The unheard story of David and Goliath | Malcolm Gladwell

翻译人员: Li Li 校对人员: yaquan chen

So I wanted to tell a story

我给大家讲个故事

that really obsessed me when I was writing my new book,

这个故事在我写新书的时候让我很着迷

and it's a story of something that happened

它发生在

3,000 years ago,

3000年前

when the Kingdom of Israel was in its infancy.

那时以色列王国才刚刚诞生

And it takes place in an area called the Shephelah

这个故事发生在一个叫示非拉的地方

in what is now Israel.

就是现在的以色列

And the reason the story obsessed me is that

这个故事让我着迷的原因是

I thought I understood it, and then I went back over it

我以为我读懂了，但当我再回顾时

and I realized that I didn't understand it at all.

我发现我一点也没读懂这个故事

Ancient Palestine had a -- along its eastern border,

在古代巴勒斯坦的东部边界

there's a mountain range.

有一条山脉

Still same is true of Israel today.

今天的以色列也还有这条山脉

And in the mountain range are all of the ancient cities

这片区域的所有古城都在这条山脉里

of that region, so Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron.

比如耶路撒冷，伯利恒，希伯伦

And then there's a coastal plain

然后沿着地中海

along the Mediterranean, where Tel Aviv is now.

还有一个海岸平原，就是现在的特拉维夫市

And connecting the mountain range with the coastal plain

连接这条山脉和海岸平原的地方

is an area called the Shephelah,

就叫做示非拉

which is a series of valleys and ridges that run east to west,

实际上就是一连串东西走向的山谷山脊

and you can follow the Shephelah, go through the Shephelah

你可以穿过示非拉

to get from the coastal plain to the mountains.

从海岸平原到山里去

And the Shephelah, if you've been to Israel, you'll know

如果你去过以色列，你就会知道

it's just about the most beautiful part of Israel.

示非拉算是以色列最美的地方了

It's gorgeous, with forests of oak

十分漂亮，有橡树林

and wheat fields and vineyards.

有麦田，还有葡萄园

But more importantly, though, in the history of that region,

更重要的是，这片区域在历史上

it's served, it's had a real strategic function,

起着战略性的作用

and that is, it is the means by which hostile armies

也就是说，海岸平原上的敌人

on the coastal plain find their way,

可以通过这里

get up into the mountains and threaten those living in the mountains.

登上山脉，威胁到山里的居民

And 3,000 years ago, that's exactly what happens.

而在3000年前，确实发生了这种事

The Philistines, who are the biggest of enemies

腓力斯人，是以色列王国

of the Kingdom of Israel,

最大的敌人

are living in the coastal plain.

他们住在海岸平原上

They're originally from Crete. They're a seafaring people.

他们祖先来自克里特岛，是航海的民族

And they may start to make their way

他们会通过

through one of the valleys of the Shephelah

示非拉的一条山谷

up into the mountains,

进入到山里

because what they want to do is occupy the highland area

因为他们想占领伯利恒旁边那片高原地区

right by Bethlehem and split the Kingdom of Israel in two.

将以色列王国一分为二

And the Kingdom of Israel, which is headed by King Saul,

当时以色列王国的国王，索尔

obviously catches wind of this,

已经提前收到风声

and Saul brings his army down from the mountains

所以索尔带着他的军队下山

and he confronts the Philistines in the Valley of Elah,

在示非拉最美的山谷之一 -- 以拉谷

one of the most beautiful of the valleys of the Shephelah.

遭遇腓力斯人

And the Israelites dig in along the northern ridge,

然后以色列人沿着北边的山脊掘壕固守

and the Philistines dig in along the southern ridge,

腓力斯人则守在南边的山脊

and the two armies just sit there for weeks

双方僵持了数周

and stare at each other, because they're deadlocked.

大眼瞪小眼，因为他们都陷入僵局了

Neither can attack the other, because to attack the other side

谁都无法攻击到对方，因为如果要攻击对方

you've got to come down the mountain into the valley

就得先从山脊下到山谷里来

and then up the other side, and you're completely exposed.

然后再上到对方那里去，这样就完全暴露了自己

So finally, to break the deadlock,

所以最后，为了打破僵局

the Philistines send their mightiest warrior

腓力斯人派出了他们最勇猛的战士

down into the valley floor, and he calls out

来到了山谷里，大声叫喊

and he says to the Israelites,

他对以色列人挑衅

"Send your mightiest warrior down,

“把你们最强的战士叫下来

and we'll have this out, just the two of us."

就我们俩，来决一死战。”

This was a tradition in ancient warfare called single combat.

这是古代战争的一种传统，叫单一作战

It was a way of settling disputes

它可以解决纠纷

without incurring the bloodshed of a major battle.

避免战争中血流成河的局面

And the Philistine who is sent down,

腓力斯人派出的

their mighty warrior, is a giant.

是他们最强壮的战士，是个巨人

He's 6 foot 9.

身高接近2米1

He's outfitted head to toe in this glittering bronze armor,

他从头到脚都装备着闪亮的青铜铠甲

and he's got a sword and he's got a javelin

手持利剑和标枪

and he's got his spear. He is absolutely terrifying.

还有一支矛，威风凛凛

And he's so terrifying that none of the Israelite soldiers want to fight him.

他太可怕了，以至于没有一个以色列战士敢去迎战

It's a death wish, right? There's no way they think they can take him.

这不找死吗，对吧？他们觉得肯定打不赢他

And finally the only person who will come forward

最后唯一一个自告奋勇的人

is this young shepherd boy,

是个牧童

and he goes up to Saul and he says, "I'll fight him."

他走到索尔面前，说，“我去会会他。”

And Saul says, "You can't fight him. That's ridiculous.

索尔说，“你打不过的，别闹了

You're this kid. This is this mighty warrior."

你只是个小孩，对方可是猛将啊。”

But the shepherd is adamant. He says, "No, no, no,

但这个牧童很固执，连说，“不不不，

you don't understand, I have been defending my flock

你不知道，我为了保护我的羊群

against lions and wolves for years. I think I can do it."

经常和狮子狼群周旋，我可以的。”

And Saul has no choice. He's got no one else who's come forward.

索尔没办法，因为除了他，没人敢去了

So he says, "All right."

所以他同意了，“好吧。”

And then he turns to the kid, and he says,

然后又转身对这牧童，说

"But you've got to wear this armor. You can't go as you are."

“但你得穿上这铠甲，你不能就这么去。”

So he tries to give the shepherd his armor,

然后就准备给他穿上铠甲

and the shepherd says, "No."

这是牧童拒绝了，“不。”

He says, "I can't wear this stuff."

他说，“我不穿这个。”

The Biblical verse is, "I cannot wear this for I have not proved it,"

圣经中的原话是，“吾，未曾披甲而战，故，不着甲。”

meaning, "I've never worn armor before. You've got to be crazy."

意思就是，“我从来就没穿过铠甲，万一不适应怎办。”

So he reaches down instead on the ground

然后他就蹲到地上

and picks up five stones

捡了五颗石子

and puts them in his shepherd's bag

放进了他的牧羊包里

and starts to walk down the mountainside to meet the giant.

然后就下山找巨人去了

And the giant sees this figure approaching,

巨人看到他来了

and calls out, "Come to me so I can feed your flesh

挑衅说，“过来吧，我要把你的肉

to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field."

献给天上的鸟儿和地里的野兽。”

He issues this kind of taunt towards this person

他对这个前来和他单挑的年轻人

coming to fight him.

大肆嘲讽

And the shepherd draws closer and closer,

牧童越来越接近巨人了

and the giant sees that he's carrying a staff.

而巨人看到他只扛着一根牧羊棒

That's all he's carrying.

他只带了这个

Instead of a weapon, just this shepherd's staff,

没有武器，只有这根牧羊棒

and he says -- he's insulted --

然后巨人就羞辱他

"Am I a dog that you would come to me with sticks?"

“我是条狗吗？你拿这些打狗棒来干啥啊？”

And the shepherd boy takes one of his stones

这时牧童从他的袋子里

out of his pocket, puts it in his sling

取出了一块石头，放在他的投石绳上

and rolls it around and lets it fly

抡了几圈绳子，然后甩出了石头

and it hits the giant right between the eyes --

石头直直地砸在巨人的眉间

right here, in his most vulnerable spot --

那里是他最脆弱的部位

and he falls down either dead or unconscious,

巨人应声而倒，也不知是死了还是晕了

and the shepherd boy runs up and takes his sword

牧童就赶紧跑过去，拿起他的剑

and cuts off his head,

把他的头砍了下来

and the Philistines see this and they turn and they just run.

腓力斯人见状，都吓得促慌而逃

And of course, the name of the giant is Goliath

这个巨人的名字，叫做哥利亚

and the name of the shepherd boy is David,

而这个牧童，叫做大卫

and the reason that story has obsessed me

在我写书的过程中

over the course of writing my book

这个故事之所以让我着迷

is that everything I thought I knew about that story

就是因为我发现自己对这个故事的理解

turned out to be wrong.

都是错的

So David, in that story, is supposed to be the underdog, right?

在这个故事里，大卫是不被看好的，对吧？

In fact, that term, David and Goliath,

事实上，“大卫和哥利亚”这个短语

has entered our language as a metaphor for

已经被我们用来比喻

improbable victories

出人意料的胜利

by some weak party over someone far stronger.

以弱胜强

Now why do we call David an underdog?

那么我们为什么不看好大卫呢？

Well, we call him an underdog because he's a kid,

首先我们不看好他，因为他是个孩子

a little kid, and Goliath is this big, strong giant.

只是个小孩，而哥利亚是强壮的巨人

We also call him an underdog

所以我们不看好他

because Goliath is an experienced warrior,

哥利亚可是个英勇善战的战士

and David is just a shepherd.

大卫只是个牧童罢了

But most importantly, we call him an underdog

但我们不看好他的最重要的原因是

because all he has is -- it's that Goliath is outfitted with

哥利亚全身上下都武装着

all of this modern weaponry,

先进的武器装备

this glittering coat of armor

闪亮的青铜铠甲

and a sword and a javelin and a spear,

利剑，标枪和长矛

and all David has is this sling.

而大卫就只有一条投石绳

Well, let's start there with the phrase

我们再看一下这句话

"All David has is this sling,"

“大卫就只有一条投石绳，”

because that's the first mistake that we make.

这就是我们所犯的第一个错误所在

In ancient warfare, there are three kinds of warriors.

在古代战争中，有三种士兵

There's cavalry, men on horseback and with chariots.

一是骑兵，驾车骑在马背上

There's heavy infantry, which are foot soldiers,

二是重步兵，就是步兵

armed foot soldiers with swords and shields

武装上剑和盾

and some kind of armor.

还有铠甲

And there's artillery, and artillery are archers,

第三则是炮兵，这里指弓兵

but, more importantly, slingers.

还有不容忽视的投石兵

And a slinger is someone who has a leather pouch

投石兵的武器，就是一个皮囊

with two long cords attached to it,

两端有长绳系着

and they put a projectile, either a rock or a lead ball,

他们把石弹或铅弹放进皮囊

inside the pouch, and they whirl it around like this

然后像这样挥舞着

and they let one of the cords go,

再放掉一根绳

and the effect is to send the projectile forward

就可以把弹物抛出

towards its target.

击中目标

That's what David has, and it's important to understand

大卫用的就是这个，但必须强调一点

that that sling is not a slingshot.

投石绳并不是弹弓

It's not this, right? It's not a child's toy.

不是这样的，对吧？它不是个玩具

It's in fact an incredibly devastating weapon.

它其实是十分致命的武器

When David rolls it around like this,

当大卫这样抛旋的时候

he's turning the sling around probably

速度大约可以达到

at six or seven revolutions per second,

每秒六到七圈

and that means that when the rock is released,

这就意味着，当石头被释放出去的时候

it's going forward really fast,

它的速度是非常快的

probably 35 meters per second.

大概每秒35米

That's substantially faster than a baseball

这比最好的棒球手

thrown by even the finest of baseball pitchers.

投出的球的速度快得多

More than that, the stones in the Valley of Elah

另外，以拉谷的石头

were not normal rocks. They were barium sulphate,

不是普通的石头，他们是硫酸钡

which are rocks twice the density of normal stones.

密度是普通石头的两倍

If you do the calculations on the ballistics,

如果你根据弹道学的理论去计算

on the stopping power of the rock fired from David's sling,

大卫投出的那个石头的制动能力

it's roughly equal to the stopping power

基本上相当于

of a [.45 caliber] handgun.

一把口径为0.45的手枪

This is an incredibly devastating weapon.

这可是置人于死地的武器

Accuracy, we know from historical records

精确度，我们从历史记录上可以看出

that slingers -- experienced slingers could hit

投石手——经验丰富的投石手

and maim or even kill a target at distances of up to 200 yards.

可以射伤甚至射死远达200码外的人

From medieval tapestries, we know that slingers

从中世纪的一些挂毯上，我们得知

were capable of hitting birds in flight.

投石手能击中空中飞翔的鸟儿

They were incredibly accurate.

他们的精准度相当高

When David lines up -- and he's not 200 yards away from Goliath,

大卫抡绳子时，离哥利亚还不到200码

he's quite close to Goliath --

离得很近

when he lines up and fires that thing at Goliath,

当他抡起绳子朝哥利亚投石时

he has every intention and every expectation

他已经打算好了

of being able to hit Goliath at his most vulnerable spot

就是要击中哥利亚最脆弱的部位

between his eyes.

也就是他的眉心

If you go back over the history of ancient warfare,

如果回顾古代战争史

you will find time and time again

你会经常发现

that slingers were the decisive factor against infantry

投石手是抗击步兵的决定性因素

in one kind of battle or another.

不管是什么战争

So what's Goliath? He's heavy infantry,

那哥利亚属于什么类别呢？他是重步兵

and his expectation when he challenges the Israelites to a duel

他向以色列士兵挑战时

is that he's going to be fighting another heavy infantryman.

预想的对手是另一名重步兵

When he says, "Come to me that I might

当他说，“过来吧，我要把你的肉

feed your flesh to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field,"

献给天上的鸟儿和地里的野兽，”

the key phrase is "Come to me."

他的关键词是“过来吧”

Come up to me because we're going to fight,

快过来，我们单挑

hand to hand, like this.

面对面，就像这样

Saul has the same expectation.

索尔也是同样的想法

David says, "I want to fight Goliath,"

大卫说，“让我去会会哥利亚，”

and Saul tries to give him his armor,

索尔试图给他穿上铠甲

because Saul is thinking, "Oh, when you say 'fight Goliath,'

因为索尔想，“噢，你说你要去‘会会’他

you mean 'fight him in hand-to-hand combat,'

就是指‘面对面地徒手决战’

infantry on infantry."

步兵间的决斗。”

But David has absolutely no expectation.

但大卫当然不是这样想的

He's not going to fight him that way. Why would he?

他肯定不会用这样的战术，为什么要这样呢

He's a shepherd. He's spent his entire career

他是个牧童，他一直以来

using a sling to defend his flock against lions and wolves.

都是用投石绳保护自己的羊群，驱赶狮子和狼群

That's where his strength lies.

这也是他的优势所在

So here he is, this shepherd, experienced

所以他是一个，经验丰富的牧羊人

in the use of a devastating weapon,

能使用致命的武器

up against this lumbering giant

击败笨拙的巨人

weighed down by a hundred pounds of armor

哪怕巨人穿上百斤重甲

and these incredibly heavy weapons

手持重型武器

that are useful only in short-range combat.

而这些重装备却只在近距搏斗中有优势

Goliath is a sitting duck. He doesn't have a chance.

哥利亚基本就是坐以待毙，他没有机会出手

So why do we keep calling David an underdog,

那么为什么我们总是不看好大卫

and why do we keep referring to his victory as improbable?

总是认为他不可能胜利呢？

There's a second piece of this that's important.

另外还有一点很重要

It's not just that we misunderstand David

我们不仅误解了大卫

and his choice of weaponry.

和他选择的武器

It's also that we profoundly misunderstand Goliath.

同时我们也高估了哥利亚

Goliath is not what he seems to be.

哥利亚其实没那么可怕

There's all kinds of hints of this in the Biblical text,

在圣经中有不少的暗示

things that are in retrospect quite puzzling

很多东西回想起来都模棱两可

and don't square with his image as this mighty warrior.

而且和他强大的战士的形象并不相符

So to begin with, the Bible says that Goliath

首先，圣经说哥利亚

is led onto the valley floor by an attendant.

是被一个侍从带到山谷底下的

Now that is weird, right?

这有点奇怪，对吧？

Here is this mighty warrior

他可是强壮的战士

challenging the Israelites to one-on-one combat.

向以色列人单挑的战士

Why is he being led by the hand

为什么要由

by some young boy, presumably,

可能还是个小男孩的侍从

to the point of combat?

带到战场上呢？

Secondly, the Bible story makes special note

第二，圣经故事里强调

of how slowly Goliath moves,

哥利亚行动缓慢

another odd thing to say when you're describing

用这来描述当时无人不晓的战士

the mightiest warrior known to man at that point.

不是很奇怪吗

And then there's this whole weird thing

而最奇怪的是

about how long it takes Goliath to react

哥利亚花了很长时间

to the sight of David.

才发现大卫

So David's coming down the mountain,

大卫下山

and he's clearly not preparing for hand-to-hand combat.

并没有准备徒手搏斗

There is nothing about him that says,

书中没有记载说他

"I am about to fight you like this."

“我就准备这样和你打”

He's not even carrying a sword.

他甚至连剑都没带

Why does Goliath not react to that?

哥利亚为什么对此毫无反应呢？

It's as if he's oblivious to what's going on that day.

他好像没有意识到发生了什么

And then there's that strange comment he makes to David:

还有他对大卫奇怪的嘲讽：

"Am I a dog that you should come to me with sticks?"

“我是条狗吗？你拿这些打狗棒来干啥啊？”

Sticks? David only has one stick.

这些？大卫只带了一根而已

Well, it turns out that there's been a great deal

多年来，医学界

of speculation within the medical community over the years

一直对此颇有猜测

about whether there is something

是不是哥利亚

fundamentally wrong with Goliath,

本身就有问题

an attempt to make sense of all of those apparent anomalies.

他们试图去解释这些明显的反常现象

There have been many articles written.

人们写了不少文章

The first one was in 1960 in the Indiana Medical Journal,

第一篇发表在1960年的印第安纳医学杂志上

and it started a chain of speculation

开始了一系列的推测

that starts with an explanation for Goliath's height.

首先，它解释了哥利亚的身高

So Goliath is head and shoulders above

在当时，哥利亚比他的同龄人

all of his peers in that era,

高出一个肩膀

and usually when someone is that far out of the norm,

通常来说，如果有人超出正常范围如此之多

there's an explanation for it.

人们就会对其作出解释

So the most common form of giantism

巨人症最常见的症状

is a condition called acromegaly,

叫做肢端肥大症

and acromegaly is caused by a benign tumor

肢端肥大症是由位于脑下垂体

on your pituitary gland

的良性肿瘤

that causes an overproduction of human growth hormone.

过多分泌人类生长激素而导致的

And throughout history, many of the most famous giants

纵观历史，许多著名的巨人

have all had acromegaly.

都患有肢端肥大症

So the tallest person of all time

世界上有史以来最高的

was a guy named Robert Wadlow

是一个叫Robert Wadlow的人

who was still growing when he died at the age of 24

他在24岁离世时仍然在长个子

and he was 8 foot 11.

当时身高是2米72

He had acromegaly.

他患有肢端肥大症

Do you remember the wrestler André the Giant?

你们还记得摔跤手巨人安德烈吗？

Famous. He had acromegaly.

很有名。他也患有肢端肥大症

There's even speculation that Abraham Lincoln had acromegaly.

甚至有人猜测亚伯拉罕·林肯也有肢端肥大症

Anyone who's unusually tall,

只要有谁特别高

that's the first explanation we come up with.

我们首先都会想到这种解释

And acromegaly has a very distinct set of side effects

肢端肥大症还有其特有的

associated with it,

副作用

principally having to do with vision.

主要和视力有关

The pituitary tumor, as it grows,

脑下垂体肿瘤生长到一定程度时

often starts to compress the visual nerves in your brain,

常会压迫到大脑里的视觉神经

with the result that people with acromegaly

导致肢端肥大症患者

have either double vision or they are profoundly nearsighted.

要么复视，要么近视

So when people have started to speculate

所以当人们猜测

about what might have been wrong with Goliath,

哥利亚哪里出了毛病的时候

they've said, "Wait a minute,

他们都会说，“等一下，

he looks and sounds an awful lot like someone

他看起来很像是患上了

who has acromegaly."

肢端肥大症。”

And that would also explain so much of what was strange

这就解释了那天哥利亚

about his behavior that day.

很多奇怪的举动

Why does he move so slowly

为什么他行动迟缓

and have to be escorted down into the valley floor

而且必须要由人带着他

by an attendant?

到山谷下呢？

Because he can't make his way on his own.

因为他没法自己走下去

Why is he so strangely oblivious to David

为什么他如此无视大卫

that he doesn't understand that David's not going to fight him

不明白大卫不到最后一刻

until the very last moment?

是不会与他交手的呢？

Because he can't see him.

因为他看不见大卫

When he says, "Come to me that I might feed your flesh

当他说，“过来吧，我要把你的肉

to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field,"

献给天上的鸟儿和地里的野兽，”时

the phrase "come to me" is a hint also of his vulnerability.

这句“过来吧”也暴露了他的弱点

Come to me because I can't see you.

过来吧，因为我看不见你

And then there's, "Am I a dog that you should come to me with sticks?"

另外，“我是条狗吗？你拿这些打狗棒来干啥啊？”

He sees two sticks when David has only one.

大卫只拿了一根棒，而他看见的是两根

So the Israelites up on the mountain ridge

所以以色列人在山脊上

looking down on him thought he was

往下看时，以为他是

this extraordinarily powerful foe.

无比强大的敌人

What they didn't understand was that

他们不知道的是

the very thing that was the source of his apparent strength

巨人外表强大的根源

was also the source of his greatest weakness.

也是他弱点的根源

And there is, I think, in that,

我认为

a very important lesson for all of us.

这个故事给我们所有人都上了一课

Giants are not as strong and powerful as they seem.

巨人并不像看起来那么强大

And sometimes the shepherd boy has a sling in his pocket.

有时牧童的口袋里，还有一根投石绳

Thank you.

谢谢

(Applause)

（掌声）