纪录片《为何讲话》 第42期：创造语言

But the experiment doesn't end there.

但实验并未在这里结束

All the words produced by the first candidate

前一位候选人所创造的单词

are used to create the language for the next person in the experiment,

都作为下一位候选人创造语言时的参考

including the words they invented for the unfamiliar¹ fruit.

包括他们为陌生水果创造的那些单词

Each of these learners thinks

每个实验对象都认为

that they're giving us back the same thing that we trained them on,

自己是尽力将我们教他们的东西

as best they can,

原样交给我们

but in fact each of them,

但实际上随着时间推移

unconsciously, is changing that language,

原始语言一点点地被他们每个人

changing it piece by piece over time.

无意识地改变了

As it's passed through generations of users,

经过了一代代测试对象的改进

the language slowly turns from a random² chaotic³ one

测试的语言从最初的混乱无章

to one of structure with combinations that can be easily remembered.

慢慢地形成了容易记忆的语法结构

By the ninth generation, the words have been divided into parts

到了第九代 单词已被分为几部分

and each of these has a different meaning.

每部分都有其自身的含义

N, L and R describe the different colours.

N L R用来表示颜色

The middle of the word describes the number,

中间部分用来表示数量

and the end of the word like "plo" or "pilu"

而单词末尾比如"plo"和"pilu"

describes the type of fruit.

用来表示水果种类

1 unfamiliar   

adj.陌生的，不熟悉的

参考例句：

• I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
• The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。

2 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

3 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。