The art of misdirection

TED簡介：阿波羅·羅賓被譽為世界上最偉大的扒手，他通過偷手表來了解人類的行為習慣。 通過一場生動有趣的演示，羅賓在TEDGlobal 2013現場隨機選擇參與者，向我們演示了認知中的瑕疵使得他能夠在參與者毫不知情的情況下成功竊取錢包，并將其放在參與者肩上。

演講者：Apollo Robbins阿波羅·羅賓

片長：08：45

公眾號TED與紀錄片里有MP3音頻，可在路上聽

中英對照翻譯

Do you think it's possible to control someone's attention??Even more than that, what about predicting human behavior??I think those are interesting ideas.?For me, that would be the perfect superpower,actually kind of an evil way of approaching it.?But for myself, in the past, I've spent the last 20 yearsstudying human behavior from a rather unorthodox way:?picking pockets.

你們覺得人的注意力是可控制的嗎？或者更進一步，人的行為可預知嗎？如果可以的話，我覺得這些想法很有趣。對我來說，這些會是完美的超能力，只不過是有點邪惡罷了。過去20年，我一直在用一種非傳統的方式觀察人類行為：小偷小摸。

When we think of misdirection,we think of something as looking off to the side,?when actually the things right in front of us?are often the hardest to see,?the things that you look at every day that you're blinded to.

提到錯誤引導，我們總覺得是將注意力放在事物的其他方面，但實際上，往往在我們眼前的事情是最難被發現的，那些你天天看到的東西反而是你的盲點。

For example, how many of you still have your cell phones on you right now??Great. Double-check.?Make sure you still have them.?I was doing some shopping before.You've looked at them a few times today,?but I'll ask you a question.

舉個例子，現場有多少人身上帶了手機？很好，再檢查一遍，確保手機還在身上，因為我剛才在場下轉了轉。你今天估計已經看過好幾次手機了，但我接下來要問你們一個問題。

Without looking at it directly yet,?can you remember the icon in the bottom right corner??Bring them out, check and see how accurate you were.?How'd you do??Show of hands. Did we get it?

不要看你的手機，你能記得屏幕右下角是什么圖標嗎？現在拿出手機，看一下，你猜對了嗎？怎么樣？猜對的請舉手。

Now that you're done, close them down.?Every phone has something in common.?No matter how you organize the icons,?you still have a clock on the front.?So, without looking at your phone, what time was it??You just looked at your clock, right??Interesting idea.?Let's take that a step further with a game of trust.Close your eyes.?I realize I'm asking you to do that while you just heard?there's a pickpocket in the room, but close your eyes.

好了，請放下手機。每一部手機都有一個共同點，那就是無論你如何整理圖標，你的首頁都會顯示時間。那么，不看手機，現在幾點了？你們之前剛剛看了時間，不是嗎？非常有意思。接下來，我們把這個游戲更進一步。閉上眼睛。?我意識到我剛才告訴你們我是個小偷，?現在卻要讓你們閉眼睛，但還是請閉上。

Now, you've been watching me for about 30 seconds.?With your eyes closed, what am I wearing??Make your best guess.?What color is my shirt? What color is my tie??Now open your eyes.?Show of hands, were you right??Interesting, isn't it?

到目前為止，你們觀察我已經至少有30秒了。請告訴我，我穿的什么衣服？盡力想。我的襯衫是什么顏色？領帶是什么顏色？現在請睜開眼睛。如果你猜對了，請舉手。

Some of us are a little bit more perceptive than others, it seems.?But I have a different theory about that model of attention.?They have fancy models of attention, Posner's trinity model of attention.?For me, I like to think of it very simple, like a surveillance system.?It's kind of like you have all these fancy sensors,?and inside your brain is a little security guard.

很有趣對不對？有些人的感知能力比其他人要強一些，至少看起來是這樣。關于這種注意力模式，我有另外一種解釋。注意力模式的理論有很多，比如波斯納的三位一體注意力模式。我喜歡把它想得簡單一點，就像一個監視系統。就好像你有許許多多的感覺器官，在你的大腦內有一個小小保安人員。

For me, I like to call him Frank.?So Frank is sitting at a desk.He's got lots of cool information in front of him,?high-tech equipment, he's got cameras,?he's got a little phone that he can pick up, listen to the ears,?all these senses, all these perceptions.?But attention is what steers your perceptions,?it's what controls your reality.?It's the gateway to the mind.?If you don't attend to something, you can't be aware of it.

我先暫且把它稱作弗蘭克。弗蘭克坐在桌子旁，他眼前有各種各樣的信息，高科技裝置、照相機，還有能接聽訊息的手機，各種感覺和知覺。但是注意力是能引導你的認知的東西，它掌控你看到的現實，它是通往你的心靈的大門。如果你不注意某個東西，你就不會察覺到它。

But ironically, you can attend to something without being aware of it.For example, the cocktail effect:?You're in a party, having conversations with someone,?and yet you can recognize your name?without realizing you were listening to that.

有意思的是，你也會在自己不察覺的情況下注意到某個東西。這就是為什么會有雞尾酒效應：所謂雞尾酒效應，是指當你在一個派對上專心與某人交談時，卻能立馬聽到你的名字，而你都沒有意識到自己在聽那個另外的對話。

Now, for my job, I have to play with techniques to exploit this,?to play with your attention as a limited resource.?So if I could control how you spend your attention,?if I could maybe steal your attention through a distraction.?Now, instead of doing it like misdirection?and throwing it off to the side,?instead, what I choose to focus on is Frank,?to be able to play with the Frank inside your head,?your security guard,?and get you, instead of focusing on your external senses,?just to go internal for a second.

我的工作就是充分利用這個效應，玩弄你們有限的注意力。來看看我能不能控制你支配自己的注意力的方式，看看我能不能通過干擾來竊取你的注意力。現在，與其進行錯誤引導并將其轉移到其他方面，我選擇的是專注于弗蘭克，與你腦中的弗蘭克，也就是那個小保安，游戲一場，讓你暫時不專注于外部感知，而是專注于內部感知。

So if I ask you to access a memory, like, what is that??What just happened? Do you have a wallet??Do you have an American Express in your wallet??And when I do that, your Frank turns around.?He accesses the file. He has to rewind the tape.?What's interesting is, he can't rewind the tape?at the same time that he's trying to process new data.

如果我讓你讀取一段記憶，比如：這是什么？剛才發生了什么？你有錢包嗎？你錢包里有運通卡（信用卡）嗎？當我問這些問題的時候，弗蘭克轉過身去，他去找資料，他必須倒帶。但有趣的是，他在處理新信息的時候不能進行倒帶這一任務。

This sounds like a good theory,?but I could talk for a long time, tell you lots of things,?and a portion of them may be true,?but I think it's better if I tried to show that to you here live.?If I come down, I'm going to do a bit of shopping.?Just hold still where you are.

這聽起來是個挺棒的理論，我可以講很久，告訴你們很多東西，它們中有一些可能是真的，但是我認為當場演示效果會更好。所以如果我走下臺，我又要逛一下了。請保持原地不動。

Hello, how are you? It's lovely to see you.?Wonderful job onstage.?Lovely watch, it doesn't come off very well.?Do you have a ring as well??Good. Just taking inventory. You're like a buffet.?Hard to tell where to start, so many great things.

你好，見到你很高興。你在臺上的演講很棒。你的手表不錯，但有點不好取。你有戒指嗎？很好，只是清點一下。你們簡直就像豐盛的自助餐廳，不知道從兒哪開始啊，這么多好東西。

Hi, how are you? Good to see you.

你好，很高興見到你。

Hi, sir, could you stand up, please? Just right where you are.?You're married, you follow directions well.Nice to meet you, sir.?You don't have a lot in your pockets. Anything down here??Hopefully so. Have a seat. There you go. You're doing well.

先生你好，能麻煩你站起來一下嗎？站在原地就好。哦，你結婚了，不錯。很高興見到你，先生。你的口袋里似乎沒什么東西，下面口袋還有什么嗎？希望有吧，請坐。謝謝！

Hi, sir, how are you??Good to see you, sir. You have a ring, a watch.?Do you have a wallet on you? Joe: I don't.

先生你好！很高興見到你，你戴了戒指，還有手表。您身上有錢包嗎？喬：沒有。

AR: Well, we'll find one for you. Come on up this way, Joe.?Give Joe a round of applause. Come on up, Joe. Let's play a game.

羅賓：很好，待會兒我找一個給你。請往這邊走，喬。請為喬鼓掌。喬，請上臺，讓我們玩個游戲。

AR: Pardon me.?I don't think I need this clicker anymore.?Thank you very much. I appreciate that.?Come on up to the stage, Joe. Let's play a little game now.?Anything in your front pockets?

不好意思。我覺得我不需要這個遙控器了，給你吧。謝謝，非常感謝！請上臺，喬。我們玩個游戲吧！你前面的褲袋里有什么東西嗎？

J: Money.

AR: Money! All right, let's try that.?Can you stand right over this way for me??Turn around and, let's see,?if I give you something that belongs to me,?this is just something I have,?a poker chip.?Hold out your hand for me.?Watch it closely.?This is a task for you to focus on.?You have your money in your front pocket?

喬：現金。羅賓：現金，很好，讓我們試試。你能站到這邊來嗎？請轉過來。嗯，如果我把我的東西給你，我有一枚撲克籌碼，把你的手拿出來，看好了。現在需要你專注地做一件事。你前面褲袋里有現金，對嗎？

J: Yup. AR: Good.I won't put my hand in your pocket. I'm not ready for that kind of commitment.?Once a guy had a hole in his pocket,?and that was rather traumatizing for me.?I wanted his wallet, he gave me his number.?Big miscommunication.

喬：是的。

羅賓：很好，我可沒打算把手伸到你口袋里，我還沒準備好心理準備。之前有一次碰到一個人，他的口袋里有個洞，那次經歷給我留下了巨大的心理陰影。我本來是在找他的錢包，結果他給了我他的電話號碼。真是個巨大的誤會。

Let's do this simply. Squeeze your hand tight.?Do you feel the poker chip in your hand?

J: I do.

AR: Would you be surprised if I took it? Say yes.

J: Very. AR: Good.

我們開始吧，請握緊你的手。緊緊地握著，能感覺到手中的籌碼嗎？

喬：能。

羅賓：如果我能將它從你手中取出，你會驚訝嗎？請說“會”。

喬：我會非常驚訝。羅賓：很好。

Open your hand. Thank you very much.?I'll cheat if you give me a chance.?Make it harder for me. Just use your hand.?Grab my wrist, but squeeze, squeeze firm.?Did you see it go?

Joe: No.

張開手謝謝！?如果你稍有疏忽，我是會作弊的。現在給我加大點難度。用你的手抓住我的手腕，死死地抓緊。你看到籌碼溜走了嗎？喬：沒有。

AR: No, it's not here. Open your hand.?While we're focused on the hand, it's sitting on your shoulder.?Go ahead and take it off.?Now, let's try that again.?Hold your hand out flat. Open it up.?Put your hand up a little bit higher, but watch it close.?If I did it slowly, it'd be on your shoulder.

羅賓：沒有，但它不在這，張開手。看到了吧，當我們專注于手的時候，它其實已經落到了你的肩膀上。請將它取下。現在，讓我們再來一遍。把手張開，張到最大。請稍微抬起一點，但是要緊緊看著它看，如果我動作慢一點，它還是會回到你肩膀上。

Joe, we're going to keep doing this till you catch it.?You'll get it eventually. I have faith in you.?Squeeze firm. You're human, you're not slow.?It's back on your shoulder.?You were focused on your hand, distracted.?While you were watching, I couldn't get your watch off.?Yet you had something inside your pocket.?Do you remember what it was?

喬，我們可以一直這樣做，直到你抓住它為止。你最終會抓住它的，我相信你。抓緊了。作為人類，你動作敏捷。它又回到你肩膀上了。剛才你一直專注于你的手，所以你的注意力轉移了。當你專注手的時候，我不能取下你的手表，太難了。但是你前方口袋里還有東西，你還記得里面裝著什么嗎？

J: Money.

AR: Check your pocket. Is it still there?Oh, there it was. Put it away.?We're just shopping.?This trick's more about the timing.?I'm going to try to push it inside your hand.?Put your other hand on top, would you??It's amazingly obvious now, isn't it?Looks a lot like the watch I was wearing, doesn't it?

喬：現金

羅賓：檢查下你的口袋，看看現金還在不在，還在嗎？（笑聲）哦，它在這兒呢，請將它放回去。我們只是到處看看。這個游戲更多的是對時間的把握。我接下來會把它放在你手里。能把你的另一只手放在上面嗎？這一切出乎意料的顯而易見，不是嗎？這很像我現在帶著的手表，對嗎？

J: That's pretty good. AR: Oh, thanks.

喬：這太神奇了。羅賓：謝謝！

But it's only a start. Let's try it a little bit differently.?Hold your hands together. Your other hand on top.?If you're watching this little token,?this obviously has become a little target, like a red herring.?If we watch this kind of close, it looks like it goes away.?It's not back on your shoulder.?It falls out of the air, lands right back in the hand.

這僅僅是個開始。我們再來一次，但這次有點不同。把你的手放在一起，把另一只手放在上面，當你在注視這枚籌碼的時候，這就成了一個小目標，就像是紅色的鯡魚。如果我們認真盯著它，好像它已經溜走了。這次它不在你肩膀上，它從空中掉下來，落在了手上。

Did you see it go??Yeah, funny. We've got a little guy. He's union, works up there all day.?If I do it slowly it goes straight away, it lands by your pocket.?Is it in this pocket, sir??Don't reach in your pocket. That's a different show

看清楚了嗎？嗯，是很有趣。上面有個人，跟我一伙兒的，整天干這事兒。如果我做得慢點，它馬上就溜走了，這次它降落在你的口袋里了。在你的口袋里嗎？?別，別把手伸進口袋，那是另外一個節目。

That's rather strange. They have shots for that.?Can I show them? Rather bizarre. Is this yours, sir??I have no idea how that works. We'll send that over there.

這是有點兒奇怪，可以打針。我能給大家展示一下這個嗎？真奇怪。先生，請問這是你的嗎？?我不知道這是怎么回事。我們把它放那兒就好了。

I need help with this one.?Step over this way for me.?Don't run away. You had something down by your pants pocket.?I was checking mine. I couldn't find everything,?but I noticed you had something here.?Can I feel the outside for a moment??Down here I noticed this. Is this something of yours, sir??I have no idea. That's a shrimp.

很好，我這兒需要一點幫助。請站到這邊來。請別跑，你褲子口袋里還有點兒東西。我在找，可是怎么也找不到，但我注意到你那兒似乎有點東西。我能摸一下你的口袋外面嗎？我發現了這玩意兒。先生，請問這是你的嗎？是嗎？我完全不知道是怎么回事，那是一只蝦。

J: Yeah. I'm saving it for later.

AR: You've entertained all of these people in a wonderful way,?better than you know.?So we'd love to give you this lovely watch as a gift.Hopefully it matches his taste.?We have a couple of other things,?a little bit of cash.?And we have a few other things,?these all belong to you,?along with a big round of applause from all your friends.

喬：嗯，這是我為晚點時間準備的。

羅賓：你給在場所有人帶來了歡樂，比你想象的還要好。所以我想把這塊手表送給你以示感謝（笑聲），希望它合你口味。此外，我還有其他禮物要送給你，一點現金，還有點其他東西，這些都是你的，還有來自現場朋友的熱烈掌聲。

Joe, thank you very much.

喬：謝謝。

So, same question I asked you before,?but this time you don't have to close your eyes.?What am I wearing?

那么，我想再問一遍最開始的問題，但這次不需要你們閉上眼睛，我今天穿了什么？

Audience: Oh!

Attention is a powerful thing.?Like I said, it shapes your reality.?So, I guess I'd like to pose that question to you.?If you could control somebody's attention,?what would you do with it?

注意力是非常強大的東西。正如我之前所說的，它決定了你的現實世界。所以，我想問大家一個問題，如果你能控制一個人的注意力，?你會用它做什么？

Thank you.(Applause)

謝謝（掌聲）