[TED中英文稿]学校会扼杀创造力吗

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There have been three themes running through the conference, which are relevant to what I want to talk about. One is the extraordinary evidence of human creativity in all of the presentations that we’ve had and in all of the people here; just the variety of it and the range of it. The second is that it’s put us in a place where we have no idea what’s going to happen in terms of the future. No idea how this may play out.
这段英文文本讨论了会议中的三个主题,这些主题与我接下来要谈论的内容有关。首先,所有展示和在场人士都展现了人类创造力的非凡证据;其多样性与范围令人印象深刻。其次,会议使我们处于一个对未来一无所知的位置。我们完全不知道未来会怎样发展,也无法预见这一过程会如何展开。
- extraordinary – 非凡的,卓越的。这个词用来形容人类创造力的表现非常突出和独特。
- evidence – 证据,迹象。这里指展示和在场人士所表现出的创造力的证明。
- human creativity – 人类创造力。指的是人类在艺术、科学、技术等领域的创新和创作能力。
- variety – 多样性。指人类创造力表现出的不同形式和风格。
- range – 范围。这里指人类创造力所能涵盖的广泛领域。
- future – 未来。这里指的是对会议内容可能带来的未来影响和发展的不确定性。
- play out – 发展,展开。这里指会议内容和讨论可能如何在未来实际应用或发展。
这段文本通过描述会议中的亮点和不确定性,突出了人类创造力的多样性和对未来发展的不可预测性。
I have an interest in education. Actually, what I find is, everybody has an interest in education. Don’t you? I find this very interesting. If you’re at a dinner party, and you say you work in education — actually, you’re not often at dinner parties, frankly.
这段英文的翻译是:
我对教育很感兴趣。实际上,我发现每个人都有对教育的兴趣。你不这样认为吗?我发现这非常有趣。如果你参加一个晚宴,并且你说你从事教育工作——实际上,坦白说,你很少参加晚宴。
生词释义:
- interest:n. 兴趣;利益。
- frankly:adv. 坦白地,直率地。
语法现象分析:
反问句:“Don’t you?”是一个反问句,用来确认对方是否也有同样的看法。
条件状语从句:“If you’re at a dinner party, and you say you work in education”是一个条件状语从句,用来说明在某种假设情况下会发生的事情。
并列句:“and you say you work in education”与前面的句子构成了并列句,通过使用“and”连接两个分句,表明说话者在描述一个连续发生的事情。
现在分词短语作伴随状语:“you’re not often at dinner parties, frankly”中的“not often at dinner parties”是现在分词短语作伴随状语,用来补充说明主句中的情况,即“你很少参加晚宴”。
And you’re never asked back, curiously. That’s strange to me. But if you are, and you say to somebody, you know, they say, “What do you do?” and you say you work in education, you can see the blood run from their face. They’re like, “Oh my God. Why me?”
这段英文的翻译是:
而且你很少被邀请回来,这很奇怪。对我来说这是奇怪的。但是如果你被邀请了,当有人问你:“你是做什么的?”你回答说你从事教育工作,你可以看到他们的脸色变得苍白。他们会像:“哦,天哪。为什么是我?”
生词释义:
- curiously:adv. 好奇地;奇怪地。
- strange:a. 奇怪的;陌生的。
- blood:n. 血;脸色。
- run from:变得苍白。
- Oh my God:表示惊讶或震惊的感叹语。
语法现象分析:
比喻表达:“you can see the blood run from their face”使用了比喻手法,形象地描述了对方听到教育工作者职业后的惊讶表情。
条件状语从句:“But if you are”是一个条件状语从句,表示在某个假设情况下会发生的事情。
宾语从句:“What do you do?”是一个宾语从句,用来询问对方的职业。
并列句:“and you say you work in education”与前面的句子构成了并列句,通过使用“and”连接两个分句,表明说话者在描述一个连续发生的事情。
But if you ask about their education, they pin you to the wall, because it’s one of those things that goes deep with people, am I right? Like religion and money and other things. So I have a big interest in education, and I think we all do. We have a huge vested interest in it, partly because it’s education that’s meant to take us into this future that we can’t grasp. If you think of it, children starting school this year will be retiring in 2065. Nobody has a clue, despite all the expertise that’s been on parade for the past four days, what the world will look like in five years’ time. And yet, we’re meant to be educating them for it. So the unpredictability, I think, is extraordinary.
这段英文的翻译是:
但是如果你问及他们的教育情况,他们会紧紧地追问你,因为教育是人们非常重视的事情之一,我说的对吗?就像宗教、金钱和其他事情一样。所以我非常关注教育,我认为我们大家也都如此。我们对教育有巨大的利益,部分原因是因为教育是帮助我们走向我们无法把握的未来。如果你想想看,今年开始上学的孩子将在2065年退休。尽管过去四天里展示了很多专业知识,但没有人能预知五年后世界会是什么样子。然而,我们却要为他们教育,所以这种不可预测性,我认为是非常惊人的。
生词释义:
- pin to the wall:紧紧追问。
- goes deep with people:非常重视。
- vested interest:有重大利益的。
- take us into this future that we can’t grasp:帮助我们走向我们无法把握的未来。
- retiring in 2065:将在2065年退休。
- despite all the expertise:尽管所有的专业知识。
- parade for the past four days:过去四天的展示。
- we’re meant to be educating them for it:我们却要为他们教育。
- unpredictability:不可预测性。
语法现象分析:
形容词短语作定语:“unpredictability, I think, is extraordinary”中的“I think, is extraordinary”是一个形容词短语作定语,用来修饰先行词“unpredictability”。
宾语从句:“What do you do?”是一个宾语从句,用来询问对方的职业。
定语从句:“children starting school this year will be retiring in 2065”中的“starting school this year”是一个定语从句,修饰先行词“children”。
条件状语从句:“If you think of it”是一个条件状语从句,表示在某种假设情况下会发生的事情。
并列句:“and yet, we’re meant to be educating them for it”与前面的句子构成了并列句,通过使用“and yet”连接两个分句,表明说话者在描述一个对比的情况。
And the third part of this is that we’ve all agreed, nonetheless, on the really extraordinary capacities that children have — their capacities for innovation. I mean, Sirena last night was a marvel, wasn’t she? Just seeing what she could do. And she’s exceptional, but I think she’s not, so to speak, exceptional in the whole of childhood. What you have there is a person of extraordinary dedication who found a talent. And my contention is, all kids have tremendous talents, and we squander them, pretty ruthlessly.
这段英文的翻译是:
而且我们已经达成共识,尽管如此,孩子们拥有真正非凡的能力——他们的创新能力。我的意思是,昨晚的Sirena是个奇迹,不是吗?看看她能做什么。她很出色,但我认为她并不是儿童中的例外。你所看到的是一个有着非凡奉献精神的人找到了自己的天赋。我的观点是,所有的孩子都有巨大的天赋,而我们却相当残忍地浪费了它们。
生词释义:
- nonetheless:adv. 尽管如此;然而。
- extraordinary capacities:非凡的能力。
- innovation:n. 创新。
- Sirena:人名。
- marvel:n. 奇迹;令人惊奇的事。
- exceptional:a. 例外的,异常的。
- whole of childhood:整个童年。
- tremendous talents:巨大的天赋。
- squander:v. 浪费。
- pretty ruthlessly:相当残忍地。
语法现象分析:
比较级结构:“we squander them, pretty ruthlessly”中的“pretty ruthlessly”是一个比较级结构,用来修饰前面的动词“squander”。
定语从句:“What she could do”是一个定语从句,修饰先行词“marvel”。
名词性从句:“And she’s exceptional, but I think she’s not, so to speak, exceptional in the whole of childhood”中的“she’s not, so to speak, exceptional in the whole of childhood”是一个名词性从句,作主句的表语。
宾语从句:“And my contention is, all kids have tremendous talents”中的“all kids have tremendous talents”是一个宾语从句,作主句的表语。
So I want to talk about education, and I want to talk about creativity. My contention is that creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.I heard a great story recently — I love telling it — of a little girl who was in a drawing lesson. She was six, and she was at the back, drawing, and the teacher said this girl hardly ever paid attention, and in this drawing lesson, she did. The teacher was fascinated. She went over to her, and she said, “What are you drawing?” And the girl said, “I’m drawing a picture of God.” And the teacher said, “But nobody knows what God looks like.” And the girl said, “They will in a minute.”
这段英文的翻译是:
所以我想谈谈教育,我想谈谈创造力。我的观点是,创造力现在在教育中与识字一样重要,我们应该给予它同样的地位。我最近听到了一个很好的故事——我喜欢讲述它——一个六岁的小女孩在绘画课上。她坐在后面画画,老师说这个小姑娘几乎从来不专心听讲,但在这次绘画课上,她做到了。老师感到很着迷。她走过去问她:“你在画什么?”女孩说:“我在画上帝的画像。”老师说:“但是没有人知道上帝长什么样。”女孩说:“他们马上就会知道的。”
生词释义:
- contention:n. 观点;主张。
- literacy:n. 识字能力。
- treat with the same status:给予同样的地位。
- fascinated:a. 着迷的。
- drawing lesson:绘画课。
- hardly ever:几乎不。
- in a minute:马上。
语法现象分析:
直接引语:“I’m drawing a picture of God”和“But nobody knows what God looks like”都是直接引语,直接引用了小女孩和老师的话。
宾语从句:“What are you drawing?”是一个宾语从句,用来询问女孩在画什么。
同位语从句:“They will in a minute”是一个同位语从句,解释说明“picture of God”的具体内容。
比较结构:“creativity now is as important in education as literacy”中的“as…as”结构用来比较创造力在教育中的重要性。
When my son was four in England — actually, he was four everywhere, to be honest.If we’re being strict about it, wherever he went, he was four that year. He was in the Nativity play. Do you remember the story?No, it was big, it was a big story. Mel Gibson did the sequel, you may have seen it.”Nativity II.” But James got the part of Joseph, which we were thrilled about. We considered this to be one of the lead parts. We had the place crammed full of agents in T-shirts: “James Robinson IS Joseph!” (Laughter) He didn’t have to speak, but you know the bit where the three kings come in? They come in bearing gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh. This really happened. We were sitting there, and I think they just went out of sequence, because we talked to the little boy afterward and said, “You OK with that?” They said, “Yeah, why? Was that wrong?” They just switched. The three boys came in, four-year-olds with tea towels on their heads. They put these boxes down, and the first boy said, “I bring you gold.” And the second boy said, “I bring you myrrh.” And the third boy said, “Frank sent this.”
这段英文的翻译是:
当我儿子在英国四岁的时候——实际上,他无论在哪里都是四岁,老实说。如果我们严格一点,无论他走到哪里,那一年他都是四岁。他参加了《圣经》剧的演出。你还记得这个故事吗?不,这个故事很大,是个很大的故事。梅尔·吉布森拍了续集,你可能看过。《圣经》剧II》。詹姆斯得到了约瑟夫的角色,我们对此感到非常兴奋。我们觉得这是主要角色之一。我们那里挤满了穿着T恤的经纪人:“詹姆斯·罗宾逊就是约瑟夫!”(笑声)他不需要说话,但是你知道那三个国王出现的部分吗?他们带着礼物进来,黄金、乳香和没药。这真的发生了。我们坐在那里,我想他们只是顺序搞错了,因为演出结束后我们问那个小男孩:“你没事吧?”他们说:“是的,为什么?我们做错了吗?”他们只是换了一下。三个四岁的小男孩戴着茶巾走了进来。他们放下这些盒子,第一个男孩说:“我给你们带来黄金。”第二个男孩说:“我给你们带来没药。”第三个男孩说:“弗兰克送的。”
生词释义:
直接引语:“James Robinson IS Joseph!”和“Frank sent this.”都是直接引语,直接引用了经纪人说的话和小男孩的回答。
Nativity play:圣经剧。
sequel:n. 续集。
considered:v. 认为。
crammed full of:挤满了。
agents:n. 经纪人。
IS Joseph!:就是约瑟夫!
bear:v. 带来。
gifts:n. 礼物。
gold, frankincense and myrrh:黄金、乳香和没药。
switch:v. 交换。
tea towels:茶巾。
Frank sent this.:弗兰克送的。
语法现象分析:
定语从句:“James got the part of Joseph, which we were thrilled about”中的“which we were thrilled about”是一个定语从句,用来修饰先行词“part”。
宾语从句:“Do you remember the story?”是一个宾语从句,用来询问对方是否记得这个故事。
比较结构:“It was big, it was a big story”中的“as…as”结构用来比较这个故事的大小。
What these things have in common is that kids will take a chance. If they don’t know, they’ll have a go. Am I right? They’re not frightened of being wrong. I don’t mean to say that being wrong is the same thing as being creative. What we do know is, if you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original — if you’re not prepared to be wrong. And by the time they get to be adults, most kids have lost that capacity. They have become frightened of being wrong. And we run our companies like this. We stigmatize mistakes. And we’re now running national education systems where mistakes are the worst thing you can make. And the result is that we are educating people out of their creative capacities.
这段英文的翻译是:
这些事情的共同点是孩子们愿意冒险。如果他们不知道,他们会尝试。对吧?他们不怕犯错。我不是说犯错和创造力是同一回事。我们知道的是,如果你不愿意犯错,你就永远不会想出任何原创的东西——如果你不愿意犯错。等到他们长大成人,大多数孩子都失去了这种能力。他们害怕犯错。我们经营公司就像这样。我们把错误当作耻辱。我们现在正在运行一个国家教育系统,在这个系统中,犯错是你能做的最糟糕的事情。结果是我们把人们的创造力教育掉了。
生词释义:
宾语从句:“And we’re now running national education systems where mistakes are the worst thing you can make”中的“where mistakes are the worst thing you can make”是一个宾语从句,作定语修饰先行词“national education systems”。
take a chance:冒险。
have a go:尝试。
frightened:害怕。
stigmatize:把……当作耻辱。
national education systems:国家教育系统。
educating people out of their creative capacities:教育掉了人们的创造力。
语法现象分析:
条件状语从句:“What we do know is, if you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original”中的“if you’re not prepared to be wrong”是一个条件状语从句,用来表达一个假设条件。
并列句:“And by the time they get to be adults, most kids have lost that capacity. They have become frightened of being wrong”中通过使用and”连接两个分句,表明说话者在描述一个连续发生的事情。
现在分词短语作状语:“We stigmatize mistakes”中的“We stigmatize mistakes”是一个现在分词短语作状语,用来补充说明主句中的情况,即我们如何看待错误。
Picasso once said this, he said that all children are born artists. The problem is to remain an artist as we grow up. I believe this passionately, that we don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out of it. So why is this?I lived in Stratford-on-Avon until about five years ago. In fact, we moved from Stratford to Los Angeles. So you can imagine what a seamless transition this was.Actually, we lived in a place called Snitterfield, just outside Stratford, which is where Shakespeare’s father was born. Are you struck by a new thought? I was. You don’t think of Shakespeare having a father, do you? Do you? Because you don’t think of Shakespeare being a child, do you? Shakespeare being seven? I never thought of it. I mean, he was seven at some point. He was in somebody’s English class, wasn’t he?
这段英文的翻译是:
毕加索曾经说过,他说所有的孩子都是生来就是艺术家。问题在于我们在成长过程中如何保持艺术家的身份。我坚信这一点,我们并不是在成长过程中发展创造力,而是失去了它。或者说,我们是在教育过程中失去了它。那么,为什么会这样呢?我大约五年前住在斯特拉特福德-阿文。事实上,我们从斯特拉特福德搬到了洛杉矶。你可以想象这是一个多么无缝的过渡。实际上,我们住在斯特拉特福德外的一个叫做斯尼特菲尔德的地方,莎士比亚的父亲就出生在那里。你有没有突然想到一个新想法?我有。你不会想到莎士比亚有父亲,对吧?你会吗?因为你不会想到莎士比亚是一个孩子,对吧?莎士比亚七岁?我以前从没想过。我的意思是,他某个时候确实是七岁。他不是在某个人的英语班上吗?
生词释义:
直接引语:“He said that all children are born artists”和“I believe this passionately”都是直接引语,直接引用了毕加索的话和说话者的话。
passionately:热情地,强烈地。
seamless transition:无缝的过渡。
Snitterfield:斯尼特菲尔德,一个位于斯特拉特福德附近的地方。
Shakespeare’s father:莎士比亚的父亲。
Stratford-on-Avon:斯特拉特福德-阿文,莎士比亚的出生地。
语法现象分析:
宾语从句:“He said that all children are born artists”中的“that all children are born artists”是一个宾语从句,作say的宾语。
并列句:“The problem is to remain an artist as we grow up. I believe this passionately”中通过使用and”连接两个分句,表明说话者在描述一个连续发生的事情。
现在分词短语作状语:“So why is this?”中的“So why is this”是一个现在分词短语作状语,用来补充说明主句中的情况,即为什么孩子们会失去创造力。
How annoying would that be?Being sent to bed by his dad, to Shakespeare, “Go to bed, now!” To William Shakespeare. “And put the pencil down!”