Paper towns and why learning is awesome | John Green

譯者: 庭芝 梁 審譯者: MQ L

This is a map of New York State

這是一張紐約州的地圖，

that was made in 1937 by the General Drafting Company.

是由通用製圖公司在 1937 年繪製的。

It's an extremely famous map among cartography nerds,

這張地圖享譽製圖界，

because down here at the bottom of the Catskill Mountains,

因為在卡茲奇山的盡頭，

there is a little town called Roscoe --

有一個叫羅斯科的小鎮。

actually, this will go easier if I just put it up here --

我把地圖投影出來 會看得比較清楚。

There's Roscoe, and then right above Roscoe is Rockland, New York,

那是羅斯科， 上方是紐約州的羅克蘭縣，

and then right above that is the tiny town of Agloe, New York.

在它的北方有一個名為 阿格羅的小鎮。

Agloe, New York, is very famous to cartographers,

製圖師們都知道這個地方，

because it's a paper town.

因為它是一個紙上的小鎮，

It's also known as a copyright trap.

它也是一個版權陷阱。

Mapmakers -- because my map of New York and your map of New York

每位製圖師 -- 不管是誰所畫的紐約地圖，

are going to look very similar, on account of the shape of New York --

它們看起來都很類似， 因為都是根據紐約州的外形來畫的。

often, mapmakers will insert fake places onto their maps,

繪圖師們經常會在 他們畫的地圖裡加入假的地點，

目的是為了保護地圖的版權。

in order to protect their copyright.

Because then, if my fake place shows up on your map,

因為如果我所畫的假地點， 出現在你的地圖裡面，

I can be well and truly sure that you have robbed me.

我就可以確定 是你抄襲了我的地圖。

Agloe is a scrabblization of the initials of the two guys who made this map,

阿格羅 (Agloe) 這個字，是由兩位製圖師 姓名的開頭字母組合而成的：

Ernest Alpers and Otto [G.] Lindberg,

Ernest Alpers 和 Otto [G.] Lindberg.

and they released this map in 1937.

他們在 1937 年出版了這張地圖。

Decades later, Rand McNally releases a map

數十年後，Rand McNally 公司 出版了一份地圖，

with Agloe, New York, on it, at the same exact intersection

在地圖上相同的地方， 標有阿格羅這個小鎮，

of two dirt roads in the middle of nowhere.

而實際上， 這裡只有兩條泥土路交叉。

Well, you can imagine the delight over at General Drafting.

你可以想像得到， 當時通用繪圖公司有多麼高興。

They immediately call Rand McNally, and they say,

他們立即打電話給 Rand McNally 公司，告訴他們：

"We've caught you! We made Agloe, New York, up.

我們終於逮到你啦！ 紐約州的阿格羅鎮是我們捏造的！

It is a fake place. It's a paper town.

那是一個虛構的地方， 是一個紙上的小鎮。

We're going to sue your pants off!"

我們要告倒你！

And Rand McNally says, "No, no, no, no, Agloe is real."

Rand McNally 公司說： 「不不不，阿格羅的確是存在的。」

Because people kept going to that intersection of two dirt roads --

因為一直都有人 路過這兩條路的交會處，

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

in the middle of nowhere, expecting there to be a place called Agloe --

原本那裡什麼也沒有， 但是人們希望有個叫做阿格羅的地方，

someone built a place called Agloe, New York.

於是，真的有人在那裏 建了一個阿格羅鎮，

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

It had a gas station, a general store, two houses at its peak.

那裏有一個加油站、一間小店， 以及山頂的兩間小屋。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And this is of course a completely irresistible metaphor to a novelist,

這肯定是小說家最喜愛的題材，

because we would all like to believe that the stuff that we write down on paper

因為我們相信， 在紙上所描寫的事物，

can change the actual world in which we're actually living,

會改變我們現實生活的世界。

which is why my third book is called "Paper Towns".

這也是為甚麼，我寫的第三本書 會取名為《紙上的城市》。

But what interests me ultimately more than the medium in which this happened,

但是比這件事情的發生經過， 更讓我感興趣的，

is the phenomenon itself.

是這個現象本身。

It's easy enough to say that the world shapes our maps of the world, right?

簡單來說：真實的世界造就了 地圖中的世界，難道不是嗎？

Like the overall shape of the world is obviously going to affect our maps.

就像是真實世界的樣貌， 明顯地影響著我們所畫的地圖。

But what I find a lot more interesting is the way

但是我發現，更有趣的是：

that the manner in which we map the world changes the world.

我們繪製地圖的方式， 也會改變我們的世界。

Because the world would truly be a different place if North were down.

如果北極是朝下方的話， 世界將會變得完全不同。

And the world would be a truly different place

如果阿拉斯加州和俄羅斯， 不是放在地圖的左右兩側，

if Alaska and Russia weren't on opposite sides of the map.

世界將會變得完全不同。

And the world would be a different place

如果把歐洲以實際的比例大小 放在地圖當中，

if we projected Europe to show it in its actual size.

世界也會變得完全不同。

The world is changed by our maps of the world.

地圖裡的世界 能改變真實的世界，

The way that we choose -- sort of, our personal cartographic enterprise,

我們 -- 或者應該說我們製圖界， 所採用的製圖原則，

also shapes the map of our lives,

形塑了我們的地圖，

and that in turn shapes our lives.

進而也形塑了我們的生活。

I believe that what we map changes the life we lead.

我相信，我們所繪製的地圖 能改變我們的生活，

And I don't mean that in some, like, secret-y Oprah's Angels network, like,

我的意思，並不是像歐普拉的「天使網路基金」， [註：美國知名節目主持人]

或者是像「只要你願意， 你就可以遠離癌症」那種感覺。

you-can-think-your-way- out-of-cancer sense.

But I do believe that while maps don't show you where you will go in your life,

但我相信，雖然地圖不能告訴你， 你將會去什麼地方；

they show you where you might go.

但是它能告訴你， 你可以去哪些地方。

You very rarely go to a place that isn't on your personal map.

你很少會去一個 你個人地圖上不存在的地方。

So I was a really terrible student when I was a kid.

我小的時候， 是一個很糟糕的學生，

My GPA was consistently in the low 2s.

我過去的GPA 一直都只有2點多。

And I think the reason that I was such a terrible student

我認為，我的成績這麼糟糕的原因，

is that I felt like education was just a series of hurdles

是因為我把教育視為

阻擋在我面前的柵欄，

that had been erected before me,

and I had to jump over in order to achieve adulthood.

我必須跨過這些柵欄， 才能長大成人。

And I didn't really want to jump over these hurdles,

但是我並不想要 跨過這些柵欄，

because they seemed completely arbitrary, so I often wouldn't,

因為大人們似乎都很專制獨斷， 所以我很抗拒，

and then people would threaten me, you know,

然後大人們就會嚇唬我，

they'd threaten me with this "going on [my] permanent record,"

他們嚇唬我說： “你一直沒有進步”

or "You'll never get a good job."

或者是 “你永遠都找不到好工作”。

I didn't want a good job!

我根本就不想要好工作！

As far as I could tell at eleven or twelve years old,

在我11、12歲的時候就明白，

like, people with good jobs woke up very early in the morning,

那些有好工作的人， 每天都得很早起床。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

and the men who had good jobs, one of the first things they did

而且有好工作的人， 每天做的第一件事，

was tie a strangulation item of clothing around their necks.

就是在脖子繫上一個 令人窒息的東西。

They literally put nooses on themselves,

他們不斷地將這種束縛 套在自己身上，

and then they went off to their jobs, whatever they were.

然後他們就出門去工作， 無論他們想不想要這樣。

That's not a recipe for a happy life.

那根本就不是快樂的人生。

These people -- in my, symbol-obsessed, twelve year-old imagination --

在我十二歲時所觀察到的， 我想像這些人 --

these people who are strangling themselves

這些不斷折磨自己的人，

as one of the first things they do each morning,

他們每天早上的第一件事 就是折磨自己，

they can't possibly be happy.

他們肯定不會快樂。

Why would I want to jump over all of these hurdles

我怎麼可能 想要跨越這些柵欄，

and have that be the end?

然後過這種生活呢？

That's a terrible end!

那真是可怕的人生！

And then, when I was in tenth grade, I went to this school,

然後，我在十年級的時候 進了一所學校 —

Indian Springs School, a small boarding school,

印第安泉中學， 這是一所小型的寄宿學校，

outside of Birmingham, Alabama.

位於阿拉巴馬州， 伯明罕的郊外。

And all at once I became a learner.

然後我成為了一個學習者，

And I became a learner, because I found myself

因為我發現，我身處在一個

in a community of learners.

由學習者組成的社群中。

I found myself surrounded by people

我發現我周圍的人，

who celebrated intellectualism and engagement,

信仰理智主義， 並且深信不疑，

and who thought that my ironic oh-so-cool disengagement

他們認為我當時的 「看起來很酷」的出世觀點，

wasn't clever, or funny,

其實並不聰明， 甚至是可笑，

but, like, it was a simple and unspectacular response

就像是用一個簡單、 普通的答案，

to very complicated and compelling problems.

來回答一個複雜、 迫切的問題。

And so I started to learn, because learning was cool.

所以我開始學習， 因為我覺得學習很棒，

I learned that some infinite sets are bigger than other infinite sets,

我學到了 -- 某些無窮集合， 比另外一些無窮集合更大。

and I learned that iambic pentameter is and why it sounds so good to human ears.

我還學到了「抑揚格五音步」為何如此動聽。 [註：一種英國詩詞的格律]

I learned that the Civil War was a nationalizing conflict,

我學到了，南北戰爭是源自於 「國有化」觀念的衝突，

I learned some physics,

我學到了一些物理知識，

I learned that correlation shouldn't be confused with causation --

我學到了「相關」 並不代表具有因果關係，

all of these things, by the way,

所有我學到的東西，

enriched my life on a literally daily basis.

豐富了我每天的生活。

And it's true that I don't use most of them for my "job,"

雖然這些知識， 大部分都沒有用在我的工作上，

but that's not what it's about for me.

但學習對我的意義， 並不是為了工作。

It's about cartography.

它對我的意義， 就好比「繪製地圖」。

What is the process of cartography?

繪製地圖的步驟是什麼？

It's, you know, sailing upon some land, and thinking,

你知道，首先要航行到 某些地方，然後想著：

"I think I'll draw that bit of land,"

「我想要畫出那片陸地！」

and then wondering, "Maybe there's some more land to draw."

然後又想著： 「也許還有更多的陸地等著我畫呢！」

And that's when learning really began for me.

當我開始學習的時候， 我就是這麼認為的。

It's true that I had teachers that didn't give up on me,

事實上，有一些老師 始終沒有放棄教育我，

and I was very fortunate to have those teachers,

我非常幸運， 能遇到這些老師，

because I often gave them cause to think there was no reason to invest in me.

因為我常常作出一些事， 想要讓他們找到理由放棄我。

But a lot of the learning that I did in high school

但是我在高中時期， 大部分的學習

wasn't about what happened inside the classroom,

其實並不是在教室裡進行的，

it was about what happened outside of the classroom.

大部分的學習 是發生在教室之外的。

For instance, I can tell you

例如，我可以隨口說出：

that "There's a certain Slant of light, Winter Afternoons --

“那冬日午後的斜陽……”

That oppresses, like the Heft Of Cathedral Tunes --"

“憂鬱就像大教堂中的沈重旋律..."

not because I memorized Emily Dickinson in school

這不是因為學校要求背誦埃米莉．狄更生的作品， [註：19世紀時美國女詩人]

when I was in high school,

而是因為在我讀高中的時候， 認識了一個女孩，

but because there was a girl when I was in high school,

and her name was Amanda, and I had a crush on her,

她的名字叫阿曼達， 我很喜歡她，

而她很喜歡

and she liked Emily Dickinson poetry.

埃米莉．狄更生的詩。

The reason I can tell you what opportunity cost is,

我之所以會瞭解 「機會成本」的概念，

is because one day when I was playing Super Mario Kart on my couch,

是因為有一天，當我躺在沙發上玩 「瑪莉歐賽車」電玩遊戲時，

我的朋友艾米特走進房間，然後問：

my friend Emmet walked in, and he said,

"How long have you been playing Super Mario Kart?"

「你玩瑪莉歐賽車玩了多久？」

我說：「我也不知道， 可能有六個小時了吧！」

And I said, "I don't know, like, six hours?" and he said,

他說：「你知不知道， 如果你在 31冰淇淋工作六個小時，

"Do you realize that if you'd worked at Baskin-Robbins those six hours,

你就可以賺到 30 美元； 所以換句話說，

you could have made 30 dollars, so in some ways,

you just paid thirty dollars to play Super Mario Kart."

你剛剛花了 30 美元 在玩瑪莉歐賽車。」

And I was, like, "I'll take that deal."

然後我毫不在乎地回答： 「我願意花這筆錢。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

但是我也因此學到了 機會成本的概念。

But I learned what opportunity cost is.

And along the way, the map of my life got better.

一路走來， 我的人生地圖愈來愈棒，

It got bigger; it contained more places.

它變得更大了， 也包含了更多的地方。

There were more things that might happen,

未來還有更多事情會發生，

more futures I might have.

我也會有更多可能。

It wasn't a formal, organized learning process,

這不是一個制式的、 有組織的學習過程，

and I'm happy to admit that.

但是我很高興能經歷這個過程。

It was spotty, it was inconsistent, there was a lot I didn't know.

我學到的東西也許很零散、互相矛盾， 甚至還有很多是我不知道的。

I might know, you know, Cantor's idea

例如我知道康托爾的集合論，

that some infinite sets are larger than other infinite sets,

某些無窮集合， 比另一些無窮集合更大。

but I didn't really understand the calculus behind that idea.

但是我並不瞭解這個概念 背後的數學原理。

I might know the idea of opportunity cost,

我知道機會成本的概念，

但是我並不知道 「報酬遞減法則」。

but I didn't know the law of diminishing returns.

But the great thing about imagining learning as cartography,

「學習」這件事，最棒的是什麼？ 學習就好比繪製地圖，

instead of imagining it as arbitrary hurdles

學習不是一連串的障礙， 你必須要不斷地跨越它，

that you have to jump over,

拿「繪製地圖」作為比喻， 學習就像是 --

is that you see a bit of coastline, and that makes you want to see more.

你看到了一段海岸線， 然後你想要看到更多。

And so now I do know at least some of the calculus

所以現在，我確實懂了一些微積分，

that underlies all of that stuff.

而這些微積分是另一些 更為高深知識的基礎。

So, I had one learning community

在高中的時候， 我參加了一個學習社群，

in high school, then I went to another for college,

到了大學時期，

and then I went to another,

我參加了另外一個社群，

when I started working at a magazine called "Booklist,"

後來，我在《書單》雜誌工作， 我又參加了一個學習社群，

在那裡，我擔任一名助理， 身邊都是博學多聞的人。

where I was an assistant, surrounded by astonishingly well-read people.

And then I wrote a book.

後來，我寫了一本書，

And like all authors dream of doing,

然後就像所有作家 夢寐以求的那樣，

I promptly quit my job.

我毫不猶豫地辭去了工作。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And for the first time since high school,

我剛進高中的時候，

I found myself without a learning community, and it was miserable.

自己並未加入任何學習社群， 這是件很悲慘的事，

I hated it.

我討厭這種感覺。

I read many, many books during this two-year period.

在這兩年期間， 我讀了很多很多書。

I read books about Stalin,

我讀的書， 有關於史達林的，

and books about how the Uzbek people came to identify as Muslims,

也有關於烏茲別克人 是如何成為回教徒的。

and I read books about how to make atomic bombs,

我也讀了關於 如何製造原子彈的書。

but it just felt like I was creating my own hurdles,

但是這些只讓我感覺到， 我不停地在製造出障礙，

and then jumping over them myself, instead of feeling the excitement

然後只是努力要跨越它們，

of being part of a community of learners, a community of people

而不是去體驗， 在社群之中學習的樂趣。

社群之中的成員，自發性地聚在一起， 就像是那些繪製地圖的人，

who are engaged together in the cartographic enterprise

希望能更加瞭解我們所處的世界， 並且畫出更好的地圖。

of trying to better understand and map the world around us.

And then, in 2006, I met that guy.

後來，在 2006 年， 我遇到了一個人，

His name is Ze Frank.

他的名字是 -- 傑．法蘭克。

I didn't actually meet him, just on the Internet.

我並不是真的遇到他，只是在網路上，

Ze Frank was running, at the time, a show called "The Show with Ze Frank,"

他當時正在經營一個節目， 名叫「傑．法蘭克的個人秀」。

and I discovered the show,

我無意間發現了這個節目，

and that was my way back into being a community learner again.

這使得我像以往一樣， 又加入了一個學習社群。

Here's Ze talking about Las Vegas:

這是一段傑．法蘭克 介紹賭城拉斯維加斯的影片。

(Video) Ze Frank: Las Vegas was built in the middle of a huge, hot desert.

（影片）傑．法蘭克： 拉斯維加斯位於廣大的沙漠之中，

Almost everything here was brought from somewhere else --

這裡的所有物資， 都是從外地運來的，

the sort of rocks, the trees, the waterfalls.

不管是石頭、樹木，或是瀑布。

These fish are almost as out of place as my pig that flew.

這些魚兒原本不可能會在這裡， 就像是豬不會飛一樣。

Contrasted to the scorching desert that surrounds this place,

和周圍酷熱的沙漠相比，

這裡的人們友好、親切。

so are these people.

Things from all over the world have been rebuilt here, away from their histories,

所有事物，無論它過去是什麼樣子， 在這裡都被重新建立，

而且和過去人們所熟悉的方式， 完全不一樣。

and away from the people that experience them differently.

當然有時候，你會看到有一些改進 -- 例如給人面獅身像加上鼻子。

Sometimes improvements were made -- even the Sphinx got a nose job.

在這裡，你不會感覺到 少了什麼東西。

Here, there's no reason to feel like you're missing anything.

這就像是紐約， 帶給於我或是其他人的感覺一樣。

This New York means the same to me as it does to everyone else.

所有事物都脫離了情境， 這也表示這裡能夠容納所有事物，

Everything is out of context, and that means context allows for everything:

Self Parking, Events Center, Shark Reef.

例如自助式停車場、 會展中心、鯊魚礁水族館。

這些建築會出現在這裡， 可說是世界上最偉大的成就，

This fabrication of place could be one of the world's greatest achievements,

因為這些事物原本都不在這裡， 每一個人也是。

because no one belongs here; everyone does.

今天早上，當我四處散步時，

As I walked around this morning, I noticed most of the buildings

我注意到大部分建築物表面， 都有巨大的玻璃帷幕，將陽光反射回沙漠。

were huge mirrors reflecting the sun back into the desert.

但是，不像大部分的鏡子， 能把你和周圍的景物映照出來，

But unlike most mirrors,

which present you with an outside view of yourself embedded in a place,

這些建築物的表面，

反射出的只是空曠的背景。

these mirrors come back empty.

约翰．格林：「這段影片 讓我回想起過去那段日子，

John Green: Makes me nostalgic for the days

你還可以看到當時 網路影片中粗糙的畫素呢！」

when you could see the pixels in online video.

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

Ze isn't just a great public intellectual, he's also a brilliant community builder,

傑．法蘭克不只是一位優秀的公眾知識份子， 他還是一位社群建立的高手，

and the community of people that built up around these videos

經由這些影片， 所聚集而來的社群成員，

was in many ways a community of learners.

也成為各領域的學習者。

So we played Ze Frank at chess collaboratively, and we beat him.

所以我們和傑．法蘭克一起下棋， 然後合作擊敗他。

We organized ourselves to take a young man on a road trip across the United States.

我們一同合作，促成一位年輕人 踏上橫越美國的旅程。

We turned the Earth into a sandwich,

我們也把地球變成了三明治，

by having one person hold a piece of bread at one point on the Earth,

在地球的一端， 有個人手裡拿了一片麵包，

而在地球的另一端，

and on the exact opposite point of the Earth,

have another person holding a piece of bread.

也有另外一個人拿著一片麵包。

I realize that these are silly ideas, but they are also "learny" ideas,

我知道這些想法看起來很傻， 但是它們也是一種學習型的想法，

and that was what was so exciting to me,

正是這些奇怪的想法， 讓我感到興奮。

and if you go online, you can find communities like this all over the place.

如果你上網，你還可以在許多地方 找到類似的學習型社群。

Follow the calculus tag on Tumblr,

在 Tumblr 網站上， 你可以用「微積分」這個標籤

and yes, you will see people complaining about calculus,

看到許多人對於微積分的抱怨，

but you'll also see people re-blogging those complaints,

但是，你也會看到另一些人 在回覆這些抱怨，

making the argument that calculus is interesting and beautiful,

他們認為微積分 有趣而且美麗，

and here's a way in to thinking about the problem that you find unsolvable.

並且給你一個方法， 協助你思考這些問題的解答。

You can go to places like Reddit, and find sub-Reddits,

你可以到 Reddit 網站， 找到各種主題分類，

like "Ask a Historian" or "Ask Science,"

例如：「向歷史學家發問」 或是「提出科學問題」，

where you can ask people who are in these fields

在那裡，你可以向各領域的專家

a wide range of questions,

提出各式各樣的問題，

from very serious ones to very silly ones.

不管是正經的問題， 或是很愚蠢的問題都可以。

但是對我來說， 最有趣的學習社群，

But to me, the most interesting communities of learners

that are growing up on the Internet right now are on YouTube,

而且規模正在不斷成長的， 是在 Youtube 網站上。

and admittedly, I am biased.

我承認，這是我的偏見。

But I think in a lot of ways, the YouTube page resembles a classroom.

但是我認為從許多方面來看， Youtube 是最像教室的。

例如在 "一分鐘學物理(Minute Physics)" 這個 Youtube 的頻道中，

Look for instance at "Minute Physics,"

a guy who's teaching the world about physics:

這裡教導大家 各種物理世界的知識：

(Video) Let's cut to the chase.

（影片）讓我們直接切入正題。

As of July 4, 2012, the Higgs boson is the last fundamental piece

直到 2012 年 7 月 4 日為止， 希格斯玻色子仍然是

粒子物理學領域的「標準模型」中， 尚待實驗證實的最後一塊拼圖。

of the standard model of particle physics to be discovered experimentally.

But, you might ask, why was the Higgs boson

但你可能會問，為什麼直到 1970 年代 才被發現的希格斯玻色子，

included in the standard model,

能夠被列入「標準模型」當中，

alongside well-known particles like electrons and photons and quarks,

和其他廣為人知的粒子， 例如電子、光子和夸克

if it hadn't been discovered back then in the 1970s?

一起相提並論呢？

Good question. There are two main reasons.

這是個好問題！ 主要的原因有兩個：

First, just like the electron is an excitation in the electron field,

第一，就好比「電子」是「電子場」的激發，

the Higgs boson is simply a particle which is an excitation

「希格斯玻色子」

也是遍佈四處的「希格斯場」的激發。

of the everywhere-permeating Higgs field.

The Higgs field in turn plays an integral role

而希格斯場對於模型的弱核力，

in our model for the weak nuclear force.

扮演著不可或缺的角色。

In particular, the Higgs field helps explain why it's so weak.

它尤其有助於解釋， 為什麼弱核力那麼弱。

We'll talk more about this in a later video,

我們會在之後的影片中 更仔細地講解這部分。

雖然弱核力理論 在 1980 年代就已經被證實，

but even though weak nuclear theory was confirmed in the 1980s, in the equations,

但是在方程式當中， 希格斯場與弱核力仍然是難以區分，

the Higgs field is so inextricably jumbled with the weak force, that until now

以致於到現在，我們現在無法確認 希格斯場是確實、獨立存在的。

we've been unable to confirm its actual and independent existence.

JG: Or here's a video that I made

约翰．格林： 接下來這段影片

as part of my show "Crash Course," talking about World War I:

是我製作的「世界歷史速成班」其中的一部份， 主題是關於第一次世界大戰。

(Video) The immediate cause was of course the assassination in Sarajevo

（影片）第一次世界大戰的直接起因， 是發生於 1914 年 6 月 28 日的塞拉耶佛暗殺事件，

of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand,

當時的奧匈帝國皇太子 弗朗茨．斐迪南大公，

on June 28, 1914, by a Bosnian-Serb nationalist named Gavrilo Princip.

被塞爾維亞民族主義者 加夫里洛．普林西普刺殺身亡。

Quick aside: It's worth noting

順帶一提，

二十世紀的第一場大戰，

that the first big war of the twentieth century began

with an act of terrorism.

其實是由恐怖事件引起的。

So Franz Ferdinand wasn't particularly well-liked

所以弗朗茨．斐迪南大公，

與他的叔叔， 法蘭茲．約瑟夫皇帝長得不一樣。

by his uncle, the emperor Franz Joseph -- now that is a mustache!

看！他才有大鬍子！

But even so, the assassination led Austria to issue an ultimatum to Serbia,

儘管如此，暗殺事件使得奧地利 向塞爾維亞提出了最後通牒，

whereupon Serbia accepted some, but not all, of Austria's demands,

然而塞爾維亞並未接受 奧地利的所有要求，

leading Austria to declare war against Serbia.

於是奧地利決定向塞爾維亞宣戰。

And then Russia, due to its alliance with the Serbs, mobilized its army.

由於俄國當時與塞爾維亞結盟， 因此也派出了軍隊。

Germany, because it had an alliance with Austria,

而德國，因為與奧地利結盟， 於是要求俄國停止出兵，

told Russia to stop mobilizing,

which Russia failed to do, so then Germany mobilized its own army,

但是被俄國拒絕了；因此，德國也出動了軍隊，

declared war on Russia, cemented an alliance with the Ottomans,

向俄國宣戰，並且與土耳其結盟，

and then declared war on France, because, you know, France.

後來德國又向法國宣戰， 你知道，德國與法國一向水火不容。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And it's not just physics and world history

人們會透過 Youtube 網站學習的，

that people are choosing to learn through YouTube.

並不是只有物理和世界歷史，

Here's a video about abstract mathematics.

這是一段關於「抽象數學」的影片。

(Video) So you're me, and you're in math class yet again,

假設你跟我一樣， 而且這一堂又是數學課，

because they make you go every single day.

因為他們逼你每天都要學數學。

And you're learning about, I don't know, the sums of infinite series.

而你正在學的是…... 我不知道，可能是「無窮級數」吧！

That's a high school topic, right?

這是高中數學的章節，沒錯吧？

Which is odd, because it's a cool topic, but they somehow manage to ruin it anyway.

奇怪的是，雖然這是一個很酷的主題， 但是數學老師總有辦法把它教得很無趣。

So I guess that's why they allow infinite series in the curriculum.

我想，這就是他們把無窮數列 放在教學內容的原因。

現在，我能理解你需要 稍微轉移一下注意力。

So, in a quite understandable need for distraction, you're doodling

我知道你會一邊塗鴉，一邊想著 series (數列) 這個單字的複數形態是什麼？

and thinking more about what the plural of "series" should be

than about the topic at hand: "serieses," "seriese," "seriesen," and "serii?"

是 "Serieses"、"seriese"、 "seriesen" 還是 "serii" 才對？

或者 series (數列) 這個單字的單數形態， 應該是 "serie"、"serus" 還是 "serum"？

Or is it that the singular should be changed: one "serie," or "serum,"

just like the singular of "sheep" should be "shoop."

就像sheep (綿羊) 這個字的 單數型態應該是 "shoop"。

不過現在有一個數學概念：

But the whole concept of things

like 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16 and so on approaches one, is useful if, say,

1/2 +1/4 +1/8 +1/16 ...... 一直加下去，結果會趨近於1。

you want to draw a line of elephants,

這時候如果你能畫出 「排成一列的大象」，就很有用。

each holding the tail of the next one:

每隻大象都咬著 前面一隻大象的尾巴，

normal elephant, young elephant, baby elephant, dog-sized elephant,

依序排列著：大象、小象、象寶寶、 像狗一樣大小的象、像小寵物一樣大小的象…

一直到象牙先生(Mr. Tusks)，甚至還能更小。 [註：網路漫畫Dinisaur Comics的角色，體型小到只出現旁白]

puppy-sized elephant, all the way down to Mr. Tusks and beyond.

Which is at least a tiny bit awesome,

這是件有點酷的事情，

because you can get an infinite number of elephants in a line,

因為你能在一條直線上 畫出無限多隻大象，

and still have it fit across a single notebook page.

但是仍然不會超出筆記本的頁面。

最後是德斯汀．桑德林製作的 聰明每一天 (Smarter Every Day) 頻道，

JG: And lastly, here's Destin, from "Smarter Every Day,"

這段影片的主題是「角動量守恆」，

talking about the conservation of angular momentum,

當然還是在 Youtube上，請看：

and, since it's YouTube, cats:

(Video) Hey, it's me, Destin. Welcome back to "Smarter Every Day."

（影片）嗨！我是德斯汀， 歡迎回到「聰明每一天」。

你可能已經觀察到，當貓咪跌落地面時， 幾乎都是用腳先著地。

So you've probably observed that cats almost always land on their feet.

Today's question is: why?

我們今天的問題是：為什麼？

Like most simple questions, there's a very complex answer.

就像大多數簡單的問題， 其實都有非常複雜的答案。

For instance, let me reword this question:

舉例來說...... 我先改寫一下這個問題：

How does a cat go from feet-up to feet-down in a falling reference frame,

一隻貓如何在落下的慣性座標系當中， 從四腳朝天變成四腳朝下，

without violating the conservation of angular momentum?

卻不會違反角動量守恆定律？

(Laughter)

（笑聲 ）

JG: So, here's something all four of these videos have in common:

约翰．格林： 所以，這四段影片有一些共同之處，

They all have more than half a million views on YouTube.

它們在 Youtube 網站上 都有超過 50 萬次的點閱次數，

And those are people watching not in classrooms,

而這些觀看影片的人 都不是在教室之中，

but because they are part of the communities of learning

但是這些人他們都可被歸類於 學習社群的一份子，

that are being set up by these channels.

所以他們都成為這些頻道的目標。

And I said earlier that YouTube is like a classroom to me,

就像我先前所提到的， 對我來說 Youtube 就像教室一樣，

and in many ways it is, because here is the instructor --

就許多方面來說，的確如此， 因為影片中有教學者 --

就像是傳統的教室一樣， 前面有教學者，

it's like the old-fashioned classroom: here's the instructor,

and then beneath the instructor are the students,

坐在教學者面前的，則是一群學生，

and they're all having a conversation.

然後他們之互相進行對話。

And I know that YouTube comments have a very bad reputation

我知道， Youtube 網站的留言功能，

在網路世界當中，一直是惡名昭彰，

in the world of the Internet,

but in fact, if you go on comments for these channels,

但是事實上， 如果你去看這幾個頻道的網友留言，

what you'll find is people engaging the subject matter,

你會發現人們非常投入影片的主題，

asking difficult, complicated questions that are about the subject matter,

他們會詢問各種 和主題有關的困難、複雜問題，

and then other people answering those questions.

然後有另外一些網友 會回答這些問題。

And because the YouTube page is set up so that the page in which I'm talking to you

Youtube 的留言設計方式是這樣的：

網友的留言， 以及針對這則留言的後續回覆，

is on the exact -- the place where I'm talking to you is on the exact same page

都會放在同一個頁面當中，

as your comments,

you are participating in a live and real and active way in the conversation.

因此，你就像正在參與 一場即時而且真實的對話過程，

And because I'm in comments usually, I get to participate with you.

由於我經常使用留言功能， 因此我會參與你的討論，

And you find this whether it's world history,

而你也會注意到這一點， 不管是關於世界歷史、

or mathematics, or science, or whatever it is.

數學、科學，或是其他主題。

You also see young people using the tools and the sort of genres of the Internet

您還可以看到，許多年輕人正在運用 各式各樣的網路工具，

in order to create places for intellectual engagement,

來擴展大家的知識參與，

instead of the ironic detachment

而不再是用一些冷嘲熱諷的言詞，

that maybe most of us associate with memes and other Internet conventions --

例如大家可能會想到的一些「網路模因」或是網路用語， [註：在網路上一夕爆紅、備受注目的現象]

例如牛頓說：「覺得有點無聊，來發明微積分好了......」 [註：網路流傳的一張 Kuso 圖片]

you know, "Got bored. Invented calculus."

Or, here's Honey Boo Boo criticizing industrial capitalism:

或是甜心波波 (Honey Boo Boo) 對於工業資本主義的批判： [註：一位6歲起主持美國實境節目的美國小女孩]

["Liberal capitalism is not at all the Good of humanity.

字幕：「自由資本主義完全不符合善良的人性。

Quite the contrary; it is the vehicle of savage, destructive nihilism."]

恰恰相反的，它是野蠻的宣傳工具， 消極的虛無主義。」

也許你看不懂她到底說了什麼......是的。

In case you can't see what she says ... yeah.

I really believe that these spaces,

我真的相信這些網路環境，

這些學習社群，已成為新一代的學習者聚集之處，

these communities, have become for a new generation of learners,

the kind of communities, the kind of cartographic communities

就像是我在高中時期， 還有我在大學時期所參與的那種社群，

that I had when I was in high school, and then again when I was in college.

那種與地圖繪製者一樣， 不斷向外界探索的社群。

而當我成年之後， 發現了這些網路上的社群，

And as an adult, re-finding these communities

has re-introduced me to a community of learners,

又把我重新帶進了學習型的社群，

and has encouraged me to continue to be a learner even in my adulthood,

並鼓勵我繼續成為一個學習者，

so that I no longer feel like learning is something reserved for the young.

這讓我不再以為， 學習只是年輕人才能作的事。

Vi Hart and "Minute Physics" introduced me

數學音樂家維哈特 (Vi Hart) 和「一分鐘學物理」，

to all kinds of things that I didn't know before.

讓我學習到各種 我過去從未聽過的知識。

And I know that we all hearken back

我們彷彿回到了過去，

to the days of the Parisian salon in the Enlightenment,

在啟蒙運動時期的巴黎沙龍，

or to the Algonquin Round Table, and wish,

或是在阿岡昆圓桌上， 談論著彼此的願望：

"Oh, I wish I could have been a part of that,

「哦！我多希望我能夠成為當中的一份子！

I wish I could have laughed at Dorothy Parker's jokes."

我多希望能當面聽到桃樂西．派克所說的笑話！」 [註：二十世紀初文學家、劇作家]

But I'm here to tell you that these places exist, they still exist.

但我在這裡要告訴你， 這些地方的確存在，而且仍然存在。

They exist in corners of the Internet, where old men fear to tread.

它們就存在網路上的許多角落， 在那些老人們不敢踏進的角落。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And I truly, truly believe that when we invented Agloe, New York, in the 1960s,

我真的真的相信，就像人們在 1960 年代 創造了紐約州的阿格羅鎮，

when we made Agloe real, we were just getting started.

當阿格羅鎮從虛擬變成真實，

其實我們的未來才正要開始。

Thank you.

謝謝大家。

(Applause)

（掌聲）