Why does the universe exist? | Jim Holt | TED

翻译人员: Yumeng Guo 校对人员: Wendy Wu

Why does the universe exist?

宇宙为何会存在？

Why is there — Okay. Okay. (Laughter)

为什么有宇宙？——好吧，好吧。（笑声）

This is a cosmic mystery. Be solemn.

这是个宇宙的谜题，所以请严肃些。

Why is there a world, why are we in it,

为何会存在世界，为何我们会在这个世界里，

and why is there something rather than nothing at all?

为什么有物存在，而不是一切皆空？

I mean, this is the super ultimate "why" question?

要我说，这是最终极的“为何”。

So I'm going to talk about the mystery of existence,

我会谈一谈“存在”的奥秘

the puzzle of existence,

和“存在”的困惑所在，

where we are now in addressing it,

我们在这个问题上进展到什么程度，

and why you should care,

以及你们为何要在乎这些，

and I hope you do care.

我希望你们确实是在乎的。

The philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said that

哲学家阿瑟•叔本华曾说，

those who don't wonder about the contingency of their existence,

那些不关心自身存在的偶然性、

of the contingency of the world's existence,

以及这个世界存在的偶然性的人，

are mentally deficient.

是心智不健全的。

That's a little harsh, but still. (Laughter)

听起来有些刺耳，但这是事实。（笑声）

So this has been called the most sublime

因此，这个谜题被称为是最崇高、

and awesome mystery,

最令人敬畏、

the deepest and most far-reaching question

最深刻的，也是人们可以提出的最深远

man can pose.

的问题。

It's obsessed great thinkers.

它吸引了很多伟大的思想家。

Ludwig Wittgenstein, perhaps the greatest

路德维希•维特根斯坦，也许是

philosopher of the 20th century,

二十世纪最伟大的哲学家，

was astonished that there should be a world at all.

震惊于“世界竟然会存在”这个最基本的问题。

He wrote in his "Tractatus," Proposition 4.66,

他在《逻辑哲学论》第4章66节中写到：

"It is not how things are in the world

“神秘的不是世界上

that is the mystical,

物质的存在，

it's that the world exists."

而是这个世界本身。”

And if you don't like taking your epigrams

如果你不喜欢听哲学家的言论，

from a philosopher, try a scientist.

那我举一个科学家的例子吧。

John Archibald Wheeler, one of the great physicists

约翰•阿奇博尔德•惠勒，二十世纪

of the 20th century,

最杰出的物理学家之一，

the teacher of Richard Feynman,

也是理查德•费曼的老师，

the coiner of the term "black hole,"

“黑洞”一词的创作者，

he said, "I want to know

他说：“我想知道

how come the quantum,

量子从何而来，

how come the universe, how come existence?"

宇宙从何而来，一切的存在从何而来？”

And my friend Martin Amis —

我的朋友马丁•艾米斯——

sorry that I'll be doing a lot of name-dropping in this talk,

请原谅我会一直列举很多人名，

so get used to it —

所以，尽快习惯吧——

my dear friend Martin Amis once said

我的好朋友马丁•艾米斯曾说，

that we're about five Einsteins away from answering

要回答宇宙从何而来这个问题，

the mystery of where the universe came from.

我们还需要五个爱因斯坦的智慧。

And I've no doubt there are five Einsteins

我确信今晚这儿的观众里

in the audience tonight.

有五位爱因斯坦，

Any Einsteins? Show of hands? No? No? No?

有吗？是的请举手？没有？没有？没有？

No Einsteins? Okay.

没有爱因斯坦？好吧。

So this question, why is there something rather than nothing,

所以，为何有物存在，而不是一切皆空，

this sublime question, was posed rather late

这个崇高的问题，在人类思想史相对

in intellectual history.

后期才被提出来，

It was towards the end of the 17th century,

是在十七世纪末，

the philosopher Leibniz who asked it,

由哲学家莱布尼兹提出，

a very smart guy, Leibniz,

莱布尼兹是个聪明绝顶的家伙，

who invented the calculus

跟艾萨克•牛顿

independently of Isaac Newton, at about the same time,

几乎在同一时期独立地创造微积分。

but for Leibniz, who asked why is there something rather than nothing,

但对于莱布尼兹， “为何有物存在，而不是一切皆空”的问题，

this was not a great mystery.

他不感觉有多神秘。

He either was or pretended to be

在形而上的外衣下，他要么真的是，

an Orthodox Christian in his metaphysical outlook,

要么假装是正统的基督教徒，

and he said it's obvious why the world exists:

声称世界存在的理由再明显不过：

because God created it.

造物主创造了世界。

And God created, indeed, out of nothing at all.

没错，造物主从无到有地创造了世界。

That's how powerful God is.

造物主就是这么强大。

He doesn't need any preexisting materials to fashion a world out of.

它不需要任何基础，凭空就能创造世界。

He can make it out of sheer nothingness,

它能从无到有地开天辟地，

creation ex nihilo.

所谓“创世论”。

And by the way, this is what

顺便说一下，

most Americans today believe.

这正是今天大部分美国人相信的。

There is no mystery of existence for them.

对于他们而言，“存在”没有奥妙可言。

God made it.

造物主造出来的。

So let's put this in an equation.

我们把它表达成等式，

I don't have any slides so I'm going to mime my visuals,

我没有任何演示文稿， 所以我会模拟地演示一下。

so use your imaginations.

开动你们的想象力。

So it's God + nothing = the world.

造物主+空=世界

Okay? Now that's the equation.

没问题吧？这就是刚才提到的等式。

And so maybe you don't believe in God.

也许你不信造物主，

Maybe you're a scientific atheist

也许你是个信奉科学的无神论者，

or an unscientific atheist, and you don't believe in God,

或是个不信奉科学的无神论者， 你就不信造物主，

and you're not happy with it.

你就不能接受那个等式了。

By the way, even if we have this equation,

顺便提一下，即便等式成立，

God + nothing = the world,

造物主+空=世界，

there's already a problem:

这本身就有问题：

Why does God exist?

为何造物主会存在？

God doesn't exist by logic alone

造物主不能只存在于逻辑中，

unless you believe the ontological argument,

除非你相信本体论。

and I hope you don't, because it's not a good argument.

我希望你不要信， 因为本体论不是很严谨。

So it's conceivable, if God were to exist,

设想一下，如果造物主存在，

he might wonder, I'm eternal, I'm all-powerful,

它会想，我是永恒的，我是无所不能的，

but where did I come from?

但我从何而来呢？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Whence then am I?

吾源自何处？

God speaks in a more formal English.

如果造物主说更正式些的英语。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And so one theory is that God was so bored with

有种理论说造物主考虑自身存在的问题，

pondering the puzzle of His own existence

考虑地实在太无聊了，

that He created the world just to distract himself.

就创造了世界来分散注意力。

But anyway, let's forget about God.

无论如何，我们先不谈造物主。

Take God out of the equation: We have

把造物主从这个等式中拿走，就是

________ + nothing = the world.

________ + 空=世界

Now, if you're a Buddhist,

如果你是个佛教徒，

you might want to stop right there,

你会觉得等式已经成立了，

because essentially what you've got is

因为等式是：

nothing = the world,

空=世界，

and by symmetry of identity, that means

等式左右互换，

the world = nothing. Okay?

世界=空。对吧？

And to a Buddhist, the world is just a whole lot of nothing.

对于佛教徒而言， 空即是色，色即是空。

It's just a big cosmic vacuity.

万物皆空。

And we think there's a lot of something out there

如果我们觉得世间有物，

but that's because we're enslaved by our desires.

那是我们被欲望困住了，

If we let our desires melt away,

放空欲望，

we'll see the world for what it truly is,

我们就会看到世界的本真，

a vacuity, nothingness,

空无一物，

and we'll slip into this happy state of nirvana

这样我们就能到达涅磐的境界，

which has been defined as having

涅磐的意思是

just enough life to enjoy being dead. (Laughter)

看透生死，通往极乐。（笑）

So that's the Buddhist thinking.

以上就是佛教的思想。

But I'm a Westerner, and I'm still concerned

我是西方人，所以我仍然关心

with the puzzle of existence, so I've got

“存在”的谜题，所以

________ + —

________ + —

this is going to get serious in a minute, so —

接下来我们要严肃一些了，

________ + nothing = the world.

________ + 空= 世界

What are we going to put in that blank?

空白处该填些什么呢？

Well, how about science?

“科学”怎么样？

Science is our best guide to the nature of reality,

科学最适合用来解读现实的本质，

and the most fundamental science is physics.

最基础的科学是物理学。

That tells us what naked reality really is,

物理学会告诉我们事实到底是什么，

that reveals what I call TAUFOTU,

即我所谓的“TAUFOTU”

the True And Ultimate Furniture Of The Universe.

“宇宙的真实而根本的解释”。

So maybe physics can fill this blank,

所以，物理学或许能填入上述等式的空白，

and indeed, since about the late 1960s or around 1970,

事实上，自从上世纪六十年代末七十年代初，

physicists have purported to give

物理学家们声称，

a purely scientific explanation of how

已能够用纯科学的理论

a universe like ours could have popped into existence

来解释像我们这样的宇宙的起源，

out of sheer nothingness,

如何从无到有地产生，

a quantum fluctuation out of the void.

即量子波动，源于空。

Stephen Hawking is one of these physicists,

斯蒂芬•霍金就是这些物理学家之一，

more recently Alex Vilenkin,

还有最近的亚历克斯•维兰金，

and the whole thing has been popularized

这整套理论由劳伦斯•克劳斯发扬广大，

by another very fine physicist and friend of mine,

他是另一位很有名的物理学家，也是我的朋友，

Lawrence Krauss, who wrote a book called

他写过一本书，叫

"A Universe from Nothing,"

《无中生有的宇宙》

and Lawrence thinks that he's given —

劳伦斯认为——

he's a militant atheist, by the way,

他自己是激进的无神论者，顺便说一下，

so he's gotten God out of the picture.

因而他不将造物主列入考虑范围。

The laws of quantum field theory,

量子场论，

the state-of-the-art physics, can show how

这个最顶尖的物理学理论，

out of sheer nothingness,

可以揭示在空无一物、

no space, no time, no matter, nothing,

没有空间、时间、物质，什么都没有的情况下，

a little nugget of false vacuum

微小的假真空是如何

can fluctuate into existence,

波动形成物质，

and then, by the miracle of inflation,

然后，通过宇宙大爆炸，

blow up into this huge and variegated cosmos

不断膨胀，成为我们看到的巨大而斑斓的

we see around us.

宇宙。

Okay, this is a really ingenious scenario.

这真是一个天才的理论，

It's very speculative. It's fascinating.

让人眼前一亮，心驰神往。

But I've got a big problem with it,

但我对其有个巨大的疑问，

and the problem is this:

问题是这样的：

It's a pseudo-religious point of view.

这是一个伪宗教主义的看法。

Now, Lawrence thinks he's an atheist,

劳伦斯认为他是个无神论者，

but he's still in thrall to a religious worldview.

但他还是被宗教主义的观点束缚着。

He sees physical laws as being like divine commands.

他将物理定律看作神的旨意。

The laws of quantum field theory for him

量子场论对他而言就如同

are like fiat lux, "Let there be light."

圣经里那句“要有光”。

The laws have some sort of ontological power or clout

量子场论具有某种本体论的性质，

that they can form the abyss,

它揭示物质可以

that it's pregnant with being.

从无到有地产生。

They can call a world into existence out of nothing.

这些理论可以说世界从无到有，

But that's a very primitive view of what

但这和对物理定律的

a physical law is, right?

最基本的认识是矛盾的，不是吗？

We know that physical laws are actually

我们知道，物理定律事实上

generalized descriptions of patterns and regularities

是对世界上物体形态与规则

in the world.

的基本描述，

They don't exist outside the world.

物理定律在世界之外不存在。

They don't have any ontic cloud of their own.

它们没有本体性质。

They can't call a world into existence

它们不能让世界

out of nothingness.

从无到有地产生。

That's a very primitive view

这是对科学法则的

of what a scientific law is.

最基础的认识。

And if you don't believe me on this,

如果你不相信，

listen to Stephen Hawking,

听听斯蒂芬•霍金怎么说的吧，

who himself put forward a model of the cosmos

霍金自己创造了一个能自圆其说的

that was self-contained,

宇宙模型，

didn't require any outside cause, any creator,

它不需要任何外界的因素。

and after proposing this,

在公布这个模型后，

Hawking admitted that he was still puzzled.

霍金承认他自己仍然很困惑。

He said, this model is just equations.

他说，这个模型只是些等式。

What breathes fire into the equations

是什么激活了这个等式，

and creates a world for them to describe?

创造了这个由等式描述的世界？

He was puzzled by this,

对此他很困惑，

so equations themselves can't do the magic,

等式自身不能产生这样的魔力，

can't resolve the puzzle of existence.

不能解决“存在”的谜题。

And besides, even if the laws could do that,

另外，即便物理学定律能解释，

why this set of laws?

为什么是这一套定律？

Why quantum field theory that describes

为什么是以一定数量的

a universe with a certain number of forces

力和粒子等等来描绘宇宙的

and particles and so forth?

量子场理论？

Why not a completely different set of laws?

为什么不是一套完全不同的定律？

There are many, many mathematically consistent sets of laws.

这些定律包含那么多完整的数学公式，

Why not no laws at all? Why not sheer nothingness?

为什么不能根本没有定律？为什么不是空无一物？

So this is a problem, believe it or not,

这个问题，信不信，

that reflective physicists really think a lot about,

让很多物理学家冥思苦想，

and at this point they tend to go metaphysical,

现在他们倾向于形而上的思想，

say, well, maybe the set of laws

那么，也许是这一套定律

that describes our universe,

解释了宇宙，

it's just one set of laws

但它只是众多套定律之一，

and it describes one part of reality,

它只解释了部分现实，

but maybe every consistent set of laws

但也许每一套完整的定律

describes another part of reality,

都可以解释另一部分现实。

and in fact all possible physical worlds

事实上所有可能的现实世界

really exist, they're all out there.

都存在，它们都在那。

We just see a little tiny part of reality

我们只是看到了非常小的一部分现实，

that's described by the laws of quantum field theory,

这部分现实是由量子场理论描述的。

but there are many, many other worlds,

但有很多很多其他的世界

parts of reality that are described

和其他部分的现实，是由

by vastly different theories

无数的不同的理论描述的，

that are different from ours in ways we can't imagine,

这些理论跟我们的世界里的理论不同，

that are inconceivably exotic.

无法想象，无法理解。

Steven Weinberg, the father

史蒂文•温伯格，

of the standard model of particle physics,

粒子物理学的标准模型提出者，

has actually flirted with this idea himself,

以自娱自乐的态度看待这个问题，

that all possible realities actually exist.

他说所有可能的现实都存在。

Also, a younger physicist, Max Tegmark,

另外，一个更年轻的物理学家，马克斯•泰格马克，

who believes that all mathematical structures exist,

相信所有的数学理论架构都存在，

and mathematical existence is the same thing

数学的存在跟物理的存在

as physical existence,

是一回事，

so we have this vastly rich multiverse

因此，那么多多元宇宙的存在

that encompasses every logical possibility.

包含了所有逻辑可能性。

Now, in taking this metaphysical way out,

现在，暂不考虑形而上的哲学，

these physicists and also philosophers are actually

有些物理学家和哲学家

reaching back to a very old idea

的思想在靠近古老的

that goes back to Plato.

柏拉图的思想，

It's the principle of plenitude or fecundity,

这就是“丰饶原则”，

or the great chain of being,

或称“存在之链”，

that reality is actually as full as possible.

即有“无限可能”的现实。

It's as far removed from nothingness

这是“空无一物”的

as it could possibly be.

绝对对立面。

So we have these two extremes now.

现在就有两个极端了。

We have sheer nothingness on one side,

一边是绝对的“空”；

and we have this vision of a reality

而另一个极端认为世界的实相

that encompasses every conceivable world

包含每一种可能的世界：

at the other extreme: the fullest possible reality,

“无限可能”的现实，

nothingness, the simplest possible reality.

对应“空无一物”，“最简可能”的现实。

Now what's in between these two extremes?

那这两个极端之间是什么呢？

There are all kinds of intermediate realities

这之间有无数现实，

that include some things and leave out others.

它们包含某些可能，又不完全。

So one of these intermediate realities

这之间的现实中，有一个

is, say, the most mathematically elegant reality,

从数学的角度来看是最优雅的，

that leaves out the inelegant bits,

不含不和谐的曲调、

the ugly asymmetries and so forth.

不完美的对称等。

Now, there are some physicists who will tell you

有些物理学家会告诉你，

that we're actually living in the most elegant reality.

事实上我们正生活在最优雅的这个现实中。

I think that Brian Greene is in the audience,

我想布赖恩•格林就在观众席里，

and he has written a book called "The Elegant Universe."

他写的书叫《宇宙的琴弦》，

He claims that the universe we live in mathematically

他说我们的宇宙在数学的角度上是

is very elegant.

非常优雅的。

Don't believe him. (Laughter)

不要信他。（笑声）

It's a pious hope, I wish it were true,

这是个不切实际的希望，我倒希望他说的是真的，

but I think the other day he admitted to me

我想，那天他向我承认过，

it's really an ugly universe.

这个宇宙实际上是丑陋的，

It's stupidly constructed,

有着拙劣的架构，

it's got way too many arbitrary coupling constants

有太多随意的耦合常数、

and mass ratios

质量比，

and superfluous families of elementary particles,

以及多余的基本粒子族，

and what the hell is dark energy?

还有见鬼的暗能量到底是什么？

It's a stick and bubble gum contraption.

这个宇宙是个“泡泡糖装置”，

It's not an elegant universe. (Laughter)

不是一个优雅的宇宙。（笑声）

And then there's the best of all possible worlds

从伦理学层面看，所有可能存在的世界中，

in an ethical sense.

存在最完美的。

You should get solemn now,

你们要严肃一些了，

because a world in which sentient beings

在那个世界里，众生不会

don't suffer needlessly,

无缘由地受苦受难，

in which there aren't things like

没有像

childhood cancer or the Holocaust.

儿童癌症、大屠杀一类的事情。

This is an ethical conception.

这是在伦理学层面上看。

Anyway, so between nothingness

总之，在“空无一物”与

and the fullest possible reality,

“无限可能”的现实之间，

various special realities.

存在不同的、特殊的现实。

Nothingness is special. It's the simplest.

“空无一物”是特殊的，是最简单的。

Then there's the most elegant possible reality.

最优雅的那个现实，

That's special.

同样是特殊的。

The fullest possible reality, that's special.

“无限可能”的现实，也是特殊的。

But what are we leaving out here?

还有什么呢？

There's also just the crummy,

也有一些微不足道的、

generic realities

一般的现实，

that aren't special in any way,

没有任何特殊之处，

that are sort of random.

只是一些随机的组合。

They're infinitely removed from nothingness,

它们绝非“空无一物”，

but they fall infinitely short of complete fullness.

但也远远不是“无限可能”，

They're a mixture of chaos and order,

它们是混沌和秩序的结合，

of mathematical elegance and ugliness.

数学角度来看，是优雅和丑陋的结合。

So I would describe these realities

因此我会将它们描述为

as an infinite, mediocre, incomplete mess,

无限而平凡的、不完整的混沌，

a generic reality, a kind of cosmic junk shot.

一种一般的现实，一种“废物”宇宙。

And these realities,

这些现实，

is there a deity in any of these realities?

这所有的现实中，哪一个有神的概念？

Maybe, but the deity isn't perfect

也许有，但这个神不像

like the Judeo-Christian deity.

犹太和基督教的神那么完美。

The deity isn't all-good and all-powerful.

这个神不善良，不无所不能。

It might be instead 100 percent malevolent

它或许彻头彻尾地邪恶，

but only 80 percent effective,

但最多发挥80%的能力，

which pretty much describes the world we see around us, I think. (Laughter)

我想这就描绘了我们眼前的世界。（笑声）

So I would like to propose that the resolution

因此，我想提出这样一个看法，

to the mystery of existence

“存在”谜题的答案是：

is that the reality we exist in

我们所在的这个世界

is one of these generic realities.

是这些一般的现实之一。

Reality has to turn out some way.

现实总会以某种方式显现，

It can either turn out to be nothing

或是“空无一物”，

or everything or something in between.

或是“无限可能”，或是介于两者之间。

So if it has some special feature,

所以，如果它有某种特质，

like being really elegant or really full

像完美无缺、“无限可能”，

or really simple, like nothingness,

或绝对的简单、“空无一物”，

that would require an explanation.

就需要一个解释。

But if it's just one of these random, generic realities,

但如果它只是随机的、一般的现实之一，

there's no further explanation for it.

就不需要任何的解释了。

And indeed, I would say

说实在的，我认为

that's the reality we live in.

这正是我们眼前的世界，

That's what science is telling us.

这正是科学所解释的世界。

At the beginning of the week,

这周初，

we got the exciting information that

我们获悉了一则令人激动的消息，

the theory of inflation, which predicts a big,

宇宙膨胀理论，这个理论设想了广袤的、

infinite, messy, arbitrary, pointless reality,

无限的、混沌的、任意的、空洞的现实，

it's like a big frothing champagne

它假想宇宙像充满泡沫的香槟

coming out of a bottle endlessly,

永不停歇地从瓶口汹涌而出，

a vast universe, mostly a wasteland

广袤无垠，如荒地般，

with little pockets of charm and order and peace,

不那么优雅，缺少秩序和宁静。

this has been confirmed,

这个宇宙膨胀理论，

this inflationary scenario, by the observations

通过位于南极洲的电波望远镜

made by radio telescopes in Antarctica

的观测结果被证实，

that looked at the signature of the gravitational waves

这个电波望远镜观测了宇宙大爆炸前的

from just before the Big Bang.

引力波的痕迹。

I'm sure you all know about this.

我相信你们都知道这个消息了。

So anyway, I think there's some evidence

总之我想，已有证据证明，

that this really is the reality that we're stuck with.

这个现实正是我们所生活的世界。

Now, why should you care?

那么，你为什么要在乎？

Well — (Laughter) —

好吧 —（笑声）—

the question, "Why does the world exist?"

“世界为何会存在”这个问题，

that's the cosmic question, it sort of rhymes

是个宇宙层面的问题，它微妙地联系着

with a more intimate question:

一个更私人的问题：

Why do I exist? Why do you exist?

我为何会存在？你为何会存在？

you know, our existence would seem to be amazingly improbable,

你懂的，我们看起来 都是以极低的概率来到这个世界，

because there's an enormous number of genetically possible humans,

因为基因组合可形成的人有无数多种，

if you can compute it by looking at

如果你以基因的数量

the number of the genes and the number of alleles and so forth,

和等位基因的数量来计算，

and a back-of-the-envelope calculation will tell you

很快就可以算出，

there are about 10 to the 10,000th

大概有10的10000次方

possible humans, genetically.

个可能的人。

That's between a googol and a googolplex.

介于googol与googolplex之间。 （译者注：这两个数分别是10的100次方，和10的googol次方）

And the number of the actual humans that have existed

而来到过这个地球上的人，

is 100 billion, maybe 50 billion,

实际上有1000亿，或是500亿，

an infinitesimal fraction, so all of us,

是个无穷小的比例，所以，我们

we've won this amazing cosmic lottery.

所有的人都赢得了这个神奇的“彩票”，

We're here. Okay.

来到了这个世界。

So what kind of reality do we want to live in?

那么，我们想生活在哪一种现实中呢？

Do we want to live in a special reality?

我们想不想生活在一种特殊的现实中？

What if we were living in the most elegant possible reality?

如果我们生活在最优雅的现实中怎么样？

Imagine the existential pressure on us

设想这个假定存在的压力

to live up to that, to be elegant,

施加在我们身上，要优雅，

not to pull down the tone of it.

不要做不优雅的事情。

Or, what if we were living in the fullest possible reality?

或者，如果我们生活在有 “无限可能”的现实中呢？

Well then our existence would be guaranteed,

那么我们的生存就有保障了，

because every possible thing

因为所有可能的事情

exists in that reality,

都存在，

but our choices would be meaningless.

但我们的选择就变得没有意义。

If I really struggle morally and agonize

如果我千辛万苦地维持正派，

and I decide to do the right thing,

并下决心做正确的事，

what difference does it make,

但这么做又会有什么不同呢？

because there are an infinite number

因为有

of versions of me

无数个我，

also doing the right thing

都在做正确的事情，

and an infinite number doing the wrong thing.

也有无数个我在做错误的事情。

So my choices are meaningless.

因此我的选择就没意义了。

So we don't want to live in that special reality.

所以，我们并不想生活在那种特殊的现实中。

And as for the special reality of nothingness,

如果是在“空无一物”的现实中，

we wouldn't be having this conversation.

我们不会在这里彼此交流。

So I think living in a generic reality that's mediocre,

所以我想，生活在一个平凡的现实中，

there are nasty bits and nice bits

这个现实中优雅和丑陋的事实并存，

and we could make the nice bits bigger

我们能让优雅的事实变多，

and the nasty bits smaller

让丑陋的事实变少，

and that gives us a kind of purpose in life.

这会带给我们一种人生的意义。

The universe is absurd,

在这个“荒谬”的宇宙中，

but we can still construct a purpose,

我们仍然可以寻找到人生的意义，

and that's a pretty good one,

还是个相当好的意义。

and the overall mediocrity of reality

现实的平凡

kind of resonates nicely with the mediocrity

与我们内心深处体会到平凡

we all feel in the core of our being.

和谐地“共鸣”，

And I know you feel it.

我知道你们能感受到。

I know you're all special,

我知道你们都是独特的，

but you're still kind of secretly mediocre,

但你们终究是某种“不为人知”的平凡，

don't you think?

不是吗？

(Laughter) (Applause)

（笑声）（掌声）

So anyway, you may say, this puzzle, the mystery of existence,

总之，或许你会说， 这个谜题，这个“存在”的谜题，

it's just silly mystery-mongering.

是个愚蠢的故作玄虚的问题。

You're not astonished at the existence of the universe

你不因宇宙的存在感到惊讶，

and you're in good company.

你觉得“岁月静好”。

Bertrand Russell said,

伯特兰•罗素说：

"I should say the universe is just there, and that's all."

“要我说，宇宙就是那样，没别的了。”

Just a brute fact.

这是个残酷的现实。

And my professor at Columbia, Sidney Morgenbesser,

我的哥伦比亚大学的教授，西德尼•摩根贝沙，

a great philosophical wag,

一位伟大又幽默的哲学家，

when I said to him, "Professor Morgenbesser,

我问他：“摩根贝沙教授，

why is there something rather than nothing?"

为什么有物存在，而不是一切皆空？”

And he said, "Oh, even if there was nothing,

他回答说：”哦，即便是一切皆空，

you still wouldn't be satisfied."

你还是不会满意。“

So — (Laughter) — okay.

所以—（笑声）—好吧。

So you're not astonished. I don't care.

所以，如果你不惊讶（于宇宙的存在）， 我也不在乎。

But I will tell you something to conclude

但我即将要做的结论，

that I guarantee you will astonish you,

保证会让你惊讶，

because it's astonished all of the brilliant,

因为它曾让我在TED大会上遇到的

wonderful people I've met at this TED conference,

所有聪明的、不可思议的人惊讶，

when I've told them, and it's this:

那就是：

Never in my life have I had a cell phone.

我这一生中从没用过手机。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Laughter) (Applause)

（笑声）（掌声）