為什麼美麗的事物讓我們快樂 —— 美的奧秘：英語精讀講義

A lot of things can be beautiful.

很多事物都可以是美的。

Landscapes,

風景、

faces,

面龐、

fine art,

美術作品，

or epic architecture,

或者宏偉的建築、

stars in the sky,

夜空中的繁星，

or simply the reflection of the sun on an empty bottle.

或者僅僅是陽光在空瓶上的反光。

Beauty is nothing tangible.

美並不是看得見摸得著的實體。

It only exists in our heads as a pleasant feeling.

它只是作為一種愉悅的感覺存在於我們的腦海中。

If we have to define it,

如果非要給它下個定義，

we perceive something as beautiful if its color, shape, form, or proportion somehow are appealing or delightful to us. 文法

我們會覺得，如果一樣東西的顏色、形狀、形態或比例能吸引我們或讓我們感到愉悅，那它就是美的。

Beauty is a very human experience that's been with us for millions of years.

美是一種伴隨了我們數百萬年的、非常屬於人類的體驗。

Even our first tools were trimmed to a symmetrical shape.

甚至我們的第一批工具都被修整成了對稱的形狀。

Researchers have tried to find practical reasons why our ancestors invested the time to make their tools look nice, 片語搭配

研究人員試圖尋找我們祖先花時間把工具做得好看的實際原因，

but couldn't really identify any.

但並沒有真正找到任何理由。

It seems that early humans shaped their tools into teardrops simply because they liked them better that way. 片語搭配

早期人類把工具打造成水滴狀，似乎僅僅是因為他們更喜歡那種樣子。

Throughout our history,

縱觀我們的歷史，

the definition of beauty has changed a lot.

美的定義發生了很多變化。

Ideals have shifted or turned into their opposites.

理想標準轉移了，或者走向了它們的反面。

But beyond individual and contemporary taste,

但在個人和當代品味之外，

some things have never really gone out of fashion. 片語搭配

有些東西卻從未真正過時。

The golden ratio, symmetry, or fractal patterns can be found in the art and architecture of cultures from our beginnings to today.

黃金比例、對稱性或碎形圖案，從我們起源一直到今天的文化藝術和建築中都能被找到。

Humans seem to be in mysterious,

人類似乎對於某些事物的美

inherent agreement about the beauty of certain things.

有著一種神祕的、與生俱來的共識。

The patterns that keep coming up are all rooted in nature. 講解

不斷出現的圖案都植根於自然界。

They became part of our biology because they helped our ancestors survive.

它們成為我們生物學的一部分，是因為它們曾幫助我們的祖先存活下來。

Fractal patterns, for example,

例如，碎形圖案

occur all over nature,

存在於自然界各處，

in snail shells,

在蝸牛殼、

flower heads,

花盤、

waves,

波浪、

or clouds.

或者雲朵中。

Identifying and assessing these things and phenomena correctly used to be vital. 文法

過去，正確識別和評估這些事物與現象至關重要。

Do those clouds mean rain will come soon?

那些雲朵意味著很快要下雨了嗎？

Are these waters safe to swim through?

在這片水域中游泳安全嗎？

Can I eat this?

我可以吃這個嗎？

Another pervasive thing is symmetry.

另一件普遍存在的事情是對稱性。

In nature, it means everything is as it should be. 文法

在自然界中，這意味著一切都在它應有的狀態。

Stems and trees and leaves and blossoms all grow symmetrically.

莖幹、樹木、葉子和花朵都是對稱生長的。

A deer with impressive antlers is probably a source of nutritious meat.

一頭有著引人注目鹿角的鹿可能是富含營養肉類的來源。

A deformed wheat ear may not be safe to eat.

畸形的麥穗可能是不安全的食物。

A symmetrical face is more likely to belong to a healthy and fertile mating partner. 文法

對稱的面孔更有可能屬於一個健康且生育力強的配偶。

Because symmetry is so common in fauna and flora,

因為對稱在動植物中如此常見，

it's extremely familiar to our brain.

它對我們的大腦來說極其熟悉。

It helped our ancestors evaluate their environment more easily

它曾幫助我們的祖先更輕鬆地評估他們的環境

and react quickly to danger.

並對危險做出快速反應。

Things that help us survive activate the reward center in our brain.

幫助我們生存的事物會激發我們大腦中的獎勵中心。

Recognizing signals of safety and nutrition trigger nice feelings in us.

識別出安全和營養的訊號會觸發我們美好的感覺。

So our sense of beauty probably evolved from pattern recognition.

所以我們的審美觀很可能是從模式識別演化而來的。

But it goes way beyond that now.

但現在它已經遠不止於此了。

Humans seem to have evolved an instinct for beauty that is deeply hardwired into us. 慣用語

人類似乎已經演化出一種對美的直覺，深深地植根於我們的身體裡。

It remains even after other processes in our brains stop working.

即使我們大腦中的其他過程停止運作，它依然存在。

Alzheimer's patients were asked to rank the beauty of several paintings.

曾有要求阿茲海默症患者對幾幅畫作的美感進行排序的研究。

Then the experiment was repeated 2 weeks later.

兩週後，這個實驗被重複進行。

The patients had long since forgotten the paintings, 文法

那些患者早就忘記了那些畫，

but still ranked the beauty of the paintings in the same order.

但依然按照相同的順序排列了那些畫作的美感。

One could argue that this doesn't say much. 表達脈絡

有人可能會說這說明不了什麼。

So what if people stick to their personal preferences? 講解

如果人們只是堅持自己的個人喜好呢？

But other research has shown that we have a sort of lowest common denominator 慣用語

但其他研究表明，我們有一種類似於「最低共同分母」的東西，

when it comes to beauty. 片語搭配

當涉及到美的時候。

In different experiments,

在不同的實驗中，

people were asked to distinguish real from fake abstract paintings. 片語搭配

人們被要求區分真實和偽造的抽象畫。

Some were originals by Mondrian and Pollock that were painted based on strict rules like fractal patterns, 片語搭配

有些是蒙德里安和波洛克的原作，它們是基於像碎形圖案這樣嚴格的規則繪製的，

while the imitations were not.

而仿製品則不是。

The majority picked out the original artworks. 片語動詞

大多數人挑出了原創的藝術品。

This worked with paintings from both artists,

這個規律在兩位藝術家的畫作上都成立，

even though their styles are very different. 文法

儘管他們的風格大相徑庭。

Another experiment also used abstract artworks,

另一個實驗同樣使用了抽象藝術品，

but asked people to pick them out among similar paintings made either by children or animals. 文法

但要求人們在孩童或動物創作的相似畫作中將它們挑出來。

Again,

再一次，

the test subjects pointed out the legit paintings whose patterns were carefully planned and not random.

測試對象指出了那些圖案經過精心規劃而非隨機的、真正的畫作。

So while we have a hard time pinning down what beauty is or what it's based on, 講解

因此，雖然我們很難確定美是什麼，或者它是基於什麼的，

we somehow recognize it when we see it.

我們在看到它的時候，總能以某種方式認出它。

Humans don't navigate nature trying to survive day by day anymore.

人類不再在自然界中日復一日地求生了。

We left the natural world behind and created our own. 慣用語

我們把自然世界拋在身後，創造了自己的世界。

We made the objects that surround us,

我們製造了包圍我們的物品，

the things we wear and use and look at.

那些我們穿的、用的和看的物品。

As we spread over the planet and our numbers grew,

隨著我們遍布地球並且數量增長，

we shaped a completely man-made environment.

我們塑造了一個完全人造的環境。

In the process of doing so, 表達脈絡

在此過程中，

we often neglected beauty in favor of functionality, 片語搭配

我們常常為了功能性、

cost,

成本、

or efficiency.

或效率而忽視了美。

We built rows and rows of concrete housing blocks that nobody wants to live in. 片語搭配

我們建起了一排又一排沒人想住的水泥住宅樓。

We have ugly underground subway stations,

我們有醜陋的地下地鐵站，

shabby public service buildings,

破舊的公共服務大樓，

and sprawling malls.

以及雜亂蔓延的購物中心。

One bland, standardized box beside the next.

一個平淡無奇、標準化的盒子挨著下一個。

Humans don't like monotony.

人類不喜歡單調。

Eye-tracking software has shown that people keep focusing on details and ornaments of architecture

眼動追蹤軟體顯示，人們的注意力總會集中在建築的細節和裝飾上，

while brushing quickly over blank walls. 片語動詞

而在空白的牆壁上只是一掃而過。

And not only are they no fun to look at, 文法

它們不僅看著沒意思，

they actually make us miserable.

實際上還會讓我們感到痛苦。

Experiments with skin sensors showed that looking at vast, dull facades makes us feel bored and uncomfortable. 文法

使用皮膚感測器的實驗表明，看著大面積單調的外牆會讓我們感到無聊和不舒服。

This kind of boredom has been linked to raised heart rates and stress levels. 片語搭配

這種無聊感與心率上升和壓力水平升高有關。

And the opposite seems to be true, too.

而相反的情況似乎也是成立的。

Over the last decades,

在過去幾十年裡，

more and more studies have found that surroundings that are actually aesthetically pleasing to us can improve our well-being,

越來越多的研究發現，對我們來說確實具有美感的環境能改善我們的健康狀況、

our behavior,

我們的行為、

cognitive function,

認知功能，

and mood.

以及情緒。

Our bodies and brains react measurably and visibly to everything that surrounds us.

我們的身體和大腦對包圍我們的一切會有可測且明顯的反應。

Beauty in particular has such a strong impact on our well-being that making useful things beautiful can actually make them better. 文法

特別是美，對我們的幸福感有如此強烈的影響，以至於把有用的東西做得漂亮，確實能讓它們變得更好。

In 2017,

在 2017 年，

a hospital examined recovery factors through observation and interviews with patients

一家醫院透過觀察和對患者的採訪來研究康復因素，

and found that visual art in their lounge areas made them more comfortable and happier about their stay in general.

發現休息區的視覺藝術不僅讓他們感到更舒適，而且讓他們對總體住院體驗感到更開心。

Another study looked at how well patients recovered in a hospital that had two wards,

另一項研究調查了一個有兩間病房的醫院裡的患者康復狀況，

a very old and rather ugly one,

一間非常舊且相當醜陋，

and a newly renovated ward.

而另一間是新翻修的病房。

To the researchers' surprise, 表達脈絡

令研究人員驚訝的是，

the patients that stayed in the new renovated environment needed less pain medication

待在全新翻修環境中的患者需要的止痛藥更少，

and were released on average 2 days earlier than patients recovering in the old ward. 文法

並且平均比在舊病房康復的患者早出院 2 天。

More beautiful surroundings made them feel better physically.

更美的環境讓他們在身體上感覺更好。

Beauty also has an effect on us on a daily basis.

美在日常生活中也對我們有影響。

It can improve our general happiness.

它可以提升我們的普遍幸福感。

A study that looked at the main factors influencing the happiness of adults revealed an unexpected result.

一項探討影響成年人幸福感主要因素的研究，揭示了一個意想不到的結果。

Besides things like good health and a harmonious family life,

除了健康狀況良好和家庭生活和諧等因素外，

individual happiness is affected by how beautiful you find the city you live in. 文法

個人的幸福感還會受到你覺得你居住的城市有多美的影響。

Beauty scored even higher than cleanliness or safety. 片語搭配

美的得分甚至高於整潔或安全。

So what can we learn from all of this? 表達脈絡

那麼我們可以從這一切中學到什麼呢？

We know that we humans have been fine-tuned for millions of years 慣用語

我們知道，數百萬年來，我們人類被不斷地微調，

to process visual input and assess our surroundings.

來處理視覺輸入並評估我們的環境。

It's just what we're programmed to do, 慣用語

這僅僅是我們的程式設定，

and we're starting to learn more about how much beauty as a property is really influencing us.

而且我們正開始了解到，作為一種屬性，美究竟在多大程度上影響著我們。

Beauty meets an inherent need for meaningful information. 片語搭配

美滿足了對於有意義資訊的內在需求。

Maybe it would be worth giving it more space in this man-made world we have created. 講解

也許，在我們創造的這個人造世界裡，值得給它更多的空間。

This video was a collaboration with the creative agency Sagmeister and Walsh as a contribution to their upcoming beauty exhibition.

本影片是與創意機構 Sagmeister and Walsh 合作的作品，也是為他們即將舉辦的「美」展覽所做的貢獻。

The exhibition will be shown at the MAK Vienna from October 23rd, 2018 until March 31st, 2019

該展覽將於 2018 年 10 月 23 日至 2019 年 3 月 31 日在維也納應用藝術博物館（MAK Vienna）展出，

and the MAK Frankfurt from May 1st until September 30th, 2019.

並於 2019 年 5 月 1 日至 9 月 30 日在法蘭克福應用藝術博物館（MAK Frankfurt）展出。

If you want to learn more about the impact of beauty and see tons of gorgeous installations and multimedia objects,

如果你想了解更多關於美的影響，並欣賞大量絢麗的裝置和多媒體物件，

go check it out.

就去看看吧。