Creativity is a remix | Kirby Ferguson

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

譯者: Hsin Cheng Lin 審譯者: Yuguo Zhang

We're going to begin in 1964.

讓我們回到1964年

Bob Dylan is 23 years old, and his career

23歲的巴布·狄倫 (Bob Dylan)

is just reaching its pinnacle.

他的事業正如日中天

He's been christened the voice of a generation,

他作為當代文化的代言人

and he's churning out classic songs

用難以置信的速度

at a seemingly impossible rate,

譜出一首又一首的經典佳作

but there's a small minority of dissenters, and they claim

但少數異議人士指責

that Bob Dylan is stealing other people's songs.

巴布·狄倫剽竊他人的作品

2004. Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse,

2004年 Brian Burton，即 Danger Mouse

takes the Beatles' "White Album,"

將披頭四 (Beatles) 的 "白色專輯" (White Album)

combines it with Jay-Z's "The Black Album"

搭上 Jay-Z 的 "黑色專輯" (The Black Album)

to create "The Grey Album."

創作出 "灰色專輯" (The Gray Album)

"The Grey Album" becomes an immediate sensation online,

"灰色專輯" 在網路一炮而紅

and the Beatles' record company sends out countless

卻收到唱片公司雪片般飛來的

cease-and-desist letters for "unfair competition

禁制令 (cease-and-desist letters)，稱其為

and dilution of our valuable property."

"對我方資產的不當競爭及耗損"

Now, "The Grey Album" is a remix.

"灰色專輯" 是一種混搭

It is new media created from old media.

借鏡舊素材，創造新作品

It was made using these three techniques:

混搭用到下面三種技巧：

copy, transform and combine.

借用、轉化和重組

It's how you remix. You take existing songs,

做法如下。找幾首現成歌曲

you chop them up, you transform the pieces,

分割成小段並稍作改換

you combine them back together again,

全部拼湊起來之後

and you've got a new song, but that new song

成為一首新曲，這樣的曲子

is clearly comprised of old songs.

很明顯是從現有歌曲重組而成

But I think these aren't just the components of remixing.

這些要素並非混搭所獨有

I think these are the basic elements of all creativity.

我認為這是構成所有創意的基礎

I think everything is a remix,

一切都是混搭

and I think this is a better way to conceive of creativity.

我認為混搭更適合用來理解創意的本質

All right, let's head back to 1964, and let's hear

回到1964年，我們將聽到幾首

where some of Dylan's early songs came from.

狄倫早期作品的來源

We'll do some side-by-side comparisons here.

我會將兩者並列比較

All right, this first song you're going to hear

第一首歌是

is "Nottamun Town." It's a traditional folk tune.

"Nottamun Town"，一首傳統民謠

After that, you'll hear Dylan's "Masters of War."

接著是狄倫的 "Masters of War"

Jean Ritchie: ♫ In Nottamun Town, not a soul would look out, ♫

Jean Ritchie: ♫ In Nottamun Town, not a soul would look out, ♫

♫ not a soul would look up, not a soul would look down. ♫

♫ not a soul would look up, not a soul would look down. ♫

Bob Dylan: ♫ Come you masters of war, ♫

巴布·狄倫: ♫ Come you masters of war, ♫

♫ you that build the big guns, you that build the death planes, ♫

♫ you that build the big guns, you that build the death planes, ♫

♫ You that build all the bombs. ♫

♫ You that build all the bombs. ♫

Kirby Ferguson: Okay, so that's the same basic melody

Kirby Ferguson: 兩者有相同的基本旋律

and overall structure. This next one is "The Patriot Game,"

和整體架構。下一首是 "The Patriot Game"

by Dominic Behan. Alongside that,

歌手是 Dominic Behan，對比

you're going to hear "With God on Our Side," by Dylan.

狄倫的 "With God on Our Side"

Dominic Behan: ♫ Come all ye young rebels, ♫

Dominic Behan: ♫ Come all ye young rebels, ♫

♫ and list while I sing, ♫

♫ and list while I sing, ♫

♫ for the love of one's land is a terrible thing. ♫

♫ for the love of one's land is a terrible thing. ♫

BD: ♫ Oh my name it is nothin', ♫

狄倫: ♫ Oh my name it is nothin', ♫

♫ my age it means less, ♫

♫ my age it means less, ♫

♫ the country I come from is called the Midwest. ♫

♫ the country I come from is called the Midwest. ♫

KF: Okay, so in this case, Dylan admits

KF: 在這個例子中，狄倫也承認

he must have heard "The Patriot Game," he forgot about it,

自己可能聽過 "The Patriot Game" 卻忘了

then when the song kind of bubbled back up

於是當曲調再次在腦海浮現

in his brain, he just thought it was his song.

便以為是自己的創作

Last one, this is "Who's Going To Buy You Ribbons,"

最後一組， "Who's Going To Buy You Ribbons"

another traditional folk tune.

另一首傳統民謠

Alongside that is "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right."

對比 "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"

This one's more about the lyric.

這次主要是歌詞上的相似

Paul Clayton: ♫ It ain't no use to sit and sigh now, ♫

Paul Clayton: ♫ It ain't no use to sit and sigh now, ♫

♫ darlin', and it ain't no use to sit and cry now. ♫

♫ darlin', and it ain't no use to sit and cry now. ♫

BD: ♫ It ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe, ♫

狄倫: ♫ It ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe, ♫

♫ if you don't know by now, ♫

♫ if you don't know by now, ♫

♫ and it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe, ♫

♫ and it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe, ♫

♫ it'll never do somehow. ♫

♫ it'll never do somehow. ♫

KF: Okay, now, there's a lot of these.

KF: 類似的例子還有很多

It's been estimated that two thirds of the melodies

據估計狄倫的早期作品裡，三分之二的旋律

Dylan used in his early songs were borrowed.

是從別處借用的

This is pretty typical among folk singers.

這個情況在民謠歌手界相當常見

Here's the advice of Dylan's idol, Woody Guthrie.

狄倫的偶像，伍迪·蓋瑟瑞 (Woody Guthrie) 曾說

"The worlds are the important thing.

「重點在歌詞」

Don't worry about tunes. Take a tune,

「別擔心曲子，找一段旋律」

sing high when they sing low,

「把該唱高的地方唱低」

sing fast when they sing slow, and you've got a new tune."

「該唱慢的地方唱快，就有新曲了」

(Laughter) (Applause)

(笑聲) (掌聲)

And that's, that's what Guthrie did right here,

蓋瑟瑞就是這樣做的

and I'm sure you all recognize the results.

而大家也都耳熟能詳

(Music)

(音樂)

We know this tune, right? We know it?

似曾相識？大家都聽過?

Actually you don't.

其實不然

That is "When the World's on Fire," a very old melody,

它出自 "When the World's on Fire"，非常老的曲調

in this case performed by the Carter Family.

在這裡是由卡特家族 (Carter Family) 演奏

Guthrie adapted it into "This Land Is Your Land."

蓋瑟瑞將它改編成 "This Land Is Your Land"

So, Bob Dylan, like all folk singers, he copied melodies,

因此，跟所有民謠歌手一樣 巴布·狄倫借用現有的曲調

he transformed them, he combined them with new lyrics

稍作改變，再加入新的歌詞

which were frequently their own concoction

而不同歌手的作法不盡相同

of previous stuff.

各具特色

Now, American copyright and patent laws run counter

今日，美國的智財及專利法案反其道而行

to this notion that we build on the work of others.

反對藉前人基礎發展創作的理念

Instead, these laws and laws around the world

這些遍及全球的法律

use the rather awkward analogy of property.

(將創意)用彆扭的產權觀念來類比

Now, creative works may indeed be kind of like property,

或許創作在某些面向類似財產

but it's property that we're all building on,

但同時也是後人賴以創造的基石

and creations can only take root and grow

創新能量的發展茁壯

once that ground has been prepared.

仰賴於基礎的完善

Henry Ford once said, "I invented nothing new.

亨利·福特曾說 「我從未發明新事物」

I simply assembled the discoveries of other men

「我只是將別人的發現湊在一塊」

behind whom were centuries of work.

「而這些發現都是幾世紀以來進步的積累」

Progress happens when all the factors that make for it

「當所有要素齊聚一堂」

are ready and then it is inevitable."

「進步必定會發生」

2007. The iPhone makes it debut.

2007年，iPhone首次亮相

Apple undoubtedly brings this innovation to us early,

無疑地 蘋果讓我們提早接觸到一項創新

but its time was approaching because its core technology

這項技術已趨成熟，因為它的核心科技

had been evolving for decades.

已經發展了十幾個年頭

That's multi-touch, controlling a device

"多點觸控"，只要觸摸螢幕

by touching its display.

就可以操作裝置

Here is Steve Jobs introducing multi-touch

下面是史蒂夫·賈伯斯 (Steve Jobs) 介紹多點觸控

and making a rather foreboding joke.

並開了個有前瞻的玩笑

Steve Jobs: And we have invented a new technology

史蒂夫·賈伯斯: 「我們發明了一種新技術」

called multi-touch.

「叫做多點觸控」

You can do multi-fingered gestures on it,

「你可以用多支手指來控制」

and boy have we patented it. (Laughter)

「幸好專利已經在我們手上了! 」(笑聲)

KF: Yes. And yet, here is multi-touch in action.

KF: 是阿。接著是多點觸控的實機展示

This is at TED, actually, about a year earlier.

一年前，在一場TED演講裡

This is Jeff Han, and, I mean, that's multi-touch.

影片上是 Jeff Han，這也是多點觸控

It's the same animal, at least.

至少是類似的東西

Let's hear what Jeff Han has to say about this

我們聽聽 Jeff Han 怎麼看待

newfangled technology.

這個新奇的科技

Jeff Han: Multi-touch sensing isn't anything --

Jeff Han: 「多點觸控不是什麼驚人之舉」

isn't completely new. I mean, people like Bill Buxton

「它不是全新的技術，你知道像Bill Buxton」

have been playing around with it in the '80s.

「在80年代已經玩過這個概念了」

The technology, you know, isn't the most exciting thing here

「這項技術本身不是最讓人興奮的」

right now other than probably its newfound accessibility.

「讓人期待的是應用方式的新發現」

KF: So he's pretty frank about it not being new.

KF: 他很坦白地告訴你這不是新玩意兒

So it's not multi-touch as a whole that's patented.

這項技術整體來說並不能申請專利

It's the small parts of it that are,

而是技術的部分衍生

and it's in these small details where

從這些細節裡

we can clearly see patent law contradicting its intent:

可以看到專利權法案的矛盾之處：

to promote the progress of useful arts.

"推動技術的演進"

Here is the first ever slide-to-unlock.

這是史無前例的滑動解鎖功能 (slide-to-unlock)

That is all there is to it. Apple has patented this.

就這樣。蘋果為此申請了

It's a 28-page software patent, but I will summarize

28頁的軟體專利，讓我總結一下它的重點

what it covers. Spoiler alert: Unlocking your phone

注意有雷: "要解鎖你的電話

by sliding an icon with your finger. (Laughter)

請用手指滑動此圖示" (笑聲)

I'm only exaggerating a little bit. It's a broad patent.

我只是稍微誇張了點。這份專利涵蓋範圍很廣

Now, can someone own this idea?

問題來了，這個概念能不能被擁有？

Now, back in the '80s, there were no software patents,

回到80年代，那時還沒有軟體專利

and it was Xerox that pioneered the graphical user interface.

全錄 (Xerox) 是圖形使用介面的先驅

What if they had patented pop-up menus,

若是全錄把彈出式選單 (pop-up menu)、

scrollbars, the desktop with icons that look like folders

捲軸條 (scroll bar)、桌面上文件夾和紙張的圖示

and sheets of paper?

全都拿去申請專利？

Would a young and inexperienced Apple

當時年輕，缺乏經驗的蘋果

have survived the legal assault from a much larger

會抵擋得住龐大而成熟的全錄

and more mature company like Xerox?

組織的法律攻勢嗎？

Now, this idea that everything is a remix might sound

"一切都是混搭" 這個概念像是老生常談

like common sense until you're the one getting remixed.

但當你是被借用的一方時就沒那麼簡單了

For example ...

例如...

SJ: I mean, Picasso had a saying.

賈伯斯: 「畢卡索 (Picasso) 曾說過」

He said, "Good artists copy. Great artists steal."

「"優秀藝術家總是抄來抄去， 偉大藝術家直接拿來當自己的"」

And we have, you know,

「所以我們總是」

always been shameless about stealing great ideas.

「忝不知恥的剽竊好點子」

KF: Okay, so that's in '96. Here's in 2010.

KF: OK，那是在96年，到了2010年

"I'm going to destroy Android because it's a stolen product."

「我要毀了Android，因為它是抄來的產品」

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

"I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this." (Laughter)

「就算引發第三次世界大戰也在所不惜」 (笑聲)

Okay, so in other words, great artists steal, but not from me.

換句話說，偉大的藝術家...可別抄到我頭上

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Now, behavioral economists might refer to this sort of thing as loss aversion

行為經濟學家會說這種行為是厭惡損失

We have a strong predisposition towards protecting

我們有強烈的防衛本能

what we feel is ours.

以保護自己的東西

We have no such aversion towards copying

但我們倒是不怎麼介意借用

what other people have, because we do that nonstop.

別人的東西，因為抄襲隨處可見

So here's the sort of equation we're looking at.

看看如下的方程式

We've got laws that fundamentally treat creative works as property,

我們有把創意視為財產的法律

plus massive rewards or settlements

侵權官司裡大量的罰鍰與賠償

in infringement cases, plus huge legal fees

各式各樣的規費

to protect yourself in court,

用來保護你法庭上的權益

plus cognitive biases against perceived loss.

再加上主觀認定受到侵害的損失

And the sum looks like this.

結果看來像這樣

That is the last four years of lawsuits

這張圖表顯示過去四年來

in the realm of smartphones.

智慧手機產業相關的訴訟案

Is this promoting the progress of useful arts?

這樣真的能促進技術的進展？

1983. Bob Dylan is 42 years old, and his time

1983年，巴布·狄倫42歲

in the cultural spotlight is long since past.

他的文化光環早已褪色許久

He records a song called "Blind Willie McTell,"

他錄製了一首歌叫 "Blind Willie McTell"

named after the blues singer, and the song

曲名和那位知名藍調歌手相同

is a voyage through the past, through a much darker time,

歌曲本身是一段回溯過去的旅程，不堪回首

but a simpler one, a time when musicians like Willie McTell

卻簡單直接，那時 Willie McTell 一類的音樂家

had few illusions about what they did.

對自己作品的本質還瞭然於心

"I jump 'em from other writers

「我從其他作者汲取靈感」

but I arrange 'em my own way."

「但用自己的風格來組合」

I think this is mostly what we do.

我認為這才是常態

Our creativity comes from without, not from within.

創意應是來自外界的激發，而非閉門造車

We are not self-made. We are dependent on one another,

沒有人是從零開始，我們都仰賴彼此的貢獻

and admitting this to ourselves isn't an embrace

承認這點並不代表我們會淪為

of mediocrity and derivativeness.

平庸之輩、人云亦云

It's a liberation from our misconceptions,

而是將我們從迷思中解放出來

and it's an incentive to not expect so much from ourselves

並激勵我們 --不對個人過度期待--

and to simply begin.

而是單純去嘗試創新

Thank you so much. It was an honor to be here.

謝謝大家。很榮幸能來這裡

Thank you. (Applause)

謝謝 (掌聲)

Thank you. Thank you. (Applause)

謝謝，謝謝 (掌聲)

Thank you. (Applause)

謝謝 (掌聲)