The art of choosing | Sheena Iyengar | TED

翻译人员: Jenny Yang 校对人员: Guo Tang

Today, I'm going to take you

今天， 我要带大家

around the world in 18 minutes.

在十八分钟的时间里环游世界。

My base of operations is in the U.S.,

美国是这次旅程的起点。

but let's start at the other end of the map,

但让我们从地图的另一端出发

in Kyoto, Japan,

- 日本京都

where I was living with a Japanese family

在那儿我和一个日本当地家庭生活在一起

while I was doing part of my dissertational research

当时我正在做博士毕业论文的相关研究

15 years ago.

这是十五年前的事了。

I knew even then that I would encounter

那时候我就知道我肯定会遭遇

cultural differences and misunderstandings,

文化差异和误解，

but they popped up when I least expected it.

但它们却是在我毫无准备的情形下发生了。

On my first day,

我到那儿的第一天，

I went to a restaurant,

去了一家餐厅，

and I ordered a cup of green tea with sugar.

点了一杯加糖的绿茶。

After a pause, the waiter said,

那个服务生顿了一下说，

"One does not put sugar in green tea."

“我们这里喝绿茶都不加糖。”

"I know," I said. "I'm aware of this custom.

“我知道。”我说，“我知道这个习俗。

But I really like my tea sweet."

但是我想要喝甜的绿茶。”

In response, he gave me an even more courteous version

听到我的回答，他用更礼貌的语气对我

of the same explanation.

又解释了一遍同样的意思。

"One does not put sugar

我们从来不在绿茶里

in green tea."

加糖。

"I understand," I said,

“我明白，”我说，

"that the Japanese do not put sugar in their green tea,

“我明白日本人从来不在绿茶里加糖。

but I'd like to put some sugar

但是我就想放点糖

in my green tea."

在我的绿茶里。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Surprised by my insistence,

服务生被我的执着震住了，

the waiter took up the issue with the manager.

他把此事告诉了店经理

Pretty soon,

不一会儿，

a lengthy discussion ensued,

开始了一个很长的讨论

and finally the manager came over to me and said,

最后店经理走过来对我说，

"I am very sorry. We do not have sugar."

”非常抱歉。我们店里没有糖。“

(Laughter)

(笑声)

Well, since I couldn't have my tea the way I wanted it,

好吧，既然喝不到想喝的加糖绿茶，

I ordered a cup of coffee,

我只好另点了一杯咖啡，

which the waiter brought over promptly.

这次服务生很快就端过来了。

Resting on the saucer

只见茶托上赫然躺着

were two packets of sugar.

两小包糖。

My failure to procure myself

我没能给自己点到

a cup of sweet, green tea

一杯加糖绿茶

was not due to a simple misunderstanding.

并不是因为简单的误解。

This was due to a fundamental difference

而是因为对于选择这个概念

in our ideas about choice.

我们存在根本的认识差异。

From my American perspective,

从我作为一个美国人的视角，

when a paying customer makes a reasonable request

当顾客提出合理要求

based on her preferences,

出于个人喜好，

she has every right to have that request met.

她就有权利让自己的要求得到满足。

The American way, to quote Burger King,

这种美式作风，用汉堡王的话来说，

is to "have it your way,"

就是“吃出你的自己的方式”

because, as Starbucks says,

因为，正如星巴克所说，

"happiness is in your choices."

“快乐尽在你的选择中。"

(Laughter)

(笑声)

But from the Japanese perspective,

但在日本人眼里，

it's their duty to protect those who don't know any better --

他们有责任保护不知好歹的人

(Laughter)

（笑声）

in this case, the ignorant gaijin --

也就是我这个无知的外国人(注：日语外人)--

from making the wrong choice.

做出错误的选择。

Let's face it: the way I wanted my tea

这么说吧，我要在绿茶里放糖这种方式

was inappropriate according to cultural standards,

在日本的文化标准中是不恰当的，

and they were doing their best to help me save face.

他们只是尽最大努力帮我保住面子。

Americans tend to believe

而美国人则认为

that they've reached some sort of pinnacle

在实行选择这件事上，

in the way they practice choice.

他们已经做到最巅峰了。

They think that choice, as seen through the American lens

他们认为以美国人的视角做出的选择

best fulfills an innate and universal

最能满足人类对选择的

desire for choice in all humans.

本性和普遍性的欲望。

Unfortunately,

不幸的是，

these beliefs are based on assumptions

这种观点是建立在一种假设上的

that don't always hold true

而这些假设在不同文化不同国家里

in many countries, in many cultures.

并不总是成立的。

At times they don't even hold true

甚至有时候在美国本土

at America's own borders.

都不一定成立。

I'd like to discuss some of these assumptions

我想探讨其中一些假设

and the problems associated with them.

以及引申而来的一些问题。

As I do so, I hope you'll start thinking

我希望在我进行的同时，大家也能开始想想

about some of your own assumptions

你们自己的一些假设

and how they were shaped by your backgrounds.

以及它们在你个人背景影响下是如何形成的

First assumption:

第一个假设:

if a choice affects you,

如果一个选择影响你，

then you should be the one to make it.

那么该选择应当由你本人做出。

This is the only way to ensure

这是唯一的办法来保证

that your preferences and interests

你自己的偏好和兴趣

will be most fully accounted for.

被最大限度的纳入考虑。

It is essential for success.

这是成功的基本。

In America, the primary locus of choice

在美国，选择的主要焦点

is the individual.

在于个人。

People must choose for themselves, sometimes sticking to their guns,

人们必须为自己选择，有时甚至于固执己见地

regardless of what other people want or recommend.

不管其他人想要什么或推荐什么。

It's called "being true to yourself."

这叫“对自己真实。”

But do all individuals benefit

但是不是所有人都从

from taking such an approach to choice?

这种选择的方式中获益呢？

Mark Lepper and I did a series of studies

马克 莱珀和我进行了一系列研究

in which we sought the answer to this very question.

来寻求这个问题的答案。

In one study,

在其中的一项研究中，

which we ran in Japantown, San Francisco,

在旧金山的日本城展开

we brought seven- to nine-year-old Anglo- and Asian-American children

我们把7至9岁的英裔美国籍和亚裔美国籍儿童

into the laboratory,

带进了实验室

and we divided them up into three groups.

并将其分成三组。

The first group came in,

第一组进来，

and they were greeted by Miss Smith,

由史密斯小姐迎接他们，

who showed them six big piles of anagram puzzles.

并给他们看了六张字谜。

The kids got to choose which pile of anagrams they would like to do,

孩子们可以选择自己喜欢的拼字图来完成。

and they even got to choose which marker

他们还可以选择用哪只水笔

they would write their answers with.

把答案写下来。

When the second group of children came in,

当第二组孩子进来时，

they were brought to the same room, shown the same anagrams,

他们被带到同一个房间，展示同样的字谜游戏。

but this time Miss Smith told them

不过这次史密斯小姐告诉他们

which anagrams to do

该做哪个拼字图

and which markers to write their answers with.

该用哪只水笔写答案。

Now when the third group came in,

第三个小组进来，

they were told that their anagrams and their markers

他们被告知做哪个拼字图得用哪只水笔

had been chosen by their mothers.

已经由他们的妈妈决定好了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

In reality,

现实中，

the kids who were told what to do,

那些被告知该做什么的孩子，

whether by Miss Smith or their mothers,

不管是史密斯小姐还是他们的妈妈做的选择，

were actually given the very same activity,

实际上做出了和

which their counterparts in the first group

第一组自由选择的孩子们

had freely chosen.

做出了完全一致的行为。

With this procedure, we were able to ensure

在这个过程中，我们可以保证

that the kids across the three groups

三组的孩子

all did the same activity,

都进行相同的活动，

making it easier for us to compare performance.

使我们更容易比较他们的行为

Such small differences in the way we administered the activity

我们管理时的细微差异

yielded striking differences

在他们实际行为中

in how well they performed.

引起了显著的不同。

Anglo-Americans,

英裔美国籍的孩子们，

they did two and a half times more anagrams

做了两点五倍更多的拼图

when they got to choose them,

当他们可以(自己)进行选择时，

as compared to when it was

相对于

chosen for them by Miss Smith or their mothers.

史密斯小姐或妈妈们为他们作出选择时。

It didn't matter who did the choosing,

不论是谁作出的选择

if the task was dictated by another,

如果这任务已经被他人所强制，

their performance suffered.

他们的表现就会受损。

In fact, some of the kids were visibly embarrassed

事实上，一些孩子面露尴尬

when they were told that their mothers had been consulted.

当他们得知已经同他们的妈妈商讨过了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

One girl named Mary said,

一个叫玛丽的孩子说

"You asked my mother?"

“你真的问了我妈妈？”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

In contrast,

相比之下，

Asian-American children

亚裔的孩子们

performed best when they believed

当他们相信他们妈妈作了选择时

their mothers had made the choice,

表现得最好，

second best when they chose for themselves,

第二好的是当他们自己作选择时

and least well when it had been chosen by Miss Smith.

最差的则是当史密斯小姐告诉他们时

A girl named Natsumi

一个叫夏实的女孩

even approached Miss Smith as she was leaving the room

甚至在史密斯小姐要离开房间时

and tugged on her skirt and asked,

拉住她的裙角问，

"Could you please tell my mommy

”你可以告诉我妈妈

I did it just like she said?"

我照她的话乖乖做了吗？“

The first-generation children were strongly influenced

这些“第一代”（父母都为移民）的孩子

by their immigrant parents'

受到了他们父母选择

approach to choice.

的强烈影响

For them, choice was not just a way

对他们来说，选择不仅是一种

of defining and asserting

展现自我的

their individuality,

途径

but a way to create community and harmony

更是一种建立社群使人相处融洽的过程

by deferring to the choices

通过服从他们

of people whom they trusted and respected.

所信任和尊敬的人作出的选择。

If they had a concept of being true to one's self,

如果他们有一种对自我真实的观点

then that self, most likely,

那么这个自我，在很多情况下

[was] composed, not of an individual,

不是以个人为出发点

but of a collective.

而是以集体作为出发点

Success was just as much about pleasing key figures

成功意味着满足一些重要人物

as it was about satisfying

和满足

one's own preferences.

自己的偏爱。

Or, you could say that

或者你可以这样认为，

the individual's preferences were shaped

个人偏好的形成是根据

by the preferences of specific others.

其他人偏好的影响。

The assumption then that we do best

有这样一个假设，我们将做到最好

when the individual self chooses

当个人为自己做选择时

only holds

只维持在

when that self

当自我同他人

is clearly divided from others.

明显区分开的情况下。

When, in contrast,

相对的，

two or more individuals

当两个或两人以上的个人

see their choices and their outcomes

发现他们的选择和结果

as intimately connected,

非常的相近时

then they may amplify one another's success

他们则有可能放大自己的成就

by turning choosing

通过把选择

into a collective act.

转变成一种集团行为。

To insist that they choose independently

要保持他们做出独立的选择，

might actually compromise

事实上需要

both their performance

他们的表现

and their relationships.

和他们的关系相互妥协。

Yet that is exactly what

这恰恰就是

the American paradigm demands.

美国最需要的典范行为。

It leaves little room for interdependence

这种典范忽略了相互独立

or an acknowledgment of individual fallibility.

以及对个人过失的承认。

It requires that everyone treat choice

它让每个人把选择

as a private and self-defining act.

当成一种私人的和自我界定的行为。

People that have grown up in such a paradigm

一直依据这样的典范成长的人们

might find it motivating,

可能会认为这就是动机.

but it is a mistake to assume

但这是错误的

that everyone thrives under the pressure

去假设每个人都能够在独自选择的压力下

of choosing alone.

茁壮成长。

The second assumption which informs the American view of choice

第二个对美国选择观的假设

goes something like this.

则是这样的。

The more choices you have,

你拥有的选择越多，

the more likely you are

你就越有可能

to make the best choice.

做出最好的选择。

So bring it on, Walmart, with 100,000 different products,

所以呢，沃尔玛超市里就会有十万种不同的商品,

and Amazon, with 27 million books

亚马逊网站有两千七百万册的书

and Match.com with -- what is it? --

交友网站有--什么来着--

15 million date possibilities now.

目前可能有一千五百万的约会机会。

You will surely find the perfect match.

你一定可以在上面找到真爱。

Let's test this assumption

让我们在东欧

by heading over to Eastern Europe.

验证一下这个假设。

Here, I interviewed people

在那儿，我采访了一些人

who were residents of formerly communist countries,

他们都曾是共产主义国家的居民,

who had all faced the challenge

都曾经历过

of transitioning to a more

向民主和资本主义社会的过渡

democratic and capitalistic society.

所带来的挑战。

One of the most interesting revelations

其中最有意思的启示

came not from an answer to a question,

并不是来自访谈过程，

but from a simple gesture of hospitality.

而是来自一个款待客人的简单行为。

When the participants arrived for their interview,

当访谈对象到了之后，

I offered them a set of drinks:

我给他们提供了一些饮料，

Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite --

可乐、无糖可乐、雪碧等--

seven, to be exact.

准确地来讲有七种。

During the very first session,

在第一部分

which was run in Russia,

在对俄罗斯进行访谈时，

one of the participants made a comment

其中一个参与者的一个意见

that really caught me off guard.

让我大吃一惊。

"Oh, but it doesn't matter.

“哦，没关系的，

It's all just soda. That's just one choice."

反正都是汽水，都是一种选择啦。”

(Murmuring)

（议论声）

I was so struck by this comment that from then on,

对这句话我真感到惊讶，于是在接下来对象中，

I started to offer all the participants

我开始为访谈者提供

those seven sodas,

这七种汽水。

and I asked them, "How many choices are these?"

然后我问他们：“这里有多少种选择呢？”

Again and again,

一次又一次的，

they perceived these seven different sodas,

他们认为这七种汽水,

not as seven choices, but as one choice:

不是七种选择，而是一种选择：

soda or no soda.

汽水或非汽水饮料。

When I put out juice and water

我又另外加了果汁和水

in addition to these seven sodas,

除这七种汽水之外，

now they perceived it as only three choices --

这会儿他们认为有三种选择

juice, water and soda.

果汁、水和汽水。

Compare this to the die-hard devotion of many Americans,

这让许多顽固死硬的美国人来辨别，

not just to a particular flavor of soda,

依据的就不仅仅是口味不同的汽水了，

but to a particular brand.

还有不同的牌子。

You know, research shows repeatedly

调查反复证明

that we can't actually tell the difference

我们其实并不能真正辨别出

between Coke and Pepsi.

可口可乐和百事可乐有什么区别。

Of course, you and I know

当然,大家都明白，

that Coke is the better choice.

可口可乐是更好的选择。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

For modern Americans who are exposed

对现代的美国人来说，

to more options and more ads associated with options

他们面对的选项最多，

than anyone else in the world,

面对的广告带来的选择也最多，

choice is just as much about who they are

选择表现了他们是谁

as it is about what the product is.

正如不同的产品一样。

Combine this with the assumption that more choices are always better,

与第二个假设结合起来看，越多选择总是越好的，

and you have a group of people for whom every little difference matters

于是你能找到一群人，对他们来说，每一个小小的区别都很重要，

and so every choice matters.

也因此每一个选择都很重要。

But for Eastern Europeans,

但对东欧人而言，

the sudden availability of all these

突然那么多的产品

consumer products on the marketplace was a deluge.

如洪水般充斥着消费市场。

They were flooded with choice

在他们抗议自己还没学会游泳之前，

before they could protest that they didn't know how to swim.

就已经被大量的选择淹没了。

When asked, "What words and images

当被问及“选择会令你联想到什么

do you associate with choice?"

词语和印象时？“

Grzegorz from Warsaw said,

来自华沙的格雷戈尔说：

"Ah, for me it is fear.

“啊，对我来说是害怕。

There are some dilemmas you see.

有很多进退两难的问题。

I am used to no choice."

我习惯没有选择。”

Bohdan from Kiev said,

来自基辅的布丹，

in response to how he felt about

他针对新的消费市场，

the new consumer marketplace,

做出的回应则是:

"It is too much.

"太多了。

We do not need everything that is there."

我们不需要那么多东西。"

A sociologist from

一个来自华沙研究机构

the Warsaw Survey Agency explained,

的社会学家解释到：

"The older generation jumped from nothing

”这里上一代的人是从“

to choice all around them.

没有选择的时代过来的。

They were never given a chance to learn

他们从来没有机会学习

how to react."

如何对外界的选择做出反应。”

And Tomasz, a young Polish man said,

来自波兰的年轻人汤马士说，

"I don't need twenty kinds of chewing gum.

我不需要二十种口香糖。“

I don't mean to say that I want no choice,

我并不是说我不需要选择。

but many of these choices are quite artificial."

但这些选择中，有很多是刻意制造的。”

In reality, many choices are between things

现实中，很多的选择，

that are not that much different.

存在于并无明显差异的东西之间。

The value of choice

选择的价值

depends on our ability

基于我们识别

to perceive differences

各种选择之不同的

between the options.

能力。

Americans train their whole lives

美国人的一生都在接受

to play "spot the difference."

”识别差异“的训练。

They practice this from such an early age

他们从小就开始练习做选择，

that they've come to believe that everyone

便不由得相信这种能力

must be born with this ability.

是与生俱来的。

In fact, though all humans share

事实上，尽管所有人

a basic need and desire for choice,

在“选择”上都有基本的需要和欲望，

we don't all see choice in the same places

但是我们认识选择时的角度

or to the same extent.

和程度都是不同的。

When someone can't see how one choice

当有些人无法识辨一个选择

is unlike another,

和另一个选择有什么区别时，

or when there are too many choices to compare and contrast,

或者得在许多的选择间做出类比，

the process of choosing can be

这种选择的过程可能是

confusing and frustrating.

令人困惑的甚至感到沮丧的。

Instead of making better choices,

这时，我们非但不能做出最佳选择，

we become overwhelmed by choice,

反倒被选择给打垮了，

sometimes even afraid of it.

有时甚至会害怕做出选择。

Choice no longer offers opportunities,

选择不再是提供机遇，

but imposes constraints.

反而是来增加限制。

It's not a marker of liberation,

（选择）不再是一支书写自由的笔，

but of suffocation

反而被一些毫无意义的琐碎小事

by meaningless minutiae.

给扼制了。

In other words,

换句话说，

choice can develop into the very opposite

选择可以向它所代表的反面

of everything it represents

发展

in America

在美国

when it is thrust upon those

当选择突然扔到

who are insufficiently prepared for it.

那些没有准备好的人面前时是这样。

But it is not only other people

但是不仅仅是其他地方

in other places

的人们会感到

that are feeling the pressure

纷纷而至的选择

of ever-increasing choice.

所带来的压抑。

Americans themselves are discovering

美国人自己也发现

that unlimited choice

无限的选择

seems more attractive in theory

似乎在理论上要比在实际中

than in practice.

更具有吸引力

We all have physical, mental

我们都有肉体上、精神上

and emotional (Laughter) limitations

和情感上的局限

that make it impossible for us

这使得我们不可能处理

to process every single choice we encounter,

接触到的每一个微小的选择。

even in the grocery store,

即使是在杂货店里也难做到，

let alone over the course of our entire lives.

更不用说是在我们整个生活中了。

A number of my studies have shown

我的一些研究表明，

that when you give people 10 or more options

当你给人们十个以上的选项时

when they're making a choice, they make poorer decisions,

他们在选择时，会做出糟糕的决定，

whether it be health care, investment,

不论是医疗，投资

other critical areas.

还是其他重要的方面。

Yet still, many of us believe

尽管如此，我们很多人还是相信

that we should make all our own choices

我们应该完全做出自己的选择，

and seek out even more of them.

甚至寻找更多的选择。

This brings me to the third,

这令我做出了第三个，

and perhaps most problematic, assumption:

也或许是最具争议的一个假设：

"You must never

“你必须绝不能对

say no to choice."

选择说不。”

To examine this, let's go back to the U.S.

为了验证，我们把视线放回美国，

and then hop across the pond to France.

然后跳到法国

Right outside Chicago,

就在芝加哥郊外，

a young couple, Susan and Daniel Mitchell,

一对年轻的夫妇，苏珊和丹尼尔 米切尔，

were about to have their first baby.

即将要有他们第一个孩子。

They'd already picked out a name for her,

他们已经为她娶好了名字，

Barbara, after her grandmother.

以她祖母的名字命名，芭芭拉。

One night, when Susan was seven months pregnant,

苏珊怀孕七个月的一个晚上，

she started to experience contractions

她开始感觉到子宫收缩，

and was rushed to the emergency room.

赶紧送到了急救室里。

The baby was delivered through a C-section,

宝宝生了下来，

but Barbara suffered cerebral anoxia,

不料芭芭拉患有

a loss of oxygen to the brain.

脑缺氧，

Unable to breathe on her own,

无法自己呼吸。

she was put on a ventilator.

她靠呼吸机供氧。

Two days later,

两天后，

the doctors gave the Mitchells

医生给了米切尔

a choice:

一个选择。

They could either remove Barbara

他们或者移除芭芭拉

off the life support,

的生命支持装置，

in which case she would die within a matter of hours,

这样她会在几小时后死去，

or they could keep her on life support,

或者保留她的生命装置，

in which case she might still die

在这种情况下，她还是可能会在

within a matter of days.

几天内死去，

If she survived, she would remain

即便保住了生命，

in a permanent vegetative state,

她也会是永久性植物人，

never able to walk, talk

无法走路、说话

or interact with others.

交流。

What do they do?

他们怎么做呢？

What do any parent do?

身为父母的人会怎么做呢？

In a study I conducted

在我与西蒙娜 博蒂和克里斯蒂娜 奥法里一起

with Simona Botti and Kristina Orfali,

进行的研究里，

American and French parents

几对美国夫妇和法国夫妇

were interviewed.

接受了访谈。

They had all suffered

他们都经历了

the same tragedy.

同样的悲剧。

In all cases, the life support was removed,

这几对夫妇都决定不再使用生命支持仪，

and the infants had died.

于是婴儿死了。

But there was a big difference.

但这其中却有很大的差别。

In France, the doctors decided whether and when

在法国，是由医生来决定生命装置是否需要移除

the life support would be removed,

以及什么时候移除，

while in the United States,

而在美国，

the final decision rested with the parents.

最后的决定则还是交给了父母。

We wondered:

我们想：

does this have an effect on how the parents

这是否会影响到并且如何影响

cope with the loss of their loved one?

父母对待失去挚爱的这件事呢？

We found that it did.

我们发现答案是肯定的。

Even up to a year later,

甚至到了一年以后，

American parents

美国夫妇

were more likely to express negative emotions,

更容易流出负面的情绪，

as compared to their French counterparts.

相较于法国夫妇。

French parents were more likely to say things like,

法国夫妇则会说些：“

"Noah was here for so little time,

诺娃活得很短暂，

but he taught us so much.

却教会了我们很多。

He gave us a new perspective on life."

他让我们看到了生活的另一页”之类的话

American parents were more likely to say things like,

美国夫妇则常常会说，

"What if? What if?"

“如果怎样？如果怎样？”之类的话

Another parent complained,

另一对父母则抱怨，

"I feel as if they purposefully tortured me.

“我觉得他们似乎在故意折磨我。

How did they get me to do that?"

他们怎么可以让我做这个？”

And another parent said,

还有一个父母则说，

"I feel as if I've played a role

“我觉得我好像扮演了

in an execution."

侩子手的角色。"

But when the American parents were asked

但是当问这些美国父母们

if they would rather have had

愿不愿意让医生

the doctors make the decision,

来做这个决定时，

they all said, "No."

他们都回答说，“不”

They could not imagine

他们无法想象

turning that choice over to another,

把选择交给另外一方，

even though having made that choice

尽管自己做决定

made them feel trapped,

令他们感到困扰

guilty, angry.

负罪、愤怒。

In a number of cases

在一些案例中，

they were even clinically depressed.

有些人甚至得了焦虑症。

These parents could not contemplate

这些父母无法想象

giving up the choice,

放弃这个选择，

because to do so would have gone contrary

因为这样做将违背

to everything they had been taught

他们一直来所被教导的

and everything they had come to believe

和所相信的

about the power

关于权力

and purpose of choice.

和选择的目的。

In her essay, "The White Album,"

在琼 迪迪恩的文章，

Joan Didion writes,

《白色相册》中，她写道，

"We tell ourselves stories

“我们给自己讲故事

in order to live.

促使自己生活下去。

We interpret what we see,

我们体会着自己所见，

select the most workable

在多种选择中，

of the multiple choices.

寻找可行的选择。

We live entirely by the imposition

我们完全是被强迫地生活在

of a narrative line

一个叙述性的

upon disparate images,

基于一些零碎图片上的线条上，

by the idea with which we have learned to freeze

我们已学会去冻结

the shifting phantasmagoria,

千变万化的幻觉中

which is our actual experience."

的真实经历。”

The story Americans tell,

那些美国人所讲述的故事，

the story upon which

那些铸造着

the American dream depends,

美国梦的故事

is the story of limitless choice.

是人拥有无限选择的故事

This narrative

这个故事

promises so much:

许诺了太多：

freedom, happiness,

自由、幸福

success.

成功。

It lays the world at your feet and says,

它令人身置云端，说道，

"You can have anything, everything."

“你可以拥有一切的一切。”

It's a great story,

这是一个传奇，

and it's understandable why they would be reluctant

并且可以理解为何他们不愿意

to revise it.

去改写它。

But when you take a close look,

但是当你细细地看时，

you start to see the holes,

你便会发现漏洞，

and you start to see that the story

然后你发现这个故事

can be told in many other ways.

也可以这样讲，那样讲。

Americans have so often tried to

美国人尝试着

disseminate their ideas of choice,

去传播他们关于选择的观念

believing that they will be, or ought to be,

相信他人将会，或者必然会，

welcomed with open hearts and minds.

用开放的心胸去接受这种观念。

But the history books and the daily news tell us

但是历史书和每天的新闻告诉我们，

it doesn't always work out that way.

这套理论并不总是这样顺利运作的。

The phantasmagoria,

说故事的手法

the actual experience that we try to understand

各地不同，千变万化

and organize through narrative,

我们都试图用说故事的方法

varies from place to place.

去了解组织阐释自己的真实经验。

No single narrative serves the needs

任何地区的任何人

of everyone everywhere.

都不会只满足于一种叙事的手法

Moreover, Americans themselves

况且，美国人自己

could benefit from incorporating

也能收益于吸收他人

new perspectives into their own narrative,

的叙事技巧，

which has been driving their choices

这一套叙事技巧已经左右他们的选择

for so long.

很久了。

Robert Frost once said that,

罗伯特 福斯特（注：美国诗人）曾说，

"It is poetry that is lost in translation."

“诗就是翻译过程中所失去的东西。”

This suggests that

这句话是说

whatever is beautiful and moving,

不管多么美丽多么动人，

whatever gives us a new way to see,

多么让我们有了新的感悟的东西

cannot be communicated to those

人们都没有办法将它

who speak a different language.

用另一种语言表述出来。

But Joseph Brodsky said that,

可约瑟夫布 罗司机（注：苏联诗人）也曾说过，

"It is poetry

“诗，

that is gained in translation,"

是从翻译过程中得到的＂

suggesting that translation

这意味着翻译可以是

can be a creative,

一项富有创造力的

transformative act.

和改变力的艺术。

When it comes to choice,

在翻译过程中要面临选择

we have far more to gain than to lose

透过许多不同的翻译叙事手法

by engaging in the many

我们从中得到的感触

translations of the narratives.

会比失去的还要多。

Instead of replacing

这并不是要

one story with another,

用另一个故事来取代，

we can learn from and revel in

我们可以在翻译过程中学习到新事物

the many versions that exist

并陶醉于不同的版本里，

and the many that have yet to be written.

甚至陶醉在非原版的意境里

No matter where we're from

不论我们来自哪里，

and what your narrative is,

叙述的手段如何，

we all have a responsibility

我们都有一个共同的责任，

to open ourselves up to a wider array

打开心房去接受

of what choice can do,

更广泛的选择

and what it can represent.

以及这些选择所代表的意义

And this does not lead to

这样才不会让

a paralyzing moral relativism.

”道德相对主义“滋生，

Rather, it teaches us when

相反它可以教导我们

and how to act.

何时行动，如何行动。

It brings us that much closer

让我们了解

to realizing the full potential of choice,

各种选择的蕴涵，

to inspiring the hope

更接近能鼓舞人心的希望

and achieving the freedom

获得选择所拥有的

that choice promises

却有时不能传递的

but doesn't always deliver.

的自由

If we learn to speak to one another,

如果我们学会与人交谈，

albeit through translation,

即使是通过翻译，

then we can begin to see choice

我们就可以发现

in all its strangeness,

选择的不可思议之处，

complexity

复杂之处，

and compelling beauty.

和它的迷人之处。

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Bruno Giussani: Thank you.

布鲁诺 吉桑尼：谢谢您。

Sheena, there is a detail about your biography

希娜，目前有没有你自传的消息

that we have not written in the program book.

但是我们已经听过你的许多事迹

But by now it's evident to everyone in this room. You're blind.

在座的各位都知道你的眼睛看不见。

And I guess one of the questions on everybody's mind is:

我想，大家都有一个问题：

How does that influence your study of choosing

这一点如何影响你关于选择的研究。

because that's an activity

因为这项活动

that for most people is associated with visual inputs

很大程度上需要视觉获得信息，

like aesthetics and color and so on?

比如美学啊，色彩啊等等

Sheena Iyengar: Well, it's funny that you should ask that

希娜 亚格尔：恩，你问得问题很有趣，

because one of the things that's interesting about being blind

因为关于失明，有一个有趣的地方是

is you actually get a different vantage point

你事实上有一个非常不同的

when you observe the way

视角

sighted people make choices.

去观察人们的选择。

And as you just mentioned, there's lots of choices out there

正如你刚刚提到的，日常生活中

that are very visual these days.

我们常常依赖视觉做出选择，

Yeah, I -- as you would expect --

是的，就如你想得那样，

get pretty frustrated by choices

我有时候会感到沮丧受挫，在面临

like what nail polish to put on

该涂什么指甲油的选择时

because I have to rely on what other people suggest.

我不得不依赖他人的意见

And I can't decide.

我无法自己做出选择，

And so one time I was in a beauty salon,

有一次我在美容院，

and I was trying to decide between two very light shades of pink.

我试图在两种淡粉色之间做出选择，

And one was called "Ballet Slippers."

一个叫”粉色芭蕾“，

And the other one was called "Adorable."

另一个”粉可爱“

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And so I asked these two ladies,

于是我就问了两位女士，

and the one lady told me, "Well, you should definitely wear 'Ballet Slippers.'"

其中一个说”啊，你一定得涂个粉色芭蕾“

"Well, what does it look like?"

”嗯，那它是什么样的呢“

"Well, it's a very elegant shade of pink."

”它是一种非常优雅的粉色“

"Okay, great."

”哦，不错“

The other lady tells me to wear "Adorable."

另一个则告诉我涂”粉可爱“

"What does it look like?"

”它是什么样的呢“

"It's a glamorous shade of pink."

”它是一种华丽的粉色“

And so I asked them, "Well, how do I tell them apart?

于是我就问他们”那我该怎么区别呢“

What's different about them?"

”它们之前有什么不同“

And they said, "Well, one is elegant, the other one's glamorous."

她们说”一款是优雅的，另一款华丽“

Okay, we got that.

好吧，我们知道了。

And the only thing they had consensus on:

她们唯一达成共识的，

well, if I could see them, I would

是，如果我能看见，

clearly be able to tell them apart.

我就能够很清晰地辨别了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And what I wondered was whether they were being affected

所以我想她们是不是

by the name or the content of the color,

被这两种颜色的名字所影响了呢。

so I decided to do a little experiment.

于是我就做了个小实验，

So I brought these two bottles of nail polish into the laboratory,

我把这两瓶指甲油带回了实验室，

and I stripped the labels off.

撕掉了标签，

And I brought women into the laboratory,

然后我让几个女士进了实验室，

and I asked them, "Which one would you pick?"

问她们：”你会选择哪一种呢“

50 percent of the women accused me of playing a trick,

一半的人都说我在跟她们开玩笑，

of putting the same color nail polish

她们觉得

in both those bottles.

这两罐指甲油是一模一样的

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

At which point you start to wonder who the trick's really played on.

这时候你就会猜想究竟是谁在耍把戏了

Now, of the women that could tell them apart,

而在撕掉标签的情况下，

when the labels were off, they picked "Adorable,"

那些能分辨的女性会选择“粉可爱”

and when the labels were on,

若贴上了标签，

they picked "Ballet Slippers."

她们又选择了”粉色芭蕾“

So as far as I can tell,

所以就我所理解的

a rose by any other name

一款玫瑰只要有不同名字，

probably does look different

就能让它的外观看起来与其他款不同

and maybe even smells different.

可能闻起来也有不同。

BG: Thank you. Sheena Iyengar. Thank you Sheena.

布鲁诺 吉桑尼: 谢谢。希娜•亚格尔教授 。. 谢谢你Sheena.

(Applause)

(掌声)