TED演讲：语言如何改变人类(4)

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　　the surprise really is that all of the other animals really cannot do that -- at least not very much. 令人惊讶的事实是，其他的所有动物都无法做到有样学样，至少做到很少

　　And even this picture has the suspicious taint² of being rigged about it -- something from a Barnum And Bailey circus. 甚至这张图片，虽然它有人为操纵之嫌--“不会是来自巴纳姆贝利马戏团吧”

　　But by comparison, we can learn. 但是相比之下，我们有学习能力

　　We can learn by watching other people and copying or imitating what they can do. 我们可以通过观察别人，以及照搬或模仿别人所做的来学习

　　We can then choose, from among a range of options, the best one. 然后我们可以在一系列选择中挑选最好的选择

　　We can benefit from others' ideas. We can build on their wisdom. 我们可以汲取别人的想法。可以发展他人的智慧

　　And as a result, our ideas do accumulate, and our technology progresses. 所以我们的智慧可以累积，技术得以进步

　　And this cumulative³ cultural adaptation, as anthropologists call 这种人类学家所称累积性的文化适应

　　this accumulation of ideas, is responsible for everything around you in your bustling⁴ and teeming⁵ everyday lives. 这种想法的积累是你周围所有一切的根源，并存在于你繁忙和与人合作的日常生活中

　　I mean the world has changed out of all proportion to what we would recognize even 1,000 or 2,000 years ago. 这个世界跟一千或者两千年前相比，已经发生了翻天覆地的变化

　　And all of this because of cumulative cultural adaptation. 这一切都归因于累积性文化适应

　　The chairs you're sitting in, the lights in this auditorium⁶, 你们坐着的椅子，礼堂里的灯

　　my microphone, the iPads and iPods that you carry around with you -- 我的手机，你们携带的iPad和iPod

　　all are a result of cumulative cultural adaptation. 这些都是累积性文化适应的结果

　　Now to many commentators⁷, cumulative cultural adaptation, or social learning, is job done, end of story. 对许多评论者来说，累积性文化适应，或者说社会学习，已经大功告成。

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