The art of misdirection

TED简介：阿波罗·罗宾被誉为世界上最伟大的扒手，他通过偷手表来了解人类的行为习惯。 通过一场生动有趣的演示，罗宾在TEDGlobal 2013现场随机选择参与者，向我们演示了认知中的瑕疵使得他能够在参与者毫不知情的情况下成功窃取钱包，并将其放在参与者肩上。

演讲者：Apollo Robbins阿波罗·罗宾

片长：08：45

公众号TED与纪录片里有MP3音频，可在路上听

中英对照翻译

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.

你们觉得人的注意力是可控制的吗？或者更进一步，人的行为可预知吗？如果可以的话，我觉得这些想法很有趣。对我来说，这些会是完美的超能力，只不过是有点邪恶罢了。过去20年，我一直在用一种非传统的方式观察人类行为：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.

提到错误引导，我们总觉得是将注意力放在事物的其他方面，但实际上，往往在我们眼前的事情是最难被发现的，那些你天天看到的东西反而是你的盲点。

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.

举个例子，现场有多少人身上带了手机？很好，再检查一遍，确保手机还在身上，因为我刚才在场下转了转。你今天估计已经看过好几次手机了，但我接下来要问你们一个问题。

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?

不要看你的手机，你能记得屏幕右下角是什么图标吗？现在拿出手机，看一下，你猜对了吗？怎么样？猜对的请举手。

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，请放下手机。每一部手机都有一个共同点，那就是无论你如何整理图标，你的首页都会显示时间。那么，不看手机，现在几点了？你们之前刚刚看了时间，不是吗？非常有意思。接下来，我们把这个游戏更进一步。闭上眼睛。 我意识到我刚才告诉你们我是个小偷， 现在却要让你们闭眼睛，但还是请闭上。

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?

到目前为止，你们观察我已经至少有30秒了。请告诉我，我穿的什么衣服？尽力想。我的衬衫是什么颜色？领带是什么颜色？现在请睁开眼睛。如果你猜对了，请举手。

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.

很有趣对不对？有些人的感知能力比其他人要强一些，至少看起来是这样。关于这种注意力模式，我有另外一种解释。注意力模式的理论有很多，比如波斯纳的三位一体注意力模式。我喜欢把它想得简单一点，就像一个监视系统。就好像你有许许多多的感觉器官，在你的大脑内有一个小小保安人员。

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.

我先暂且把它称作弗兰克。弗兰克坐在桌子旁，他眼前有各种各样的信息，高科技装置、照相机，还有能接听讯息的手机，各种感觉和知觉。但是注意力是能引导你的认知的东西，它掌控你看到的现实，它是通往你的心灵的大门。如果你不注意某个东西，你就不会察觉到它。

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，你也会在自己不察觉的情况下注意到某个东西。这就是为什么会有鸡尾酒效应：所谓鸡尾酒效应，是指当你在一个派对上专心与某人交谈时，却能立马听到你的名字，而你都没有意识到自己在听那个另外的对话。

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这个效应，玩弄你们有限的注意力。来看看我能不能控制你支配自己的注意力的方式，看看我能不能通过干扰来窃取你的注意力。现在，与其进行错误引导并将其转移到其他方面，我选择的是专注于弗兰克，与你脑中的弗兰克，也就是那个小保安，游戏一场，让你暂时不专注于外部感知，而是专注于内部感知。

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.

如果我让你读取一段记忆，比如：这是什么？刚才发生了什么？你有钱包吗？你钱包里有运通卡（信用卡）吗？当我问这些问题的时候，弗兰克转过身去，他去找资料，他必须倒带。但有趣的是，他在处理新信息的时候不能进行倒带这一任务。

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.

这听起来是个挺棒的理论，我可以讲很久，告诉你们很多东西，它们中有一些可能是真的，但是我认为当场演示效果会更好。所以如果我走下台，我又要逛一下了。请保持原地不动。

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，见到你很高兴。你在台上的演讲很棒。你的手表不错，但有点不好取。你有戒指吗？很好，只是清点一下。你们简直就像丰盛的自助餐厅，不知道从儿哪开始啊，这么多好东西。

Hi, how are you? Good to see you.

你好，很高兴见到你。

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，能麻烦你站起来一下吗？站在原地就好。哦，你结婚了，不错。很高兴见到你，先生。你的口袋里似乎没什么东西，下面口袋还有什么吗？希望有吧，请坐。谢谢！

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！很高兴见到你，你戴了戒指，还有手表。您身上有钱包吗？乔：没有。

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.

罗宾：很好，待会儿我找一个给你。请往这边走，乔。请为乔鼓掌。乔，请上台，让我们玩个游戏。

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。我觉得我不需要这个遥控器了，给你吧。谢谢，非常感谢！请上台，乔。我们玩个游戏吧！你前面的裤袋里有什么东西吗？

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?

乔：现金。罗宾：现金，很好，让我们试试。你能站到这边来吗？请转过来。嗯，如果我把我的东西给你，我有一枚扑克筹码，把你的手拿出来，看好了。现在需要你专注地做一件事。你前面裤袋里有现金，对吗？

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.

乔：是的。

罗宾：很好，我可没打算把手伸到你口袋里，我还没准备好心理准备。之前有一次碰到一个人，他的口袋里有个洞，那次经历给我留下了巨大的心理阴影。我本来是在找他的钱包，结果他给了我他的电话号码。真是个巨大的误会。

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.

我们开始吧，请握紧你的手。紧紧地握着，能感觉到手中的筹码吗？

乔：能。

罗宾：如果我能将它从你手中取出，你会惊讶吗？请说“会”。

乔：我会非常惊讶。罗宾：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.

张开手谢谢！ 如果你稍有疏忽，我是会作弊的。现在给我加大点难度。用你的手抓住我的手腕，死死地抓紧。你看到筹码溜走了吗？乔：没有。

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.

罗宾：没有，但它不在这，张开手。看到了吧，当我们专注于手的时候，它其实已经落到了你的肩膀上。请将它取下。现在，让我们再来一遍。把手张开，张到最大。请稍微抬起一点，但是要紧紧看着它看，如果我动作慢一点，它还是会回到你肩膀上。

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?

乔，我们可以一直这样做，直到你抓住它为止。你最终会抓住它的，我相信你。抓紧了。作为人类，你动作敏捷。它又回到你肩膀上了。刚才你一直专注于你的手，所以你的注意力转移了。当你专注手的时候，我不能取下你的手表，太难了。但是你前方口袋里还有东西，你还记得里面装着什么吗？

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?

乔：现金

罗宾：检查下你的口袋，看看现金还在不在，还在吗？（笑声）哦，它在这儿呢，请将它放回去。我们只是到处看看。这个游戏更多的是对时间的把握。我接下来会把它放在你手里。能把你的另一只手放在上面吗？这一切出乎意料的显而易见，不是吗？这很像我现在带着的手表，对吗？

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

乔：这太神奇了。罗宾：谢谢！

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.

这仅仅是个开始。我们再来一次，但这次有点不同。把你的手放在一起，把另一只手放在上面，当你在注视这枚筹码的时候，这就成了一个小目标，就像是红色的鲱鱼。如果我们认真盯着它，好像它已经溜走了。这次它不在你肩膀上，它从空中掉下来，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

看清楚了吗？嗯，是很有趣。上面有个人，跟我一伙儿的，整天干这事儿。如果我做得慢点，它马上就溜走了，这次它降落在你的口袋里了。在你的口袋里吗？ 别，别把手伸进口袋，那是另外一个节目。

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.

这是有点儿奇怪，可以打针。我能给大家展示一下这个吗？真奇怪。先生，请问这是你的吗？ 我不知道这是怎么回事。我们把它放那儿就好了。

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，我这儿需要一点帮助。请站到这边来。请别跑，你裤子口袋里还有点儿东西。我在找，可是怎么也找不到，但我注意到你那儿似乎有点东西。我能摸一下你的口袋外面吗？我发现了这玩意儿。先生，请问这是你的吗？是吗？我完全不知道是怎么回事，那是一只虾。

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.

乔：嗯，这是我为晚点时间准备的。

罗宾：你给在场所有人带来了欢乐，比你想象的还要好。所以我想把这块手表送给你以示感谢（笑声），希望它合你口味。此外，我还有其他礼物要送给你，一点现金，还有点其他东西，这些都是你的，还有来自现场朋友的热烈掌声。

Joe, thank you very much.

乔：谢谢。

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

那么，我想再问一遍最开始的问题，但这次不需要你们闭上眼睛，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?

注意力是非常强大的东西。正如我之前所说的，它决定了你的现实世界。所以，我想问大家一个问题，如果你能控制一个人的注意力， 你会用它做什么？

Thank you.(Applause)

谢谢（掌声）