robin Ince conducts live experiments in comedy. Full bio

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

00:15
I'd like to apologize道歉, first of all, to all of you
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首先我想先和大家道个歉
00:18
because I have no form形成
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因为我没有准备
00:20
of PowerPoint幻灯片 presentation介绍.
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幻灯片
00:23
So what I'm going to do
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所以接下来的演讲中
00:25
is, every一切 now and again, I will make this gesture手势,
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在需要幻灯片展示的时候
00:27
and in a moment时刻 of PowerPoint幻灯片 democracy民主,
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我会作这个手势
00:29
you can imagine想像 what you'd like to see.
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你可以自己去发挥想象
00:33
I do a radio无线电 show显示.
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我有一个电台节目
00:35
The radio无线电 show显示 is called "The Infinite无穷 Monkey Cage."
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叫做"无限的猴子笼."
00:38
It's about science科学, it's about rationalism唯理论.
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是个关于科学,理性的节目
00:41
So therefore因此, we get a lot of complaints投诉
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因此,我们每个礼拜
00:43
every一切 single week --
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都被投诉--
00:45
complaints投诉 including包含 one we get very often经常,
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其中被投诉最多的
00:48
which哪一个 is to say the very title标题, "Infinite无穷 Monkey Cage,"
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就是节目名称"无限的猴子笼"
00:51
celebrates庆祝 the idea理念 of vivisection活体解剖.
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称其倡导活体解剖
00:54
We have made制作 it quite相当 clear明确 to these people
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我们向这些投诉者明确解释
00:56
that an infinite无穷 monkey cage is roomy宽敞.
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一个无限大的猴子笼是够宽广的
00:59
(Laughter笑声)
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:)
01:01
We also had someone有人 else其他 who said,
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还有些人说
01:03
"'The“该 Infinite无穷 Monkey Cage'笼' idea理念 is ridiculous荒谬.
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“无限的猴子笼”的名字太荒唐了
01:05
An infinite无穷 number of monkeys猴子
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无数的猴子
01:07
could never write the works作品 of Shakespeare莎士比亚.
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根本无法写出莎士比亚的著作
01:09
We know this because they did an experiment实验."
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我们这么说因为他们做过一个实验”
01:12
Yes, they gave 12 monkeys猴子 a typewriter打字机 for a week,
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确实,他们给12个猴子一个打字机
01:16
and after a week, they only used it as a bathroom浴室.
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一个星期后,猴子只把它当厕所用
01:19
(Laughter笑声)
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:)
01:21
So the main主要 element元件 though虽然, the main主要 complaint抱怨 we get --
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我们接到的主要投诉--
01:23
and one that I find most worrying令人担忧 --
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我最为担心的是--
01:25
is that people say, "Oh, why do you insist咬定
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有人说“为什么你们坚持要
01:28
on ruining破坏 the magic魔法?
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戳穿幻想?
01:30
You bring带来 in science科学, and it ruins废墟 the magic魔法."
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你们带来了科学,却摧毁了幻想”
01:32
Now I'm an arts艺术 graduate毕业;
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我现在进修艺术研究生
01:34
I love myth神话 and magic魔法
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我热爱神话和幻想
01:36
and existentialism存在主义 and self-loathing自我厌恶.
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也喜欢存在主义和自我厌恶
01:38
That's what I do.
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我就是这样的
01:40
But I also don't understand理解
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但是我还不明白
01:42
how it does ruin废墟 the magic魔法.
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这怎么就毁了幻想了
01:44
All of the magic魔法, I think,
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我认为所有
01:46
that may可能 well be taken采取 away by science科学
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可以被科学所解释的幻想
01:48
is then replaced更换 by something as wonderful精彩.
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是被同样奇妙的东西所代替了
01:50
Astrology占星术, for instance:
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比如占星术
01:52
like many许多 rationalists理性主义者, I'm a Pisces双鱼座.
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像许多理性主义者一样,我也是双鱼座
01:55
(Laughter笑声)
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:)
01:58
Now astrology占星术 --
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如今的占星术--
02:00
we remove去掉 the banal平庸 idea理念
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我们去除了一些陈腐的东西
02:02
that your life could be predicted预料到的;
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比如可以预知生命之类的
02:04
that you'll你会, perhaps也许 today今天, meet遇到 a lucky幸运 man
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你今天也许会遇到一位幸运的人
02:06
who's谁是 wearing穿着 a hat帽子.
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他会戴着一顶帽子
02:08
That is gone走了.
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现在没这些了
02:10
But if we want to look at the sky天空 and see predictions预测, we still can.
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但是如果我们希望通过观星象预测,还是可以的
02:13
We can see predictions预测 of galaxies星系 forming成型,
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我们可以据此预测星系的形成
02:16
of galaxies星系 colliding碰撞 into each other, of new solar太阳能 systems系统.
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预测星系碰撞成为新的太阳系
02:19
This is a wonderful精彩 thing.
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这非常棒
02:21
If the Sun太阳 could one day -- and indeed确实 the Earth地球, in fact事实 --
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如果有天太阳--甚至是地球--
02:24
if the Earth地球 could read its own拥有 astrological占星术, astronomical天文 chart图表,
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如果地球可以读懂它的天文图的话
02:28
one day it would say,
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某一天就可以说
02:30
"Not a good day for making制造 plans计划.
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“今天不是吉日
02:32
You'll你会 been engulfed吞没 by a red giant巨人."
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你将被一个红巨星吞没”
02:34
And that to me as well,
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对我来说也很棒
02:36
that if you think I'm worried担心 about losing失去 worlds世界,
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如果你觉得我担心世界末日
02:39
well Many许多 Worlds世界 theory理论 --
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那么多世界理论--
02:41
one of the most beautiful美丽, fascinating迷人,
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最棒,最吸引人
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sometimes有时 terrifying可怕的 ideas思路
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有时又让人恐怖的理论之一
02:46
from the quantum量子 interpretation解释 --
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出自量子力学解释--
02:48
is a wonderful精彩 thing.
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是个很棒的东西
02:50
That every一切 person here, every一切 decision决定 that you've made制作 today今天,
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在座每一位,每一个你今天作出的决定
02:53
every一切 decision决定 you've made制作 in your life,
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每一个你生命中做过的决定
02:55
you've not really made制作 that decision决定,
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并不是你作出了那个决定
02:57
but in fact事实, every一切 single permutation排列 of those decisions决定
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而是 那些决定的每一个其他可能
03:01
is made制作, each one going off into a new universe宇宙.
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已经被做出,各自将在新的宇宙中发展
03:04
That is a wonderful精彩 idea理念.
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那是个很棒的想法
03:06
If you ever think that your life is rubbish垃圾,
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如果你曾经想过你的生活毫无意义
03:10
always remember记得
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记住
03:12
there's another另一个 you that's made制作 much worse更差 decisions决定 than that.
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还有其他的你,做出了比你现在还要糟糕的决定
03:15
(Laughter笑声)
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:)
03:17
If you ever think, "Ah, I want to end结束 it all,"
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如果你曾想过“啊,我想自杀,"
03:19
don't end结束 it all.
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不要那么做
03:21
Remember记得 that in the majority多数 of universes宇宙,
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记住在无数宇宙中的大部分里
03:23
you don't even exist存在 in the first place地点.
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你首先就根本没有存在过
03:25
This to me, in its own拥有 strange奇怪 way,
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对我来说,这虽然有点离奇
03:28
is very, very comforting欣慰的.
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但是非常非常令人欣慰的
03:30
Now reincarnation投胎, that's another另一个 thing gone走了 -- the afterlife来世.
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转世,这是另一个废弃的概念--来生
03:32
But it's not gone走了.
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但也没完全废弃
03:34
Science科学 actually其实 says
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科学实际上也认为
03:36
we will live生活 forever永远.
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我们将会永生
03:39
Well, there is one proviso条件.
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不过有一个限制性条件
03:41
We won't惯于 actually其实 live生活 forever永远. You won't惯于 live生活 forever永远.
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我们事实上不会永生,你不会永生
03:44
Your consciousness意识, the you-ness你的烦躁 of you, the me-ness我岬 of me --
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你的意识,你、我本身--
03:47
that gets得到 this one go.
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都终将会逝去
03:50
But every一切 single thing that makes品牌 us,
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但是每一个组成我们的部分
03:52
every一切 atom原子 in us,
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每一个原子
03:54
has already已经 created创建 a myriad无数的 of different不同 things
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已经创造了无数的不同的事物
03:57
and will go on to create创建 a myriad无数的 of new things.
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并且还将继续创造无数新事物
04:00
We have been mountains
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我们曾经是山脉
04:03
and apples苹果 and pulsars脉冲星
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或苹果或脉冲星
04:05
and other people's人们 knees膝盖.
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或是别人的膝盖
04:07
Who knows知道, maybe one of your atoms原子 was once一旦 Napoleon's拿破仑 knee膝盖.
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谁知道呢,也许你其中的一个原子以前曾经是拿破仑的膝盖
04:10
That is a good thing.
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那很好
04:12
Unlike不像 the occupants居住者 of the universe宇宙,
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不像宇宙的居住者们
04:14
the universe宇宙 itself本身 is not wasteful浪费.
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宇宙本身并不浪费
04:17
We are all totally完全 recyclable可回收.
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我们都是可循环的
04:19
And when we die,
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当我们死后
04:21
we don't even have to be placed放置 in different不同 refuse垃圾 sacs.
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我们甚至都不用被垃圾分类
04:24
This is a wonderful精彩 thing.
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这是件很棒的事情
04:26
Understanding理解, to me,
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对我来说,理解这些
04:28
does not remove去掉 the wonder奇迹 and the joy喜悦.
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并不会失去幻想与乐趣
04:32
For instance, my wife妻子 could turn to me and she may可能 say,
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比如,我夫人可以问我
04:35
"Why do you love me?"
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“你为什么爱我?”
04:37
And I can with all honesty诚实
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我也可以诚实地
04:39
look her in the eye and say,
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看着她的眼睛说
04:41
"Because our pheromones费洛蒙
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“因为我们的外激素
04:43
matched匹配 our olfactory嗅觉 receptors受体."
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比较适合对方的嗅觉器官。”
04:46
(Laughter笑声)
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:)
04:48
Though虽然 I'll probably大概 also say something
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也许我还会说些其他的
04:50
about her hair头发 and personality个性 as well.
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比如她的头发和个性什么的
04:52
And that is a wonderful精彩 thing there.
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这是多好的事情啊
04:55
Love does not die because of that thing.
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爱并不会因此而变淡
04:57
Pain疼痛 doesn't go away either.
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痛也同样不会消失
04:59
This is a terrible可怕 thing, even though虽然 I understand理解 pain疼痛.
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这就不怎么好了,即使我了解痛苦
05:01
If someone有人 punches me --
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如果有人给我一拳--
05:03
and because of my personality个性,
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由于我的个性
05:05
this is recently最近 a regular定期 occurrence发生 --
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这是最近经常发生的事情--
05:07
I understand理解 where the pain疼痛 comes from.
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我知道疼痛来自哪里
05:09
It is basically基本上 momentum动量 to energy能源
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基本上就是动能
05:12
where the four-vector四矢量 is constant不变 -- that's what it is.
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四向量是恒定的--就是那样
05:14
But at no point can I react应对 and go,
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但我不可能说
05:16
"Ha! Is that the best最好 momentum-to-energy动能转化为能源 fourth第四 vector向量 constant不变 you've got?"
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“哈,这就是你能使出来的最好的动能四向量恒量吗?”
05:21
No, I just spit out a tooth齿.
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不,我只是掉了颗牙
05:23
(Laughter笑声)
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:)
05:25
And that is all of these different不同 things -- the love for my child儿童.
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那就是所有不同的事情--对我孩子的爱
05:28
I have a son儿子. His name名称 is Archie阿奇.
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我有一个儿子,叫阿奇
05:30
I'm very lucky幸运,
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我很幸运
05:32
because he's better than all the other children孩子.
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他是最好的
05:34
Now I know you don't think that.
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我知道你们肯定不这么想
05:36
You may可能 well have your own拥有 children孩子
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因为你也许也有自己的孩子
05:38
and think, "Oh no, my child's孩子的 best最好."
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心想,“我孩子才是最棒的”
05:41
That's the wonderful精彩 thing about evolution演化 --
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那是关于进化论的很棒的事--
05:43
the predilection好发 to believe
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偏向于相信自己孩子
05:45
that our child儿童 is best最好.
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是最好的
05:47
Now in many许多 ways方法, that's just a survival生存 thing.
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在很多不同方面,那只是个生存问题
05:50
The fact事实 we see here is the vehicle车辆 for our genes基因,
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我们在这看到的是,基因的传承
05:53
and therefore因此 we love it.
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所以我们才会偏爱
05:55
But we don't notice注意 that bit; we just unconditionally无条件 love.
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我们忽略了一点;我们是无条件的爱
05:58
That is a wonderful精彩 thing.
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那很棒
06:00
Though虽然 I should say that my son儿子 is best最好
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虽然我会说我的儿子最好
06:02
and is better than your children孩子.
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比你们的孩子更好
06:05
I've doneDONE some tests测试.
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我做了些测试
06:07
And all of these things to me
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所有这些对我来说
06:09
give such这样 joy喜悦 and excitement激动 and wonder奇迹.
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给我带来了很多快乐、兴奋和奇妙
06:12
Even quantum量子 mechanics机械学 can give you an excuse借口
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甚至量子力学可以给你一个家里凌乱
06:15
for bad housework家务, for instance.
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的理由,比如
06:17
Perhaps也许 you've been at home for a week on your own拥有.
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你已经独自在家一周了
06:20
You house is in a terrible可怕 state.
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家里凌乱不堪
06:22
Your partner伙伴 is about to return返回.
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你的另一半就要回来了
06:24
You think, what should I do?
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你想,我该做什么?
06:26
Do nothing.
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什么也不做
06:28
All you have to do
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你需要做的是
06:30
is, when she walks散步 in, using运用 a quantum量子 interpretation解释,
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当她走进来的时候,用量子学解释
06:32
say, "I'm so sorry.
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说,“实在对不起
06:34
I stopped停止 observing观察 the house for a moment时刻,
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我已经有段时间没观察过房子了
06:36
and when I started开始 observing观察 again,
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当我再开始去观察它的时候
06:38
everything had happened发生."
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就变成这样了”
06:40
(Laughter笑声)
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:)
06:42
That's the strong强大 anthropic人为 principle原理 of vacuuming吸尘.
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那是带有强烈人为意识的真空学理论
06:46
For me, it's a very, very important重要 thing.
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对我来说,这是非常重要的事
06:48
Even on my journey旅程 up here --
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甚至是在我来这的路上--
06:50
the joy喜悦 that I have on my journey旅程 up here every一切 single time.
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我每次来这的路上都充满欢乐
06:52
If you actually其实 think, you remove去掉 the myth神话 and there is still something wonderful精彩.
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如果你真的认为,你不相信虚幻,其实仍然会有些很奇妙的东西
06:55
I'm sitting坐在 on a train培养.
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我坐在火车上
06:57
Every一切 time I breathe呼吸 in,
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我每一次呼吸
06:59
I'm breathing呼吸 in a million-billion-billion百万数十亿十亿
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我无数次的吸进
07:01
atoms原子 of oxygen.
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氧原子
07:03
I'm sitting坐在 on a chair椅子.
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我坐在椅子上
07:05
Even though虽然 I know the chair椅子 is made制作 of atoms原子
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甚至想,我知道这个椅子是有原子构造的
07:07
and therefore因此 actually其实 in many许多 ways方法 empty space空间,
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因此,理论上就会有许多空隙
07:09
I find it comfortable自在.
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我发现这很有趣
07:11
I look out the window窗口, and I realize实现
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我看着窗外,意识到
07:13
that every一切 single time we stop and I look out that window窗口,
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每一次我们停下来注视着那扇窗外
07:15
framed陷害 in that window窗口,
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有框的窗户
07:17
wherever哪里 we are,
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不管我们在哪
07:19
I am observing观察 more life
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我是在观察
07:21
than there is in the rest休息 of the known已知 universe宇宙
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比超越地球的已知宇宙的总和还要多的
07:24
beyond the planet行星 Earth地球.
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无数生命
07:26
If you go to the safari苹果浏览器 parks公园
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如果你去土星或者木星
07:28
on Saturn土星 or Jupiter木星,
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的徒步公园
07:30
you will be disappointed失望.
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你会失望
07:32
And I realize实现 I'm observing观察 this
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当我意识到我是在用大脑观察
07:34
with the brain, the human人的 brain,
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人类的大脑
07:36
the most complex复杂 thing in the known已知 universe宇宙.
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是在已知的宇宙中最复杂的东西
07:39
That, to me, is an incredible难以置信 thing.
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那对我来说是不可思议的事情
07:41
And do you know what, that might威力 be enough足够.
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你知道吗,那也许就够了
07:44
Steven史蒂芬 Weinberg温伯格, the Nobel诺贝尔 laureate得主, once一旦 said,
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史蒂芬·温伯格,诺贝尔奖得主,曾经说过
07:47
"The more the universe宇宙 seems似乎 comprehensible理解,
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“宇宙越是呈现出可理解性
07:49
the more it seems似乎 pointless无意义."
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就越显得没有意义”
07:51
Now for some people,
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如今有些人
07:53
that seems似乎 to lead to an idea理念 of nihilism虚无主义.
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将此理解为虚无主义
07:55
But for me, it doesn't. That is a wonderful精彩 thing.
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但对我来说,不是那样的,那其实挺好的
07:58
I'm glad高兴 the universe宇宙 is pointless无意义.
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我很乐于认为宇宙是无意义的
08:00
It means手段 if I get to the end结束 of my life,
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即如果我到了生命尽头
08:02
the universe宇宙 can't turn to me and go, "What have you been doing, you idiot白痴?
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宇宙不会跟我说:“你都干了什么,你这个笨蛋?
08:05
That's not the point."
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不该那么做。”
08:07
I can make my own拥有 purpose目的.
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我可以有自己的目的
08:09
You can make your own拥有 purpose目的.
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你也可以给自己定目标
08:11
We have the individual个人 power功率
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我们都有自由意志
08:13
to go, "This is what I want to do."
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“这是我想做的事情”
08:15
And in a pointless无意义 universe宇宙, that, to me, is a wonderful精彩 thing.
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一个没有意义的宇宙,对我来说,其实是很棒的事
08:18
I have chosen选择 to make silly愚蠢 jokes笑话
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是我选择了讲些关于量子力学
08:20
about quantum量子 mechanics机械学 and the Copenhagen哥本哈根 interpretation解释.
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和哥本哈根诠释的傻傻笑话
08:23
You, I imagine想像, can do much better things with your time.
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那么我想 你可以更好地利用你的时间做更好的事情
08:26
Thank you very much. Goodbye再见.
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十分感谢,拜拜
08:28
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
Translated by Jiwei Qu
Reviewed by Chunxiang Qian

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Robin Ince - Comedian
The rational-minded Robin Ince conducts live experiments in comedy.

Why you should listen

Is rational thought funny? And is comedy scientific? are the pair of questions on which Robin Ince has built his recent career. On his own and as part of the BBC4 radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage, Robin Ince makes science-friendly comedy with pals like Brian Cox, Ben Goldacre and Simon Singh. TIMC just won the Best Speech Programme at the 2011 Sony Radio Awards, the first science program to win in ... aeons. They recently took the show on the road as "Uncaged Monkeys," about which the Telegraph's critic said, "I was expecting more knickers thrown at the stage, to be honest."

Onstage, Ince conducts live experiments into the science of comedy and laughter. He and his team set out to discover secret of timing, discover if people are born funny, and if computers can tell jokes.

He says: "Most scientists I know have movies and novels in their houses, whereas there are novelists whose houses I've been to who don't have any science books."

More profile about the speaker
Robin Ince | Speaker | TED.com