TED2007
Erin McKean: The joy of lexicography
Erin McKean 重新詮釋字典的定義
Filmed:
Readability: 3.3
1,271,097 views
我們鍾愛的印刷字典就要面臨淘汰的命運了嗎? 在以下這相當具有說服力的演講中，傑出的字典編纂者 Erin McKean 從各方面探討印刷字典轉型的各個面向。
Erin McKean - Dictionary editor
As the co-founder of Reverb Technologies, the maker of the online dictionary Wordnik, Erin McKean is reshaping how we interact with language itself. Full bio
As the co-founder of Reverb Technologies, the maker of the online dictionary Wordnik, Erin McKean is reshaping how we interact with language itself. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:25
Now, have any of y'all ever looked up this word?
0
0
4000
現在，在座哪一位查過這個字呢?
00:29
You know, in a dictionary? (Laughter) Yeah, that's what I thought.
1
4000
4000
就是那種拿起字典來查?（笑聲）沒錯，我也是這麼想的。
00:33
How about this word?
2
8000
2000
那這個字呢?
00:35
Here, I'll show it to you.
3
10000
1000
現在我來告訴各位它們的字義
00:36
Lexicography: the practice of compiling dictionaries.
4
11000
3000
字典編纂：匯編字典的過程
00:39
Notice -- we're very specific -- that word "compile."
5
14000
3000
注意--我們用精確的字義，使用這個字「匯編」。
00:42
The dictionary is not carved out of a piece of granite,
6
17000
3000
字典並不是刻在一片岩石上或是大石頭上，
00:45
out of a lump of rock. It's made up of lots of little bits.
7
20000
3000
字典是由許多小部份累積而成的。
00:48
It's little discrete --
8
23000
1000
這概念是離散的--
00:49
that's spelled D-I-S-C-R-E-T-E -- bits.
9
24000
4000
ㄌㄧˊ ㄙㄢˋ 的小片段。
00:53
And those bits are words.
10
28000
2000
而這些小片段就是字。
00:55
Now one of the perks of being a lexicographer --
11
30000
4000
作為一個辭典編纂者令人振奮的一點是--
00:59
besides getting to come to TED -- is that you get to say really fun words,
12
34000
3000
除了能夠參加TED之外--就是你可以說出一些有趣的單字，
01:02
like lexicographical.
13
37000
3000
譬如「辭典編纂的」。
01:05
Lexicographical has this great pattern:
14
40000
2000
「辭典編纂的」這個字有很特別的模式--
01:07
it's called a double dactyl. And just by saying double dactyl,
15
42000
2000
叫做雙重抑楊格（一重音節後兩輕音節）。就在我說「雙重抑揚格」的同時，
01:09
I've sent the geek needle all the way into the red. (Laughter) (Applause)
16
44000
3000
我已經把怪人指數推到極限了。
01:12
But "lexicographical" is the same pattern as "higgledy-piggledy."
17
47000
4000
但「辭典編纂的」這個字跟「亂七八糟」這個辭是同樣形式的。
01:16
Right? It's a fun word to say,
18
51000
2000
對吧?這真是一個說起來很有趣的字，
01:18
and I get to say it a lot.
19
53000
3000
且我常有機會說這個字。
01:21
Now, one of the non-perks of being a lexicographer
20
56000
3000
身為辭典編纂者的缺點之一是
01:24
is that people don't usually have a kind of warm, fuzzy, snuggly image of the dictionary.
21
59000
5000
人們普遍對字典的沒有那種親切、舒適、溫暖的感覺。
01:29
Right? Nobody hugs their dictionaries.
22
64000
3000
是吧?誰會去擁抱字典呢？
01:32
But what people really often think about the dictionary is, they think more like this.
23
67000
7000
但是一說到字典人們往往會這樣想。
01:39
Just to let you know, I do not have a lexicographical whistle.
24
74000
3000
跟你們說，我並沒有辭典編纂者口哨。
01:42
But people think that my job is to let the good words
25
77000
2000
但是一般人認為我的工作就是讓那些好的字彙
01:44
make that difficult left-hand turn into the dictionary,
26
79000
3000
能夠順利編進辭典中，
01:47
and keep the bad words out.
27
82000
2000
然後剔除那些糟糕的字。
01:49
But the thing is, I don't want to be a traffic cop.
28
84000
3000
然而事實是，我並不想當個交通警察。
01:52
For one thing, I just do not do uniforms.
29
87000
4000
其中一個原因是我不喜歡制服。
01:56
And for another, deciding what words are good
30
91000
4000
另一個原因是決定哪些字是優良的
02:00
and what words are bad is actually not very easy.
31
95000
2000
哪些字是劣質的很不容易，
02:02
And it's not very fun. And when parts of your job are not easy or fun,
32
97000
4000
而且不有趣。而且當你工作的某部份既不簡單也不有趣時，
02:06
you kind of look for an excuse not to do them.
33
101000
3000
你似乎會去找個理由不要去處理它。
02:09
So if I had to think of some kind of occupation
34
104000
5000
所以如果我必須要找到一種職業，
02:14
as a metaphor for my work, I would much rather be a fisherman.
35
109000
6000
可以用來比喻我這份工作，我想漁夫應該更恰當。
02:20
I want to throw my big net into the deep, blue ocean of English
36
115000
3000
我想要把我的大網撒進這個充斥英語詞彙的蔚藍大海，
02:23
and see what marvelous creatures I can drag up from the bottom.
37
118000
4000
然後看看我能從海底捕到什麼了不起的生物。
02:27
But why do people want me to direct traffic, when I would much rather go fishing?
38
122000
5000
但是爲什麼當人們期待我去指揮交通，而我卻更喜歡去捕魚呢?
02:32
Well, I blame the Queen.
39
127000
2000
我想這要怪「皇后」。
02:34
Why do I blame the Queen?
40
129000
2000
為什麼我怪「皇后」呢？
02:36
Well, first of all, I blame the Queen because it's funny.
41
131000
2000
第一，因為怪罪皇后很搞笑。
02:38
But secondly, I blame the Queen because
42
133000
3000
但更重要的，我怪皇后因為
02:41
dictionaries have really not changed.
43
136000
2000
辭典本身其實沒有改變。
02:43
Our idea of what a dictionary is has not changed since her reign.
44
138000
2000
自皇后的統治下,辭典這個概念就沒改變過。
02:45
The only thing that Queen Victoria would not be amused by in modern dictionaries
45
140000
6000
維多利亞皇后在現代人的辭典中唯一不會感到有趣的，
02:51
is our inclusion of the F-word, which has happened
46
146000
3000
就是那些F開頭的髒話了，這些髒字
02:54
in American dictionaries since 1965.
47
149000
2000
自1965年出現在美國的辭典中。
02:56
So, there's this guy, right? Victorian era.
48
151000
3000
維多利亞時代有個人對吧？
02:59
James Murray, first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary.
49
154000
2000
叫做詹姆士莫瑞，第一位牛津英文辭典的編纂者。
03:01
I do not have that hat. I wish I had that hat.
50
156000
3000
我沒有那頂帽子，我希望我有。
03:04
So he's really responsible for a lot of
51
159000
4000
所以說他必須要為
03:08
what we consider modern in dictionaries today.
52
163000
2000
現今辭典中被認為是現代的東西負責。
03:10
When a guy who looks like that, in that hat,
53
165000
3000
當一個戴著這樣的帽子的人
03:13
is the face of modernity, you have a problem.
54
168000
7000
代表現代化，你就有點問題了。
03:20
And so, James Murray could get a job on any dictionary today.
55
175000
2000
所以,詹姆士莫瑞可以編纂現代的任何一部辭典。
03:22
There'd be virtually no learning curve.
56
177000
3000
看起來是毫無學習曲線可言。
03:25
And of course, a few of us are saying: okay, computers!
57
180000
2000
當然有一些人會說「電腦」呀！
03:27
Computers! What about computers?
58
182000
2000
電腦! 那電腦呢?
03:29
The thing about computers is, I love computers.
59
184000
2000
關於電腦這部分是這樣的 - 我熱愛電腦。
03:31
I mean, I'm a huge geek, I love computers.
60
186000
2000
我的意思是，我是電腦狂，我熱愛電腦。
03:33
I would go on a hunger strike before I let them take away Google Book Search from me.
61
188000
4000
如果有人要把Google書籍搜尋功能從我這拿走的話我會絕食罷工。
03:37
But computers don't do much else other than
62
192000
2000
但是電腦
03:39
speed up the process of compiling dictionaries.
63
194000
4000
除了加快字典編纂速度以外別無功能。
03:43
They don't change the end result.
64
198000
4000
電腦不能改變最後的結果。
03:47
Because what a dictionary is,
65
202000
3000
因為辭典本身就是
03:50
is it's Victorian design merged with a little bit of modern propulsion.
66
205000
3000
維多利亞時代和一些些現代化概念的融合。
03:53
It's steampunk. What we have is an electric velocipede.
67
208000
6000
如同蒸汽機龐克,我們有的就只是一部電子雛型
03:59
You know, we have Victorian design with an engine on it. That's all!
68
214000
3000
維多利亞時代的設計然後裡面有部引擎罷了。
04:02
The design has not changed.
69
217000
3000
這個設計還沒有改變過。
04:05
And OK, what about online dictionaries, right?
70
220000
2000
那麼網路字典呢？
04:07
Online dictionaries must be different.
71
222000
3000
網路字典肯定不同了。
04:10
This is the Oxford English Dictionary Online, one of the best online dictionaries.
72
225000
2000
這是牛津英文線上字典,線上最好的字典之一。
04:12
This is my favorite word, by the way.
73
227000
1000
順道一提，這個是我最喜歡的一個字：
04:13
Erinaceous: pertaining to the hedgehog family; of the nature of a hedgehog.
74
228000
5000
刺蝟的:指涉刺猬因子遺傳基因;也就是刺猬因子的本質。
04:18
Very useful word. So, look at that.
75
233000
6000
很好用的字。現在看看。
04:24
Online dictionaries right now are paper thrown up on a screen.
76
239000
2000
網路字典就像把紙本內容丟到螢幕上。
04:26
This is flat. Look how many links there are in the actual entry: two!
77
241000
5000
是平面的。看看有多少真的可以點擊的連結，兩個！
04:31
Right? Those little buttons,
78
246000
2000
對吧？這些小按鈕--
04:33
I had them all expanded except for the date chart.
79
248000
3000
除了日期表以外我已經全部展開了。
04:36
So there's not very much going on here.
80
251000
2000
所以事實上並沒有很多。
04:38
There's not a lot of clickiness.
81
253000
2000
沒有很多可點擊的東西。
04:40
And in fact, online dictionaries replicate
82
255000
3000
事實上，線上字典
04:43
almost all the problems of print, except for searchability.
83
258000
3000
除了容易搜尋外，跟紙本字典有完全相同的問題。
04:46
And when you improve searchability,
84
261000
2000
當你增加搜尋效率時，
04:48
you actually take away the one advantage of print, which is serendipity.
85
263000
3000
你事實上拿走另一個好處：意外收穫。
04:51
Serendipity is when you find things you weren't looking for,
86
266000
3000
意外收穫是指你找到一些你原本不是要找的東西，
04:54
because finding what you are looking for is so damned difficult.
87
269000
3000
因為要找到你原本想找的東西實在太難了。
04:57
So -- (Laughter) (Applause) -- now, when you think about this,
88
272000
9000
所以（笑聲）現在，當你想想這個，
05:06
what we have here is a ham butt problem.
89
281000
3000
我們有個「火腿末端」問題。
05:09
Does everyone know the ham butt problem?
90
284000
2000
大家知道「火腿末端」問題嗎？
05:11
Woman's making a ham for a big, family dinner.
91
286000
2000
一個女人為了一個家庭聚餐準備火腿。
05:13
She goes to cut the butt off the ham and throw it away,
92
288000
2000
她把火腿末端切掉然後丟掉。
05:15
and she looks at this piece of ham and she's like,
93
290000
1000
然後她看著那塊火腿想：
05:16
"This is a perfectly good piece of ham. Why am I throwing this away?"
94
291000
2000
這是一塊完全沒有問題的火腿，為什麼要丟掉呢？
05:18
She thought, "Well, my mom always did this."
95
293000
2000
她想：喔，媽媽總是把它丟掉。
05:20
So she calls up mom, and she says,
96
295000
1000
所以她打電話給媽媽，問道：
05:21
"Mom, why'd you cut the butt off the ham, when you're making a ham?"
97
296000
2000
「媽，為什麼要把火腿末端切掉呢？」
05:23
She says, "I don't know, my mom always did it!"
98
298000
3000
媽媽說：「我不知道，我媽媽一直都這麼做！」
05:26
So they call grandma, and grandma says,
99
301000
2000
所以她們打給奶奶，奶奶說：
05:28
"My pan was too small!" (Laughter)
100
303000
4000
「我的鍋子太小了！」（笑聲）
05:32
So, it's not that we have good words and bad words.
101
307000
4000
所以不是我們有優質或劣質的字--
05:36
We have a pan that's too small!
102
311000
3000
而是因爲我們的鍋子太小了！
05:39
You know, that ham butt is delicious! There's no reason to throw it away.
103
314000
2000
你知道的，火腿末端很好吃的！實在沒有必要把它丟掉。
05:41
The bad words -- see, when people think about a place
104
316000
3000
劣質的字--你想，當有人想要找一個地方
05:44
and they don't find a place on the map,
105
319000
2000
而那個地方沒有在地圖上，
05:46
they think, "This map sucks!"
106
321000
2000
他們會想「這地圖爛透了！」
05:48
When they find a nightspot or a bar, and it's not in the guidebook,
107
323000
2000
當他們找到一個不在旅遊手冊上的夜總會，
05:50
they're like, "Ooh, this place must be cool! It's not in the guidebook."
108
325000
3000
他們會想「喔，這地方一定很酷！它沒有在旅遊書上。」
05:53
When they find a word that's not in the dictionary, they think,
109
328000
3000
當他們在字典上找不到一個字時，他們會想
05:56
"This must be a bad word." Why? It's more likely to be a bad dictionary.
110
331000
5000
「這一定是個不好的字。」為什麼？那更有可能是一本爛字典。
06:01
Why are you blaming the ham for being too big for the pan?
111
336000
5000
為什麼要怪火腿太大呢？
06:06
So, you can't get a smaller ham.
112
341000
3000
所以你不可能有塊小火腿。
06:09
The English language is as big as it is.
113
344000
3000
英文這個語言就是這麼大。
06:12
So, if you have a ham butt problem,
114
347000
2000
所以如果你有個火腿末端問題，
06:14
and you're thinking about the ham butt problem,
115
349000
2000
且你正在想這個問題，
06:16
the conclusion that it leads you to is inexorable and counterintuitive:
116
351000
5000
結論是無情且反直覺的：
06:21
paper is the enemy of words.
117
356000
3000
紙是文字的敵人。
06:24
How can this be? I mean, I love books. I really love books.
118
359000
4000
這怎麼可能？我的意思是，我愛書。我很愛書。
06:28
Some of my best friends are books.
119
363000
2000
我一些最要好的朋友都是書。
06:30
But the book is not the best shape for the dictionary.
120
365000
5000
但書不是字典最好的形式。
06:35
Now they're going to think "Oh, boy.
121
370000
2000
現在他們會想「喔不，
06:37
People are going to take away my beautiful, paper dictionaries?"
122
372000
3000
不要把我美麗的紙本字典拿走？」
06:40
No. There will still be paper dictionaries.
123
375000
2000
不是的。紙本字典還是會存在。
06:42
When we had cars -- when cars became the dominant mode of transportation,
124
377000
4000
當我們有車子的時候，當車子成為主要的交通工具時，
06:46
we didn't round up all the horses and shoot them.
125
381000
3000
我們沒有把所有的馬抓起來殺掉。
06:49
You know, there're still going to be paper dictionaries,
126
384000
2000
你懂的，還是會有紙本字典，
06:51
but it's not going to be the dominant dictionary.
127
386000
3000
只是不會是主要的形式。
06:54
The book-shaped dictionary is not going to be the only shape
128
389000
3000
紙本字典不會是字典的唯一形式。
06:57
dictionaries come in. And it's not going to be
129
392000
2000
而且字典不會有一個
06:59
the prototype for the shapes dictionaries come in.
130
394000
4000
很制式的形式。
07:03
So, think about it this way: if you've got an artificial constraint,
131
398000
4000
這樣想吧！就像是你有一個人為限制，
07:07
artificial constraints lead to
132
402000
4000
這個限制造成
07:11
arbitrary distinctions and a skewed worldview.
133
406000
4000
無理曲解和扭曲的世界觀。
07:15
What if biologists could only study animals
134
410000
3000
如果生物學家只能研究
07:18
that made people go, "Aww." Right?
135
413000
2000
讓人們看了會覺得可愛的動物？
07:20
What if we made aesthetic judgments about animals,
136
415000
2000
如果我們對動物的審美標準是
07:22
and only the ones we thought were cute were the ones that we could study?
137
417000
5000
只能研究那些讓我們覺得可愛的？
07:27
We'd know a whole lot about charismatic megafauna,
138
422000
4000
我們會瞭解很多關於有魅力的巨型動物的事情，
07:31
and not very much about much else.
139
426000
2000
但其他的幾乎一無所知。
07:33
And I think this is a problem.
140
428000
2000
且我覺得這是個問題。
07:35
I think we should study all the words,
141
430000
2000
我覺得我們應該學習所有的字，
07:37
because when you think about words, you can make beautiful expressions
142
432000
5000
因為當你想文字時，你可以用簡單的字
07:42
from very humble parts.
143
437000
4000
拼湊成美妙的語句。
07:46
Lexicography is really more about material science.
144
441000
4000
辭典編纂事實上是比較材料科學的。
07:50
We are studying the tolerances of the materials
145
445000
3000
我們正在研究人們
07:53
that you use to build the structure of your expression:
146
448000
3000
用來組織文章的材料的極限，
07:56
your speeches and your writing. And then, often people say to me,
147
451000
7000
包括口頭和紙筆。人們常常這麼跟我說：
08:03
"Well, OK, how do I know that this word is real?"
148
458000
5000
「好，我怎麼知道這個字是不是真的？」
08:08
They think, "OK, if we think words are the tools
149
463000
7000
他們想：「好，如果我們把文字當作
08:15
that we use to build the expressions of our thoughts,
150
470000
2000
我們組織語句的工具，
08:17
how can you say that screwdrivers are better than hammers?
151
472000
3000
那我們怎麼知道螺絲起子會比榔頭好呢？」
08:20
How can you say that a sledgehammer is better than a ball-peen hammer?"
152
475000
3000
你又怎麼會知道大錘子比小槌子好呢？
08:23
They're just the right tools for the job.
153
478000
3000
那是因工作所需而定的。
08:26
And so people say to me, "How do I know if a word is real?"
154
481000
3000
所以有人問我：「我怎麼知道一個字是不是真的？」
08:29
You know, anybody who's read a children's book
155
484000
3000
事實上，任何一個看過童話故事書的人
08:32
knows that love makes things real.
156
487000
4000
都知道愛會讓事情成真。
08:36
If you love a word, use it. That makes it real.
157
491000
5000
如果你很喜歡一個單字，多用它，這樣就會讓它變成一個真的單字了。
08:41
Being in the dictionary is an artificial distinction.
158
496000
3000
被放在字典裡面只是人為的區別罷了。
08:44
It doesn't make a word any more real than any other way.
159
499000
3000
不會讓一個字更真實。
08:47
If you love a word, it becomes real.
160
502000
4000
如果你愛一個字，這就讓它變成真的。
08:51
So if we're not worrying about directing traffic,
161
506000
3000
所以當我們不是在煩惱如何指揮交通時，
08:54
if we've transcended paper, if we are worrying less
162
509000
5000
如果我們超越紙張，如果我們少煩惱一些
08:59
about control and more about description,
163
514000
4000
關於駕馭的事而多想一些描述，
09:03
then we can think of the English language
164
518000
2000
那麼我們就可以把英文語言
09:05
as being this beautiful mobile.
165
520000
3000
想成一部美麗的轎車。
09:08
And any time one of those little parts of the mobile changes,
166
523000
2000
且每一次轎車中的任一小部份改變時，
09:10
is touched, any time you touch a word,
167
525000
3000
每一次你使用一個字，
09:13
you use it in a new context, you give it a new connotation,
168
528000
2000
你以一個新的方式使用它，你賦予它新的意義，
09:15
you verb it, you make the mobile move.
169
530000
3000
你把它當作動詞，你讓轎車移動。
09:18
You didn't break it. It's just in a new position,
170
533000
4000
你不會把它弄壞，只是擺放到不同的地方，
09:22
and that new position can be just as beautiful.
171
537000
3000
且那新的地方有可能也一樣美麗。
09:25
Now, if you're no longer a traffic cop --
172
540000
4000
現在，你不再是個交通警察。
09:29
the problem with being a traffic cop is
173
544000
2000
交通警察的問題是，
09:31
there can only be so many traffic cops in any one intersection,
174
546000
3000
在每個交叉路口上只能有固定數量的交警，
09:34
or the cars get confused. Right?
175
549000
3000
不然車子會更混亂。對吧？
09:37
But if your goal is no longer to direct the traffic,
176
552000
3000
但如果你的目的不是在指揮交通，
09:40
but maybe to count the cars that go by, then more eyeballs are better.
177
555000
4000
而是在數有多少輛車子經過，那麽更多人或許是更好的。
09:44
You can ask for help!
178
559000
2000
你可以請求協助！
09:46
If you ask for help, you get more done. And we really need help.
179
561000
4000
如果你請求協助，你將可以完成更多的事情。我們真的很需要幫忙。
09:50
Library of Congress: 17 million books,
180
565000
3000
國會圖書館有一千七百萬本書。
09:53
of which half are in English.
181
568000
3000
其中有一半是英文書。
09:56
If only one out of every 10 of those books
182
571000
4000
如果每十本中
10:00
had a word that's not in the dictionary in it,
183
575000
2000
有一個不在字典中的字，
10:02
that would be equivalent to more than two unabridged dictionaries.
184
577000
3000
那會比兩本未經刪節的字典還多。
10:05
And I find an un-dictionaried word --
185
580000
3000
且我幾乎在每本書中都可以找到一個「沒有在字典中」的字--
10:08
a word like "un-dictionaried," for example --
186
583000
2000
像是「沒有在字典中」就是一個。
10:10
in almost every book I read. What about newspapers?
187
585000
5000
報紙呢？
10:15
Newspaper archive goes back to 1759,
188
590000
5000
從1759年到現在的報紙，
10:20
58.1 million newspaper pages. If only one in 100
189
595000
5000
五千八百一十萬頁。如果每一百頁
10:25
of those pages had an un-dictionaried word on it,
190
600000
3000
有個沒有在字典裡的單字，
10:28
it would be an entire other OED.
191
603000
3000
那就會是另一本牛津英文字典了。
10:31
That's 500,000 more words. So that's a lot.
192
606000
5000
那是多了五十萬個字。那是很多的。
10:36
And I'm not even talking about magazines. I'm not talking about blogs --
193
611000
3000
而且我還沒有討論到雜誌，也沒有談部落格--
10:39
and I find more new words on BoingBoing in a given week
194
614000
2000
且我每個禮拜在BoingBoing(網站)上看到的新單字
10:41
than I do Newsweek or Time.
195
616000
2000
比在Newsweek或時代雜誌多。
10:43
There's a lot going on there.
196
618000
2000
那邊真的有很多新事件在發生。
10:45
And I'm not even talking about polysemy,
197
620000
2000
且我也還沒討論到一字多意，
10:47
which is the greedy habit some words have of taking
198
622000
3000
就是一個貪心的
10:50
more than one meaning for themselves.
199
625000
5000
有不只一個意思的字。
10:55
So if you think of the word "set," a set can be a badger's burrow,
200
630000
4000
如果想想英文單字「set」，可以是狗的洞穴，
10:59
a set can be one of the pleats in an Elizabethan ruff,
201
634000
3000
也可以是伊利莎白式袖口的褶子，
11:02
and there's one numbered definition in the OED.
202
637000
2000
而且在牛津英文字典中還有其他的解釋。
11:04
The OED has 33 different numbered definitions for set.
203
639000
3000
牛津英文字典對「set」這個字有33種解釋。
11:07
Tiny, little word, 33 numbered definitions.
204
642000
3000
這麼簡單的一個字，33種意思。
11:10
One of them is just labeled "miscellaneous technical senses."
205
645000
5000
其中一個寫到「雜項技術用語」。
11:15
Do you know what that says to me?
206
650000
1000
你知道他們跟我說什麼嗎？
11:16
That says to me, it was Friday afternoon and somebody wanted to go down the pub. (Laughter)
207
651000
5000
他們說，已經是禮拜五下午了且有人想要（下班）去酒吧了。
11:21
That's a lexicographical cop out,
208
656000
2000
那是辭典編纂人員的偷懶，
11:23
to say, "miscellaneous technical senses."
209
658000
2000
寫說「雜項技術用語」。
11:25
So, we have all these words, and we really need help!
210
660000
4000
所以我們有這些字，且我們真的需要幫忙！
11:29
And the thing is, we could ask for help --
211
664000
3000
而且我們可以請人幫忙，
11:32
asking for help's not that hard.
212
667000
1000
事實上沒有那麼難。
11:33
I mean, lexicography is not rocket science.
213
668000
3000
我的意思是，辭典編纂不是很難的科學。
11:36
See, I just gave you a lot of words and a lot of numbers,
214
671000
3000
你看，我才剛給你們一堆字和一堆數字，
11:39
and this is more of a visual explanation.
215
674000
2000
這是個圖像的解釋。
11:41
If we think of the dictionary as being the map of the English language,
216
676000
3000
如果我們把字典想成英語語言的地圖，
11:44
these bright spots are what we know about,
217
679000
2000
這些亮點是我們已經知道的，
11:46
and the dark spots are where we are in the dark.
218
681000
3000
暗點是我們還不知道的。
11:49
If that was the map of all the words in American English, we don't know very much.
219
684000
5000
如果我們看這個美式英語的地圖，我們知道不多。
11:54
And we don't even know the shape of the language.
220
689000
3000
我們不知道這個語言的形狀。
11:57
If this was the dictionary -- if this was the map of American English --
221
692000
3000
如果這是字典，如果這是美式英語的地圖，
12:00
look, we have a kind of lumpy idea of Florida,
222
695000
3000
看，我們有個怪異形狀的佛羅里達，
12:03
but there's no California!
223
698000
3000
但沒有加州！
12:06
We're missing California from American English.
224
701000
3000
我們在美式英語中忽略了加州。
12:09
We just don't know enough, and we don't even know that we're missing California.
225
704000
5000
我們真的知道的太少，而且我們根本不知道我們忽略了加州。
12:14
We don't even see that there's a gap on the map.
226
709000
2000
我們根本看不出來地圖上有空隙。
12:16
So again, lexicography is not rocket science.
227
711000
3000
所以再說一次，辭典編纂不是什麼很難的科學。
12:19
But even if it were, rocket science is being done
228
714000
3000
但就算它是，現在的前衛科學
12:22
by dedicated amateurs these days. You know?
229
717000
4000
往往是需要業餘者的參與。你知道嗎？
12:26
It can't be that hard to find some words!
230
721000
4000
找一些單字不難的！
12:30
So, enough scientists in other disciplines
231
725000
3000
所以，很多在其他領域的科學家
12:33
are really asking people to help, and they're doing a good job of it.
232
728000
3000
正在請人們幫忙，且他們做得非常好。
12:36
For instance, there's eBird, where amateur birdwatchers
233
731000
2000
舉例來說：eBird是業餘觀鳥者
12:38
can upload information about their bird sightings.
234
733000
2000
可以上傳他們看到鳥類的狀況。
12:40
And then, ornithologists can go
235
735000
2000
然後鳥類學家可由此
12:42
and help track populations, migrations, etc.
236
737000
3000
瞭解鳥類數目、遷移等資料。
12:45
And there's this guy, Mike Oates. Mike Oates lives in the U.K.
237
740000
3000
還有一個住在英國名叫麥可奧斯的人。
12:48
He's a director of an electroplating company.
238
743000
4000
他是一家電鍍公司的老闆。
12:52
He's found more than 140 comets.
239
747000
3000
他發現了超過140個彗星。
12:55
He's found so many comets, they named a comet after him.
240
750000
3000
為了感謝他在尋找彗星領域的貢獻，有個彗星是用他的名字命名的。
12:58
It's kind of out past Mars. It's a hike.
241
753000
1000
那些彗星比火星遠--需要一些氣力才過得去。
12:59
I don't think he's getting his picture taken there anytime soon.
242
754000
2000
我不認為他可以在不遠的將來可在那邊拍照。
13:01
But he found 140 comets without a telescope.
243
756000
4000
但他並沒有用望遠鏡找到140個彗星。
13:05
He downloaded data from the NASA SOHO satellite,
244
760000
3000
他下載了NASA和SOHO的衛星資訊，
13:08
and that's how he found them.
245
763000
2000
就這樣找到了彗星。
13:10
If we can find comets without a telescope,
246
765000
4000
如果我們可以不需要望遠鏡就可以找到彗星，
13:14
shouldn't we be able to find words?
247
769000
2000
那為什麼我們不能找到新的字？
13:16
Now, y'all know where I'm going with this.
248
771000
2000
現在，你們都知道我在想什麼了。
13:18
Because I'm going to the Internet, which is where everybody goes.
249
773000
3000
我在想網路，就是大家都在用的。
13:21
And the Internet is great for collecting words,
250
776000
2000
而且網路是個非常適合蒐集文字的地方，
13:23
because the Internet's full of collectors.
251
778000
1000
因為網路上有很多蒐集者。
13:24
And this is a little-known technological fact about the Internet,
252
779000
3000
且這是網路較不為人知的科技面向，
13:27
but the Internet is actually made up of words and enthusiasm.
253
782000
3000
但事實上網路是由文字和熱情編織出來的。
13:30
And words and enthusiasm actually happen to be
254
785000
5000
而文字和熱情正是
13:35
the recipe for lexicography. Isn't that great?
255
790000
3000
辭典編纂的元素。這不是很棒嗎？
13:38
So there are a lot of really good word-collecting sites out there right now,
256
793000
4000
現在網路上有很多很棒的文字蒐集網站，
13:42
but the problem with some of them is that they're not scientific enough.
257
797000
2000
但問題在於他們不夠科學化。
13:44
They show the word, but they don't show any context.
258
799000
3000
他們顯示文字，但沒有內容：
13:47
Where did it come from? Who said it?
259
802000
2000
從哪裡來？誰說的？
13:49
What newspaper was it in? What book?
260
804000
2000
在哪些報紙當中？哪些書當中？
13:51
Because a word is like an archaeological artifact.
261
806000
4000
因為文字是古典神物。
13:55
If you don't know the provenance or the source of the artifact,
262
810000
3000
如果你不知道神物的出處，
13:58
it's not science, it's a pretty thing to look at.
263
813000
3000
就不是科學，只是一個好看的東西罷了。
14:01
So a word without its source is like a cut flower.
264
816000
3000
所以一個不知道來源的字就像是朵被摘下來的花。
14:04
You know, it's pretty to look at for a while, but then it dies.
265
819000
4000
就是看起來很漂亮但過一陣子就死掉了。
14:08
It dies too fast.
266
823000
1000
它很快就會死亡。
14:09
So, this whole time I've been saying,
267
824000
4000
從剛剛到現在我一直說
14:13
"The dictionary, the dictionary, the dictionary, the dictionary."
268
828000
2000
：「辭典、辭典、辭典。」
14:15
Not "a dictionary," or "dictionaries." And that's because,
269
830000
3000
不是「一本辭典」或是「數本辭典」。原因是--
14:18
well, people use the dictionary to stand for the whole language.
270
833000
3000
人們把「辭典」當作整個語言的代稱。
14:21
They use it synecdochically.
271
836000
3000
人們把它當作一種借代--
14:24
And one of the problems of knowing a word like "synecdochically"
272
839000
3000
且知道一個像是「借代」這樣的詞
14:27
is that you really want an excuse to say "synecdochically."
273
842000
3000
就是你會想要一個用這個詞理由。
14:30
This whole talk has just been an excuse to get me to the point
274
845000
2000
所以這整個演講就是製造一個
14:32
where I could say "synecdochically" to all of you.
275
847000
2000
讓我可以有機會講這個字。
14:34
So I'm really sorry. But when you use a part of something --
276
849000
3000
對不起。但當你用東西的一部份--
14:37
like the dictionary is a part of the language,
277
852000
2000
就像辭典是語言的一部份，
14:39
or a flag stands for the United States, it's a symbol of the country --
278
854000
5000
或是讓國旗代表美國、代表國家--
14:44
then you're using it synecdochically.
279
859000
4000
那麼你就是在使用借代了。
14:48
But the thing is, we could make the dictionary the whole language.
280
863000
4000
但問題是，我們可以讓辭典成為整個語言。
14:52
If we get a bigger pan, then we can put all the words in.
281
867000
4000
如果我們有個大一點的鍋子，我們就可以把所有字放進去。
14:56
We can put in all the meanings.
282
871000
4000
我們可以讓它有所有的意義。
15:00
Doesn't everyone want more meaning in their lives?
283
875000
4000
人們不是總希望人生有更多意義嗎？
15:04
And we can make the dictionary not just be a symbol of the language --
284
879000
4000
且我們可以讓辭典不是只是語言的符號，
15:08
we can make it be the whole language.
285
883000
3000
我們可以讓它成為整個語言。
15:11
You see, what I'm really hoping for is that my son,
286
886000
2000
我很希望我的兒子--
15:13
who turns seven this month -- I want him to barely remember
287
888000
3000
他這個月就要七歲了--我希望他幾乎不會記得
15:16
that this is the form factor that dictionaries used to come in.
288
891000
5000
這是以前辭典的形式。
15:21
This is what dictionaries used to look like.
289
896000
2000
這是以前辭典的樣子。
15:23
I want him to think of this kind of dictionary as an eight-track tape.
290
898000
2000
我希望他把這種辭典就有點像是錄音帶。
15:25
It's a format that died because it wasn't useful enough.
291
900000
4000
就是一種因為不夠常使用而不復存在。
15:29
It wasn't really what people needed.
292
904000
3000
並不是人們真的需要的。
15:32
And the thing is, if we can put in all the words,
293
907000
3000
但事實上，如果我們可以把所有的字放進去，
15:35
no longer have that artificial distinction between good and bad,
294
910000
4000
沒有人為的優質劣質間的區分，
15:39
we can really describe the language like scientists.
295
914000
3000
我們就真的可以如科學家般解釋語言。
15:42
We can leave the aesthetic judgments to the writers and the speakers.
296
917000
2000
我們可以把美學鑑定的部份讓給作家和演講家。
15:44
If we can do that, then I can spend all my time fishing,
297
919000
4000
如果我們可以做到，那們我就可以把所有時間拿來釣魚，
15:48
and I don't have to be a traffic cop anymore.
298
923000
5000
而不用繼續當一個交通警察了。
15:53
Thank you very much for your kind attention.
299
928000
2000
謝謝各位的注意。
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Erin McKean - Dictionary editorAs the co-founder of Reverb Technologies, the maker of the online dictionary Wordnik, Erin McKean is reshaping how we interact with language itself.
Why you should listen
Erin McKean's job as a lexicographer involves living in a constant state of research. She searches high and low -- from books to blogs, newspapers to cocktail parties -- for new words, new meanings for old words, or signs that old words have fallen out of use. In June of this year, she involved us all in the search by launching Wordnik, an online dictionary that houses all the traditionally accepted words and definitions, but also asks users to contribute new words and new uses for old words. Wordnik pulls real-time examples of word usage from Twitter, image representations from Flickr along with many more non-traditional, and highly useful, features.
Before Wordnik, McKean was one of the youngest editors of the New Oxford American Dictionary. She continues to serve as the editor of the language quarterly Verbatim ("language and linguistics for the layperson since 1974") and is the author of multiple books, including That's Amore and the entire Weird and Wonderful Words series. All that, and she maintains multiple blogs, too: McKean is the keen observationalist behind A Dress a Day and Dictionary Evangelist. Is there anything she can't do? Surprisingly, she is notoriously bad at Scrabble.
Erin McKean | Speaker | TED.com