How language shapes the way we think | Lera Boroditsky | TED

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Peipei Xiang

So, I'll be speaking to you using language ...

我要用語言跟各位說話……

because I can.

因為我可以。

This is one these magical abilities that we humans have.

這是人類的神奇能力之一。

We can transmit really complicated thoughts to one another.

我們能把非常複雜的 想法傳送給另一個人。

So what I'm doing right now is, I'm making sounds with my mouth

我現在在做的， 是用我的嘴巴發出聲音，

as I'm exhaling.

吐氣時發聲。

I'm making tones and hisses and puffs,

我會做出語調、嘶嘶聲、呼氣，

and those are creating air vibrations in the air.

在空氣中產生空氣振動。

Those air vibrations are traveling to you,

那些空氣振動會傳到你那裡，

they're hitting your eardrums,

觸及到你的耳膜，

and then your brain takes those vibrations from your eardrums

接著你的大腦會取得 耳膜接收到的振動，

and transforms them into thoughts.

把它們轉換為思想。

I hope.

我希望啦。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I hope that's happening.

希望現在就在發生。

So because of this ability, we humans are able to transmit our ideas

因為這種能力，我們人類 才得以把我們的想法

across vast reaches of space and time.

跨越空間和時間，傳給別人。

We're able to transmit knowledge across minds.

我們能把知識傳送到不同人的大腦。

I can put a bizarre new idea in your mind right now.

我現在就能在各位的腦中 放入一個怪異的想法。

I could say,

我可以說，

"Imagine a jellyfish waltzing in a library

「想像一隻水母在圖書館跳華爾滋，

while thinking about quantum mechanics."

同時想著量子力學。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now, if everything has gone relatively well in your life so far,

如果你的人生中目前為止 一切算是相對順利，

you probably haven't had that thought before.

你以前可能沒有過那種想法。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But now I've just made you think it,

但現在我能讓你們去想它，

through language.

透過語言辦到。

Now of course, there isn't just one language in the world,

當然，世界上的語言不只一種，

全世界人類說的語言就有約七千種。

there are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world.

And all the languages differ from one another in all kinds of ways.

每種語言在各面向上都不同。

有些語言有不同的聲音，

Some languages have different sounds,

they have different vocabularies,

它們有不同的字彙，

and they also have different structures --

它們還有不同的結構──

very importantly, different structures.

非常重要，不同的結構。

That begs the question:

於是，我們會問：

Does the language we speak shape the way we think?

我們所說的語言 是否會形塑我們的思考？

Now, this is an ancient question.

這個問題歷史悠久。

People have been speculating about this question forever.

長年來大家都一直在思索這個問題。

Charlemagne, Holy Roman emperor, said,

神聖羅馬大帝查理曼說過：

"To have a second language is to have a second soul" --

「有第二種語言， 就像是有第二個靈魂」──

strong statement that language crafts reality.

很有力的陳述， 說明了語言製造出現實。

But on the other hand, Shakespeare has Juliet say,

但，另一方面，莎士比亞 筆下的茱麗葉說：

"What's in a name?

「名字有什麼用？

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

玫瑰不叫玫瑰，依然芳香如故。」

Well, that suggests that maybe language doesn't craft reality.

那意味著，語言不見得會製造現實。

These arguments have gone back and forth for thousands of years.

數千年來，這些論點一直你來我往。

But until recently, there hasn't been any data

但，直到最近之前，都沒有任何資料

to help us decide either way.

來協助我們決定是哪一種。

Recently, in my lab and other labs around the world,

最近，在我的實驗室 和世界上其他的實驗室，

we've started doing research,

我們開始做研究，

and now we have actual scientific data to weigh in on this question.

現在，我們有了真正的科學資料， 可以來探究這個問題。

So let me tell you about some of my favorite examples.

讓我分享一些我最喜歡的例子。

I'll start with an example from an Aboriginal community in Australia

我的第一個例子 來自澳洲的一個原住民部落，

that I had the chance to work with.

我有機會和他們合作。

These are the Kuuk Thaayorre people.

他們是庫克薩優里族，

They live in Pormpuraaw at the very west edge of Cape York.

他們住在波姆浦洛， 那是約克角半島的西部邊緣。

What's cool about Kuuk Thaayorre is,

庫克薩優里族很酷的一點是，

in Kuuk Thaayorre, they don't use words like "left" and "right,"

在庫克薩優里語中，他們 不用「左」、「右」這些字，

and instead, everything is in cardinal directions:

一切都是用基本的方向：

north, south, east and west.

北、南、東、西。

And when I say everything, I really mean everything.

我說「一切」，真的就是指一切。

You would say something like,

你可能會說這樣的話：

"Oh, there's an ant on your southwest leg."

「喔，在你的腳的 西南方有一隻螞蟻。」

Or, "Move your cup to the north-northeast a little bit."

或「把你的杯子向北北東移一點。」

In fact, the way that you say "hello" in Kuuk Thaayorre is you say,

事實上，在庫克薩優里語中， 說「哈囉」的方式是：

"Which way are you going?"

「你要去哪個方向？」

And the answer should be,

而回應應該是：

"North-northeast in the far distance.

「北北東的遠方。

How about you?"

你呢？」

So imagine as you're walking around your day,

所以，想像一下 你當天走到任何地方，

every person you greet,

你問候每一個人時，

you have to report your heading direction.

都得要報告你朝什麼方向前進。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But that would actually get you oriented pretty fast, right?

但那會讓你很快速確定方位，對吧？

Because you literally couldn't get past "hello,"

因為如果不知道 你在朝什麼方向前進，

if you didn't know which way you were going.

你就說不出「哈囉」。

In fact, people who speak languages like this stay oriented really well.

事實上，說這類語言的人， 都一直很有方向感。

They stay oriented better than we used to think humans could.

他們的方向感比我們認為 人類能辦到的程度更好。

We used to think that humans were worse than other creatures

我們以前認為人類 這方面比其他生物更糟，

because of some biological excuse:

是因為某種生物藉口：

"Oh, we don't have magnets in our beaks or in our scales."

「我們的鳥喙或鱗片裡面 沒有內建的磁鐵。」

No; if your language and your culture trains you to do it,

不對；如果你的語言 和你的文化訓練你去做，

actually, you can do it.

你其實能辦到。

There are humans around the world who stay oriented really well.

世界上有些人類的方向感非常好。

And just to get us in agreement

為了讓大家能夠了解

about how different this is from the way we do it,

我們的做法上有多大的差異，

I want you all to close your eyes for a second

我想請大家閉上眼睛一下子，

and point southeast.

請指出東南方。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Keep your eyes closed. Point.

眼睛別張開。指出來。

OK, so you can open your eyes.

好，可以張開眼睛了。

I see you guys pointing there, there, there, there, there ...

我看到大家指向那裡、 那裡、那裡、那裡…

I don't know which way it is myself --

我自己也不知道是哪一邊──

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

You have not been a lot of help.

你們實在也沒幫上忙。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So let's just say the accuracy in this room was not very high.

姑且就說在這間房間中的 正確率沒有很高。

This is a big difference in cognitive ability across languages, right?

不同語言中的認知能力 差別很大，對吧？

Where one group -- very distinguished group like you guys --

一個族群──非常 卓越的族群，比如各位──

doesn't know which way is which,

不知道哪邊是哪個方向，

but in another group,

但到了另一個族群，

I could ask a five-year-old and they would know.

我去問五歲的小孩，他們也會知道。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

There are also really big differences in how people think about time.

大家對於時間的思考方式 也有很大的差異。

So here I have pictures of my grandfather at different ages.

這裡是我祖父的照片， 他在照片中的年齡都不同。

And if I ask an English speaker to organize time,

如果我請說英語的人 依據時間來整理，

they might lay it out this way,

他們可能會這樣排列，

from left to right.

從左到右。

This has to do with writing direction.

這與書寫的方向有關。

If you were a speaker of Hebrew or Arabic,

如果你說希伯來語或阿拉伯語，

you might do it going in the opposite direction,

你可能會用反方向，

from right to left.

從右到左。

But how would the Kuuk Thaayorre,

但庫克薩優里族，

this Aboriginal group I just told you about, do it?

我剛剛和各位說的 原住民族群，會怎麼做？

They don't use words like "left" and "right."

他們沒有「左」和「右」這些字。

Let me give you hint.

讓我提示各位。

When we sat people facing south,

當我們讓他們面向南方時，

they organized time from left to right.

他們會把時間從左向右排。

When we sat them facing north,

當我們讓他們面向北方時，

they organized time from right to left.

他們會把時間從右向左排。

When we sat them facing east,

當我們讓他們面向東方時，

time came towards the body.

時間的方向朝向他們的身體。

What's the pattern?

模式是什麼？

East to west, right?

由東向西，對吧？

So for them, time doesn't actually get locked on the body at all,

所以，對他們而言， 時間完全不會被身體限制住，

it gets locked on the landscape.

時間是和地景綁在一起的。

So for me, if I'm facing this way,

對我來說，當我面向這邊，

then time goes this way,

時間就朝這個方向，

and if I'm facing this way, then time goes this way.

當我面向這邊，時間就朝這個方向。

I'm facing this way, time goes this way --

面向這邊，時間就朝這個方向──

very egocentric of me to have the direction of time chase me around

非常自我中心，每當我轉身，

也讓時間的方向跟著我轉。

every time I turn my body.

For the Kuuk Thaayorre, time is locked on the landscape.

對庫克薩優里族， 時間和地景綁在一起。

It's a dramatically different way of thinking about time.

這是非常不同的時間思考方式。

Here's another really smart human trick.

還有個很聰明的人類技倆。

Suppose I ask you how many penguins are there.

如果我問各位，這裡有幾隻企鵝？

Well, I bet I know how you'd solve that problem if you solved it.

我打賭我知道各位是 如何解答這個問題的。

You went, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight."

你會用：「一、二、三、 四、五、六、七、八。」

You counted them.

你用數的。

你給毎一隻一個號碼，

You named each one with a number,

and the last number you said was the number of penguins.

你說出的最後一個號碼， 就是企鵝的數目。

This is a little trick that you're taught to use as kids.

這是個小計倆，你小時候 就有人教你用了。

You learn the number list and you learn how to apply it.

你學到了數字表， 你學到了如何應用它。

A little linguistic trick.

小小的語言計倆。

Well, some languages don't do this,

有些語言並不會這樣做，

because some languages don't have exact number words.

因為有些語言並沒有代表數字的字。

They're languages that don't have a word like "seven"

這些語言並沒有像「七」這樣的字，

or a word like "eight."

也沒有「八」。

In fact, people who speak these languages don't count,

事實上，說這些語言的人不會計數，

and they have trouble keeping track of exact quantities.

他們無法記得確實的「量」。

So, for example, if I ask you to match this number of penguins

比如，如果我請各位 把剛才企鵝的數目

to the same number of ducks,

對應到同樣數目的鴨子，

you would be able to do that by counting.

你可以靠計數的方式做到。

But folks who don't have that linguistic trick can't do that.

但語言沒有這項特徵的人就沒辦法。

Languages also differ in how they divide up the color spectrum --

語言也有不同的方式來區別色譜──

the visual world.

視覺世界。

Some languages have lots of words for colors,

有些語言中有很多顏色的字，

some have only a couple words, "light" and "dark."

有些語言只有幾個字， 「亮」和「暗」。

And languages differ in where they put boundaries between colors.

不同語言也有不同的顏色界線。

So, for example, in English, there's a word for blue

比如，在英文中就有藍色的世界，

that covers all of the colors that you can see on the screen,

包含螢幕上的所有這些顏色，

but in Russian, there isn't a single word.

但在俄語中，就沒有單一個字。

Instead, Russian speakers have to differentiate

說俄語的人，得要去區別

between light blue, "goluboy,"

淺藍色「goluboy」，

and dark blue, "siniy."

和深藍色「siniy」。

So Russians have this lifetime of experience of, in language,

所以俄國人一生當中都會在語言上

distinguishing these two colors.

把這兩種顏色區別開來。

When we test people's ability to perceptually discriminate these colors,

當我們測試大家在感知上 區別這些顏色的能力時，

what we find is that Russian speakers are faster

我們發現，在各語言中，說俄語的人

across this linguistic boundary.

會比較快做出區隔。

They're faster to be able to tell the difference

他們比較快就能辨別出淺藍色

between a light and dark blue.

和深藍色的差異。

And when you look at people's brains as they're looking at colors --

去觀察正在看著顏色的人的大腦──

say you have colors shifting slowly from light to dark blue --

比如顏色緩慢地從 淺藍色轉換到深藍色──

the brains of people who use different words for light and dark blue

用不同的字來說淺藍色 和深藍色的人，他們的大腦

will give a surprised reaction as the colors shift from light to dark,

在顏色從淺藍色轉換到 深藍色時，會有驚訝的反應，

as if, "Ooh, something has categorically changed,"

就像：「喔，改變類別了。」

whereas the brains of English speakers, for example,

而，比如說英文的人，他們的大腦

that don't make this categorical distinction,

就不會做類別的區分，

don't give that surprise,

就不會有驚訝，

because nothing is categorically changing.

因為沒有類別上的改變。

Languages have all kinds of structural quirks.

語言有各種結構上的變化。

This is one of my favorites.

這是我的最愛之一。

Lots of languages have grammatical gender;

許多語言在文法上都有性別；

every noun gets assigned a gender, often masculine or feminine.

每個名詞都有被指派一種性別， 通常是男性或女性。

And these genders differ across languages.

在不同語言，這些性別也不同。

So, for example, the sun is feminine in German but masculine in Spanish,

比如，在德文，太陽是女性， 但在西班牙文則是男性，

and the moon, the reverse.

月亮剛好相反。

Could this actually have any consequence for how people think?

這有沒有可能影響人的思考方式？

Do German speakers think of the sun as somehow more female-like,

說德文的人是否會用 比較女性的方式來想太陽？

and the moon somehow more male-like?

比較男性的方式來想月亮？

Actually, it turns out that's the case.

結果發現，的確是如此。

So if you ask German and Spanish speakers to, say, describe a bridge,

比如，如果你請說德文的人 和說西班牙文的人描述一座橋，

like the one here --

就像這裡的橋──

"bridge" happens to be grammatically feminine in German,

「橋」在德文文法中要用女性，

grammatically masculine in Spanish --

在西班牙文則要用男性──

German speakers are more likely to say bridges are "beautiful," "elegant"

說德文的人在形容橋時 比較會用「漂亮的」、「優雅的」，

and stereotypically feminine words.

或其他刻板印象上是形容女性的字。

Whereas Spanish speakers will be more likely to say

而說西班牙文的人比較有可能會說

they're "strong" or "long,"

橋很「堅固」或「長」，

these masculine words.

這些是男性用字。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Languages also differ in how they describe events, right?

在描述事件時，不同語言 也很不一樣，對吧？

You take an event like this, an accident.

比如像這樣的事件，一個意外，

In English, it's fine to say, "He broke the vase."

在英文，可以說「他打破了花瓶。」

In a language like Spanish,

在比如西班牙文，

you might be more likely to say, "The vase broke,"

你比較有可能會說「花瓶破了」，

or, "The vase broke itself."

或「花瓶自己破了」。

If it's an accident, you wouldn't say that someone did it.

如果它是個意外， 就不會說是有人做的。

In English, quite weirdly, we can even say things like,

在英文，挺奇怪的， 我們甚至會說像這樣的話：

"I broke my arm."

「我弄斷了我的手臂。」

Now, in lots of languages,

在許多語言中，

you couldn't use that construction unless you are a lunatic

你不會用那種句法結構， 除非你是瘋子，

and you went out looking to break your arm --

然後你跑出去想辦法 把你的手臂弄斷──

(Laughter)

（笑聲）且你成功了。

and you succeeded.

If it was an accident, you would use a different construction.

如果是意外，你就會 用不同的句法結構。

Now, this has consequences.

這是會造成不同結果的。

So, people who speak different languages will pay attention to different things,

說不同語言的人 會把注意力放在不同的地方，

depending on what their language usually requires them to do.

就看他們說的語言需要他們怎麼做。

So we show the same accident to English speakers and Spanish speakers,

如果我們讓說英文的人 和說西班牙文的人看到同樣的意外，

English speakers will remember who did it,

說英文的人會記得是誰做的，

because English requires you to say, "He did it; he broke the vase."

因為英文要求你說： 「是他做的；他打破了花瓶。」

Whereas Spanish speakers might be less likely to remember who did it

而說西班牙文的人 比較不會記得是誰做的，

如果是意外的話，

if it's an accident,

but they're more likely to remember that it was an accident.

但他們比較會記住這是一件意外。

They're more likely to remember the intention.

他們比較會記住意圖。

So, two people watch the same event,

所以，兩個人看同樣的事件，

witness the same crime,

目擊同樣的犯罪，

but end up remembering different things about that event.

最後卻會記得該事件中不同的細節。

This has implications, of course, for eyewitness testimony.

當然，在目擊證人證詞方面， 這是值得深思的。

It also has implications for blame and punishment.

在責怪和懲罰時， 也應該想想這一點。

So if you take English speakers

如果是說英文的情況，

and I just show you someone breaking a vase,

我剛讓你看到有人打破了花瓶，

and I say, "He broke the vase," as opposed to "The vase broke,"

我說：「他打破了花瓶」 而不是說：「花瓶破了」，

even though you can witness it yourself,

即使你自己可以親眼看見，

you can watch the video,

你可以看監視影片，

you can watch the crime against the vase,

你可以看這件關於花瓶的罪行，

you will punish someone more,

你會懲罰某個人多一些，

you will blame someone more if I just said, "He broke it,"

你會責怪他多一些， 若我說「他打破了它」，

as opposed to, "It broke."

而不是「它破了」。

The language guides our reasoning about events.

語言會引導我們對於事件的推理。

Now, I've given you a few examples

我已經舉了幾個例子，

of how language can profoundly shape the way we think,

說明語言如何能 深深形塑我們的思考方式，

and it does so in a variety of ways.

而影響的方法有很多種。

So language can have big effects,

所以，語言的影響可能很大，

like we saw with space and time,

就像剛才空間和時間的例子，

where people can lay out space and time

大家在排列空間和時間時，

in completely different coordinate frames from each other.

用完全不同的座標架構。

Language can also have really deep effects --

語言的影響也可能很深──

that's what we saw with the case of number.

可參考計數的例子。

Having count words in your language,

在你的語言中有計數的字詞，

having number words,

有數字的字詞，

opens up the whole world of mathematics.

就能打開整個數學的世界。

Of course, if you don't count, you can't do algebra,

當然，如果你不會計數， 你不會做代數，

you can't do any of the things

你就完全做不到像是

that would be required to build a room like this

建造這間房間這一類的事情，

or make this broadcast, right?

也無法做這場轉播，對吧？

This little trick of number words gives you a stepping stone

數字字詞的小小計倆， 能給你一個墊腳石，

into a whole cognitive realm.

進入認知的國度。

Language can also have really early effects,

語言的影響也可能很早，

what we saw in the case of color.

也就是顏色的例子。

These are really simple, basic, perceptual decisions.

這些是很簡單、基本、感知的決策。

We make thousands of them all the time,

我們隨時都在做幾千個這樣的決策，

and yet, language is getting in there

而語言也有介入其中，

and fussing even with these tiny little perceptual decisions that we make.

去擾亂我們這些非常小的感知決策。

Language can have really broad effects.

語言的影響也可能很廣。

So the case of grammatical gender may be a little silly,

文法性別的例子雖然可能有點可笑，

but at the same time, grammatical gender applies to all nouns.

但同時，文法性別 是用在所有名詞上的。

That means language can shape how you're thinking

那意味著，語言能形塑你如何思考

about anything that can be named by a noun.

任何能用名詞來命名的事物。

That's a lot of stuff.

那數量很驚人。

And finally, I gave you an example of how language can shape things

我最後舉的例子， 說明語言能形塑對我們

that have personal weight to us --

有個人意義的事物──

ideas like blame and punishment or eyewitness memory.

像是責怪及懲罰這類想法， 或是目擊證詞。

These are important things in our daily lives.

這些都是日常生活中的重要事物。

Now, the beauty of linguistic diversity is that it reveals to us

語言多樣性之美在於它能向我們揭示

just how ingenious and how flexible the human mind is.

人類心智是多麼巧妙和有彈性。

Human minds have invented not one cognitive universe, but 7,000 --

人類心智發明出了不只一個 認知宇宙，而是七千個──

there are 7,000 languages spoken around the world.

全世界的語言有七千種。

And we can create many more --

我們還能創造更多──

languages, of course, are living things,

當然，語言是活的，

things that we can hone and change to suit our needs.

我們可以去磨它、改變它， 來符合我們的需求。

The tragic thing is that we're losing so much of this linguistic diversity

可惜之處在於，我們在不斷 失去語言的多樣性，

all the time.

We're losing about one language a week,

我們大約一週會失去一種語言，

and by some estimates,

依據一些估計，

half of the world's languages will be gone in the next hundred years.

在接下來的一百年， 世界上的語言有一半會不見。

And the even worse news is that right now,

更糟的消息是，現在，

almost everything we know about the human mind and human brain

幾乎所有我們對於人類心智 和人類大腦的知識

is based on studies of usually American English-speaking undergraduates

都是來自於針對說英文的美國大學生

at universities.

所做的研究。

That excludes almost all humans. Right?

那就幾乎排除了所有人類，對吧？

So what we know about the human mind is actually incredibly narrow and biased,

所以我們對於人類心智的了解， 其實是非常狹隘且有偏見的，

and our science has to do better.

我們的科學得要做得更好才行。

I want to leave you with this final thought.

最後，我想留下一點讓各位思考。

I've told you about how speakers of different languages think differently,

我已經告訴各位，說不同語言的人 如何有不同的思考方式，

but of course, that's not about how people elsewhere think.

但重點並不是其他地方的人怎麼想，

It's about how you think.

重點是你怎麼想。

It's how the language that you speak shapes the way that you think.

重點是你說的語言 如何形塑出你的思考。

And that gives you the opportunity to ask,

那就給了你一個機會，可以問：

"Why do I think the way that I do?"

「我為何會用我這種方式思考？」

"How could I think differently?"

「我要如何用不同方式思考？」

And also,

還有，

"What thoughts do I wish to create?"

「我想要創造出怎樣的想法？」

Thank you very much.

非常謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）