The unheard story of David and Goliath | Malcolm Gladwell

譯者: Bert Chen 審譯者: Yukun Chen

So I wanted to tell a story

我想告訴大家一個故事，

that really obsessed me when I was writing my new book,

在寫我新書的時候， 這個故事一直讓我很疑惑，

and it's a story of something that happened

這個故事發生在

3,000 years ago,

距今 3000 年前，

when the Kingdom of Israel was in its infancy.

當時以色列王國還在建國初期。

And it takes place in an area called the Shephelah

故事發生在一個叫示非拉的地方，

in what is now Israel.

它位於今天的以色列境內。

And the reason the story obsessed me is that

這故事令我困擾的原因

I thought I understood it, and then I went back over it

是我之前自以為了解它， 可是後來再讀的時候，

and I realized that I didn't understand it at all.

就發覺自己一點也不了解。

Ancient Palestine had a -- along its eastern border,

古巴勒斯坦有一條── 沿著它東面的國界

there's a mountain range.

有一條山脈，

Still same is true of Israel today.

（這條山脈）仍在今天的以色列境內。

And in the mountain range are all of the ancient cities

在這一條山脈上有許多古城市，

of that region, so Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron.

像是耶路撒冷、伯利恆、希伯崙。

And then there's a coastal plain

那裡也有一片海岸平原

along the Mediterranean, where Tel Aviv is now.

沿著地中海，即現在的特拉維夫。

And connecting the mountain range with the coastal plain

連接山脈與海岸平原的

is an area called the Shephelah,

是一個叫做示非拉的地方，

which is a series of valleys and ridges that run east to west,

其由自東向西的一系列的 山谷與山脊組成，

and you can follow the Shephelah, go through the Shephelah

你可以沿著或穿越示非拉

to get from the coastal plain to the mountains.

從海岸平原進入山區。

And the Shephelah, if you've been to Israel, you'll know

如果你去過以色列，你就知道

it's just about the most beautiful part of Israel.

示拉非可能是 以色列境內最美麗的地方。

It's gorgeous, with forests of oak

風景優美，有橡樹林、

and wheat fields and vineyards.

麥田和葡萄園。

But more importantly, though, in the history of that region,

但更重要的是，在此地區的歷史上，

it's served, it's had a real strategic function,

示拉非具有真正的戰略功能，

and that is, it is the means by which hostile armies

也就是說，示拉非是位於海岸平原的敵軍

on the coastal plain find their way,

通往山區

get up into the mountains and threaten those living in the mountains.

而入侵山區居民的必經路。

And 3,000 years ago, that's exactly what happens.

3000 年前，也確實如此，

The Philistines, who are the biggest of enemies

非利士人是以色列的

of the Kingdom of Israel,

頭號敵人，

are living in the coastal plain.

他們就住在海岸平原。

They're originally from Crete. They're a seafaring people.

他們最初是來自 克里特島的航海民族，

And they may start to make their way

然後可能漸漸地從

through one of the valleys of the Shephelah

示非拉的其中一個山谷

up into the mountains,

進入山區，

because what they want to do is occupy the highland area

因為他們想占據伯利恆旁的高地，

right by Bethlehem and split the Kingdom of Israel in two.

將以色列一分為二。

And the Kingdom of Israel, which is headed by King Saul,

當時的以色列王國的君主是掃羅王，

obviously catches wind of this,

他顯然有聽到風聲，

and Saul brings his army down from the mountains

於是他領軍下山，

and he confronts the Philistines in the Valley of Elah,

在以拉谷迎戰非利士人。

one of the most beautiful of the valleys of the Shephelah.

以拉谷是示非拉最美麗的山谷之一。

And the Israelites dig in along the northern ridge,

以色列人沿著山脈北脊挖掘戰壕，

and the Philistines dig in along the southern ridge,

而非利士人則沿著 山脈的南脊挖掘戰壕，

and the two armies just sit there for weeks

然後兩軍就這樣對峙數週，

and stare at each other, because they're deadlocked.

雙方軍隊相互叫陣， 僵持不下，

Neither can attack the other, because to attack the other side

雙方都不敢發動攻勢， 因為要攻擊對方

you've got to come down the mountain into the valley

就必須下山進入山谷，

and then up the other side, and you're completely exposed.

然後再進攻上山，這會 使軍隊完全暴露在敵方的火力下。

So finally, to break the deadlock,

所以最後為了打破僵局，

the Philistines send their mightiest warrior

非利士人派出最勇猛的戰士

down into the valley floor, and he calls out

走下山谷叫陣，

and he says to the Israelites,

他對以色列人說：

"Send your mightiest warrior down,

「派你們最勇猛的戰士下來，

and we'll have this out, just the two of us."

我們兩人來單挑定勝負。」

This was a tradition in ancient warfare called single combat.

這是古時候戰爭的 一個傳統，稱為單挑。

It was a way of settling disputes

是解決紛爭的方法之一，

without incurring the bloodshed of a major battle.

可避免大規模的流血戰爭。

And the Philistine who is sent down,

那個被派下山的非利士戰士，

their mighty warrior, is a giant.

是一位驍勇善戰的戰士， 也是一位巨人，

He's 6 foot 9.

他的身高 6 英呎 9 吋。

He's outfitted head to toe in this glittering bronze armor,

從頭到腳穿戴閃閃發亮的銅盔甲，

and he's got a sword and he's got a javelin

他帶了一把劍、一枝標槍

and he's got his spear. He is absolutely terrifying.

和一隻長矛， 看起來非常嚇人。

And he's so terrifying that none of the Israelite soldiers want to fight him.

因為他看起來太可怕了， 沒有一個以色列戰士敢上前應戰。

It's a death wish, right? There's no way they think they can take him.

簡直是去送死，對不對？ 他們覺得一定打不贏。

And finally the only person who will come forward

最後挺身而出的

is this young shepherd boy,

是個年輕的牧童，

and he goes up to Saul and he says, "I'll fight him."

他走去對掃羅王說：「我來跟他打。」

And Saul says, "You can't fight him. That's ridiculous.

掃羅王說：「你打不過他的。 這太荒謬了。

You're this kid. This is this mighty warrior."

你只不過是個小鬼， 而他是位勇猛的戰士。」

But the shepherd is adamant. He says, "No, no, no,

但是牧童非常堅決， 他說：「不，不，不，

you don't understand, I have been defending my flock

你不明白， 多年來 我一直在保護我的羊群，

against lions and wolves for years. I think I can do it."

免受獅子野狼襲擊。 我有自信可以應付。」

And Saul has no choice. He's got no one else who's come forward.

掃羅王沒辦法， 因為沒有其他人敢出來應戰。

So he says, "All right."

於是他說：「好。」

And then he turns to the kid, and he says,

然後他對牧童說：

"But you've got to wear this armor. You can't go as you are."

「你不能就這樣前去對陣， 一定要穿上盔甲。」

So he tries to give the shepherd his armor,

於是他把自己的盔甲給牧童，

and the shepherd says, "No."

但牧童說：「不用了。

He says, "I can't wear this stuff."

我沒辦法穿這盔甲。」

The Biblical verse is, "I cannot wear this for I have not proved it,"

聖經上的原話是 「我不能穿這盔甲， 因為我沒試過。」

meaning, "I've never worn armor before. You've got to be crazy."

意思是，「我從沒穿過這東西。 你瘋了嗎要我穿這個？」

So he reaches down instead on the ground

牧童從地上

and picks up five stones

撿起五塊石頭

and puts them in his shepherd's bag

放進他的牧羊袋，

and starts to walk down the mountainside to meet the giant.

然後下山去迎戰巨人。

And the giant sees this figure approaching,

這巨人看見有人向他走近，

and calls out, "Come to me so I can feed your flesh

便大叫：「給我過來，我要把你的肉

to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field."

拿去餵給飛禽走獸。」

He issues this kind of taunt towards this person

他不斷這樣辱罵

coming to fight him.

這個前來與他應戰的人。

And the shepherd draws closer and closer,

牧童越走越近，

and the giant sees that he's carrying a staff.

巨人看到他帶了一枝牧羊人的手杖。

That's all he's carrying.

他的裝備就只有這樣。

Instead of a weapon, just this shepherd's staff,

他沒有帶武器， 只有他的牧羊人手杖，

and he says -- he's insulted --

巨人說——他覺得他被侮辱了——

"Am I a dog that you would come to me with sticks?"

「你帶牧羊杖到這裡， 你當我是狗嗎？」

And the shepherd boy takes one of his stones

牧童從袋裡拿出了一塊石頭

out of his pocket, puts it in his sling

放在投石器上，

and rolls it around and lets it fly

甩動投石器， 然後將石頭拋射了出去，

and it hits the giant right between the eyes --

石頭正中巨人兩眼之間的地方——

right here, in his most vulnerable spot --

這裡是他最脆弱的地方——

and he falls down either dead or unconscious,

他倒了下來， 不是死了， 就是被打昏了，

and the shepherd boy runs up and takes his sword

牧童接著跑上前去， 抽出巨人的劍

and cuts off his head,

砍下了巨人的頭，

and the Philistines see this and they turn and they just run.

非利士人見狀， 掉頭就跑。

And of course, the name of the giant is Goliath

這位巨人叫做歌利亞，

and the name of the shepherd boy is David,

牧童就是大衞，

and the reason that story has obsessed me

在寫這本書的時候，

over the course of writing my book

這故事一直讓我揮之不去，

is that everything I thought I knew about that story

原因是， 原本我以為 我知道這則故事，

turned out to be wrong.

但後來發現，原來我錯了。

So David, in that story, is supposed to be the underdog, right?

故事中的大衞， 應該是處於劣勢，對吧？

In fact, that term, David and Goliath,

事實上， 大衞與歌利亞的典故，

has entered our language as a metaphor for

現在變成是一種比喻，

improbable victories

用來形容，弱小的一方

by some weak party over someone far stronger.

難以置信地戰勝了 比自己強大許多對手。

Now why do we call David an underdog?

為何我們稱大衞是處於弱勢的人?

Well, we call him an underdog because he's a kid,

我們會說他處於劣勢， 一個原因是，他是個小孩，

a little kid, and Goliath is this big, strong giant.

而歌利亞是高大威猛的巨人。

We also call him an underdog

我們會說他處於劣勢

because Goliath is an experienced warrior,

另一個原因是，歌利亞 是個身經百戰的戰士，

and David is just a shepherd.

而大衞只不過是個牧童。

But most importantly, we call him an underdog

我們會說他處於劣勢， 最重要的原因是，

because all he has is -- it's that Goliath is outfitted with

他的裝備簡陋——歌利亞全身配戴

all of this modern weaponry,

最新的兵器，

this glittering coat of armor

一身閃閃發光的盔甲，

and a sword and a javelin and a spear,

有一把劍、一支槍和一支矛，

and all David has is this sling.

而大衞只有一把投石器。

Well, let's start there with the phrase

我們先想想看這句話，

"All David has is this sling,"

「大衞只有一把投石器，」

because that's the first mistake that we make.

因為這是我們犯的第一個錯誤。

In ancient warfare, there are three kinds of warriors.

在古代戰場上，有三種兵種。

There's cavalry, men on horseback and with chariots.

有一種叫騎兵， 他們騎在馬上或站在戰車上；

There's heavy infantry, which are foot soldiers,

再來是重裝步兵， 他們是步兵的一種，

armed foot soldiers with swords and shields

是一種配有劍和盾

and some kind of armor.

已經穿戴某種盔甲的步兵。

And there's artillery, and artillery are archers,

還有砲兵，砲兵其實就是弓箭手，

but, more importantly, slingers.

但更重要的是，投石兵。

And a slinger is someone who has a leather pouch

投石兵有一個皮袋，

with two long cords attached to it,

皮袋繫有兩條長繩索，

and they put a projectile, either a rock or a lead ball,

他們把拋射物，石塊或鉛球，

inside the pouch, and they whirl it around like this

放進皮袋， 然後他們 會像這樣甩動皮袋，

and they let one of the cords go,

放掉其中一條繩索，

and the effect is to send the projectile forward

投射物就拋出去

towards its target.

攻擊目標。

That's what David has, and it's important to understand

大衞就是拿這種武器， 重點是我們要知道

that that sling is not a slingshot.

那是投石器，不是彈弓。

It's not this, right? It's not a child's toy.

不是這個東西，對吧？ 不是小孩的玩具。

It's in fact an incredibly devastating weapon.

事實上， 它是一種極具 殺傷力的武器。

When David rolls it around like this,

大衞這樣甩動它的時候，

he's turning the sling around probably

他在轉動投石器的速率

at six or seven revolutions per second,

大概是每秒六或七轉，

and that means that when the rock is released,

這代表當石頭被拋射出去的時候，

it's going forward really fast,

前行的速度相當快，

probably 35 meters per second.

可能達到每秒 35 公尺。

That's substantially faster than a baseball

速度遠比最好的棒球投手

thrown by even the finest of baseball pitchers.

所投出的球要快。

More than that, the stones in the Valley of Elah

此外，以拉谷的石頭

were not normal rocks. They were barium sulphate,

不是一般的石頭。 這種石頭由硫化鋇構成，

which are rocks twice the density of normal stones.

密度比一般石頭高兩倍。

If you do the calculations on the ballistics,

如果從彈道學的角度來計算，

on the stopping power of the rock fired from David's sling,

大衞拋射出來的石頭，其制止力

it's roughly equal to the stopping power

大概相當於

of a [.45 caliber] handgun.

一把點 45 口徑手槍的制止力。

This is an incredibly devastating weapon.

所以，這石頭是一種 極具殺傷力的武器。

Accuracy, we know from historical records

它的精準度， 從歷史記錄我們可以知道，

that slingers -- experienced slingers could hit

經驗豐富的投石兵 可以在 200 碼之內

and maim or even kill a target at distances of up to 200 yards.

擊中、致殘、甚至殺死目標。

From medieval tapestries, we know that slingers

從中世紀的掛毯織錦畫來看， 我們知道投石兵

were capable of hitting birds in flight.

能擊中空中的飛鳥。

They were incredibly accurate.

他們的拋射非常精準。

When David lines up -- and he's not 200 yards away from Goliath,

當大衞準備好的時候， 他距離歌利亞不會超過 200 碼，

he's quite close to Goliath --

他非常靠近歌利亞——

when he lines up and fires that thing at Goliath,

他準備好要向歌利亞 射出石頭的時侯，

he has every intention and every expectation

他知道自己一定

of being able to hit Goliath at his most vulnerable spot

能夠擊中歌利亞最脆弱的部位，

between his eyes.

他的兩眼之間。

If you go back over the history of ancient warfare,

如果你重新檢視古代的戰爭史，

you will find time and time again

你會一再發現

that slingers were the decisive factor against infantry

在許多戰爭中，

in one kind of battle or another.

投石兵是對抗步兵的決定性要素。

So what's Goliath? He's heavy infantry,

而歌利亞是什麼兵種？ 他是重裝步兵，

and his expectation when he challenges the Israelites to a duel

當他向以色列軍要求單挑的時候，

is that he's going to be fighting another heavy infantryman.

他心裡預期會與 另一名重裝步兵對上。

When he says, "Come to me that I might

當他說：「給我過來，我要把你的肉

feed your flesh to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field,"

拿去餵飛鳥和野獸，」

the key phrase is "Come to me."

他的關鍵詞是「給我過來。」

Come up to me because we're going to fight,

來吧， 我們來大戰一場，

hand to hand, like this.

像這樣徒手格鬥。

Saul has the same expectation.

掃羅王預計的也是這樣。

David says, "I want to fight Goliath,"

當大衞說： 「我來和歌利亞對決」時，

and Saul tries to give him his armor,

掃羅試圖給大衛他的盔甲，

because Saul is thinking, "Oh, when you say 'fight Goliath,'

因為掃羅王在想： 「你說要與歌利亞作戰，

you mean 'fight him in hand-to-hand combat,'

你是指要與他徒手格鬥，

infantry on infantry."

那種步兵與步兵的對決。」

But David has absolutely no expectation.

然而大衞絕對沒有這種想法。

He's not going to fight him that way. Why would he?

他不打算要和歌利亞那樣對決。 為什麼要呢？

He's a shepherd. He's spent his entire career

他只是個牧童，他一生的時間

using a sling to defend his flock against lions and wolves.

都在用投石器保護羊群， 免受獅子野狼的襲擊。

That's where his strength lies.

他的長處就在於此。

So here he is, this shepherd, experienced

所以，這個善於使用

in the use of a devastating weapon,

極有傷力武器的牧童，

up against this lumbering giant

要去對付的，是這個動作遲緩，

weighed down by a hundred pounds of armor

身披重達一百磅厚重盔甲的巨人，

and these incredibly heavy weapons

而巨人所持的沉重武器

that are useful only in short-range combat.

只適合於近距離戰鬥。

Goliath is a sitting duck. He doesn't have a chance.

結果，歌利亞只能坐以待斃， 根本沒有攻擊的機會。

So why do we keep calling David an underdog,

那為什麼我們還一直說 大衞處於弱勢?

and why do we keep referring to his victory as improbable?

還一直覺得他的勝利是難以置信的?

There's a second piece of this that's important.

另外還有很重要的一點。

It's not just that we misunderstand David

我們不但低估了大衞，

and his choice of weaponry.

和他選擇的武器，

It's also that we profoundly misunderstand Goliath.

我們也嚴重地高估了歌利亞。

Goliath is not what he seems to be.

歌利亞其實沒有看起來的那麼可怕。

There's all kinds of hints of this in the Biblical text,

聖經當中對此有許多暗示，

things that are in retrospect quite puzzling

這些暗示回想起來會讓人覺得很疑惑，

and don't square with his image as this mighty warrior.

因為這些描述 並不符合威猛戰士的形象。

So to begin with, the Bible says that Goliath

首先，聖經上說歌利亞

is led onto the valley floor by an attendant.

是由一名隨從引導著下到山谷。

Now that is weird, right?

這一點很奇怪，對不對?

Here is this mighty warrior

他是一位驍勇善戰的戰士，

challenging the Israelites to one-on-one combat.

要向以色列王國軍 要求一對一的對決，

Why is he being led by the hand

為什麼還要由 大概只是個小男孩的隨從，

by some young boy, presumably,

牽著下山，

to the point of combat?

帶著走到決鬥的地點？

Secondly, the Bible story makes special note

其次，聖經有特別提到

of how slowly Goliath moves,

歌利亞的動作有多緩慢，

another odd thing to say when you're describing

在講一位當時最知名勇猛的 戰士時用這種描述，

the mightiest warrior known to man at that point.

是另一個讓人奇怪的地方。

And then there's this whole weird thing

而且，還有怪異的事，

about how long it takes Goliath to react

就是歌利亞要花多久的時間

to the sight of David.

才對大衛的出現做出反應。

So David's coming down the mountain,

大衛從山上下來時，

and he's clearly not preparing for hand-to-hand combat.

一看就知道他沒有準備要徒手對決。

There is nothing about him that says,

大衛的裝備和武器都沒有在說：

"I am about to fight you like this."

「我準備要和你徒手單打。」

He's not even carrying a sword.

他甚至連劍都沒帶。

Why does Goliath not react to that?

為何歌利亞沒有對此作出反應?

It's as if he's oblivious to what's going on that day.

好像他無視當時的情況一樣。

And then there's that strange comment he makes to David:

然後他對大衞說了句奇怪的話：

"Am I a dog that you should come to me with sticks?"

「你帶著幾隻牧羊杖來， 你當我是狗嗎？」

Sticks? David only has one stick.

幾支牧羊杖？大衞只有一支牧羊杖。

Well, it turns out that there's been a great deal

結果這幾年來

of speculation within the medical community over the years

在醫學界有許多猜測，

about whether there is something

懷疑是不是有些

fundamentally wrong with Goliath,

關於歌利亞的資訊 從一開始就有問題，

an attempt to make sense of all of those apparent anomalies.

大家都在企圖解釋 所有這些明顯的怪異之處。

There have been many articles written.

許多文獻都提到。

The first one was in 1960 in the Indiana Medical Journal,

第一篇文獻 1960 年發表於 印第安拿州醫學期刊，

and it started a chain of speculation

這篇文獻引起了一連串的猜測。

that starts with an explanation for Goliath's height.

這些猜測始於對歌利亞身高的解釋。

So Goliath is head and shoulders above

歌利亞遠比

all of his peers in that era,

當時其他同年紀的人高出許多，

and usually when someone is that far out of the norm,

通常有人身高比一般人 高出那麼多的時候，

there's an explanation for it.

都是有原因的。

So the most common form of giantism

而巨人症就是最常見的原因，

is a condition called acromegaly,

這是一種叫肢端肥大症的疾病，

and acromegaly is caused by a benign tumor

肢端肥大症是由

腦下垂體上的良性腫瘤所引起，

on your pituitary gland

that causes an overproduction of human growth hormone.

腫瘤導致人體製造過多生長激素。

And throughout history, many of the most famous giants

歷史上很多著名的巨人

have all had acromegaly.

都有肢端肥大症。

So the tallest person of all time

史上身高最高的人

was a guy named Robert Wadlow

叫羅勃雅德洛，

who was still growing when he died at the age of 24

他 24 歲死時，還在繼續長高，

and he was 8 foot 11.

而當時他身高已達 8 英呎 11 吋。

He had acromegaly.

他就患有肢端肥大症。

Do you remember the wrestler André the Giant?

你記得摔角手巨人安德烈嗎?

Famous. He had acromegaly.

他很有名。 他也患有肢端肥大症。

There's even speculation that Abraham Lincoln had acromegaly.

甚至有人懷疑 林肯也患有肢端肥大症。

Anyone who's unusually tall,

對於任何異常高的人，

that's the first explanation we come up with.

我們都會先想到這個原因。

And acromegaly has a very distinct set of side effects

肢端肥大症的伴隨症

associated with it,

非常獨特，

principally having to do with vision.

主要是對視力的影響。

The pituitary tumor, as it grows,

腦下垂體腫瘤在生長時，

often starts to compress the visual nerves in your brain,

通常會開始壓迫腦內的視神經，

with the result that people with acromegaly

這使得患有肢端肥大症的人

have either double vision or they are profoundly nearsighted.

不是出現複視就是嚴重近視。

So when people have started to speculate

因此當有人開始推測

about what might have been wrong with Goliath,

歌利亞可能患有什麼疾病的時候，

they've said, "Wait a minute,

他們說：「等等，

he looks and sounds an awful lot like someone

他不管是看起來還是聽起來都像極了

who has acromegaly."

肢端肥大症患者。」

And that would also explain so much of what was strange

這可以充分解釋當時

about his behavior that day.

他的行為為何如此怪異。

Why does he move so slowly

為什麼他行動遲緩，

and have to be escorted down into the valley floor

走下山谷

by an attendant?

也需要侍從護送？

Because he can't make his way on his own.

因為他無法像正常人一樣行動。

Why is he so strangely oblivious to David

為什麼他如此奇怪地無視大衛

that he doesn't understand that David's not going to fight him

以至於到最後一刻，

until the very last moment?

都不知道大衛不會跟他徒手單打？

Because he can't see him.

因為他看不見他。

When he says, "Come to me that I might feed your flesh

當他說：「給我過來， 我要把你的肉

to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field,"

拿去餵給飛禽走獸的時候，」

the phrase "come to me" is a hint also of his vulnerability.

這句「給我過來」 也暗示出他的弱點。

Come to me because I can't see you.

叫你過來是因為我看不到你。

And then there's, "Am I a dog that you should come to me with sticks?"

還有，「你帶牧羊杖到這裡， 你當我是狗嗎？」

He sees two sticks when David has only one.

大衞明明只拿了一根牧羊杖， 他卻看到兩根。

So the Israelites up on the mountain ridge

所以那些在山脊上的以色列軍

looking down on him thought he was

向下看他， 覺得他是

this extraordinarily powerful foe.

無比勇猛的敵人。

What they didn't understand was that

他們不知道的是，

the very thing that was the source of his apparent strength

他強大外表的來源

was also the source of his greatest weakness.

也正是他最大弱點的來源。

And there is, I think, in that,

我覺得這則故事

a very important lesson for all of us.

給了我們一個非常重要的啟示。

Giants are not as strong and powerful as they seem.

巨人並不一定 真如他們的外表一樣強而有力。

And sometimes the shepherd boy has a sling in his pocket.

而有時候，牧童的 口袋裡藏有一把投石器。

Thank you.

謝謝大家。

(Applause)

（掌聲）