大脑骗局——你的大脑是如何运作的：英语精读讲义

You may not realize it, 表達脈絡

你也许没有意识到，

but your brain actually processes information in two very distinct ways.

但你的大脑其实会以两种截然不同的方式处理信息。

Like when you look at this photo,

比如，当你看到这张照片时，

you instantly know she has blond hair,

你立刻就知道她有一头金发，

is visibly angry,

看起来非常生气，

and likely has some choice words to yell. 習語

而且很可能正想大声骂上几句。

Without any effort, 短語搭配

不费吹灰之力，

you experienced fast thinking.

你就体验了快速思考。

But if you look at the following problem,

但如果你看下面这道题，

something different happens.

情况就不一样了。

Sure, you immediately know it's a multiplication problem,

当然，你马上就知道这是一道乘法题，

and you knew you could solve it if you had the energy,

也知道只要愿意费点脑力，自己就能算出来，

but didn't.

但你并没有这么做。

If you do try,

如果你真的试着去算，

your muscles will tense,

你的肌肉会绷紧，

your pupils will dilate,

瞳孔会放大，

and your heart rate will increase. 短語搭配

心率也会上升。

Now, you've experienced slow thinking.

现在，你体验了慢速思考。

These two systems of fast and slow thinking

快速思考和慢速思考这两个系统

dictate much of our perception and reaction in life.

在很大程度上支配着我们对生活的感知和反应。

Take these lines, for example. 短語搭配

以这些线段为例。

It's clear that they're different lengths,

它们的长度显然不同，

but if you measure them,

但如果你实际量一量，

they're actually the exact same length.

就会发现它们其实完全一样长。

Even now that you know, 語法

即使你现在已经知道了真相，

system one or your fast thinking

系统一，也就是你的快速思考系统，

can't stop seeing the illusion because it acts automatically. 語法

仍会不由自主地看到这种错觉，因为它是自动运作的。

A similar effect is seen here.

这里也能看到类似的效果。

Which figure is the largest?

哪个图形最大？

Again, they're all the same size,

同样，它们其实都一样大，

but the suggestion of perspective and depth

但透视和纵深的暗示

causes your system one to interpret the picture as three-dimensional, 講解

会让你的系统一把画面理解成三维的，

even though it's on a flat two-dimensional surface. 語法

尽管它其实只画在平坦的二维平面上。

It's making quick work of the available information, 習語

系统一会迅速处理现有信息，

and so your conscious system two or slow thinking

因此，你有意识的系统二，也就是慢速思考系统，

must compensate after the fact 習語

必须在事后加以修正，

and choose not to believe your intuition or instinct.

并选择不相信自己的直觉或本能。

Want to see your system two in action? 短語搭配

想看看你的系统二是怎么运作的吗？

I'll show you a string of four digits.

我会给你看一串四位数字。

You read them aloud,

先把它们大声读出来，

then add one to each of the original digits.

然后把原来的每个数字都加一。

If the card reads 3795,

如果卡片上写的是 3795，

the correct response would be 4806.

正确答案就是 4806。

We'll then go to the next card,

然后我们会切换到下一张卡片，

and you'll do the same,

你要做同样的事，

followed by the next card.

接着再看下一张。

Ready?

准备好了吗？

Go.

开始。

Few people can cope with more than four digits, 講解

很少有人能应付超过四个数字，

but even harder is add three.

但更难的是给每个数字加三。

The interesting bit is that though your pupils would have dilated,

有意思的是，虽然你的瞳孔可能已经放大了，

you often become effectively blind 習語

你却常常会变得几乎什么都看不见，

when you fully engage system two.

因为这时你正全神贯注地启用系统二。

Did you notice the color of the text change?

你注意到文字的颜色变了吗？

Or how about the fact that the numbers completely changed 語氣意圖

又或者，你注意到数字其实完全变了吗——

when I put them off to the side?

就在我把它们移到一旁时？

Listen to the following puzzle.

听听下面这道谜题。

A bat and a ball cost $1.10.

一根球棒和一个球一共卖 1.10 美元。

The bat costs $1 more than the ball.

球棒比球贵 1 美元。

How much does the ball cost?

那么，球卖多少钱？

Chances are, 短語搭配

很可能，

your system one intuition was yelling 10 cents. 習語

你的系统一直觉正在大喊：“10 美分！”

But this appealing system one answer,

但这个听起来很诱人的系统一答案，

we know, is wrong.

我们知道，其实是错的。

In fact,

事实上，

the correct answer is 5 cents.

正确答案是 5 美分。

Even if you worked out the correct answer, 短語動詞

即使你算出了正确答案，

you likely thought of 10 cents along the way. 習語

你在过程中很可能还是想到过 10 美分。

System one is trying to work out an answer as quickly and seamlessly as possible, 語法

系统一总想尽可能快速、顺畅地得出答案，

which is extremely beneficial in everyday life.

这在日常生活中非常有用。

If every activity required full mental effort, 語法

如果每项活动都需要我们全力思考，

it would be exhausting.

那会让人筋疲力尽。

But knowing this allows us to understand

但明白这一点，也让我们意识到，

that not all of our first impressions are correct. 短語搭配

并非所有第一印象都是正确的。

How many animals of each kind did Moses take into the ark?

摩西把每种动物各带了多少只上方舟？

So few people detect what is wrong with this question

很少有人能发现这个问题错在哪里，

that it's been dubbed the Moses illusion. 講解

因此它被称为“摩西错觉”。

In fact,

事实上，

Moses took no animals.

摩西一只动物也没带。

Noah did. 語法

带动物的是诺亚。

Again,

再一次，

our brain invests as little resources as necessary

我们的大脑只会投入最低限度的必要资源，

so that things run quickly and smoothly. 語法

好让一切快速、顺畅地运转。

Because Moses is not abnormal in the biblical context,

因为在《圣经》的语境中，摩西这个名字并不突兀，

system one unconsciously detects an association between Moses and ark 短語搭配

系统一会无意识地察觉到摩西和方舟之间的关联，

and quickly accepts the question.

然后迅速接受这个问题。

In a similar way,

同样，

system one generates context without you knowing. 語法

系统一会在你毫不知情的情况下生成语境。

Reading each of the following may seem fairly simple:

读下面每一项时，似乎都很简单：

A, B, C,

A、B、C，

Ann approached the bank,

Ann 走近银行，

and 12, 13, 14.

以及 12、13、14。

But your brain actually interpreted these ambiguous statements

但你的大脑其实已经解读了这些有歧义的内容，

without you ever knowing.

而你自己完全没有察觉。

You could have read it as 語法

你本来也可以把它读成

A, 13, C or 12, B, 14,

A、13、C，或 12、B、14，

but your brain created the context unconsciously.

但你的大脑在无意识中构建了语境。

Also, you likely imagine the woman with money on her mind 習語

此外，你很可能会想象那个满脑子都是钱的女人

walking towards a building with tellers.

正走向一栋有银行柜员的建筑。

But if the sentence before this was,

但如果前一句是：

they were floating gently down the river,

“他们正沿着河流缓缓漂下去。”

the entire scene would have changed

那么整个场景都会改变，

because bank is no longer associated with money. 用詞

因为这时 bank 就不再指银行，也和钱无关了。

Without an explicit context,

在没有明确语境时，

system one quickly generates one based on previous experience. 短語搭配

系统一会根据过去的经验迅速构建一个。

In this case,

在这个例子中，

you've likely visited more banks than rivers,

你去过银行的次数很可能比去河边更多，

and so the context is resolved accordingly.

所以大脑就据此确定了语境。

This ties into a concept called priming. 短語動詞

这就牵涉到一个叫作“启动效应”的概念。

For example,

例如，

if I said wash,

如果我说 wash（洗），

how would you complete this word fragment?

你会怎样补全这个残缺的单词？

Most would see soap,

大多数人会看到 soap（肥皂），

but had I just shown you the word eat, 語法

但如果我刚刚给你看的是 eat（吃），

you'd be more likely to see soup.

你就更可能看到 soup（汤）。

In this way, 表達脈絡

就这样，

both eat and wash prime your thoughts. 用詞

eat 和 wash 都会对你的思维产生启动作用。

Though system two likes to think that it's in charge and knows what's going on, 講解

虽然系统二喜欢认为自己掌控着一切，也清楚正在发生什么，

the truth is that priming effects

但事实是，启动效应

have even been shown to affect and modify behavior. 語法

甚至已被证实能够影响并改变行为。

These arise in system one,

这些效应源自系统一，

and you have no conscious access to them. 短語搭配

而你无法有意识地察觉它们。

If you'd like to learn more about the thinking systems in your brain,

如果你想进一步了解大脑中的这些思考系统，

check out the book Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, 短語動詞

可以看看丹尼尔·卡尼曼的《思考，快与慢》，

which covers it in great detail. 短語搭配

书中对此有非常详尽的介绍。

I'll put a link in the description

我会在视频简介里放上链接，

which you can check out.

你可以去看看。

Got a burning question you want answered? 習語

有什么特别想知道答案的问题吗？

Ask it in the comments

欢迎在评论区提问，

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或者在 Facebook 和 Twitter 上提问。

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