意識的起源：無意識的事物如何變得有意識：英語精讀講義

Consciousness is perhaps the biggest riddle in nature.

意識也許是自然界中最大的謎團。

Stripped to its core meaning, 片語搭配

剝離到其最核心的意義，

consciousness is what allows us to be aware both of our surroundings and of our own inner state. 文法

意識就是讓我們能夠感知周遭環境和自身內在狀態的能力。

But thinking about consciousness has this habit of taking us round in circles. 慣用語

但是，思考意識這件事往往會讓我們陷入死胡同。

We all intuitively know what consciousness is.

我們直覺上都知道意識是什麼。

It's this.

就是這個。

It's what you're experiencing here right now.

就是你此時此刻在這裡體驗到的東西。

But once we try to pinpoint just what exactly it is, 文法

但一旦我們試圖準確指出它到底是什麼，

it leaves us grasping at thin air. 慣用語

就會發現彷彿在抓空氣。

And not just us. 表達脈絡

不僅是我們這樣。

Philosophers and scientists struggle to define consciousness.

哲學家和科學家們也在努力給意識下定義。

Different schools and ideas compete with one another, 片語搭配

不同的學派和觀點相互碰撞，

but no one has come close to figuring it out. 片語搭配

但沒人能真正弄清楚它。

It's unsettling to realize that we don't understand what makes us aware of ourselves and the world. 文法

意識到我們並不理解是什麼讓我們感知自我和世界，這挺令人不安的。

In this fuzzy area,

在這個模糊的領域，

consciousness and intelligence are also related,

意識和智力也是相關的，

although they are not the same.

儘管它們並不等同。

We'll talk in greater depth about theories of consciousness and intelligence in other videos.

我們將在其他影片中深入探討意識和智力的理論。

Like much of what makes us human,

就像許多造就我們人類的特質一樣，

our consciousness is likely to have evolved from less complex forms as a product of evolution by natural selection. 文化背景

我們的意識很可能是透過自然選擇的演化，從較不複雜的形式發展而來的。

It has probably emerged from an immense several hundred million year sequence of countless micro steps

它可能起源於數億年來無數個微小演化步驟的漫長累積，

that together make up a sort of gradient of consciousness. 片語動詞

這些步驟共同構成了意識的某種漸變階梯。

What was the first step on this path from the non-conscious

在這個從無意識

to the basic consciousness that ultimately led to the convoluted consciousness we humans enjoy today?

到基礎意識，最終演化成我們人類今天所擁有的複雜意識的道路上，第一步是什麼？

Take a stone. 表達脈絡

以石頭為例。

The consensus is that a stone is not conscious, 表達脈絡

普遍共識是石頭沒有意識，

though not everyone agrees even on this.

儘管並非所有人都在這一點上意見一致。

Some panpsychists claim that a lump of rock may have an inner life. 文化背景

一些泛心論者聲稱一塊岩石可能有內在生命。

However,

然而，

there are no real grounds for any such assumption, 片語搭配

並沒有真正的依據來支持這種假設，

since stones never show behavior.

因為石頭從不表現出任何行為。

Their inner life can neither be proven nor disproven. 文法

它們的內在生命既無法證實也無法證偽。

A more common starting point is with the living things.

一個更常見的起點是從生物開始。

A living thing or a self is a part of the universe that sustains itself and makes more of its kind.

一個生物或一個自我，是宇宙中能夠自我維持並繁衍後代的一部分。

To do so,

為了做到這一點，

it needs energy.

它需要能量。

And this is where an awareness of the world comes in handy. 慣用語

這就是對世界的感知派上用場的地方。

The original function of consciousness was probably to direct a mobile self that was short of energy

意識最初的作用，很可能是引導一個缺乏能量的移動中的自我

to a fresh supply of food.

去尋找新鮮的食物來源。

On the smaller scales of life,

在較小的生命尺度上，

you don't need to be aware to find food.

你不需要有意識就能找到食物。

Trichoplax adhaerens,

絲盤蟲，

one of the simplest of all animals,

作為所有動物中最簡單的一種，

moves around haphazardly.

會漫無目的地四處移動。

It slows down in the presence of food 片語搭配

當附近有食物時它會減速，

and speeds up in its absence.

沒有食物時它就會加速。

This is highly effective and makes the tiny creature spend more time where there is food 文法

這非常有效，使得這個小生物在有食物的地方花費的時間

than where there is not.

比在沒有食物的地方多。

But it never moves in a particular direction towards a particular target,

但它從不朝向特定的目標沿特定方向移動，

and there's no need for it to be conscious of its environment.

因此它不需要對環境有意識。

The first major step towards consciousness

邁向意識的第一個重大步驟

was probably taken when mobile selves started to move themselves directionally.

很可能發生在移動中的自我開始有方向性地移動自己時。

Moving towards what was good for them, 文法

向對它們有利的東西移動，

say food,

比如食物，

and away from what was less good,

並遠離對它們不利的東西，

say someone else who thought that they were food.

比如把它們當成食物的其它生物。

Take Dugesia tigrina,

以虎斑渦蟲為例，

a tiny worm known for its funny face.

這種小蟲子以其滑稽的臉而聞名。

Sometimes the worm is hungry,

有時這隻蟲子會餓，

and sometimes not.

有時則不餓。

This means that when it moves,

這意味著當它移動時，

the worm self is not simply producing an automatic response to an external stimulus, 文法

這個蟲子自我不僅僅是對外部刺激做出自動反應，

but that its actions depend upon its inner physiological state,

而是其行動取決於它的內在生理狀態，

whether it's hungry or sated. 文法

也就是它是飢餓還是飽足。

When it's just eaten,

當剛剛吃過東西時，

the worm is less energetic,

蟲子的活力較弱，

but when starved for a while, 文法

但餓了一段時間後，

it will move itself in the direction of tasty things.

它就會朝向好吃的東西移動。

It uses chemoreceptors on its head

它利用頭部的化學感受器

to smell its environment and guide it in the direction where the scent of food is strongest.

來嗅探環境，並引導自己向食物氣味最濃的方向移動。

After finding and eating a meal,

在找到並吃完一頓大餐後，

our worm buddy heads back to a dark sheltered spot to digest it in safety, 片語動詞

我們的蟲子兄弟會回到一個黑暗隱蔽的地方安全地消化食物，

until it's hungry again.

直到再次感到飢餓。

But animals that blindly follow their sense of smell don't have a concrete objective in view. 慣用語

但盲目跟隨嗅覺的動物並沒有一個具體的視野目標。

They still lack any sense of where they are heading.

它們仍然缺乏對自己前進方向的感知。

So the next step on the ladder of consciousness

所以意識階梯上的下一步

is to add some perception at a distance,

是增加一些距離感知能力，

like vision.

比如視覺。

Vision adds context and depth to our world.

視覺為我們的世界增添了背景和深度。

With vision comes a sense of the space we and our food exist in. 文法

有了視覺，我們對自身和食物存在的空間有了感知。

It adds a whole new dimension to awareness 慣用語

它為感知能力增加了一個全新的維度，

and is a huge step towards more familiar consciousness.

也是邁向更為我們熟悉的意識的一大步。

An optical apparatus like an eye enables us to visualize our goal and lock onto it. 片語動詞

像眼睛這樣的光學器官使我們能夠具象化我們的目標並鎖定它。

But even at this stage,

但即使在這一階段，

a self is only able to pursue its food as long as it sees it. 文法

一個自我只有在能看見食物時才能去追尋食物。

So the next logical step needs to happen on the inside.

所以下一個合乎邏輯的步驟需要發生在內在。

To visualize food in its absence,

為了在食物不在場時想像食物，

for example,

比如說，

a self needs to create some sort of inner representation of the world.

一個自我需要在內心中建立起對世界某種形式的表徵。

Now,

現在，

an animal can continue looking for food even when it escapes its sensory range.

即使食物超出了感覺範圍，動物也可以繼續尋找食物。

Because of this inner representation of what is relevant in the world,

因為對世界中相關事物的這種內在表徵，

it can remain focused on its food and its desire to get it. 片語搭配

它能保持對食物及其獲取慾望的專注。

Our self now exists in a world it can get familiar with.

我們的自我現在存在於一個它可以熟悉的世界裡。

The ability to remember things has emerged.

記憶事物的能力已經出現。

Thanks to memory,

多虧了記憶，

animals can be distracted from a pursuit for a few seconds,

動物在追逐時可以被分散幾秒鐘的注意力，

but quickly continue their path afterwards.

但隨後很快就能繼續它們的路徑。

A related phenomenon is called object permanence. 用詞

一個相關的現象叫做物體恆存性。

This describes our awareness that things continue to exist even when we can't see them.

這描述了我們的這樣一種意識，即事物即使在我們看不見時也繼續存在。

This cognitive skill is enjoyed by some mammals and birds,

某些哺乳動物和鳥類享有這種認知技能，

and perhaps other animals too.

也許還有其他動物也是。

Human babies tend to develop this ability around the time they turn eight months,

人類嬰兒往往在八個月大的時候發展出這種能力，

while baby chickens show this ability within a day or two of being born.

而小雞在出生後的一兩天內就能展現這種能力。

The capacity to remember a thing in its absence suggests at least a basic sense of time.

在事物不在場時記住事物的能力，至少暗示了一種基本的時間感。

A sense of time is a big step on the ladder of consciousness.

時間感是意識階梯上的一大步。

It may also enable a self to look forward from the present moment 慣用語

它還可能使一個自我從當下向前看，

and anticipate the future.

並預見未來。

Adult chickens,

成年雞，

for example,

例如，

are able to resist a meal put in front of them if they expect to receive a bigger meal as a prize for holding back for a while. 片語動詞

能夠拒絕面前的一頓飯，如果它們預期忍耐一會就能得到一頓大餐作為獎勵的話。

This sort of delayed gratification means there is an ability to visualize a reward that only exists in the future, 用詞

這種延遲滿足意味著存在一種想像僅存在於未來的獎勵的能力，

which can be quite a challenge even for adult humans.

這對成年人類來說有時都可能是一個相當大的挑戰。

Western scrub jays are experts in delayed gratification.

西叢鴉是延遲滿足的專家。

They show an even more elaborate sense of the future when they hide food in a cache to retrieve it at a later date.

當它們把食物藏在一個貯藏處以便日後找回時，它們表現出了更為複雜的未來感。

The scrub jays will even re-hide their food if they become aware that a potential thief has been watching them.

如果西叢鴉意識到有潛在的偷竊者在注視它們，它們甚至會重新藏匿食物。

This means that they know that there are other hungry selves out there

這意味著它們知道外面還有其他飢餓的自我，

who are aware and see the world from their own different perspective. 片語搭配

它們也有意識，並從它們自己不同的角度觀察世界。

Crafty scrub jays can sort of read the mind of their fellow birds. 慣用語

狡猾的西叢鴉有點能讀懂它們同伴的想法。

This ability to mind-read is crucial for complex levels of consciousness.

這種讀心能力對於複雜水平的意識至關重要。

By putting yourself in the position of others, 慣用語

透過將自己置於他人的位置，

you can outsmart a rich competitor or empathize with a hungry friend.

你可以智勝富有的競爭對手，或與飢餓的朋友產生共鳴。

Language takes the ability to read minds and represent what is absent to a whole new level. 慣用語

語言將讀心和表徵不在場事物的能力提升到了一個全新的高度。

Words enable us to construct hypotheses about the world, 片語搭配

語言使我們能夠建構關於世界的假設，

make detailed plans,

制定詳細的計畫，

and to communicate them with others.

並與他人交流。

Words enable us to think about ourselves and our place in the universe,

語言使我們能夠思考我們自己以及我們在宇宙中的位置，

and even about our own consciousness,

甚至思考我們自己的意識，

which is something we'll be doing more in future videos.

我們將在未來的影片中做更多這方面的探討。

So,

那麼，

what is the origin of our consciousness?

我們意識的起源是什麼？

It probably began as the directed motion of a hungry self towards a source of food

它很可能開始於一個飢餓的自我向食物來源的有向運動，

with the survival benefits this gave it over competitors

這使它比某些競爭對手更有生存優勢，

that moved at random or not at all. 片語搭配

那些隨機移動或根本不移動的競爭對手。

It probably all started with the urge for more food. 表達脈絡

這一切很可能始於對更多食物的渴望。

So,

所以，

even with the sophisticated consciousness that allows us to dream about space, 文法

即使有了能讓我們夢想太空的複雜意識，

build skyscrapers,

建造摩天大樓，

or obsess about novels,

或者沉迷於小說，

it's not surprising that we can't stop thinking about where we'll get our next meal. 文法

我們無法停止思考下一頓吃什麼，這也就不奇怪了。

Collectively,

總的來說，

we've put so much thought and ingenuity into getting food 片語搭配

我們在獲取食物上投入了如此多的思考和智慧，

that we can now just get our food to come to us, 文法

以至於我們現在只需讓食物自己找上門來，

with little conscious effort.

而幾乎不需要付出什麼有意識的努力。

This video is part one of a three-part video series relating to big questions of life and the universe,

本影片是與生命和宇宙大問題相關的三集系列影片的第一部分，

made possible by a grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation.

由坦普爾頓世界慈善基金會的資助使其成為可能。

You can find our sources and further reading in the video description

您可以在影片描述中找到我們的資料來源和延伸閱讀，

or get the Consciousness Book by Rupert Glasgow for free,

或免費獲取魯珀特·格拉斯哥的《意識之書》，

link down below.

連結在下方。

If you want to help us make more videos,

如果你想幫助我們製作更多影片，

you can do so on patreon.com

可以在 patreon.com 上支持我們，

or get one of our posters from our shop.

或者在我們的商店購買海報。