ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Niels Diffrient - Designer
Design legend Niels Diffrient is the creator of the Freedom Chair, a radical rethink of the way we sit today. Throughout his career, he's been a pioneer of ergonomic design -- studying the human body (in all its shapes and sizes) and how to make it comfortable.

Why you should listen

Niels Diffrient is a pioneer of ergonomic design -- taking the radical approach of examining the human body as it interacts with furniture, and asking, Is there a better way to sit? His three-volume reference work, Humanscale, explores the relationship of spine to chair and other "human engineering" data necessary for highly specialized workplaces such as a cockpit or a truck cab, as well as aiding in the search for the perfectly comfortable place to sit down.

In the 1990s, Diffrient turned his attention to the office task chair. Working with the company Humanscale, he drew up the Freedom chair, a self-adjusting chair that mixed advanced materials (such as a gel seat pad) with good old-fashioned sketchbook design. The Freedom chair was part of a late-'90s revolution in design that turned expensive ergonomic office chairs into dot-com covetables. In 2004, Diffrient and Humanscale released the lighter and lower-priced Liberty task chair.

More profile about the speaker
Niels Diffrient | Speaker | TED.com
TED2002

Niels Diffrient: Rethinking the way we sit down

"坐"的再解構- Niels Diffrient

Filmed:
613,712 views

傳奇設計師Niels Diffrient分享其在工業設計的點滴(及其成為設計師而非飛機駕駛員的原因)。詳盡地分享他對於辦公用椅設計,由最基礎的參考點-人體,開始。
- Designer
Design legend Niels Diffrient is the creator of the Freedom Chair, a radical rethink of the way we sit today. Throughout his career, he's been a pioneer of ergonomic design -- studying the human body (in all its shapes and sizes) and how to make it comfortable. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
When I was five years年份 old
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當我五歲的時候
00:16
I fell下跌 in love with airplanes飛機.
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就愛上了飛機
00:19
Now I'm talking about the '30s.
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我指的是30年代的飛機
00:22
In the '30s an airplane飛機 had two wings翅膀
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30年代的飛機有兩個翅膀
00:26
and a round回合 motor發動機,
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和一具圓型馬達
00:29
and was always flown飛行
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而且駕駛者永遠是
00:31
by a guy who looked看著 like Cary卡里 Grant格蘭特.
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長得像Cary Grant的傢伙
00:35
He had high leather皮革 boots靴子,
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他穿著雙長皮靴
00:38
jodhpurs馬褲, an old leather皮革 jacket夾克,
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馬褲和老舊的皮夾克
00:41
a wonderful精彩 helmet頭盔
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帥氣的安全帽
00:44
and those marvelous奇妙 goggles風鏡 --
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還有迷人的太陽眼鏡
00:46
and, inevitably必將, a white白色 scarf圍巾,
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當然還要有條白領巾
00:50
to flow in the wind.
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隨風飄揚
00:54
He'd他會 always walk步行 up to his airplane飛機
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他走向飛機的樣子
00:57
in a kind of saunter溜達,
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看來那樣地悠哉
01:00
devil-may-care誰在乎 saunter溜達,
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一種漫不經心的悠哉
01:03
flick拂去 the cigarette香煙 away,
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把菸輕輕彈開
01:06
grab the girl女孩 waiting等候 here, give her a kiss.
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一把抱住在那等待的女孩,吻她一下
01:09
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
01:10
And then mount安裝 his airplane飛機,
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然後爬上他的飛機
01:12
maybe for the last time.
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或許是最後一次了...
01:14
Of course課程 I always wondered想知道 what would happen發生
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當然我每次都忍不住會想
01:16
if he'd他會 kissed the airplane飛機 first.
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如果他先親飛機會怎麼樣。
01:19
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
01:27
But this was real真實 romance浪漫 to me.
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但這對我來說是很浪漫的
01:30
Everything about flying飛行 in those years年份,
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那幾年關於飛行的東西
01:34
which哪一個 was -- you have to stop and think for a moment時刻 --
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都是, --等等我思考一下--
01:37
was probably大概 the most advanced高級
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大概都是當時
01:40
technological技術性 thing going on at the time.
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最先進的科技產物了.
01:43
So as a youngster青少年,
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我當時是個孩子
01:46
I tried試著 to get close to this
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只想嘗試透過繪畫
01:48
by drawing畫畫 airplanes飛機,
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來接近這個東西
01:50
constantly經常 drawing畫畫 airplanes飛機.
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於是我不斷地畫飛機
01:53
It's the way I got
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這是我
01:55
a part部分 of this romance浪漫.
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親近這份浪漫的方法
01:57
And of course課程, in a way, when I say romance浪漫,
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當然,從某個角度來說,我說浪漫,
02:00
I mean in part部分
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是指
02:02
the aesthetics美學 of that whole整個 situation情況.
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是指整體的美學
02:06
I think the word is the holistic整體 experience經驗
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這該說是一種整體的感受
02:10
revolving旋轉 around a product產品.
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圍繞在一個產品上的感受
02:13
The product產品 was that airplane飛機.
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那個產品就是飛機.
02:16
But it built內置 a romance浪漫.
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而它所成就的浪漫
02:19
Even the parts部分 of the airplane飛機
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縱使這台飛機
02:22
had French法國 names.
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有個法文名字
02:24
Ze fuselage機身, ze empanageempanage, ze nessalnessal.
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機身,尾翼。
02:29
You know, from a romance浪漫 language語言.
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你知道,這是一門浪漫的語言。
02:33
So that it was something that just got into your spirit精神.
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所以這是那些恰恰能成爲你靈魂的事。
02:36
It did mine.
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它進入了我的(靈魂)。
02:38
And I decided決定 I had to get closer接近 than
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然後我決定要更加的接近
02:40
just drawing畫畫 fantasy幻想 airplanes飛機.
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那畫筆下幻想中的飛機。
02:43
I wanted to build建立 airplanes飛機.
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我想要建造飛機。
02:46
So I built內置 model模型 airplanes飛機.
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所以我建了一個飛機模型。
02:49
And I found發現 that in doing the model模型 airplanes飛機
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並且在我製造飛機模型的過程中發現
02:55
the appearance出現 drawings圖紙 were not enough足夠.
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僅憑飛機外觀的繪圖是遠遠不夠的。
02:58
You couldn't不能 transfer轉讓 those
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我無法把這些
03:00
to the model模型 itself本身.
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轉換成模型。
03:03
If you wanted it to fly
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如果你想要飛機在天空中飛翔
03:05
you had to learn學習 the discipline學科
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就必須學會它飛行的
03:08
of flying飛行.
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準則。
03:10
You had to learn學習 about aeronautics航空學.
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你必須去學習航空學。
03:12
You had to learn學習 what made製作 an airplane飛機
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你必須了解飛機是什麽原理使得飛機
03:15
stay in the air空氣.
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能夠停留在天空中。
03:17
And of course課程, as a model模型 in those years年份, you couldn't不能 control控制 it.
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當然,在那個年代,你無法控制模型。
03:20
So it had to be self-righting自動復原,
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所以它必須能夠自我調節,
03:23
and stay up without crashing轟然.
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並且保持飛行不墜機。
03:28
So I had to give up
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因此我不得不放棄
03:30
the approach途徑 of drawing畫畫
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這種繪製幻想中機型
03:32
the fantasy幻想 shapes形狀
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的方式,
03:35
and convert兌換 it to technical技術 drawings圖紙 --
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於是轉而開始繪製技術圖紙,
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the shape形狀 of the wing翅膀, the shape形狀 of the fuselage機身 and so on --
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繪製機翼的形狀,機身的形狀等等。
03:41
and build建立 an airplane飛機 over these drawings圖紙
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我在這些
03:45
that I knew知道 followed其次 some of the principles原則
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遵循的飛行原理圖紙的基礎下
03:47
of flying飛行.
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製作了一架飛機。
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And in so doing, I could produce生產
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在做了這些以後,
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a model模型 that would fly, stay in the air空氣.
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我就能夠建起一架能夠在空中飛行的飛機模型。
03:55
And it had, once一旦 it was in the air空氣,
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當它在空中飛行的那一刻,
03:58
some of this romance浪漫 that I was in love with.
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它就擁有了那些我所鍾愛的浪漫。
04:02
Well the act法案 of drawing畫畫 airplanes飛機
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繪製飛機的熱愛
04:05
led me to,
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引導著我
04:07
when I had the opportunity機會 to choose選擇
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當我有機會
04:09
a course課程 in school學校,
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在學校選擇一門課
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led me to sign標誌 up for aeronautical航空 engineering工程.
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它引導我毫不猶豫地選擇了航空工程
04:15
And when I was sitting坐在 in classes --
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但是當我坐在教室中,
04:19
in which哪一個 no one asked me to draw an airplane飛機 --
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讓我驚訝的是,
04:22
to my surprise.
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竟然沒有人要求我去畫飛機。
04:25
I had to learn學習 mathematics數學 and mechanics機械學
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我不得不去學習數學和力學
04:27
and all this sort分類 of thing.
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以及一些相關的學科。
04:29
I'd wile詭計 away my time drawing畫畫 airplanes飛機
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我喜歡在課堂上
04:31
in the class.
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畫飛機。
04:33
One day a young年輕 man looked看著 over my shoulder,
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有一天一個年輕人繞過我的肩膀看了一看,
04:36
he said, "You draw very well.
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他說:“你畫的真好,
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You should be in the art藝術 department."
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你應該去念藝術系的。”
04:41
And I said, "Why?"
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我問:“爲什麽?”
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And he said, "Well for one thing, there are more girls女孩 there."
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他說:“嗯,有一個原因,那裏女孩子比較多。”
04:46
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
04:50
So my romance浪漫 was temporarily暫時 shifted.
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於是我的浪漫暫時的轉移到別的地方。
04:53
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
04:54
And I went into art藝術
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我轉到了藝術方面
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because they appreciated讚賞 drawing畫畫.
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那裏的人更懂得欣賞畫。
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Studied研究 painting繪畫; didn't do very well at that.
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學習繪畫。在那裏並不是很出色。
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Went through通過 design設計,
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學習了一些設計,
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some architecture建築.
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一些建築。
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Eventually終於 hired僱用 myself out as a designer設計師.
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終於,我成爲了一名設計師。
05:09
And for the following以下 25 years年份,
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在之後的25年中,
05:12
living活的 in Italy意大利,
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我生活在義大利,
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living活的 in America美國,
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生活在美國,
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I doled施捨 out a piece of this romance浪漫
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我向任何願意為之付錢的人,
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to anybody任何人 who'd誰願意 pay工資 for it --
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發放一點點這種浪漫。
05:23
this sense, this aesthetic審美 feeling感覺,
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這種感覺,這種美學的感知,
05:27
for the experience經驗 revolving旋轉 around
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是源于對一個設計產品
05:30
a designed設計 object目的.
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的體驗。
05:33
And it exists存在.
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它是存在的。
05:35
Any of you who rode騎著車 the automobiles汽車 --
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你們之中的任何人在路上開著汽車
05:38
was it yesterday昨天? --
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是昨天嗎?
05:40
at the track跟踪, you know the romance浪漫
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當開高性能的車,飛奔在路上時
05:43
revolving旋轉 around those high performance性能 cars汽車.
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你就能明白這種浪漫。
05:49
Well in 25 years年份
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在這25年裏,
05:52
I was mostly大多 putting out
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我大多是把這種浪漫
05:54
pieces of this romance浪漫
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一塊塊分發出去
05:56
and not getting得到 a lot back in
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但並沒有從中得到很多收穫
05:58
because design設計 on call
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因爲這種設計是即興的
06:00
doesn't always connect you with a circumstance環境
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即便能製造出這種自然的本質
06:04
in which哪一個 you can produce生產 things of this nature性質.
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並不能完全把人和環境連結起來。
06:07
So after 25 years年份 I began開始 to feel
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所以,25年後,
06:09
as though雖然 I was running賽跑 dry.
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我開始意識到我的才思枯竭了。
06:12
And I quit放棄.
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於是我選擇放棄。
06:14
And I started開始 up a very small operation手術 --
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接著我開始經營小型的工作室
06:17
went from 40 people
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從40人
06:19
to one,
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變到只有我一個人的團隊
06:21
in an effort功夫 to rediscover重新發現 my innocence無辜.
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努力重新發現我的純真。
06:25
I wanted to get back
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我想要回到過去
06:27
where the romance浪漫 was.
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那些原有的浪漫。
06:30
And I couldn't不能 choose選擇 airplanes飛機
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我無法選擇飛機
06:32
because they had gotten得到 sort分類 of unromantic平淡
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因爲在某種意義上
06:35
at that point,
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那些東西開始逐漸變得不那麽的浪漫。
06:37
even though雖然 I'd doneDONE a lot of airplane飛機 work,
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即便是我曾經做過很多
06:39
on the interiors內飾.
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與飛機内部設計相關的工作。
06:41
So I chose選擇 furniture家具.
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所以我選擇了家具這一行。
06:44
And I chose選擇 chairs椅子 specifically特別
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我刻意的選擇了椅子
06:47
because I knew知道 something about them.
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因爲我對它們有所了解。
06:49
I'd designed設計 a lot of chairs椅子, over the years年份
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幾年裏,我設計了很多椅子,
06:52
for tractors拖拉機 and trucks卡車
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給拖拉機和卡車
06:55
and submarines潛艇 --
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還有潛艇。
06:58
all kinds of things.
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各種各樣的東西。
07:00
But not office辦公室 chairs椅子.
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但不是辦公室的那種。
07:02
So I started開始 doing that.
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因此我開始著手與此。
07:04
And I found發現 that there were ways方法
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我發現
07:07
to duplicate重複 the same相同 approach途徑
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有許多我運用在飛機上的方法
07:10
that I used to use on the airplane飛機.
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都是能被複製的。
07:13
Only this time,
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只是這一次
07:15
instead代替 of the product產品 being存在 shaped成形 by the wind,
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產品的形狀不是由風來決定,
07:18
it was shaped成形 by the human人的 body身體.
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而是由人體來決定的。
07:22
So the discipline學科 was --
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所以準則就是,
07:24
as in the airplane飛機 you learn學習 a lot about
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就像在飛機中你所學的那樣
07:26
how to deal合同 with the air空氣,
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如何去應對空氣,
07:29
for a chair椅子
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但對於椅子來説
07:31
you have to learn學習 a lot about how to deal合同
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你必須去研究
07:33
with the body身體,
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如何和人體接觸。
07:35
and what the body身體 needs需求, wants,
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包括身體需要什麽,
07:37
indicates指示 it needs需求.
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符合身體的需求。
07:40
And that's the way, ultimately最終
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就是這樣,
07:42
after some upsUPS and downs起伏,
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再經歷一些波折之後,
07:46
I ended結束 up designing設計 the chair椅子 I'm going to show顯示 you.
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我完成了這把我即將呈現給你們的椅子。
07:49
I should say one more thing. When I was doing those
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在這裡我要多說一件事,
07:53
model模型 airplanes飛機,
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當我曾經製作那些模型飛機的時候,
07:55
I did everything.
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我做了所有能做的,
07:57
I conceived設想 the kind of airplane飛機.
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我構思了各種各樣的飛機,
08:00
I basically基本上 engineered工程 it.
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我基本上設計它。
08:03
I built內置 it.
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我製造它。
08:05
And I flew it.
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並且讓它飛了起來。
08:07
And that's the way I work now.
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這就是我現在的工作方式。
08:14
When I started開始 this chair椅子
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當我開始設計這把椅子的時候
08:16
it was not a preconceived先入為主 notion概念.
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它並沒有一個先入爲主的概念。
08:19
Design設計 nowadays如今, if you mean it,
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現今的設計,如果你認真來看,
08:22
you don't start開始 with styling造型 sketches素描.
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你不會從花俏的構圖開始。
08:26
I started開始 with a lot of loose疏鬆 ideas思路,
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我從異想天開開始。
08:29
roughly大致 eight or nine years年份 ago.
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大約在八九年以前。
08:32
And the loose疏鬆 ideas思路 had something
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這些隨意的想法
08:35
to do with what I knew知道 happened發生 with
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在那些辦公室的人身上
08:37
people in the office辦公室,
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開始逐漸成形。
08:39
at the work place地點 -- people who worked工作,
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在辦公場所,那些工作的人們
08:41
and used task任務 seating休息,
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使用電腦椅
08:44
a great many許多 of them sitting坐在 in front面前 of a computer電腦
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很多人坐在電腦面前
08:47
all day long.
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一坐就是一整天
08:49
And I felt,
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我覺得
08:51
the one thing they don't need,
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有一樣東西他們是不需要的
08:53
is a chair椅子 that interferes干涉
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就是一把會干擾他們工作的
08:55
with their main主要 reason原因 for sitting坐在 there.
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椅子。
08:58
So I took the approach途徑
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所以我要做這樣一把椅子
09:01
that the chair椅子 should do as much for them
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能盡可能的幫助他們
09:04
as humanly從人的角度 possible可能
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盡可能的人性化
09:06
or as mechanistically機械地 possible可能
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或者盡可能的機械化
09:10
so that they didn't have to fuss小題大作 with it.
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使得人們不會為它所困擾。
09:12
So my idea理念 was that,
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我的想法就是
09:14
instead代替 of sitting坐在 down and reaching到達
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不是讓人坐下
09:16
for a lot of controls控制,
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然後伸手去購各種操縱杆,
09:18
that you would sit on the chair椅子,
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而是坐在椅子中
09:20
and it would automatically自動 balance平衡 your weight重量
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它會自動地根據你的體重調整平衡
09:23
against反對 the force required需要
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對抗
09:26
to recline橫臥.
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使人傾斜的力。
09:28
Now that may可能 not mean a lot to some of you.
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也許這對在座的大多數的人來說並不具意義。
09:31
But you know most good chairs椅子 do recline橫臥
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但是你們知道大多數的好椅子還是會傾斜的
09:34
because it's beneficial有利 to open打開 up this joint聯合
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因爲這有助於伸展
09:37
between之間 your legs and your upper body身體
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你的腿和上身之間的關節
09:39
for better breathing呼吸
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以便能更好的呼吸
09:41
and better flow.
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還有更好的血液循環。
09:43
So that if you sit down
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如果你坐在
09:46
on my chair椅子,
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我的椅子上,
09:48
whether是否 you're five feet tall
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無論你是五尺高,
09:50
or six foot腳丫子 six,
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還是六尺高,
09:52
it always deals交易 with your weight重量
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它永遠可以根據你的體重
09:56
and transfers轉讓 the amount of force required需要
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轉換成傾斜
10:00
to recline橫臥
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所需要的力
10:02
in a way that you don't have to look
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這樣你就不需要去尋找
10:05
for something to adjust調整.
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那些用來調整的東西。
10:07
I'll tell you right up front面前,
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我現在就告訴你們
10:09
this is a trade貿易 off.
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這是有得有失的。
10:11
There are drawbacks缺點 to this.
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這個椅子有些缺點。
10:14
One is: you can't
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其中一點就是
10:16
accommodate容納 everybody每個人.
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不能適應每一個人。
10:18
There are some very light people,
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像是一些體重非常輕的人
10:21
some extremely非常 heavy people,
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或是體重非常重的人。
10:23
maybe people with a lot of bulk up top最佳.
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也許有人上身龐大。
10:26
They begin開始 to fall秋季 off the end結束 of your chart圖表.
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他們就會坐著向下滑落。
10:29
But the compromise妥協, I felt,
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但我覺得這種得失
10:31
was in my favor偏愛
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正是我喜歡的
10:33
because most people don't adjust調整 their chairs椅子.
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因爲大多數的人不調整他們的椅子。
10:36
They will sit in them forever永遠.
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他們就一直的坐著。
10:38
I had somebody on the bus總線 out to the racetrack跑馬場
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在我去賽車場的公車上我遇見過一個人
10:41
tell me about his sister妹妹 calling調用 him.
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他告訴我他的姐姐告訴他。
10:43
He said she had one of the new, better chairs椅子.
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他說她有了一把新的更好的椅子。
10:46
She said, "Oh I love it."
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她說:“哦,我喜歡這把椅子。”
10:48
She said, "But it's too high."
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她又說:“但是它太高了。”
10:50
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
10:53
So he said, "Well I'll come over and look at it."
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他接著說:“我們去你那兒看看那把椅子吧。”
10:56
He came來了 over and looked看著 at it.
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他來了看了椅子。
10:58
He reached到達 down. He pulled a lever槓桿. And the chair椅子 sank沉沒 down.
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他俯下身,拉了拉操縱桿。然後這椅子就降下去了。
11:02
She said, "Oh it's wonderful精彩. How did you do that?"
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她說:“哦,太棒了。你是怎麽做到的?”
11:04
And he showed顯示 her the lever槓桿.
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接著他把操縱桿指給她看。
11:06
Well, that's typical典型
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是的,這就是典型的
11:08
of a lot of us working加工 in chairs椅子.
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我們大多數人工作中用的椅子。
11:10
And why should you
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爲什麽
11:12
get a 20-page-頁 manual手冊
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要透過看一本20頁的使用手冊
11:14
about how to run a chair椅子?
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學習如何使用一把椅子。
11:16
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
11:18
I had one for a wristwatch手錶 once一旦. 20 pages網頁.
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我曾經有一只懷錶。它有20頁的說明書。
11:22
Anyway無論如何, I felt that it was important重要
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不管怎麽說,我覺得這很重要
11:24
that you didn't have to make an adjustment調整
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當你想要進行這類活動時
11:27
in order訂購 to get this kind of action行動.
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不需要去調整它。
11:30
The other thing I felt was that armrests扶手
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另一件事就是
11:32
had never really been properly正確 approached接近
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我覺得扶手從來沒有被適當的使用過。
11:37
from the standpoint立場 of how much
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從扶手能給你在工作生活中
11:40
of an aid援助 they could be
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給予你多少的幫助
11:42
to your work life.
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的角度來説。
11:44
But I felt it was too much to ask
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但我覺得這樣太繁瑣
11:47
to have to adjust調整 each individual個人 armrest扶手
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如果把每個獨立的扶手
11:49
in order訂購 to get it where you wanted.
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調整到你想要的位置。
11:52
So I spent花費 a long time.
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我因此花費很長的時間。
11:54
I said I worked工作 eight or nine years年份 on it.
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這就是我剛說的我在這上面花費了八九年。
11:57
And each of these things went along沿
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每一件事情
11:59
sort分類 of in parallel平行
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都在平行的進行著
12:01
but incrementally增量 were a problem問題 of their own擁有.
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但它們的本身的問題也隨之增加了。
12:04
I worked工作 a long time on figuring盤算 out
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我花費了很多的時間才解決
12:06
how to move移動 the arms武器 over a much greater更大 arc --
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扶手如何能更大角度的移動,
12:11
that is up and down --
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像這樣上下的移動,
12:13
and make them a lot easier更輕鬆,
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使之更方便。
12:16
so that you didn't have to use a button按鍵.
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所以你不需要去按一個按鈕。
12:19
And so after many許多 trials試驗, many許多 failures故障,
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經過了許多次的嘗試與失敗,
12:21
we came來了 up with a very simple簡單 arrangement安排
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我們提出了一個很簡單的改裝
12:24
in which哪一個 we could just move移動
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我們僅僅是移動了
12:26
one arm or the other.
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其中的一只扶手。
12:28
And they go up easily容易.
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它們就很容易的升起來了。
12:30
And stop where you want.
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並且停留在你想要的位置上。
12:33
You can put them down, essentially實質上 out of the way.
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你可以把它們放下來,
12:36
No arms武器 at all.
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事實上根本不需要動手。
12:38
Or you can pull them up where you want them.
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或者你能在你需要的時候拉上來。
12:41
And this was another另一個 thing that I felt,
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這是我所感覺到的另一件事。
12:43
while not nearly幾乎 as romantic浪漫
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雖然不像
12:46
as Cary卡里 Grant格蘭特,
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Cary Grant那樣的浪漫,
12:48
nevertheless雖然 begins開始 to
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然而已經開始
12:51
grab a little bit of aesthetic審美
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一點點的抓住美感了,
12:54
operation手術, aesthetic審美 performance性能
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在一個產品裏,
12:57
into a product產品.
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運用美學的表現。
12:59
The next下一個 area that was of interest利益 to me
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下一個吸引我的方面,
13:02
was the fact事實 that reclining斜倚
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是傾斜這件事
13:05
was a very important重要 factor因子.
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這是一個很重要的因素。
13:07
And the more you can recline橫臥,
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在某種程度上,
13:09
in a way, the better it is.
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能越傾斜,就越舒服。
13:12
The more the angle角度 between之間 here and here opens打開 up --
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這兒和這兒的角度變得更大了,
13:15
and nowadays如今, with a screen屏幕 in front面前 of you,
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在你面前成爲一個平面,
13:18
you don't want to have your eye drop下降 too far in the recline橫臥,
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你不會想在傾斜時視線下降的太厲害。
13:21
so we keep it at more or less the same相同 level水平 --
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所以我們盡可能的保持在同一水平
13:25
but you transfer轉讓 weight重量
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但這樣你就可以把體重
13:28
off your tailbonestailbones.
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從尾椎骨上轉移走了。
13:30
Would everybody每個人 put their hand under their bottom底部
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每個人都能伸手從後面
13:33
and feel their tailbone尾骨?
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構到自己的脊椎骨嗎?
13:35
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
13:37
You feel that bone under there?
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你能感覺到下面的那塊骨頭嗎?
13:39
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
13:40
Just your own擁有.
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只是你自己的。
13:42
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
13:48
There's two of them, one on either side.
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它一共有2塊。一邊一塊。
13:53
All the weight重量 of your upper torso軀幹 --
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但你坐下的時候,你上半身的所有重量
13:55
your arms武器, your head --
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你的手臂,你的頭,
13:57
goes right down through通過 your back,
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直接的通過你的後背,
14:00
your spine脊柱, into those bones骨頭 when you sit.
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你的脊椎,直到那些骨頭。
14:04
And that's a lot of load加載.
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這是一個很大的負荷。
14:06
Just relieving緩解 your arms武器 with armrests扶手
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僅僅是用扶手來舒緩你的手臂
14:08
takes 20 percent百分 of that load加載 off.
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就能減少20%的總負荷。
14:11
Now that, if your spine脊柱 is not held保持 in a good position位置,
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現在,如果你的脊椎處在一個不正確的位置,
14:16
will help bend彎曲 your spine脊柱 the wrong錯誤 way, and so on.
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這會導致你的脊椎錯誤的彎曲,諸如此類。
14:21
So to unload卸下
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所以為了卸下
14:23
that great weight重量 --
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這些巨大的負擔,
14:27
if that indeed確實 exists存在 --
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如果真的存在的話,
14:29
you can recline橫臥.
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你可以斜倚著。
14:32
When you recline橫臥 you take away a lot of that load加載
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當你斜倚的時候,能帶走很多的負荷
14:35
off your bottom底部 end結束, and transfer轉讓 it to your back.
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從底部,轉移到你的背部。
14:38
At the same相同 time, as I say, you open打開 up this joint聯合.
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與此同時,就如我所說,你活動了關節。
14:41
And breathability透氣 is good.
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並且透氣性很好。
14:44
But to do that, if you have any
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但為了做到這一點,
14:48
amount of recline橫臥,
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如果你有任何的一點傾斜,
14:52
it gets得到 to the point where you need a headrest頭靠
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就需要在某一點有個靠頭之物
14:55
because nearly幾乎 always,
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因爲
14:59
automatically自動 hold保持 your head
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它會自動地支撐你的頭部
15:01
in a vertical垂直 position位置, see?
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在一個垂直的位置,看見了嗎?
15:03
As I recline橫臥, my head says more or less vertical垂直.
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當我傾斜的時候,我的頭會變成和身體垂直。
15:08
Well if you're reclined a great deal合同,
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而且,如果你傾斜的比較厲害,
15:10
you have to use muscle肌肉 force
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就必須借用肌肉的力量
15:12
to hold保持 your head there.
328
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去支撐你的頭。
15:14
So that's where a headrest頭靠 comes in.
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所以這就是爲什麽需要頭枕。
15:16
Now headrest頭靠 is a challenge挑戰
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現在頭枕是一個挑戰
15:18
because you want it to adjust調整
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因爲你想要去
15:21
enough足夠 so that it'll它會 fit適合,
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充分的調節它直至舒服。
15:25
you know, a tall guy and a short girl女孩.
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你知道,一個高個男孩和一個小巧女孩。
15:28
So here we are.
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讓我們來看看。
15:30
I've got five inches英寸 of adjustment調整 here
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我在這兒留了五英寸的調節空間
15:34
in order訂購 to get the headrest頭靠 in the right place地點.
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以便能為頭找個合適的位置。
15:37
But then I knew知道 from experience經驗
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但我從經驗中得知
15:39
and looking around in offices辦事處
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在辦公室中觀察
15:42
where there were chairs椅子 with headrests頭枕
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那些有頭枕的椅子
15:45
that nobody沒有人 would ever bother
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甚至沒有人願意
15:47
to reach達到 back and turn a knob把手
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伸到背後去扭動把手
15:50
and adjust調整 the headrest頭靠 to put it in position位置.
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調整頭枕到一個合適的位置。
15:52
And you need it in a different不同 position位置
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當你從坐直變爲傾斜時
15:54
when you're upright直立, then when you're reclined.
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需要換一個位置
15:56
So I knew知道 that had to be solved解決了, and had to be automatic自動.
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所以我意識到這個問題必須解決,必須是自動的。
16:00
So if you watch this chair椅子
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如果你看看這把椅子
16:02
as I recline橫臥, the headrest頭靠 comes up
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傾斜時,頭枕就出現了
16:05
to meet遇到 my neck頸部.
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配合我的脖子。
16:07
Ideally理想的情況下 you want to put the head support支持
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理想的情況下,你希望頭能有一個支撐
16:11
in the cranial area, right there.
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在顱骨的區域,就在這兒。
16:15
So that part部分 of it took a long time
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為解決這個問題,
16:20
to work out.
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花了不少時間。
16:22
And there is a variety品種 of other things: the shape形狀 of the cushions靠墊,
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還有其他的種種,例如一點的形狀。
16:25
the gel凝膠 we put.
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我們使用的凝膠,
16:28
We stole偷了 the idea理念 from bicycle自行車 seats,
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我們借用了自行車座椅的構思,
16:31
and put gel凝膠 in the cushions靠墊
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把凝膠放入椅墊中
16:33
and in the armrests扶手
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還有扶手中
16:35
to absorb吸收 point load加載 --
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用來承受其負重
16:39
distributes分配 the loading裝載 so you don't get hard spots斑點.
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分擔了這些負荷,這樣你就不會感覺到硬塊了。
16:42
You cant斜面 hit擊中 your elbow彎頭
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你能用手肘
16:44
on bottom底部.
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按按鈕。
16:46
And I did want to demonstrate演示
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我想為你們示範一下
16:49
the fact事實 that the chair椅子 can accommodate容納 people.
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這把椅子能配合乘坐者調整的樣子
16:54
While you're sitting坐在 in it you can adjust調整 it
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當你坐在上面時
16:56
down for the five-footer五尾,
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它能向下調整五英尺
16:59
or you can adjust調整 it
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或者你也可以調整它
17:02
for the six-foot-six六英尺六 guy --
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對於那些六尺高的男孩。
17:07
all within the scope範圍 of a few少數 simple簡單 adjustments調整.
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所有這些調整只需要在很小的範圍内進行。
17:13
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by Zhixian Yu (Fiona)
Reviewed by Joyce Chou

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Niels Diffrient - Designer
Design legend Niels Diffrient is the creator of the Freedom Chair, a radical rethink of the way we sit today. Throughout his career, he's been a pioneer of ergonomic design -- studying the human body (in all its shapes and sizes) and how to make it comfortable.

Why you should listen

Niels Diffrient is a pioneer of ergonomic design -- taking the radical approach of examining the human body as it interacts with furniture, and asking, Is there a better way to sit? His three-volume reference work, Humanscale, explores the relationship of spine to chair and other "human engineering" data necessary for highly specialized workplaces such as a cockpit or a truck cab, as well as aiding in the search for the perfectly comfortable place to sit down.

In the 1990s, Diffrient turned his attention to the office task chair. Working with the company Humanscale, he drew up the Freedom chair, a self-adjusting chair that mixed advanced materials (such as a gel seat pad) with good old-fashioned sketchbook design. The Freedom chair was part of a late-'90s revolution in design that turned expensive ergonomic office chairs into dot-com covetables. In 2004, Diffrient and Humanscale released the lighter and lower-priced Liberty task chair.

More profile about the speaker
Niels Diffrient | Speaker | TED.com