Isabel Behncke: Evolution's gift of play, from bonobo apes to humans

譯者: Geoff Chen 審譯者: Sunny Kan Ngai Hang

I just came back from a community

我剛從一個社群回來

that holds the secret to human survival.

牠們掌握著人類生存的秘密。

It's a place where women run the show,

在這個地方，女性主導一切，

have sex to say hello,

要做愛就打聲招呼，

and play rules the day --

玩樂是一整天要做的事

where fun is serious business.

快樂玩耍是個正經事。

And no, this isn't Burning Man

不是，這不是指欲火焚燒的男人

or San Francisco.

也不是指舊金山。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Ladies and gentlemen, meet your cousins.

女士先生，見見你的近親

This is the world of wild bonobos

這就是野生倭黑猩猩的世界

in the jungles of Congo.

座落于剛果的叢林裡

Bonobos are, together with chimpanzees,

倭黑猩猩和黑猩猩是

your living closest relative.

我們大家生活裡最密切相關的近親

That means we all share a common ancestor,

這意思是我們都共同擁有一個祖先，

an evolutionary grandmother,

一個進化了的祖母，

who lived around six million years ago.

她生活在大約6百萬年前。

Now, chimpanzees are well-known

現在，黑猩猩因

for their aggression.

他們的好勇鬥狠而聞名於世

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But unfortunately,

但不幸的是，

we have made too much of an emphasis

我們已經過分強調

of this aspect

這方面

in our narratives of human evolution.

在人類進化的歷史中所起的作用

But bonobos show us

但是倭黑猩猩顯示給我們的是

the other side of the coin.

這硬幣的另一面

While chimpanzees

當黑猩猩

are dominated by big, scary guys,

被又大又嚇人的雄黑猩猩統領時，

bonobo society

倭黑猩猩社群

is run by empowered females.

是由雌倭黑猩猩所領導。

These guys have really worked something out,

這些倭黑猩猩能相安無事地生活在一起，

since this leads to a highly tolerant society

由此形成了一個高度包容性的社會

where fatal violence

在這社群，致命的暴力行為

has not been observed yet.

還沒有被觀察到

But unfortunately,

但不幸的是，

bonobos are the least understood

倭黑猩猩是類人猿裡最難被瞭解的

of the great apes.

一種。

They live in the depths of the Congolese jungle,

牠們生活在剛果叢林的深處，

and it has been very difficult to study them.

所以對牠們的研究非常困難。

The Congo is a paradox --

剛果是個似是而非的矛盾體--

a land of extraordinary biodiversity and beauty,

她是一塊孕育非凡的生物多樣性和美麗的土地，

but also the heart of darkness itself --

但她自身也是黑暗之心

the scene of a violent conflict

暴力衝突的場景

that has raged for decades

已經持續了幾十年

and claimed nearly as many lives

奪去許多生命

as the First World War.

就如第一次世界大戰一樣。

Not surprisingly,

不足為奇的是，

this destruction also endangers bonobo survival.

這種破壞也危及倭黑猩猩的生存。

Bushmeat trades and forest loss

獵尋獸肉的買賣和叢林消失

means we couldn't fill a small stadium

意味著我們不能

with all the bonobos that are left in the world --

給在世界上僅存的倭黑猩猩們提供一個小小的棲息地

and we're not even sure of that to be honest.

說實話，我們甚至都不能確定是否會有一個小的棲息地。

Yet, in this land of violence and chaos,

然而，在這個充斥暴力和混亂的土地上

you can hear hidden laughter

你能聽到隱約的笑聲

swaying the trees.

搖曳在樹木中。

Who are these cousins?

這些近親是些什麼動物啊?

We know them as the "make love, not war" apes

我們知道它們是"做愛，不作戰"的類人猿，

since they have frequent, promiscuous

因此牠們有頻繁的、隨性的性生活

and bisexual sex

和雙性性交

to manage conflict

來處理衝突

and solve social issues.

和解決社會問題。

Now, I'm not saying this is the solution

我現在不是說這就是解決

to all of humanity's problems --

人類所有問題的方法

since there's more to bonobo life

因為玩樂對於倭黑猩猩來說

than the Kama Sutra.

比起欲經 ( Kama Sutra) 指涉地地更多。

Bonobos, like humans,

倭黑猩猩就像人類，

love to play throughout their entire lives.

牠們整個一生都愛玩樂

Play is not just child's games.

玩樂不僅僅是孩子的遊戲。

For us and them,

對於我們人類和倭黑猩猩，

play is foundational for bonding relationships

玩樂是建立親密關係

and fostering tolerance.

和培養容忍性的基礎。

It's where we learn to trust

牠也讓我們學會信任

and where we learn about the rules of the game.

和遊戲的規則

Play increases creativity

玩樂增進了創造力

and resilience,

和適應力，

and it's all about the generation of diversity --

這些都有關多樣性的產生

diversity of interactions,

多樣性的相互作用，

diversity of behaviors,

多樣性的行為，

diversity of connections.

和多樣性的聯繫。

And when you watch bonobo play,

當你看倭黑猩猩玩樂時，

you're seeing the very evolutionary roots

你會看到非常進化的根源

of human laughter, dance

有關人類的笑聲，跳舞

and ritual.

和儀式。

Play is the glue

玩樂就是粘著劑

that binds us together.

使得我們相互聯繫在一起。

Now, I don't know how you play,

現在我雖不知你是怎麼玩樂的，

but I want to show you a couple of unique clips

但我想給你們看兩段

fresh from the wild.

剛從野外拍攝到的特別剪輯

First, it's a ball game bonobo-style --

首先，這是一個倭黑猩猩式的球類遊戲

and I do not mean football.

我不是指足球。

So here,

在這，

we have a young female and a male

兩隻年輕的一雌一雄倭黑猩猩

engaged in a chase game.

在玩追逐遊戲。

Have a look what she's doing.

看看她在做什麼。

It might be the evolutionary origin of the phrase,

這可能就是某個關於的進化起源的短語:

"she's got him by the balls."

“她在玩弄他的蛋蛋。”

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Only I think that he's rather loving it here, right?

我只想到他相當喜歡這樣的方式，對吧。

Yeah.

是的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So sex play is common

所以性遊戲

in both bonobos and humans.

在倭黑猩猩和人類兩者身上都是司空見慣的。

And this video is really interesting

這個影片真的很有趣

because it shows --

因為它證明--

this video's really interesting

這個影片真的很有趣

because it shows the inventiveness

因為它證明了

of bringing unusual elements into play --

把不尋常的因素帶進遊戲裡所產生的創造性

such as testicles --

例如睾丸--

and also how play both requires trust

遊戲如何能尋求信任

and fosters trust --

和培養信任--

while at the same time being tremendous fun.

與此同時又樂趣無窮。

But play's a shapeshifter.

但玩樂是一個變形的過程

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Play's a shapeshifter,

玩樂是一個變形的過程，

and it can take many forms,

它可以變成許多玩樂遊戲，

some of which are more quiet,

一些遊戲是較安靜的，

imaginative, curious --

富有想像力的，富有好奇心的--

maybe where wonder is discovered anew.

或許這玩樂的奇妙是發現新鮮事。

And I want you to see,

我想讓大家看看，

this is Fuku, a young female,

這是福酷，一個年輕雌倭黑猩猩，

and she is quietly playing with water.

她正悄悄地玩耍水。

I think, like her,

我認為，就像她，

we sometimes play alone,

我們有時獨自玩耍，

and we explore the boundaries

我們探索著

of our inner and our outer worlds.

我們內心和我們外部世界的界限。

And it's that playful curiosity

正是玩樂的新奇感

that drives us to explore, drives us to interact,

驅使我們去探索，驅使我們去互動聯繫。

and then the unexpected connections we form

然後我們所形成的這種意想不到的聯繫

are the real hotbed for creativity.

是真正孕育創造力的溫床。

So these are just small tasters

因此這些僅是淺嘗而已

into the insights that bonobo give us

由倭黑猩猩帶給我們這種深刻的洞察力

to our past and present.

來探索我們的過去和現在。

But they also hold a secret for our future,

但牠們也對我們的未來保有一個秘密，

a future where we need to adapt

在未來我們需要適應

to an increasingly challenging world

一個日益充滿挑戰性的世界

through greater creativity

通過史無前例的創造性

and greater cooperation.

和更多的合作來做到。

The secret is that play is the key

這秘密是玩樂是

to these capacities.

具備這些能力的關鍵。

In other words,

換言之，

play is our adaptive wildcard.

玩樂是我們適應未來的萬能牌。

In order to adapt successfully

為了成功地適應

to a changing world,

一個變化中的世界，

we need to play.

我們需要玩樂。

But will we make the most of our playfulness?

但我們要盡可能地嬉戲玩樂嗎?

Play is not frivolous.

玩樂不是無足輕重的；

Play's essential.

玩樂是至關重要的。

For bonobos and humans alike,

對於倭黑猩猩和人類一樣，

life is not just red in tooth and claw.

生活不僅僅是血紅的牙齒和利爪。

In times when it seems least appropriate to play,

好似最不適宜去玩樂的時候，

it might be the times when it is most urgent.

但它可能是最迫切需要玩樂的時候。

And so, my fellow primates,

那麼，我的靈長類的同胞們，

let us embrace this gift from evolution

讓我們擁護這天賦進化的禮物

and play together,

讓我們一起嬉戲玩樂，

as we rediscover creativity,

由此我們重新發現創造力，

fellowship and wonder.

情同手足的關係以及各種驚異。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）