Homeopathy, quackery and fraud | James Randi | TED

譯者: Ching Hui Su 審譯者: Geoff Chen

Good morning.

早安

Happy to see so many fine folks out here

很高興在這裡看到這麼多的人

and so many smiling faces.

以及這麼多的帶著笑容的臉。

I have a very peculiar

對於這個真實世界

background, attitude and approach

我有一個非常獨特的

to the real world

經歷、看法與態度

because I am a conjurer.

因為我是一位魔術師（conjurer）

Now, I prefer that term over magician,

現在，我喜歡那個字勝於巫師（magician）

because if I were a magician, that would mean

因為，如果我是巫師，這就表示

that I use spells and incantations

為了完成真正的魔法

and weird gestures

我使用符咒與咒文

in order to accomplish real magic.

以及怪異的姿勢

No, I don't do that; I'm a conjurer,

不，我不那麼做；我是一位魔術師

who is someone who pretends to be

某個假裝是

a real magician. (Laughter)

一個正牌巫師的人

Now, how do we go about that sort of thing?

現在，我們如何面對那類的事物呢？

We depend on the fact

我們依賴在一個事實上

that audiences, such as yourselves,

亦即像你們一樣的觀眾

will make assumptions.

會做預設的事實上

For example, when I walked up here

例如，當我走到這裡

and I took the microphone from the stand

從講台上拿起麥克風

and switched it on,

並打開開關

you assumed this was a microphone, which it is not.

你會假設這是一個麥克風，但它卻不是

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

As a matter of fact, this is something

事實上，這是一個

that about half of you, more than half of you will not be familiar with.

大約你們當中半數，甚至超過一半的人不熟悉的東西

It's a beard trimmer, you see?

你看，它是一支刮鬍刀

And it makes a very bad microphone;

而且它是一支非常差的麥克風

I've tried it many times. (Laughter)

我已經試過它好幾次了

The other assumption that you made --

另一個你們會做的預設是－

and this little lesson is to show you

而且這個小教訓是去證明你們

that you will make assumptions.

將會做預設－

Not only that you can, but that you will

你不僅可以，而且也將會－

when they are properly suggested to you.

當這些預設被適當的暗示時

You believe I'm looking at you.

你們相信我正看著你們

Wrong. I'm not looking at you. I can't see you.

錯了。我並沒有看著你們。我不可能看到你們。

I know you're out there, they told me backstage, it's a full house and such.

我知道你們在那裡，工作人員在後台就告訴我了，座無虛席

I know you're there because I can hear you,

我知道你們在那裡，因為我可以聽見你們

but I can't see you because I normally wear glasses.

但是我不可能看到你們，因為我通常會戴著眼鏡

These are not glasses, these are empty frames. (Laughter)

這不是眼鏡，這副眼鏡沒有鏡片

Quite empty frames.

只有鏡框而已

Now why would a grown man appear before you

現在，為什麼有一個成年人出現在你們面前

wearing empty frames on his face?

戴著沒有鏡片的眼鏡呢？

To fool you, ladies and gentlemen,

為了愚弄你們，各位先生女士

to deceive you, to show that you, too,

為了欺騙你們，為了證明你們也

can make assumptions.

為了證明你們也可能作假設

Don't you ever forget that.

絕不要忘了這一點

Now, I have to do something -- first of all, switch to real glasses

現在，我必須做些事，首先換上真正的眼鏡

so I can actually see you,

這樣我才能真正的看到你們

which would probably be a convenience. I don't know.

這大概會比較方便，或許吧

I haven't had a good look. Well, it's not that great a convenience.

我並沒有長得很帥。嗯，並沒有那麼方便

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I have to do something now, which seems

現在我必須做點事

a little bit strange for a magician.

一件對一個巫師來說，似乎有點怪的事

But I'm going to take some medication.

但是我將會服某些藥

This is a full bottle of

這是整瓶的

Calms Forte.

鎮定劑（Calm’s Forte）

I'll explain that in just a moment.

等會我將會解釋

Ignore the instructions,

別管用藥指示了

that's what the government has to put in there

我相信，那是政府要求放到裡面

to confuse you, I'm sure.

用來困惑你們的東西

I will take enough of these. Mm.

我將服足夠的量，嗯

Indeed, the whole container.

確實，就一整瓶

Thirty-two tablets of Calms Forte.

32顆鎮定劑

Now that I've done that -- I'll explain it in a moment --

現在我已經做好了－等下我將會解釋－

I must tell you that

我必須告訴你們

I am an actor.

我是個演員

I'm an actor who plays a specific part.

我是個扮演特殊角色的演員

I play the part of a magician,

我扮演巫師的角色

a wizard, if you will, a real wizard.

如果你們想要，我也可扮演一位魔法師，一位真正的魔法師

If someone were to appear on this stage in front of me

如果有人在這個舞台上，出現在我的面前

and actually claim to be

竟然宣稱他是

an ancient prince of Denmark named Hamlet,

名叫哈姆雷特的古代丹麥王子

you would be insulted

那麼你們會被污辱

and rightly so.

而且確實如此

Why would a man assume that you would believe

為什麼有人會假設你們會相信

something bizarre like this?

像這樣怪異的事情呢？

But there exists out there

但是確實在那裡存在有這樣的事

a very large population

有相當大比例的人

of people who will tell you

會告訴你們

that they have psychic, magical powers

他們具有通靈的能力、魔力

that they can predict the future,

他們可以預測未來

that they can make contact with the deceased.

他們可以跟死者溝通

Oh, they also say

噢，他們還會說

they will sell you astrology

他們會運用占星術幫你們占卜

or other fortunetelling methods.

或是用其他算命的方法幫你們占卜，並收取費用

Oh, they gladly sell you that, yes.

噢，他們很高興的賣給你們那些東西。沒錯

And they also say

而且他們還會說

that they can give you perpetual motion machines

他們可以給你們永不停止的機器

and free energy systems.

以及免費的能源系統

They claim to be psychics,

他們稱自己為通靈者

or sensitives, whatever they can.

或是靈媒，他們愛怎麼講就怎麼講

But the one thing that has made a big comeback

但是，就在最近

just recently

有一件可以抱怨的事情是

is this business of

有人聲稱可以

speaking with the dead.

與死者說話的事

Now, to my innocent mind,

現在，就我無知的心靈來說

dead implies

死亡代表

incapable of communicating. (Laughter)

無法與他人溝通

You might agree with me on that.

你們可能會在這件事上同意我

But these people, they tend to tell you that

但是這些人，他們傾向告訴你們

not only can they communicate with the dead --

他們不僅能夠與死者溝通－

"Hi, there" --

他們對死者說：嗨，親愛的－

but they can hear the dead as well,

他們也能聽見死者的聲音

and they can relay this information back to the living.

而且他們可以轉換這些訊息給活著的人

I wonder if that's true.

我想知道這是不是真的

I don't think so, because

我不認為那是真的

this subculture of people

因為這些亞文化的人們

use exactly the same gimmicks that we magicians do,

使用了跟我們魔術師相同的花招

exactly the same --

簡直一模一樣

the same physical methods, the same psychological methods --

同樣的物理方法，同樣的心理學方法

and they effectively and profoundly

而且他們有效且完全地

deceive millions of people around the earth,

欺騙了世界上數百萬的人們

to their detriment.

造成了這些人的傷害

They deceive these people,

他們欺騙這些人

costs them a lot of money,

使他們損失大筆的金錢

cost them a lot of emotional anguish.

使他們蒙受情感上的痛苦

Billions of dollars are spent

每年，在世界各地

every year, all over the globe,

數十億美金浪費於

on these charlatans.

這些騙人的把戲上

Now, I have two questions

現在，我有兩個問題

I would like to ask these people

如果我有機會這麼做

if I had the opportunity to do so.

我想問問這些人

First question: If I want to ask them to call up --

第一個問題：如果我想請他們打電話給死者－

because they do hear them through the ear.

因為他們確實可以透過耳朵聽見死者

They listen to the spirits like this --

他們像這樣聽見死者

I'm going to ask you to call up the ghost of my grandmother

我將會請你們打電話給我祖母的靈魂

because, when she died, she had the family will,

因為在她死的時候，她有一份遺囑

and she secreted it someplace. We don't know where it is,

她把遺囑藏在某個地方。我們不知道它在哪裡

so we ask Granny, "Where is the will, Granny?"

所以我們問祖母:「遺囑在哪裡？」

What does Granny say? She says, "I'm in heaven and it's wonderful.

祖母會怎麼說呢？她說:「我在天堂，而這真是太棒了

I'm here with all my old friends, my deceased friends,

我在這裡跟我所有的老友

and my family

我死去的好友、我的親人

and all the puppy dogs and the kittens that I used to have when I was a little girl.

以及所有在我小時候曾養過的小狗小貓在一起

And I love you, and I'll always be with you.

我愛你們，而且我會與你們同在

Good bye."

再見。」

And she didn't answer the damn question!

但是她卻沒有回答那個重要的問題

Where is the will?

遺囑在哪裡？

Now, she could easily have said,

現在，她大可簡單地回答

"Oh, it's in the library on the second shelf, behind the encyclopedia,"

「噢，在書房的第二層書櫃，百科全書後面」

but she doesn't say that. No, she doesn't.

但是她並沒有這麼說。完全沒有。

She doesn't bring any useful information to us.

她根本沒有帶給我們任何有用的訊息

We paid a lot of money for that information,

我們為了那個無用的訊息而付了一大筆錢

be we didn't get it.

然而我們仍沒找到遺囑

The second question that I'd like to ask, rather simple:

第二個我想問的問題是相當簡單的

Suppose I ask them to contact

舉例來說，假設我請通靈者去跟

the spirit of my deceased father-in-law, as an example.

我的岳父說話

Why do they insist on saying --

為什麼他們會堅持說－

remember, they speak into this ear --

請記住，死者會向通靈者的耳邊說話－

why do they say, "My name starts with J or M?"

為什麼他們會說「我的名字的第一個字母是J或M？」

Is this a hunting game?

這是一個猜謎的遊戲嗎？

Hunting and fishing? What is it?

是要猜什麼？它到底是什麼？

Is it 20 questions? No, it's more like 120 questions.

它是一種叫做"20個問題"的遊戲嗎？不，這比較像120個問題

But it is a cruel, vicious,

但是，這是殘酷、惡毒

absolutely conscienceless --

毫無良心的－

I'll be all right, keep your seats (Laughter) --

我沒事，不必擔心－

game that these people play.

這些人玩的遊戲

And they take advantage of the innocent, the naive,

他們利用那裡無辜的人、天真的人

the grieving, the needy people out there.

悲傷的人、以及需要幫助的人

Now, this is a process

現在

that is called cold reading.

接下來是一個稱為冷讀術（cold reading）的過程

There's one fellow out there,

那裡有一個人

Van Praagh is his name, James Van Praagh.

他叫做Van Praagh，全名是James Van Praagh

He's one of the big practitioners of this sort of thing.

他是從事這類事情的其中一員

John Edward, Sylvia Browne

John Edward、Sylvia Browne

and Rosemary Altea, they are other operators.

以及Rosemary Altea是其他會做這類事情的人

There are hundreds of them all over the earth, but in this country,

全世界有幾百個這樣的人，但是在美國

James Van Praagh is very big.

James Van Praagh是最主要的

And what does he do? He likes to tell you

他做了什麼呢？他想告訴你們

how the deceased got deceased,

死者如何死去

the people he's talking to through his ear, you see?

他談話的對象透過他的耳朵，你們看，類似我的動作

So what he says is, very often, is like this: he says,

所以，他說的話經常會像是這樣

"He tells me, he tells me, before he passed,

「他告訴我，他在死前告訴我

that he had trouble breathing."

他感到呼吸困難。」

Folks, that's what dying is all about!

各位，那正是死前會發生的事

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

You stop breathing, and then you're dead.

你停止呼吸，然後死去

It's that simple.

就這麼簡單

And that's the kind of information they're going to bring back to you?

那訊息是他們從死者那邊帶給你的嗎？

I don't think so.

我不這麼認為

Now, these people will make guesses, they'll say things like,

現在，這些人會去猜，他們將會這麼說

"Why am I getting electricity?

「為什麼我感覺到電流？

He's saying to me, 'Electricity.'

他對我說『電流』

Was he an electrician?" "No."

他是一個電工嗎？」不是

"Did he ever have an electric razor?" "No."

「他曾經有一支電動刮鬍刀嗎？」不是

It was a game of hunting questions like this.

這是一個猜謎問題的遊戲

This is what they go through.

這是他們經歷的事情

Now, folks often ask us

現在，在詹姆斯‧藍迪教育基金會裡

at the James Randi Educational Foundation,

有人經常問我們

they call me, they say, "Why are you so concerned about this, Mr. Randi?

他們叫住我，並說「藍迪先生，為什麼你那麼關心這個？

Isn't it just a lot of fun?"

只是因為很好玩嗎？」

No, it is not fun. It is a cruel farce.

不，這一點都不好玩。這是殘酷的鬧劇

Now, it may bring a certain amount of comfort,

現在，他們做的那些事可能會讓我們舒服點

but that comfort lasts

不過那只會持續

only about 20 minutes or so.

大約20分鐘

And then the people look in the mirror, and they say,

然後要求做那些事的人們會看著鏡子，並說

I just paid a lot of money for that reading.

為了那個與死者談話的把戲，我剛剛花了一大筆錢

And what did she say to me? 'I love you!'"

她對我說了什麼呢？「我愛你！」

They always say that.

他們總是這麼說

They don't get any information,

他們根本沒有帶來任何訊息

they don't get any value for what they spend.

他們沒有帶來任何與我們花的錢等值的東西

Now, Sylvia Browne is the big operator.

現在，Sylvia Browne是一個偉大的靈媒

We call her "The Talons."

我們稱她為「魔爪」（The Talons源自英國影集Doctor Who）

Sylvia Browne -- thank you --

Sylvia Browne－謝謝－

Sylvia Browne is the big operator

在現今這個領域裡

in this field at this very moment.

Sylvia Browne是一位偉大的靈媒

Now, Sylvia Browne -- just to show you --

現在Sylvia Browne－為了向你們說明Sylvia在做什麼－

she actually gets 700 dollars

在電話裡聽取她對死者的20分鐘解讀

for a 20 minute reading over the telephone,

她就會賺到700美金

she doesn't even go there in person,

她甚至不需要親自到那裡

and you have to wait up to two years because

而你們必須等兩年，因為

she's booked ahead that amount of time.

她已經被預約到那個時候

You pay by credit card or whatever,

你們可以用信用卡、或任何方式付費

and then she will call you

然後她會打電話給你們

sometime in the next two years.

有時候是在兩年之後才打

You can tell it's her. "Hello, this is Sylvia Browne."

你們可以辨認出是她。她會在電話的一邊說「哈囉，我是Sylvia Browne。」

That's her, you can tell right away.

那是她。你們可以馬上知道

Now, Montel Williams is an intelligent man.

現在，Montel Williams是一個聰明的人

We all know who he is on television.

我們都知道他上電視

He's well educated, he's smart,

他受過良好教育，也很聰明

he knows what Sylvia Browne is doing

他知道Sylvia Browne在做什麼

but he doesn't give a damn.

但是他根本不甩她

He just doesn't care.

他根本不在乎她做了什麼

Because, the bottom line is, the sponsors love it,

他接受Sylvia的底限是因為贊助者喜歡這類的東西

and he will expose her

他會時常

to television publicity all the time.

讓她出現在電視上

Now, what does Sylvia Browne give you for that 700 dollars?

現在，Sylvia Browne讓你花700美金做的事情是什麼?

She gives you the names of your guardian angels, that's first.

一開始，她會告訴你，你的守護天使的名字

Now, without that, how could we possibly function? (Laughter)

沒有守護天使，我們如何可能活著呢？

She gives you the names of previous lives,

接著她會告訴你

who you were in previous lives.

你前世的名字

Duh.

廢話

It turns out that the women

結果她提供的這些解釋

that she gives readings for

女人就是一個巴比倫公主

were all Babylonian princesses, or something like that.

或是具有類似公主的身分

And the men were all Grecian warriors

男人就是希臘勇士

fighting with Agamemnon.

對抗著阿加曼儂（Agmemnon）

Nothing is ever said about

根本沒說到任何關於

a 14 year-old bootblack in the streets of London

一個在英國倫敦擦鞋的14歲小孩

who died of consumption.

死於肺癆

He isn't worth bringing back, obviously.

很明顯的，那個小孩不值得通靈

And the strange thing -- folks, you may have noticed this too.

各位，奇怪的是－你們可能也已經注意到了－

You see these folks on television --

你們在電視上看到的那些人－

they never call anybody back from hell. (Laughter)

他們從來沒有從地獄呼喚到任何人

Everyone comes back from heaven, but never from hell.

每個人都是來自天堂，從來沒有來自地獄的

If they call back any of my friends,

如果他們可以呼喚我的任何一個朋友

they're not going to... Well, you see the story.

他們將不會…嗯，你們會看到這樣的故事

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now, Sylvia Browne is an exception,

現在，Sylvia Browne是一個例外

an exception in one way,

在一個意義下是例外

because the James Randi Educational Foundation, my foundation,

因為我的基金會，詹姆斯‧藍迪教育基金會

offers a one million dollar prize in negotiable bonds.

以可讓渡的債券，提供了一百萬美金的獎金

Very simply won.

贏得獎金的方式很簡單

All you have to do is prove any paranormal, occult

你所需要做的是，在適當的觀察條件下

or supernatural event or power of any kind

去證明任何種類的超自然事件

under proper observing conditions.

去證明任何神秘、不可思議的事件

It's very easy, win the million dollars.

贏得百萬美金是非常簡單的

Sylvia Browne is an exception in that

Sylvia Browne是一個例外

she's the only professional psychic

因為她是世界上

in the whole world

唯一一個

that has accepted our challenge.

已經接受我們挑戰的通靈專家

She did this on the "Larry King Live" show on CNN

她在六年半前

six and a half years ago.

在CNN的賴瑞金實境秀（Larry King Live show）中接受我們的挑戰

And we haven't heard from her since. Strange.

但是我們迄今還沒聽到她的消息。真奇怪

She said that, first of all, that she didn't know how to contact me.

首先，她說她不知道如何聯絡我

Duh.

真是個蠢問題

A professional psychic who speaks to dead people,

一個可以跟死者說話的靈媒專家

she can't reach me?

她不能連絡到我？

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I'm alive, you may have noticed.

你們應該注意到我還活著

Well, pretty well anyway.

嗯，我活得相當好

She couldn't reach me. Now she says she doesn't want to reach me

她無法聯絡到我？現在她說，她不想跟我聯絡

because I'm a godless person.

因為我是一個不信神的人

All the more reason to take the million dollars,

還有什麼理由不去贏得百萬美金呢？

wouldn't you think, Sylvia?

妳不想嗎？Sylvia

Now these people need to be stopped, seriously now.

現在這些人應該被阻止，我是說真的

They need to be stopped because this is a cruel farce.

他們需要被阻止，因為這是一個殘酷的鬧劇

We get people coming to the foundation all the time.

經常會有人去我的基金會

They're ruined financially and emotionally

他們的錢被騙光了，也陷入痛苦

because they've given their money and their faith

因為他們把錢跟信念

to these people.

交給了那些人

Now, I popped some pills earlier.

現在，我早先吞下的那些藥

I have to explain that to you.

我必須向你們解釋

Homeopathy, let's find out what that's all about.

順勢醫療法，讓我們看看那是什麼意思

Hmm. You've heard of it.

嗯。你們已經聽過它

It's an alternative form of healing, right?

沒錯，它是醫療的另一個方式

Homeopathy actually consists -- and that's what this is.

順勢醫療實際上存在－那就是順勢醫療

This is Calms Forte,

這是鎮定劑

32 caplets of sleeping pills! I forgot to tell you that.

32顆安眠藥－我忘了告訴你們

I just ingested

我剛才吞下了

six and a half days worth of sleeping pills.

會讓我睡六天半的安眠藥

(Laughter)

（笑聲)

Six and a half days, that certainly is a fatal dose.

六天半，那確實是致命的一帖藥

It says right on the back here,

服用須知寫在背後這裡

"In case of overdose,

「萬一服用過量

contact your poison control center immediately,"

立即通報你的毒藥控制中心」

and it gives an 800 number.

而且它提供了免付費的服務專線

Keep your seats -- it's going to be okay.

不必擔心。我沒事

I don't really need it

我不是真的需要它

because I've been doing this stunt

因為我已經在過去的8或10年裡

for audiences all over the world

為全世界的觀眾

for the last eight or 10 years,

表演了這個絕技

taking fatal doses of homeopathic sleeping pills.

服用順勢療法的致命安眠藥

Why don't they affect me?

為什麼它們對我無效？

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

(Applause)

(鼓掌)

The answer may surprise you.

答案可能會嚇你們一跳

What is homeopathy?

什麼是順勢醫療呢？

It's taking a medicine that really works

就是服用真的有效的藥

and diluting it down

並且削弱它

well beyond Avogadro's limit.

超過某個量(Avogadro)的極限

Diluting it down to the point

削弱到

where there's none of it left. (Laughter)

沒有剩餘任何藥效的程度

Now folks, this is not

現在，各位，接著要說的不只是一個隱喻

just a metaphor I'm going to give you now, it's true.

我即將要說的隱喻,它所代表的事情是真的

It's exactly equivalent to taking

這個量恰好等於

one 325 milligram aspirin tablet,

將一顆325毫克的阿斯匹靈

throwing it into the middle of Lake Tahoe,

丟到Tahoe湖的中心

and then stirring it up, obviously with a very big stick,

然後用一個很大的棍子攪拌

and waiting two years or so

等兩年

until the solution is homogeneous.

或是等到完全溶解

Then, when you get a headache,

於是，當你頭痛時

you take a sip of this water, and -- voila! -- it is gone.

你從那個湖中取一口水喝，可不是嗎！頭痛消失了

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Now that is true. That is what homeopathy is all about.

現在，那是真的。那就是順勢療法

And another claim that they make -- you'll love this one --

另一個他們會做的主張─你們會喜歡這個─

the more dilute the medicine is, they say,

他們說，藥效越被削弱

the more powerful it is.

它的功效就越強

Now wait a minute, we heard about a guy in Florida.

等一等，我們聽說在佛羅里達有個傢伙

The poor man, he was on homeopathic medicine.

可憐的人，他正在服用順勢療法的藥

He died of an overdose.

他死於服藥過量

He forgot to take his pill.

因為他忘了服藥

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Work on it. Work on it.

去做啊，去做啊

It's a ridiculous thing. It is absolutely ridiculous.

荒謬的事。絕對是荒謬的

I don't know what we're doing,

我不知道我們在做什麼

believing in all this nonsense over all these years.

這些年來相信這些沒道理的事

Now, let me tell you,

現在，讓我告訴你們

The James Randi Educational Foundation

詹姆斯‧藍迪教育基金會

is waving this very big carrot,

提供了高額的獎金

but I must say, the fact that nobody

但是我必須說

has taken us up on this offer

沒有人贏得獎金的事實

doesn't mean that the powers don't exist.

不代表神奇的魔力不存在

They might, some place out there.

在某個地方，可能有

Maybe these people are just independently wealthy.

或許這些人相當有錢

Well, with Sylvia Browne I would think so.

嗯，看到Sylvia Browne，我會這麼認為

You know, 700 dollars for a 20 minute reading

你知道嗎，在電話中講20分鐘

over the telephone --

就有700美金的收入

that's more than lawyers make!

這比律師賺的還多

I mean that's a fabulous amount of money.

我的意思是，那是一筆大的驚人的錢

These people don't need the million dollars perhaps,

這些人或許不需要百萬美金

but wouldn't you think they'd like to take it

但是你不認為他們會想要嗎？

just to make me look silly?

只是為了讓我下不了台階

Just to get rid of this godless person out there

只是為了擺脫我這個不信神的人

that Sylvia Browne talks about all the time?

Sylvia Browne經常這麼說

I think that something needs to be done about this.

我認為，關於這個，我們需要做某些事

We really would love to have suggestions from you folks

我們真的希望

on how to contact federal, state

各位可以提供建議

and local authorities

關於如何讓聯邦

to get them to do something.

州政府與地方政府做點事

If you find out -- now I understand.

如果你們發現--現在我了解--

We've seen people, even today, speaking to us

當我們看到人們,甚至今天看到的人們

about AIDS epidemics

對我們說愛滋病的傳染

and starving kids around the world

世界各地飢餓的兒童

and impure water supplies that people have to suffer with.

以及遭受缺乏純淨飲水所苦的人們

Those are very important,

那些是非常重要的

critically important to us.

對我們來說，極度重要的

And we must do something about those problems.

而且我們必須處理那些問題

But at the same time,

但是，同一時間

as Arthur C. Clarke said,

如同Arthur C. Clarke所說

The rotting of the human mind,

你知道的，「人類心靈的墮落」

the business of believing in the paranormal and the occult

相信超自然

and the supernatural --

牛鬼蛇神

all of this total nonsense,

所有這些沒道理的事

this medieval thinking --

這種中世紀的思維

I think something should be done about that,

我認為我們應該做點事

and it all lies in education.

而且這全都落在教育上

Largely, it's the media

基本上，媒體要受到批評

who are to blame for this sort of thing.

因為縱容這類事情的出現

They shamelessly promote

他們無恥地提倡

all kinds of nonsense of this sort

所有這類沒道理的事

because it pleases the sponsors.

因為這類的事可以取悅贊助者

It's the bottom line, the dollar line.

這是底線，金錢堆起的線

That's what they're looking at.

那是他們眼中看到的

We really must do something about this.

我們真的需要做點事

I'm willing to take your suggestions,

我會願意接納你們的建議

and I'm willing to have you

並且我會希望你們

tune in to our webpage.

瀏覽我們的網頁

It's www.randi.org.

網址是 www.randi.org

Go in there and look at the archives,

點進去，並看看裡面的檔案

and you will begin to understand much more

你將開始更了解

of what I've been talking about today.

我今天所談論過的內容

You will see the records that we have.

你們將會看到我們擁有的記錄

There's nothing like sitting in that library

就像是坐在那個圖書館裡

and having a family appear there

而且好像有一家人出現在那裡

and say that Mum gave away all the family fortune.

說著母親將全家的財產贈送出去

She cashed in the CDs,

她將定存全都領出來

she gave away the stocks and the certificates.

將股票與現金都送給人

That's really sad to hear,

聽到這些事情真的很讓人難過

and it hasn't helped them one bit,

而且靈媒一點都沒有幫助到他們

hasn't solved any of their problems.

根本沒有解決他們的任何問題

Yes, there could be a rotting of the American mind,

沒錯，美國人以及

and of the minds all the way around the earth,

全球各地居民的心靈可能墮落了

if we don't start to think sensibly about these things.

如果我們不開始重視這些事情

Now, we've offered this carrot,

現在，我們已經提供獎金了

as I say, we've dangled the carrot.

就像我說的,我們已經把獎金擺出來了

We're waiting for the psychics to come forth and snap at it.

我們等待靈媒的出現，並且將獎金領走

Oh, we get lots of them,

噢，我們碰過很多靈媒

hundreds of them every year come by.

每年都有幾百個靈媒來

These are dowsers and people

這些人是你們的占卜師

who think that they can talk to the dead as well,

這些人也認為自己可以與死者說話

but they're amateurs; they don't know how to evaluate

不過他們都是業餘的

their own so-called powers.

他們不知道如何去鑑定自己的魔力

The professionals never come near us,

專業的靈媒從來沒找過我們

except in that case of Sylvia Browne

除了幾分鐘前提過的

that I told you about a moment ago.

Sylvia Browne之外

She did accept and then backed away.

她確實接受了挑戰，但卻退縮了

Ladies and gentlemen,

各位先生女士

I'm James Randi,

我是詹姆斯‧藍迪

and I'm waiting.

而且我正等著

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

(鼓掌)