The key to media's hidden codes - Ben Beaton

Transcriber: Ido Dekkers Reviewer: Emma Gon

(Music)

翻译人员: Tianshu Wang 校对人员: Liang Jiajia

(音乐)

Every movie you've ever seen,

你看过的每部电影、

every TV show, every magazine,

每个电视节目、每本杂志，

every time you surf the Internet,

还有你每次网上的浏览，

you're absorbing information,

你都在吸收信息。

a bit like a sponge absorbs water.

这就有点像海绵吸水一样。

The words on the screen, the images,

屏幕上的文字、图像、

the colors, the sounds, the angle of the camera,

颜色、声音、镜头的角度，

every detail is designed to make you think,

每个精心设计的细节，为的是 引导你以特定的方式

act or feel a certain way.

思考、行动和感受。

Your brain is subconsciously decoding images and sounds,

你的大脑下意识地 解码图像和声音，

and just by being alive today,

仅仅是通过当下的存在，

by interacting with and reading all these different types of media,

阅读各种媒体，以及和它们互动。

you're already an expert

你已经成为了

at decoding and understanding these hidden messages.

理解和解析隐藏信息的专家。

A set of codes and conventions that work together

一整套编码和惯例共同运作，

to make you feel happy, angry, afraid, excited.

从而使你感到开心、生气、害怕、兴奋。

To make you want to buy a particular product --

让你有想买特定产品的冲动，

a refreshing drink, a new phone.

无论是饮料，还是新手机。

To style your hair a certain way.

换个特定的发型。

To cheer for the hero or boo the villain.

为英雄欢呼，或为恶棍喝倒彩。

Welcome to the family tree of technical codes.

欢迎来到技术代码家族。

So what constitutes a code?

那代码是由什么组成的呢？

First of all, it has to be recognized by all who read it.

首先，它必须能被所有读它的人识别。

Imagine a busy city where motorists don't know how to read the traffic signals.

想象一个没有司机 看得懂交通信号的城市。

We all have to know red equals stop,

我们都必须知道 红灯停绿灯行，

green means go, for the system to work.

这样交通系统才能正常运作。

Otherwise it would be chaos.

否则就是一团糟。

Secondly, codes are made meaningful by their context.

第二，代码被上下文赋予含义。

We can't fully interpret or decipher a code

只有看到代码与其他标志和符号的联系，

until we see how it relates to other signs and symbols.

我们才能完全解读或破译代码。

Look at these two intersecting lines.

看看这两条相交的线

Without any context, things around the code to help you understand or make meaning from it,

如果没有上下文，周围也没有 可以帮助理解它们的东西，

it's hard to know exactly what these lines represent.

就很难知道这些线到底代表着什么。

They could be a cross, symbolizing religion,

可能是象征宗教的十字、

an add sign, symbolizing a mathematical concept,

象征数学概念的加号、

the letter T from the alphabet,

字母表上的字母T，

or they could just be two lines intersecting.

或者仅仅是两条相交的线。

If we add a crescent moon shape,

如果在前面添加个月牙

and a circle with a line on it in front,

和一个带横线的圆，

the two lines now have a context,

这两条线就有了上下文，

a relationship to their surroundings,

有了与周围事物的关联，

and are magically revealed as the letter T.

答案就神奇地揭晓了：字母T。

By adding additional information around the code,

通过在代码周围添加信息，

we've changed its context, and therefore given it a concrete meaning.

我们改变了上下文， 从而赋予了它确切的含义。

Let's meet the family.

让我们和这个家族见个面吧。

Technical Codes, Senior has three sons:

老技术编码有三个儿子：

Symbolic Codes, Written Codes and Technical Codes, Junior.

符号代码，书写代码和新技术代码。

Symbolic Codes has three sons:

符号代码有三个儿子：

Symbolic Color, Symbolic Objects

符号颜色，符号物体

and Symbolic Animals.

和符号动物。

This branch of the family is all about representation.

这整个家族都与表述有关。

Red represents hot

红色代表热、

or stop or danger, depending on its context.

停止，或者危险。 这取决于上下文而定。

So if you see a red light above a yellow and a green light

所以当你看到马路上

on a pole above the road,

红灯下面有黄灯和绿灯的时候

you know by this context that the light represents stop.

你就会知道它代表停止。

Written Codes has three sons:

书写代码有三个儿子：

You and Only You, Buzzwords and Catchphrase.

你和你自己、流行语和口号，

These guys are all about saying a lot with a little,

它们都用很少的话表达很多意思，

or planting a word in your subconscious

或者在潜意识里植入一些词

that triggers a response whenever you hear or read it.

使得你在听到或者读到这些词的时候 会激起反应

Have you noticed how many times I've said the word "you?"

你注意到我刚才 一共说了几个“你”吗？

You should feel like it's directed specifically at you, and only you,

你会觉得，这是为你量身定做的，

that it's addressing your needs and desire to learn about your world.

说的就是你想了解世界 的需要和愿望。

If I tell you that all the cool, fresh and hip people are buying

如果我告诉你， 所有时髦有趣的人

a new drink or wearing a particular brand,

都在买一种新饮料 或穿某个牌子，

the buzzwords "new," "fresh" or "free"

“时髦”“有趣”这些关键词

make the product seem more interesting and appealing.

就让产品显得更有趣和吸引人。

If I wrap that product or idea in a simple phrase

如果我将这个产品或想法 用简单的词语表达

that's easy to remember and becomes part of your everyday speech,

并成为日常用语的一部分

then every time you hear or say those few words,

那你每次听到或说出这些词时，

your brain connects them to the product.

你的大脑就会想到这个产品。

So Just Do It, Think Different,

所以，“去做“（耐克）就对了， 要“别出心裁”（苹果），

and Enjoy the power of the catchphrase.

并“享受”（可口可乐）口号的力量吧。

And Technical Codes, Junior has three sons:

新技术代码有三个儿子：

Camera Angles, Framing and Lighting.

拍摄角度、框架和灯光。

For these boys, it's all about how the camera is placed,

它们讲的都是相机的摆放，

how objects, people and places are shot,

物体、人和地点的拍摄方式，

and what we see on screen -- or just as importantly, what we don't see.

以及屏幕上所呈现的东西， 或者没有必要呈现出来的东西。

When the camera is placed high above the subject,

如果相机高悬在物体上方，

it makes you look small, insignificant and powerless.

你会显得很小，无足轻重、人微言轻。

And the reverse is also true, when the camera is below.

反之亦然。

So is this video trying to manipulate you to buy something?

那这个视频是不是 想怂恿你买什么？

Yes, an idea.

没错，想法是这样。

The idea that understanding the relationship between technical codes

明白技术代码之间的联系

and the role they play in shaping your understanding of the world around us

和它们如何通过我们消费的媒体 来塑造我们对世界的理解

through the media we consume is fun and interesting.

是个很有趣的想法。

Is it trying to make you feel a certain way?

它让你以特定方式感受吗？

Absolutely.

当然。

Every image, every word,

每个画面，每个词，

has been carefully crafted to work together

都经过精心挑选和组合

to make you feel positive about the idea

来让你对这个想法产生正面的评价。

that you need to be educated to engage with what you read,

你需要受教育来理解

watch and listen to in movies,

你在电影中、电视上

TV shows, magazines

杂志里和上网时

and on the Internet.

所读、所看、和所闻。

By understanding these codes,

理解了这些编码，

and how they work together to subconsciously change the way you think,

和它们如何共同作用， 通过潜意识改变你对商品和想法的思考

feel and act towards products and ideas,

感受和行为。

you'll be aware of these techniques

知道了这些技巧，

and able to identify their impact on you.

就能识别它们对你的影响。

One of the most powerful advertising mediums in the world

世界上最厉害的广告媒介之一

is word of mouth.

就是口口相传。

If you've ever recommended a product or movie, a service, or even a video online,

如果你推荐过什么商品、电影、服务 乃至一个网络视频，

then you've played your part in passing the message.

你就在传递信息中出了一份力。

So soak all this information up.

吸收所有这些信息吧。

Recognize how the family tree of technical codes

识别代码家族

works on you, and those around you, to make an impact

在你和周围人身上产生的影响。

Find excellent examples,

找到好例子，

and spread the word.

并向全世界传播吧。