How to tie your shoes | Terry Moore

譯者: Ching-Yuan Chen 審譯者: Joyce Chou

I'm used to thinking of the TED audience

我總認為TED有一群很棒的聽眾，

as a wonderful collection of some of the most effective,

令人印象深刻、有才智、

intelligent, intellectual, savvy,

有知識、有常識、

worldly and innovative people in the world.

充滿人生經驗並懂得創新。

And I think that's true.

我認為的確如此。

However, I also have reason to believe that many, if not most, of you

但我也有理由相信

你們之中有許多人

are actually tying your shoes incorrectly.

其實鞋帶都綁錯了。

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

Now I know that seems ludicrous.

我知道這好像很好笑。

我知道這好像很荒唐。

I know that seems ludicrous.

And believe me, I lived the same sad life until about three years ago.

但相信我，我原本也過著同樣可悲的生活，

至少三年前是。

And what happened to me

當時我

was I bought, what was for me, a very expensive pair of shoes.

買了雙對我來說很貴的鞋。

But those shoes came with round nylon laces,

那雙鞋有圓尼龍鞋帶，

and I couldn't keep them tied.

而我卻無法綁好它。

So I went back to the store and said to the owner,

於是我回店裡對老闆說:

"I love the shoes, but I hate the laces."

「我愛這雙鞋，但我恨這鞋帶。」

He took a look and said, "Oh, you're tying them wrong."

他看完後說：「噢！你綁錯了。」

在那之前，

Now up until that moment,

I would have thought that, by age 50,

我一直認為活到了50歲

one of the life skills that I had really nailed

我一定會的生活技能

was tying my shoes.

就是綁鞋帶。

(Laughter)

But not so -- let me demonstrate.

其實不然 -- 讓我示範一下。

這樣是

This is the way

我們多數人綁鞋帶的方式。

that most of us were taught to tie our shoes.

Now as it turns out -- thank you.

結果 -- 謝謝。

(Applause)

Wait, there's more.

等等，還有。

As it turns out --

結果，

(Laughter)

there's a strong form and a weak form of this knot,

這種結有分強跟弱兩種，

而我們學的是弱的結。

and we were taught the weak form.

And here's how to tell.

你可以這樣判斷。

If you pull the strands at the base of the knot,

如果你拉結下方的鞋帶，

you will see that the bow will orient itself

你會看到蝴蝶結轉動，

down the long axis of the shoe.

向下與鞋子的長軸對齊。

That's the weak form of the knot.

這是弱的結。

But not to worry.

但不用擔心。

If we start over

如果我們重綁，

and simply go the other direction around the bow,

然後簡單地從另外一個方向

繞過蝴蝶結，

這樣就好了，強的結。

we get this, the strong form of the knot.

如果你拉結下方的鞋帶，

And if you pull the cords under the knot,

you will see that the bow orients itself

你會看到蝴蝶結轉動

與鞋子的橫向軸對齊。

along the transverse axis of the shoe.

This is a stronger knot.

這是強的結。它比較不易鬆脫。

It will come untied less often.

它也比較不會讓你失望。

It will let you down less, and not only that, it looks better.

不單如此，它也比較好看。

We're going to do this one more time.

我們再來做一次。

(Applause)

(掌聲)

跟平常一樣開始，

Start as usual --

(Applause)

go the other way around the loop.

走另一邊繞過蝴蝶結。

This is a little hard for children,

這對兒童有點困難，

but I think you can handle it.

但我認為你們可以應付的。

Pull the knot.

拉這個結。

There it is: the strong form of the shoe knot.

就這樣：強的結。

Now, in keeping with today's theme,

現在，為了呼應今天的主題，

I'd like to point out -- something you already know --

我想說， 這你們或許早就知道了，

that sometimes a small advantage someplace in life

有時候，生命中的

一個小優點

can yield tremendous results someplace else.

也能在其他地方產生極大的影響。

(Laughter)

Live long and prosper.

生生不息，繁榮昌盛。(源自星際爭霸戰)

(Applause)

(掌聲)