TED演讲:我们为什么做梦(1)

 　　In the third millenium BCE, Mesopotamian kings recorded and interpreted their dreams on wax tablets. 公元前三千年，美索不达米亚国王在蜡质石板上记录并解释了他们的梦。

　　A thousand years later, Ancient Egyptians wrote a dream book 一千年之后，古埃及人写了一本关于梦的书，

　　listing over a hundred common dreams and their meanings. 列出了一百多个日常的梦以及它们的解释。

　　And in the years since, we haven't paused in our quest to understand why we dream. 多年之后，我们从未停止过探索我们做梦的原因。

　　So, after a great deal of scientific research, technological¹ advancement², and persistence³, 所以，我们在经历了大量的科学研究、科技进步以及坚持不懈之后，

　　we still don't have any definite answers, but we have some interesting theories. 依旧没有任何确切的答案，但是我们已经发展了一些有趣的理论。

　　We dream to fulfill⁴ our wishes. 我们为了满足自己的愿望而做梦。

　　In the early 1900s, Sigmund Freud proposed that while all of our dreams, including our nightmares, 在19世纪早期，西格蒙德·弗洛伊德提出，虽然我们所有的梦包括梦魇，

　　are a collection of images from our daily conscious lives, 都来自有意识的日常生活画面集，

　　they also have symbolic⁵ meanings, which relate to the fulfillment of our subconscious⁶ wishes. 但他们也有一些抽象意义，它和我们潜意识中的愿望满足感有关。

　　Freud theorized that everything we remember when we wake up from a dream 弗洛伊德提出，我们从梦中醒来记得的所有事情

　　is a symbolic representation of our unconscious primitive⁷ thoughts, urges, and desires. 都是无意识的原始想法、冲动、以及欲望的象征性代表。

　　Freud believed that by analyzing⁸ those remembered elements, 弗洛伊德相信，通过分析我们记得的这些元素，

　　the unconscious content would be revealed to our conscious mind, 那些无意识的内容可以反映出我们有意识的思想，

　　and psychological issues stemming from its repression⁹ could be addressed and resolved. 精神上受到的压抑可以被理解和解答。

　　We dream to remember. 我们做梦是为了记忆。

　　To increase performance on certain mental tasks, sleep is good, but dreaming while sleeping is better. 为了加强一些脑力工作上的表现，睡眠非常有效，然而睡觉时做梦效果会更好。

　　In 2010, researchers found that subjects were much better at getting through a complex 3-D maze¹⁰ 2010年，研究人员发现，如果被试者在第二次尝试穿越迷宫之前小憩一会儿并且做了一会儿梦的话，

　　if they had napped and dreamed of the maze prior to their second attempt. 他们在穿越一个复杂的三维迷宫时会表现更佳。

　　In fact, they were up to ten times better at it than those who only thought of the maze while awake between attempts,  事实上，他们比那些在两次之间醒着思考迷宫的人，

　　and those who napped but did not dream about the maze. 以及那些虽然睡了但是没有做梦的人表现要好十多倍。

　　Researchers theorize that certain memory processes can happen only when we are asleep, 研究者推断，特定的记忆过程只在我们睡着时才会发生，

　　and our dreams are a signal that these processes are taking place. 而我们的梦是一个触发这些过程的信号。

　　We dream to forget. 我们做梦是为了遗忘。

　　There are about 10,000 trillion neural¹¹ connections within the architecture of your brain. 我们的大脑构造里有大约一万兆的神经连接。

　　They are created by everything you think and everything you do. 它们因你思考以及所做的所有事情而形成。

　　A 1983 neurobiological theory of dreaming, called reverse learning, 1983年，一个关于梦的神经生物学理论提出逆向学习的概念，

　　holds that while sleeping, and mainly during REM sleep cycles, 该理论认为我们在睡觉时，尤其是在快速眼动睡眠周期时，

　　your neocortex reviews these neural connections and dumps the unnecessary ones. 大脑新皮质会回顾这些神经连接并清理掉那些不需要的部分。

　　Without this unlearning process, which results in your dreams, 如果没有做梦来产生这种反学习的过程，

　　your brain could be overrun by useless connections 你的大脑就会因无用连接而过度运转，

　　and parasitic¹² thoughts could disrupt the necessary thinking you need to do while you're awake. 同时无用的想法会干扰到你醒着的时候需要进行的必要思考。

1 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

2 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

3 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。

4 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

5 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

6 subconscious   

n./adj.潜意识(的)，下意识(的)

参考例句：

• Nail biting is often a subconscious reaction to tension.咬指甲通常是紧张时的下意识反映。
• My answer seemed to come from the subconscious.我的回答似乎出自下意识。

7 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

8 analyzing   

v.分析；分析( analyze的现在分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析n.分析

参考例句：

• Analyzing the date of some socialist countries presents even greater problem s. 分析某些社会主义国家的统计数据，暴露出的问题甚至更大。 来自辞典例句
• He undoubtedly was not far off the mark in analyzing its predictions. 当然，他对其预测所作的分析倒也八九不离十。 来自辞典例句

9 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

10 maze   

n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑

参考例句：

• He found his way through the complex maze of corridors.他穿过了迷宮一样的走廊。
• She was lost in the maze for several hours.一连几小时，她的头脑处于一片糊涂状态。

11 neural   

adj.神经的，神经系统的

参考例句：

• The neural network can preferably solve the non- linear problem.利用神经网络建模可以较好地解决非线性问题。
• The information transmission in neural system depends on neurotransmitters.信息传递的神经途径有赖于神经递质。

12 parasitic   

adj.寄生的

参考例句：

• Will global warming mean the spread of tropical parasitic diseases?全球变暖是否意味着热带寄生虫病会蔓延呢？
• By definition,this way of life is parasitic.从其含义来说，这是种寄生虫的生活方式。