你的耳朵会被欺骗吗？（声音错觉）：英语精读讲义

You may recognize this song being played as All Star by Smash Mouth,

你也许听得出来，现在播放的是 Smash Mouth 的歌曲《All Star》，

and if you do, 語法

如果你听出来了，

something amazing is about to happen. 語法

接下来就会发生一件神奇的事。

Even though only piano notes are being played, 語法

尽管现在播放的只有钢琴音符，

if you know this song,

但如果你熟悉这首歌，

you'll start to hear the lead singer's voice

你会开始听到主唱的声音，

and the words being sung.

以及唱出来的歌词。

I swear. 語氣意圖

我发誓。

What you're hearing is 100% digital piano 語法

你听到的百分之百都是数码钢琴声，

simply matched to the frequency of the original song

只是把音符调到了与原曲相匹配的频率，

and not mixed with real vocals. 用詞

并没有混入真实的人声。

And yet, you can hear the words. 表達脈絡

可你还是能听出歌词。

This speaking piano shows a similar phenomenon.

这架“会说话的钢琴”也展现了类似的现象。

It's hard to make out what it's saying, 短語動詞

很难听清它在说什么，

but as soon as words are on screen, 語法

但只要屏幕上出现文字，

you begin to hear it talking. 語法

你就会开始听见它说话。

Hearing is all about perception. 短語搭配

听觉的关键全在于感知。

After a sound wave hits your ear,

声波进入你的耳朵后，

it's transformed into signals for your brain. 短語搭配

会被转化成信号传给大脑。

But your brain gets so many external signals 語法

但你的大脑会接收到太多外部信号，

that it can't process it all at once, 短語搭配

无法一次处理完所有信号，

and so it uses context to craft what you're hearing.

所以它会根据情境构建出你听到的内容。

You hear the lyrics because the brain uses information

你之所以能听出歌词，是因为大脑会利用

it already has to understand the world around you,

已经掌握的信息来理解周围的世界，

which is why if you've never heard the song, 表達脈絡

所以，如果你从未听过这首歌，

it will sound like nonsense. 短語搭配

它听起来就会像一堆毫无意义的声音。

But even without words,

但即使根本没有任何话语，

we sometimes hear things that aren't there.

我们有时也会听到并不存在的声音。

Take this jumping transmission tower, for example. 表達脈絡

以这座不断跳动的输电塔为例。

Around 20% of people will actually hear a thud

大约有 20% 的人真的会听到“咚”的一声，

each time it lands

每次都是在它落地时。

in a phenomenon known as visually evoked auditory response. 語法

这种现象被称为“视觉诱发听觉反应”。

Do you hear it?

你听到了吗？

It's a type of synesthesia, 用詞

这是一种联觉，

which is when the senses like hearing and sight 語法

也就是听觉、视觉等感官

get crossed in the brain. 用詞

在大脑中相互交叉。

Expectation is also playing a role here. 短語搭配

预期心理在这里也发挥着作用。

A 2006 study scanned the brains of participants

2006 年的一项研究扫描了参与者的大脑，

who were told they would eventually hear a sound. 語法

这些参与者事先被告知，之后会听到一个声音。

As they were listening to the silence

当他们听着一片寂静，

and expecting to hear something,

并期待听到某种声音时，

the auditory cortex was activated in the same way 語法

他们的听觉皮层会以同样的方式被激活，

as when you're actually listening to sound.

就像真的在听声音时一样。

So, do you hear it now?

那么，你现在听到了吗？

Our brains are pretty good at filling in the gaps, 習語

我们的大脑很擅长补全缺失的信息，

like in this audio clip.

这段音频就是个例子。

The state governors met with their respective legislatures

各州州长会见了各自州议会的议员，

convening in the capital city.

这些议员当时正在首府开会。

But now listen to it with the cough removed. 語法

但现在请听听去掉咳嗽声的版本。

The state governors met with their respective legislatures

各州州长会见了各自州议会的议员，

convening in the capital city.

这些议员当时正在首府开会。

There's literally a full syllable missing,

其中确实少了整整一个音节，

but with the cough

但加上咳嗽声后，

people tend to hear the entire word. 語法

人们往往会听到完整的单词。

The state governors met with their respective legislatures

各州州长会见了各自州议会的议员，

convening in the capital city.

这些议员当时正在首府开会。

This illusion is known as temporal induction. 用詞

这种错觉被称为“时间诱导”。

Your brain fills in information to make sense of the world. 短語搭配

你的大脑会补全信息，让你能够理解这个世界。

Now, listen to this rhythm.

现在，听听这段节奏。

Sounds like it's getting faster, doesn't it? 語氣意圖

听起来是不是越来越快了？

The thing is, 表達脈絡

但关键是，

it will seemingly get faster forever

它似乎会永远越来越快，

if I let it continue to play. 語法

只要我让它继续播放。

This is known as the Risset rhythm,

这被称为“里塞节奏”（Risset rhythm），

in which a beat starts relatively slow

在这种节奏中，一个节拍开始时相对较慢，

and starts to speed up, 短語動詞

然后开始加速，

but as it gets faster,

但随着它越来越快，

beat two starts at exactly half the speed,

第二个节拍会以恰好一半的速度加入，

and they increase in speed together.

接着两者一起加速。

Eventually, the faster one fades out 短語動詞

最终，较快的节拍会逐渐淡出，

as the slower one fades in,

同时较慢的节拍逐渐淡入，

and the loop continues.

然后循环往复。

But your brain can't pick up the subtlety, 短語動詞

但你的大脑捕捉不到这种细微变化，

and as a result, 表達脈絡

因此，

it sounds like it's speeding up forever.

听起来它就像会永远加速。

Love learning about amazing and interesting things in the world? 語氣意圖

喜欢了解世界上神奇又有趣的事物吗？

We actually just started a brand new podcast called Sidenote,

我们其实刚刚推出了一档名为 Sidenote 的全新播客，

where we explore the things that are stumping us 用詞

在节目中，我们会探索那些让我们百思不得其解的事，

or making us curious in life,

或生活中勾起我们好奇心的事，

and then insert all the mind-blowing science behind it. 用詞

再加入它们背后所有令人惊叹的科学知识。

We'd love for you to check it out 講解

我们非常希望你能去听一听，

on iTunes or whichever podcast app you use. 語法

可以在 iTunes 或你常用的任何播客应用上收听。

Your support means a ton to us 習語

你们的支持对我们意义重大，

as we slowly journey into exploring more science

因为我们正一步步踏上探索更多科学的旅程，

in a new medium. 用詞

并尝试用一种新的媒介来呈现。

Again, it's called Sidenote,

再说一遍，它叫 Sidenote，

and it's brand new,

而且才刚刚推出，

so we're excited to know what you think.

所以我们很期待听听你的看法。

We'll leave some links below.

我们会在下方放上一些链接。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos

也别忘了订阅，每周收看更多科学视频，

every Thursday.

每周四更新。