Tom Wujec demos the 13th-century astrolabe

翻译人员: Chaoran Yu 校对人员: Zachary Lin Zhao

As technology progresses,

当科技不断

and as it advances,

进步之时，

many of us assume that these advances

我们之中的大多数人都会断言这些演进

make us more intelligent,

将使我们更为聪慧

make us smarter and more connected to the world.

以及与世界更为紧密相连。

And what I'd like to argue

不过，我却想说明

is that that's not necessarily the case,

进步不单单只是“进步”，

as progress is simply a word for change,

进步的过程不能单用变化一词来形容，

and with change you gain something,

当变革发生之时，

but you also lose something.

我们既有得亦有失。

And to really illustrate this point, what I'd like to do

为了证明我的观点，我将会告诉你们

is to show you how technology has dealt with

科学技术是如何解决

a very simple, a very common, an everyday question.

一个简单、大众的问题。

And that question is this.

这个问题则是这样的。

What time is it? What time is it?

什么是时间？什么是时间？

If you glance at your iPhone, it's so simple to tell the time.

假如你扫一眼你的iPhone，它可以很简单地告诉你现在是什么时间。

But, I'd like to ask you, how would you tell the time

但是，我想问你们，假若你没有iPhone，

if you didn't have an iPhone?

你会如何知道现在是什么时间？

How would you tell the time, say, 600 years ago?

或者说600年前，你将怎么知道时间？

How would you do it?

你如何去获取此项信息？

Well, the way you would do it is by using a device

有一项物品将会有助于获取时间信息，

that's called an astrolabe.

这件物品就是星盘。

So, an astrolabe is relatively unknown in today's world.

在当今时间，星盘的存在已鲜为人知了。

But, at the time, in the 13th century,

不过于13世纪时，

it was the gadget of the day.

星盘是当时的日常用品。

It was the world's first popular computer.

星盘是当时最为盛行的工具。

And it was a device that, in fact, is a model of the sky.

星盘是一件天文仪器，上面刻画着星图。

So, the different parts of the astrolabe, in this particular type,

因此，星盘的网环是与

the rete corresponds to the positions of the stars.

天上的一部分星星相照应。

The plate corresponds to a coordinate system.

这件圆盘则与地平坐标系相照应。

And the mater has some scales and puts it all together.

而星盘的主体圆形铜盘则有一些刻度以供使用及将盛放其它部件。

If you were an educated child,

假如你是一名受过教育的儿童，

you would know how to not only use the astrolabe,

你应懂得如何使用一件星盘，

you would also know how to make an astrolabe.

同时也应懂得如何制作星盘。

And we know this because the first treatise on the astrolabe,

因为第一份有关星盘的著作，

the first technical manual in the English language,

第一份用英语写成的说明手册，

was written by Geoffrey Chaucer.

是由杰弗雷·乔叟(注:英国诗歌之父)写成的。

Yes, that Geoffrey Chaucer, in 1391,

没错，就是那位杰弗雷·乔叟，写于1391年，

to his little Lewis, his 11-year-old son.

写给他的儿子，他11岁大的儿子路易斯。

And in this book, little Lewis would know the big idea.

于这本书里，小路易斯可以从中学到构建星盘的主要方法。

And the central idea that makes this computer work

构建星盘的核心技术

is this thing called stereographic projection.

就是赤平投影。

And basically, the concept is,

一般来说，赤平投影就是

how do you represent the three-dimensional image

将夜空的三维影像

of the night sky that surrounds us

投射至一个

onto a flat, portable, two-dimensional surface.

平滑、可移动的二维表面。

The idea is actually relatively simple.

这个构思是相对较为简单的。

Imagine that that Earth is at the center of the universe,

想象一下地球是宇宙的中心，

and surrounding it is the sky projected onto a sphere.

而环绕这个地球的天空都被投射至一个球体上。

Each point on the surface of the sphere

球体上的每一点都通过

is mapped through the bottom pole,

此球体的极点

onto a flat surface, where it is then recorded.

投射至一平面，而这些资料就因此被记录。

So the North Star corresponds to the center of the device.

因此北极星就位于星盘的中央。

The ecliptic, which is the path of the sun, moon, and planets

而黄道将被投射至一偏离中心的圆上，

correspond to an offset circle.

黄道就是日、月和星体的轨迹。

The bright stars correspond to little daggers on the rete.

而那些闪亮的星星则会与星盘网环上的星标相对应。

And the altitude corresponds to the plate system.

地平纬度则与整个盘子的体系相照应。

Now, the real genius of the astrolabe is not just the projection.

真正吸引人的不是星盘的投影功能。

The real genius is that it brings together two coordinate systems

而是它将两种截然不同的坐标系统

so they fit perfectly.

完美地糅合在一起。

There is the position of the sun, moon and planets on the movable rete.

这是太阳、月亮和星球于这个可移动网环上的位置。

And then there is their location on the sky

他们于天空上的位置

as seen from a certain latitude on the back plate. Okay?

则是通过观察盘子背后的纬度测出。

So how would you use this device?

因此我们因如何使用这件器具？

Well, let me first back up for a moment.

请诸位稍等一会儿。

This is an astrolabe. Pretty impressive, isn't it?

这是一件星盘。很漂亮，不是么？

And so, this astrolabe is on loan from us

牛津大学历史博物馆

from the Oxford School of -- Museum of History.

是可出租这件星盘的。

And you can see the different components.

你可以清晰地观察到星盘的不同部位。

This is the mater, the scales on the back.

这是星盘的主体圆形铜盘，背面则是刻度。

This is the rete. Okay. Do you see that?

这是网环。看到了吗？

That's the movable part of the sky.

这就是可移动的部分。

And in the back you can see

而于星盘的内部，

a spider web pattern.

则是一蛛网图案。

And that spider web pattern corresponds to the local coordinates in the sky.

而此蛛网图案则与当地的天球坐标系相照应。

This is a rule device. And on the back

这是一条标杆。而在盘子的背面

are some other devices, measuring tools

则是一些其它的设备，有一条窥管

and scales, to be able to make some calculations. Okay?

和一些刻度，它们可以帮助进行计算。

You know, I've always wanted one of these.

其实我很想得到一件星盘。

For my thesis I actually built one of these out of paper.

我的毕业作品就是一件纸质星盘。

And this one, this is a replica

这件星盘则是一份仿制品，

from a 15th-century device.

是仿制一件15世纪的星盘。

And it's worth probably about three MacBook Pros.

这件仿制品大概与三本Macbook Pro等值。

But a real one would cost about as much as my house,

但真品却比我的房子还贵，

and the house next to it, and actually every house on the block,

还要加上我旁边的房子，

on both sides of the street,

应该是整条街的房子加起来都没真品贵重，

maybe a school thrown in, and some -- you know, a church.

或许还得附加一间学校，以及一些--教堂。

They are just incredibly expensive.

它们价值连城。

But let me show you how to work this device.

让我来向你们演示下这件星盘是如何使用的。

So let's go to step one.

先从第一步开始。

First thing that you do is you select a star

第一件事是你首先得从夜空中

in the night sky, if you're telling time at night.

选择一颗星星，当然只是在夜晚使用星盘时才这样做。

So, tonight, if it's clear you'll be able to see the summer triangle.

今晚，你可以很清楚地察看到夏季大三角。

And there is a bright star called Deneb. So let's select Deneb.

哪里有一颗极明的星星，它叫做天津四。我们就选择天津四吧。

Second, is you measure the altitude of Deneb.

第二步，你应测量天津四的地平纬度。

So, step two, I hold the device up,

举起星盘，

and then I sight its altitude there

然后用目光测准它的高度，

so I can see it clearly now.

我可以很清晰地观测到它。

And then I measure its altitude.

好，让我们记录下它的高度。

So, it's about 26 degrees. You can't see it from over there.

大概是26度。你们是看不到的。

Step three is identify the star on the front of the device.

第三步，于星盘的正面辨别此颗星星的位置。

Deneb is there. I can tell.

天津四是在这里。

Step four is I then move the rete,

第四步则是移动网环，

move the sky, so the altitude of the star

这就好譬如移动整个天空，从而使星体的地平纬度

corresponds to the scale on the back.

与后面的刻度相对应。

Okay, so when that happens

当一切

everything lines up.

准备就绪时，

I have here a model of the sky

一个栩栩如生的天空模型

that corresponds to the real sky. Okay?

就此出现了。

So, it is, in a sense,

在某种程度上来说，

holding a model of the universe in my hands.

我是将宇宙的模型置于吾之手中。

And then finally, I take a rule,

最后一步，就是使用标杆，

and move the rule to a date line

将标杆移至日期刻度线上，

which then tells me the time here.

从这我们可以得知现在是什么时间。

Right. So, that's how the device is used.

这就是如何使用这件设备。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

So, I know what you're thinking:

我知道你们在想什么。

"That's a lot of work, isn't it? Isn't it a ton of work to be able to tell the time?"

“这不是很麻烦么？我们不是得需要做很多准备工作以来得知时间么？”

as you glance at your iPod to just check out the time.

与扫一眼iPod相比，使用星盘得耗费更多的时间。

But there is a difference between the two, because with your iPod

但这两者之间是稍有区分的，当你使用iPod或iPhone时，

you can tell -- or your iPhone, you can tell exactly

你只能得知时间，

what the time is, with precision.

得知精准的时分秒。

The way little Lewis would tell the time

而小路易斯则是通过观察天空

is by a picture of the sky.

以来得知时间的。

He would know where things would fit in the sky.

而且他同时也将知道天空是怎么样的。

He would not only know what time it was,

从中小路易斯将不仅仅得知时间是什么，

he would also know where the sun would rise,

同时他也可知晓日昇于何处

and how it would move across the sky.

以及太阳的运动轨迹。

He would know what time the sun would rise, and what time it would set.

他亦将知道日昇、日落之时。

And he would know that for essentially every celestial object

最终他将知晓天空中所有物件的

in the heavens.

位置。

So, in computer graphics

于电脑图像

and computer user interface design,

及电脑用户界面设计中

there is a term called affordances.

有一专业术语名为“功能可见性”。

So, affordances are the qualities of an object

意即当使用者拿起这件物件时，

that allow us to perform an action with it.

它将会知道这件物品的那些特质。

And what the astrolabe does is it allows us,

而星盘则允许我们

it affords us, to connect to the night sky,

与夜空相连，

to look up into the night sky and be much more --

它可以使我们观察夜空

to see the visible and the invisible together.

从而将无形和有形的东西糅合在一起。

So, that's just one use. Incredible,

这仅仅是一种功能。

there is probably 350, 400 uses.

令人惊讶的是星盘大概有350,400种用途，

In fact, there is a text, and that has over a thousand uses

这些仅是从文本中得知，而一般的实际用途

of this first computer.

则已逾千种。

On the back there is scales and measurements

星盘的背后是刻度和测量仪器，

for terrestrial navigation.

他们具有定位的功能。

You can survey with it. The city of Baghdad was surveyed with it.

你可以发起一场调查。古巴格达城就进行过类似的调查。

It can be used for calculating mathematical equations of all different types.

同时星盘也可以用来运算各种数学方程。

And it would take a full university course to illustrate it.

大学是值得专门为星盘研究开设课程。

Astrolabes have an incredible history.

星盘拥有悠久的历史。

They are over 2,000 years old.

它已逾两千岁了。

The concept of stereographic projection

赤平投影的理论大约是形成于

originated in 330 B.C.

公元前330年。

And the astrolabes come in many different

星盘有各种各样的

sizes and shapes and forms.

形状和结构。

There is portable ones. There is large display ones.

这是可携带的，那个则是展示所用的。

And I think what is common to all astrolabes

我认为星盘的共通点则是

is that they are beautiful works of art.

它们都是艺术的结晶。

There is a quality of craftsmanship and precision

从星盘中显示的技艺和精准度

that is just astonishing and remarkable.

是令人为之动容的。

Astrolabes, like every technology, do evolve over time.

星盘也会如当今科技一般进化。

So, the earliest retes, for example, were very simple and primitive.

最早的网环是非常原始和简陋的。

And advancing retes became cultural emblems.

而更为先进的网环则成为了文化的象征。

This is one from Oxford.

这只星盘是来自牛津大学。

And I find this one really extraordinary because the rete pattern

我认为这只星盘是独此一家的，因为它的网环形状

is completely symmetrical,

是完全对称的，

and it accurately maps a completely asymmetrical, or random sky.

然而它所描绘的则是缤纷四呈的天空。

How cool is that? This is just amazing.

言语已无法形容其之神奇。

So, would little Lewis have an astrolabe?

那么，小路易斯能拥有他自己的星盘么？

Probably not one made of brass. He would have one made out of wood,

他拥有的大概不是黄铜制星盘。他有可能用木头或纸来制作

or paper. And the vast majority of this first computer

星盘。当时大部分星盘

was a portable device

皆是便携设备

that you could keep in the back of your pocket.

它们一般可以存放于你的荷包中。

So, what does the astrolabe inspire?

因此星盘给予了我什么启迪？

Well, I think the first thing is that

第一，它提醒了我，

it reminds us just how resourceful people were,

我们祖先的

our forebears were, years and years ago.

智慧并不输于今人。

It's just an incredible device.

这是一件惊人的设备。

Every technology advances.

所有的技术都会进步。

Every technology is transformed and moved by others.

而每项技术之间都是相互关联、相互影响的

And what we gain with a new technology, of course,

如今的技术使我们获得了

is precision and accuracy.

精准度。

But what we lose, I think, is

同时，我认为

an accurate -- a felt sense

我们失去了

of the sky, a sense of context.

对天空的感知。

Knowing the sky, knowing your relationship with the sky,

了解天空，了解天空与我们之间的联系

is the center of the real answer

应是“时间是什么”的

to knowing what time it is.

真正答案。

So, it's -- I think astrolabes are just remarkable devices.

我认为星盘是一件非凡的器具。

And so, what can you learn from these devices?

因此，我们从中可以学得什么？

Well, primarily that there is a subtle knowledge

基本上来说，我们可以从中学得我们

that we can connect with the world.

与世界之间的微妙联系。

And astrolabes return us to this subtle sense

了解星盘，可以使我们得回这种感觉，

of how things all fit together,

得回物与物之间是如何联系的感觉，

and also how we connect to the world.

以及我们是如何与世界相连的感觉。

Thanks very much.

非常感谢。

(Applause)

(鼓掌)