Making a TED-Ed Lesson: Visualizing big ideas

制作TED-Ed课程: 想法的视觉化

翻译人员: Fiona Zhang 校对人员: Zhiting Chen

Do you ever struggle to find the perfect description

你在寻求用完美的方式来传达想法

when trying to convey an idea?

的时候有感到过困难吗？

Like a foggy picture,

像雾中景色

adjectives and modifiers fail to depict

任何形容和修饰都不能描绘出

what's in your mind.

你脑海里的想法。

Illustrators often face a similar challenge,

插画师往往面临着类似的挑战，

especially when attempting to explain

尤其是在解释

complex and difficult concepts.

复杂概念的时候。

Sometimes the imagery is intangible

有时，这些想象是无形的

or way too complicated to explain with a picture.

或者复杂到用图示都无法解释。

Although complex information could be relayed

虽然用统计图表可以传达

using charts and stats,

复杂的信息，

this could get pretty boring.

但又显得很无趣。

Instead, just like when writing an essay

相反，就像写文章的时候

to describe, for example, emotions,

若要描述类似于情绪之类的东西，

illustrators can use visual metaphors

插画师可以使用视觉隐喻

to bring to life difficult concepts.

来形象化难以表述的概念。

Just as a written metaphor is a description

正如书面隐喻是用语言

that relates one object to another,

把一个对象关联到另一个，

a visual metaphor uses imagery to suggest

视觉隐喻则是用图像来展示

a particular association or point of similarity.

两者之间的特殊联系或相似点。

Our lesson "Big Data" is a great example

我们这堂"大数据”课本身

of a situation where visual metaphors

就是一个视觉隐喻应用于

played a huge role in explaining the concept.

解释的复杂概念的范例。

What is Big Data in the first place?

首先，什么是“大数据”？

Good question!

问得好 ！

Big Data is a huge amount of digital information

“大数据”是全世界每天都在生产的

produced worldwide on a daily basis,

海量的数字信息，

challenging us to find solutions

我们得想方设法去

for storing,

存储它，

analyzing,

分析它，

and also imagining it visually.

还要把它视觉化处理。

Quite an elusive concept!

一个非常难懂的概念 ！

How should we depict this?

我们应如何描绘它呢？

Let's take a look at our "Big Data" script.

看看我们的"大数据"脚本。

We start with smaller computer servers

我们一开始使用较小

that branch out into bigger networks

但有扩展功能的网络服务器

to produce data,

来产生的数据，

then even bigger networks

然后（扩展出）更大网络

and production of even more data.

生产更多的数据。

You see where we're going with this --

看看我们需要表达的内容吧-

an object growing and branching out in many directions

这是一个物体，会生长，会多方向伸展，

and producing something as a result?

还会产生结果。

Does that remind you of something?

这让你联想到什么了吗？

Just like those computer networks,

和计算机网络一样，

a tree grows and branches out

一棵树会生长和分支

to produce more leaves each year.

以便来年生产出更多叶子。

And every year, just as the data accumulates

每年，仅仅是数据的积累

and faces us with a challenge

就让我们我们面临

to find storage solutions,

存储方案的挑战，

it gets harder to collect those piles of leaves

再加上从树上掉下来的叶子

when they fall off the tree.

就难上加难了。

Aha! There's our visual metaphor!

啊哈 ！这就是我所谓的视觉隐喻 ！

Okay, so we have the script,

好了，我们有了脚本，

audio,

音频、

and a visual metaphor.

和视觉隐喻。

The next step in visual development

视觉隐喻制作的下一步

is to design the characters

就是设计动画的

and environments of the animation.

角色和环境。

To do so, we think

为达到效果，得想出

of an appropriate and appealing style

一个既适当又吸引人的风格

to illustrate the ideas

来演示这个想法

and help the viewer better understand

让大家更好的

what they're hearing.

理解听到的内容。

Let's go back to the script

让我们再回到脚本

and see if we can find any clues there.

看看我们是否能找到一些线索。

Our story starts in the 1960s

我们的故事开始于 20 世纪 60 年代

when the first computer networks were built.

第一代计算机网络建设刚刚完成。

This decade will serve as a good point

这十年将成为我们选择

to make the stylistic choice for our animation

动画风格的契机，因为

as it will allow us to refer to artwork

我们可以把整个时代的作品

from that era.

作为参考。

You may want to start

从那个时代的

by looking at some art books

艺术书籍

(design, illustrations, cartoons, etc.)

如设计、 插图、 漫画等

from that era

出发

and find a style that may our own purpose.

去找一种我们想要的风格。

Look closely,

仔细观察，

study the material,

研究资料，

and try to understand the choices

接着尝试去理解

artists of that time made and why.

当时的艺术家为什么作出那样的选择。

For example, the 1960s minimalist animation style

例如，20 世纪 60 年代流行的极简主义动画形式

was a significant departure

是从写实电影基础上

from the cinematic realism

分化出来的

that was popular in animated films at the time.

这是当时最受欢迎的动画片（模式）。

The choice to use limited animation techniques

最初是出于预算的原因

was originally made for budgetary reasons,

只能选择有限的动画技术

but it became a signature style

但它最终成为影响了

that influenced many future generations of animators.

未来几代人动画制作者的标志性风格。

In this stylistic approach,

利用（简约）风格做法，

the simplified characters,

使用极简的人物形象，

flat backgrounds,

单调的背景，

and angular shapes come together

和有棱角的形状

to create new interpretations of reality,

来对现实进行全新的诠释，

which also sounds like a good place

这听起来是着手制作

to begin visualizing our own Big Data.

“大数据”可视化不错的的开端。

Well, let's try an experiment.

好吧，让我们做一个实验。

"In the 1980s islands of similar networks

“20 世纪 80 年代的欧洲和美国基本普及了

speaking different dialects

网络的使用

sprung up all over Europe and the States,

大家用着相同的网络但讲着不同方言，

making remote access possible but tortuous."

虽然实现了远程访问但交流起来很困难。”

Is this better?

这样（表达）更好不？

"In the 1980s islands of similar networks

"20 世纪 80 年代的欧洲和美国基本普及了

speaking different dialects

网络的使用

sprung up all over Europe and the States,

大家用着相同的网络但讲着不同方言，

making remote access possible but tortuous.

虽然实现了远程访问但交流起来很困难。

To make it easy for our physicists across the world

要让世界各地的物理学家

to access the ever-expanding Big Data

不用出门就能使用网络来访问

stored at CERN without traveling,

存储在欧洲核子研究委员会上不断扩大的“大数据”，

the networks needed to be talking

那在网络上就得用

with the same language."

相同的语言来对话"。

As you probably observed,

你可能已经看到，

graphic representations are a great way

图形化表示

to capture the interest of your audience.

是捕获你的听众的兴趣好方法。

By depicting what you want to present and explain

通过强有力且令人难忘的视觉效果

with strong, memorable visuals,

来描述你想解释的内容

you can communicate your idea more effectively.

可以更有效地传达你的想法。

So, now, challenge yourself.

所以，现在，挑战自己。

Think of an abstract concept

找一个不能用简单的词

that cannot be explained with simple words.

来解释的抽象的概念。

Go ahead and try your hand

行动起来吧！

at visually developing that idea.

试着利用视觉手段构建你的想法。