TED演讲之神奇奥秘 奥利弗·萨克斯:幻觉背后的心智(7)
Around 1970, it was found that there were not only parts of the brain, but particular cells.
1970年左右，人们发现特化的不是一块区域，而是相应的脑细胞。
“Face cells” were discovered around 1970. And now we know that there are hundreds of other sorts of cells, which can be very, very specific.
“脸细胞”是1970年左右发现的，至今，我们已经发现了数百种与各类视觉元素对应的脑细胞，这种对应关系可以非常琐细、明确。
So you may not only have “car” cells, you may have “Aston Martin” cells.
比如说 “车”细胞可能还有“阿斯顿·马丁(一种车)”细胞。
I saw an Aston Martin this morning. I had to bring it in. And now it’s in there somewhere.
今早我看到一辆阿斯顿·马丁，我一直想提提它，现在我的脑子里就有这种“阿斯顿·马丁”细胞 。
Now, at this level, in what’s called the inferotemporal cortex, there are only visual images, or figments or fragments.
那么，这一程度的幻觉，只会由这一整块可以称作下颞叶皮质的区域形成视觉影像、幻象，或片段。
It’s only at higher levels that the other senses join in and there are connections with memory and emotion.
只有更高程度的幻觉才会有视觉以外的感官参与，同时牵涉到记忆与情感。
And in the Charles Bonnet syndrome, you don’t go to those higher levels.
在邦纳症候群中，更高程度的幻觉并不会出现。
You’re in these levels of inferior visual cortex where you have thousands and tens of thousands and millions of images,
牵涉到初级视觉皮质的幻觉有上百上千，甚至更多的图像、幻象，
or figments, or fragmentary figments, all neurally encoded in particular cells or small clusters of cells.
或残缺幻象，这些都被编译在特定的脑细胞或脑细胞簇中。
Normally these are all part of the integrated stream of perception, or imagination, and one is not conscious of them.
这些细胞通常参与形成感知和想象，人们通常是无法意识到这一过程的。
It is only if one is visually impaired or blind that the process is interrupted.
只有当你的视力受损或丧失，这一过程才会被干扰。
And instead of getting normal perception, you’re getting an anarchic, convulsive stimulation, or release, of all of these visual cells in the inferotemporal cortex.
在这种情况下，你的感知不再正常，一种不受控的、痉挛的释放活动，发生在位于初级视觉皮质的这些视觉脑细胞中，这种活动的结果就是，
So, suddenly you see a face. Suddenly you see a car. Suddenly this, and suddenly that.
你突然看到一张脸，转瞬看到一辆车，突然这，突然那。
The mind does its best to organize and to give some sort of coherence to this, but not terribly successfully.
大脑会尝试控制场面，尝试使这一切符合逻辑，但不会很成功。
When these were first described, it was thought that they could be interpreted like dreams.
这些现象最初被描述时，人们相信，跟梦一样，这种幻觉也能被强行中止。
But in fact people say, “I don’t recognize the people. I can’t form any associations.”
不过实际上患者表示 “我认不出来谁是谁。完全没办法想到任何信息。”
“Kermit means nothing to me.” You don’t get anywhere thinking of them as dreams.
“青蛙柯密特对我来说一点意义都没有啊。” 把这种现象视作梦的一种是行不通的。
Well, I’ve more or less said what I wanted. I think I just want to recapitulate and say this is common.
唔，我应该说得差不多了，我再概括一下，其实帮纳症候群是个常见现象。
Think of the number of blind people. There must be hundreds of thousands of blind people who have these hallucinations, but are too scared to mention them.
你们想，在盲人人群中，肯定有上百上千有这样的幻觉，然而却不敢提起。
So this sort of thing needs to be brought into notice, for patients, for doctors, for the public.
所以不管是病人，医生还是公众，都有必要认识到这一现象的常见性。
Finally, I think they are infinitely interesting and valuable, for giving one some insight as to how the brain works.
最后，我发现帮助别人认识大脑作用的原理是一件无比有趣而有意义的事情。
演讲简介：
奥利弗·萨克斯是一位神经学家和作家。他将带我们认识邦纳症候群，也就是视力受损的人产生鲜明幻觉。他用温馨的细节描述了病人的经历，并以这样的叙述让我们了解这种鲜少被报道的现象背后的生理原理。