TEDMED 2009
Eric Mead: The magic of the placebo
艾瑞克‧米德：安慰劑魔法
Filmed:
Readability: 2.5
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研究顯示，安慰劑（糖丸子、注射無藥效的液體）超出我們預期地確實有用。在TED醫學組，魔術師艾瑞克‧米德表演的魔術證明，即使你知道事情不是真的，你的反應可以跟「這是真的」一樣強烈。（警告：這場演講不適合害怕針和血的人觀看。）
Eric Mead - Magician
Eric Mead is a prolific magician, mentalist and comedian who worked his way up from doing magic on the street to appearing at exclusive events around the world. Full bio
Eric Mead is a prolific magician, mentalist and comedian who worked his way up from doing magic on the street to appearing at exclusive events around the world. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:18
For some time I have been interested in
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這一陣子我
00:20
the placebo effect,
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對安慰劑效應感到興趣
00:22
which might seem like an odd thing
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對一位魔術師而言
00:24
for a magician to be interested in,
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對此感興趣似乎有點怪
00:26
unless you think of it in the terms that I do,
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除非你和我對此事
00:28
which is, "Something fake
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有相同看法，即「若某個人對某造假之事
00:32
is believed in enough by somebody
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信得夠深，則該人
00:34
that it becomes something real."
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對該事會信以為真」
00:36
In other words, sugar pills
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換句話說，糖丸子
00:38
have a measurable effect in certain kinds of studies,
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在某些研究裡會產生可度量的效應
00:41
the placebo effect,
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即「安慰劑效應」
00:43
just because the person thinks
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只不過因為人以為
00:46
that what's happening to them is a pharmaceutical
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所服用的是藥物
00:48
or some sort of a --
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或什麼的...
00:51
for pain management, for example,
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以疼痛控制為例
00:53
if they believe it enough there is a measurable effect in the body
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信得夠深也會對身體產生
00:55
called the placebo effect.
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可度量的安慰劑效應
00:57
Something fake becomes
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造假的東西
00:59
something real
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就變成真的了
01:01
because of someone's perception of it.
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只因人的感知受到了影響
01:04
In order for us to understand each other,
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為了讓我們互相了解
01:06
I want to start by showing you a rudimentary,
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我先讓各位看一個很簡單
01:08
very simple magic trick.
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粗淺的魔術手法
01:10
And I'm going to show you how it works. This is a trick
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我來讓大家看看那是怎麼弄的
01:12
that's been in every children's magic book since at least the 1950s.
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這個把戲最晚在1950年代就已出現在每一本小朋友的魔術書裡
01:16
I learned it myself from Cub Scout Magic in the 1970s.
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我是在1970年代從《幼童軍魔術》書裡自學的
01:20
I'll do it for you, and then I'll explain it.
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我先表演，然後做解釋
01:22
And then I'll explain why I explained it.
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然後我會解釋為什麼我做解釋
01:25
So, here's what happens.
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嗯，過程是這樣的：
01:27
The knife, which you can examine; my hand, which you could examine.
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大家可以檢查這把刀和我的手
01:29
I'm just going to hold the knife in my fist like this.
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我把袖子捲起來，再像這樣
01:32
I'll get my sleeve back.
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把刀子握進拳裡
01:34
And to make sure nothing goes up or down my sleeve
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要確定沒有東西
01:36
I'm just going to squeeze my wrist right here.
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進出我的袖子，我還握住手腕這裡
01:39
That way you can see that at no time
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這樣大家可以看到
01:41
can anything travel, as long as I'm squeezing there
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只要我握住這裡
01:43
nothing can go up or down my sleeve.
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就沒有東西能進出我的袖口
01:46
And the object of this is quite simple.
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這個戲法相當簡單
01:48
I'm going to open my hand,
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我會鬆開拳頭
01:51
and hopefully, if all is well,
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如果順利的話，可望只依靠
01:54
my pure animal magnetism will hold the knife.
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我的動物磁力就能吸住這把刀
01:57
In fact it's held so tightly in place
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它的確牢牢黏在手上
01:59
that I can shake it,
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即使我晃動它
02:01
and the knife does not come off.
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刀子也不會掉掉下
02:04
Nothing goes up or down my sleeve,
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並沒有東西進出袖口
02:06
no trickery. And you can examine everything.
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沒有作弊，大家可以徹底檢查
02:09
Ta-da!
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他～搭～～！
02:11
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
02:13
So, this is a trick that I often teach to young children
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我常拿這個把戲教導對魔術有興趣的孩子們
02:16
that are interested in magic, because you can learn
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因為儘管把戲的手法很簡單
02:18
a great deal about deception by studying
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仔細探究
02:20
this very -- even though it's a very simple trick methodologically.
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可以學到不少有關「欺騙」的技巧
02:23
Probably many of you in the room know this trick.
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在座也許有人知道這個把戲
02:25
What happens is this.
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我是怎麼辦到的？
02:27
I hold the knife in my hand.
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我把刀拿在手上
02:29
I say I'm going to grab hold of my wrist
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說「我要握住我的手腕
02:31
to make sure nothing goes up or down my sleeve,
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確定沒有東西進出我的袖口」
02:33
that is a lie.
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這是個謊言
02:35
The reason I'm holding onto my wrist
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我之所以握住手腕
02:37
is because that's actually the secret
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是因為這其實就是
02:39
of the illusion.
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造成錯覺的秘訣
02:41
In a moment when my hand moves from facing you
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就在我把拳頭從面向你們
02:43
to being away from you,
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轉成背向你們的時候
02:45
this finger right here, my index finger is just going to shift
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這邊這根食指會從這裡
02:47
from where it is, to a position
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移到那裡
02:50
pointing out like this.
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像這樣指向外頭
02:52
Nice one.
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夠妙吧？
02:54
Someone who didn't have a childhood is out there.
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在座可有人沒有渡過童年的？
02:57
(Laughter)
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（笑）
02:59
So, it goes like this, from here, right.
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那麼，食指從這兒移到那兒
03:01
And as I move around my finger shifts.
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我移動時就把手指轉到那兒
03:03
And we could talk about why this is deceptive,
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現在來談談為什麼這能用來騙人
03:05
why you don't notice there are only three fingers down here,
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為什麼大家沒注意到這下面只有三根指頭
03:08
because the mind, and the way it processes information,
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因為我們的腦袋處理資訊
03:10
it doesn't count, one, two, three. It groups them.
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並非「1, 2, 3」這樣細數，而是攏在一起看的
03:13
But that's not really what this is about. Right? And then I open my hand up.
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但真正的重點並不在此，對吧？
03:15
Obviously it's clinging there, not by animal magnetism,
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然後我打開拳頭，刀子顯然被按在手心，不是被生物磁吸住
03:19
but by chicanery,
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我這是騙人的
03:21
my index finger being there.
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我的食指按在這裡
03:24
And then when I close my finger, same thing,
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當我再握拳時，同樣地
03:26
as I move back, this motion
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我這移回去時就是在
03:28
kind of covers the moving back of my finger.
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掩飾把手指移回去的動作
03:30
I take this hand away. You give the knife out.
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我把這隻手拿開，你把刀拿走
03:32
There is a trick you can do for your friends and neighbors. Thanks.
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這個把戲你可以表演給你的朋友或鄰居看。謝謝。
03:36
Now, (Laughter)
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那麼（笑）
03:38
what does that have to do with the placebo effect?
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這跟安慰劑效應有什麼關係？
03:41
I read a study a year or so ago
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我大概一年前讀到一個研究
03:44
that really blew my mind wide open.
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讓我大大開竅
03:47
I'm not a doctor or a researcher, so this, to me,
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我不是醫生或研究者
03:49
was an astonishing thing.
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所以這事兒令我大為訝異
03:51
It turns out that if you administer
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研究說，如果服用的安慰劑
03:53
a placebo in the form of a white pill,
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是白色的藥錠
03:55
that's like aspirin shaped --
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像阿斯匹靈那種形狀
03:58
it's just a round white pill -- it has some certain measurable effect.
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不過一顆白色的丸子就能產生某種可度量的效應
04:01
But if you change the form that you give the placebo in,
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但如果改變這顆安慰劑的形狀
04:04
like you make a smaller pill,
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像是把安慰劑做得小一點
04:06
and color it blue, and stamp a letter into it,
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顏色改成藍色，打個字母上去
04:09
it is actually measurably more effective.
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其可度量的效應就會變得更明顯
04:12
Even though neither one of these things
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即使這兩種的哪一種
04:14
has any pharmaceutical -- they're sugar pills.
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都不含藥物－都是糖丸子罷了
04:17
But a white pill is not as good as a blue pill.
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可是白的那顆不如藍的那顆好
04:21
What? (Laughter) That really flipped me out.
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有這樣的事？（笑）這讓我抓狂了
04:24
Turns out though, that that's not even where it stops.
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研究還說，事情不只如此
04:26
If you have capsules,
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用膠囊的效應比任何形狀的錠劑
04:29
they're more effective than tablets in any form.
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還更顯著
04:31
A colored capsule, that's yellow on one end and red on the other
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有顏色的膠囊，一端黃的一端紅的
04:34
is better than a white capsule.
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比白色的膠囊更有效
04:36
Dosage has something to do with this.
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劑量也有關係
04:38
One pill twice a day
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一天兩顆
04:40
is not as good at three pills --
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不比一天三顆有效
04:43
I don't remember the statistic now. Sorry.
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記不得統計數字了，抱歉
04:45
But the point is ...
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不過，重點是：
04:47
(Laughter) ... these dosages have something to do with it.
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（笑）劑量有關係
04:49
And the form has something to do with it.
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形狀也有關係
04:51
And if you want the ultimate in placebo,
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那麼要讓安慰劑效果達到極限
04:54
you've go to the needle.
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你得試試針劑
04:57
Right? A syringe with some inert --
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對吧？針筒裡裝某些無害的物質
04:59
a couple CCs of some inert something,
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大概幾毫升的無害物
05:01
and you inject this into a patient ...
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注射到病患體內
05:03
Well this is such a powerful image in their mind,
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這對病患會產生強大的意象
05:05
it's so much stronger than the white pill.
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呃，比白色丸子有效多了
05:07
It's a really, this graph, well I'll show it to you
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這真是！有一張圖，呃，我再秀給大家看
05:10
some other time when we have slides.
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－有投影片的時候
05:12
The point is
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重點是
05:14
the white pill is not as good as the blue pill
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白色丸子不如藍色丸子
05:17
is not as good as the capsule is not as good as the needle.
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也不如膠囊，更不如針劑...
05:20
And none of it has any real pharmaceutical quality,
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而這些東西實際上都不含藥物
05:23
it's only your belief that makes it real
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不過是你的信念在你的身體裡
05:27
in your body and makes a stronger effect.
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讓藥效成真，還產生更強的效應
05:30
I wanted to see if I could take that idea
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我想試試能不能把這個點子
05:32
and apply it to a magic trick.
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用在魔術手法上
05:34
And take something that is obviously a fake trick
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讓某個明顯是造假的把戲
05:38
and make it seem real.
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看起來像是真的
05:43
And we know from that study
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我們從那個研究得知
05:46
that when you want reality, you go to the needle.
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如果要達到真實的效果，那就用針
05:50
This is a seven-inch hatpin. It's very, very sharp,
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這是七吋長的帽針，非常非常尖銳
05:54
and I'm going to just sterilize it a tiny bit.
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我先來把他稍微消毒一下
06:01
This is really my flesh. This is not
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這真的是我的肉喔！不是
06:03
Damian's special-grown flesh.
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Damian Marley那種特別的老肉
06:05
That's my skin right there. This is not a Hollywood special effect.
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我的皮膚在這裡，不是好萊塢的特效
06:10
I'm going to pierce my skin
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我要來刺穿我的皮膚
06:12
and run this needle through to the other side.
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還要讓針穿到另一邊
06:14
If you're queasy -- (Laughs)
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要是你會反胃（笑）
06:17
if you faint easily -- I was doing this for some friends
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要是你容易暈倒－昨晚在旅館房裡
06:19
in the hotel room last night, and some people that I didn't know,
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表演這個給一些朋友看，有些我不認識的人
06:22
and one woman almost passed out.
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結果有位女士幾乎昏倒
06:24
So, I suggest if you get queasy easy
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所以我建議，如果你容易反胃
06:27
that you look away for about the next 30 --
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接下來30秒請看別的地方...
06:29
in fact, you know what, I'll do the first bad part behind it.
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好吧，那我手臂朝內進行
06:31
You'll get to see, you can look away too if you'd like to.
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最糟糕的部分，大家還看得見，要不然看別的地方也行
06:35
So, here is what happens, right here,
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嗯，過程在這兒
06:37
the beginning of my flesh
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我從我的手臂
06:39
at the lower part of my arm I just make
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偏下方的肉開始
06:41
a little pierce.
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鑽一個小洞
06:43
I'm sorry, man. Am I freaking you out?
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抱歉，各位，嚇到你們了嗎？
06:45
OK, and then just through my skin a tiny bit,
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然後呢，稍微刺進一點我的皮膚
06:49
and then out the other side like this.
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然後從我的手臂另一邊刺出來
06:52
Now, essentially we're in the same position we were in
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嗯，這個位置基本上和先前表演
06:56
with the knife trick.
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小刀魔術的位置相同
06:58
(Laughter)
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（笑）
07:02
Sort of.
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可以這麼說
07:04
But you can't count my fingers right now can you?
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但各位現在無法數我的指頭吧？
07:07
So, let me show them to you. That's one, two
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那我就讓大家看看
07:09
three, four, five.
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這兒有1, 2,3, 4, 5根
07:12
Yes, well...
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呃，這樣對吧...
07:15
I know what people think when they see this.
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我知道看這的時候會想什麼
07:17
They go, "Well, he's certainly not dumb enough
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觀眾會想：「呃，這傢伙當然
07:19
to stab himself through the skin to entertain us for a few minutes.
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不會笨到刺穿皮膚來取悅我們幾分鐘吧？」
07:22
So, let me give you a little peek.
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所以讓你們稍稍看一下。
07:25
How's that look out there? Pretty good.
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這樣看起來怎樣？不錯吧！
07:27
(Laughs)
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（笑）
07:30
Yeah, I know. (Laughs)
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是的，我知道。（笑）
07:33
And the people in the back go, "OK, I didn't really see that."
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坐後面的想：「好吧！其實我沒看清楚」
07:35
People in the satellite room are starting to move in now.
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隔壁小廳的現在開始進來了
07:38
Let me give you good close look at this.
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讓你們看個仔細
07:40
That really is my skin. That is not a Hollywood special effect.
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這真的是我的皮膚，不是好萊塢特效
07:43
That's my flesh, and I can twist that around.
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這是我的肉，我可以這樣轉動長針
07:46
I'm sorry. If you're getting queasy, look away,
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抱歉，如果開始反胃了
07:48
don't look at the thing.
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請看別的地方，不要看它
07:50
People in the back or people on video years from now watching this
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坐後面的人或數年後
07:52
will go, "Well yeah, that looks kind of neat
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看錄影的人會想：「是啊！看來很俐落
07:55
in some sort of effect there, but if it were real he would be --
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效果不錯，但如果是真的，那他...看這兒
07:58
see there's a hole there and a hole there, if it were real he would be bleeding.
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有個洞，那兒也有...如果是真的，那他應該會流血」
08:01
Well let me work up some blood for you.
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好吧，我來弄點血給大家看。
08:04
(Laughter)
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（笑）
08:09
Yes, there it is.
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是的，血在這裡！
08:11
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
08:27
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
08:30
Normally now, I would take the needle out.
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通常呢，我現在會把針拿出來
08:33
I would clean off my arm, and I would show you that there are no wounds.
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手臂清乾淨，讓大家看我的手臂上並沒有洞
08:36
But I think in this context
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不過現在這個情境裡，我想
08:39
and with the idea of taking something fake
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為了維持「把造假的事
08:41
and making it into something real,
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弄成像真的」那個想法
08:44
I'm just going to leave it there,
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我還是把針留在手臂上
08:46
and walk off the stage.
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就這樣離開舞台
08:48
(Laughter)
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（笑）
08:50
I will be seeing you several times over the next few days.
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這幾天我還會與各位相遇幾次
08:53
I hope you're looking forward to that. Thank you very much.
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我希望大家同樣期待能再相見。謝謝大家。
08:56
(Laughter)
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（笑）
08:58
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Eric Mead - MagicianEric Mead is a prolific magician, mentalist and comedian who worked his way up from doing magic on the street to appearing at exclusive events around the world.
Why you should listen
As a child, Eric Mead says that he had a typical interest in magic. However, by the time he was a teenager, his interest had grown to a full-fledged obsession -- he was getting paid to do birthday parties and banquets in his hometown. He began street performing in 1985 and four years later was offered a job as “Magic Bartender” at the Tower Comedy/Magic Bar owned by John Denver. Working at the bar, as well as private parties and comedy clubs, he became well-known in the industry and went on to perform one of the most memorable pieces in The Aristocrats.
Mead is also known as the author of Tangled Web, a collection of magic and mentalism taken from his personal repertoire.
Eric Mead | Speaker | TED.com