- 問題
- 解説
- 第1段落
- What are we trying to understand when we try to understand consciousness?
- Not only do philosophers have no agreed-upon definition of consciousness, some think that it can’t be defined at all, that you can understand conscious experiences only by having them.
- Such philosophers see consciousness as Louis Armstrong purportedly saw jazz: if you need to ask what it is, you’re never going to know.
- Indeed, the task of explaining consciousness to someone who professes not to know — and there are philosophers who do profess this — is much more challenging than that of explaining jazz to the uninitiated.
- If you don’t know what jazz is, you can at least listen to music that is classified as jazz and compare it to its precursor ragtime, its cousin the blues, and its alter ego classical music.
- Presumably, such an exercise will give you a sense of jazz.
- But with consciousness, there is nothing to compare it to, since when you are not conscious, you are not aware of anything.
- Furthermore, jazz has been highly theorized since Armstrong’s time, so a trip through the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts may very well provide some insight into the nature of jazz for those who do not know.
- 第2段落
- Nevertheless, there are written accounts of consciousness intended to provide a sense of what consciousness is for those who claim not to know.
- Consciousness, it is said, is the state you are in when you are awake or dreaming and what you lack when you are in a dreamless sleep, under anaesthesia, or in a coma.
- Yet for those who claim not to know what the word ‘consciousness’ means, such an explanation will fall flat.
- Which aspect of being awake illustrates consciousness?
- Without knowledge of the relevant difference between being awake and being in a dreamless sleep, it would be difficult to know.
- After all, when I’m awake, my brain activity is different from when I’m in a dreamless sleep, but if I had wanted to convey that consciousness is merely a certain form of brain activity, I could have done that directly.
- Of course, you may have understood the proffered explanation of consciousness, but I imagine that you understood what consciousness was before you read it.
- 第3段落
- Some of the very same philosophers who think that nothing can be said to enlighten those who claim to not know what consciousness is have found quite a bit to say about what it is to those who claim to already know.
- And much of their discussion centres on the idea that for you to be conscious there has to be something it is like to be you:
- while rocks have no inner experiences — or so most presume — and thus there is nothing it is like to be a rock, you know that there is something it is like to be you, something it is like to savour your morning coffee, to feel the soft fur of a kitten, to feel the sting when that adorable kitten scratches you.
- These experiences are conscious experiences; they have what philosophers refer to as ‘qualitative content’ or ‘qualia’; there is something it is like to have these experiences.
- And that there is something it is like to have the wealth of experiences we have is, according to various philosophers, what makes life worth living.
- To be sure, whether the meaning of life resides in inner experience or in outward actions aimed at making the world a better place is worth pondering.
- But in any event, it does seem that without consciousness, something significant about our lives would be missing.
- 第4段落
- The claim that to be conscious is for there to be ‘something it is like to be you’ can be described in terms of having a ‘point of view’, or a ‘perspective’.
- To have a point of view in this sense is simply to be the centre of conscious experience.
- Of course, to explain consciousness in terms of having a point of view and then to explain what it is to have a point of view in terms of being conscious is circular.
- Yet, on the assumption that we cannot explain consciousness in terms of something else (you’re not going to understand it, unless you have it), such a circle is to be expected — whether it is a virtuous or a vicious one, however, can be debated.
- 第1段落
問題
次の文章を読み, 下線をほどこした部分(1)~(3)を和訳しなさい。
What are we trying to understand when we try to understand consciousness? Not only do philosophers have no agreed-upon definition of consciousness, some think that it can’t be defined at all, that you can understand conscious experiences only by having them. (1)Such philosophers see consciousness as Louis Armstrong purportedly saw jazz: if you need to ask what it is, you’re never going to know. Indeed, the task of explaining consciousness to someone who professes not to know — and there are philosophers who do profess this — is much more challenging than that of explaining jazz to the uninitiated. If you don’t know what jazz is, you can at least listen to music that is classified as jazz and compare it to its precursor ragtime, its cousin the blues, and its alter ego classical music. Presumably, such an exercise will give you a sense of jazz. But with consciousness, there is nothing to compare it to, since when you are not conscious, you are not aware of anything. Furthermore, jazz has been highly theorized since Armstrong’s time, so a trip through the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts may very well provide some insight into the nature of jazz for those who do not know.
Nevertheless, there are written accounts of consciousness intended to provide a sense of what consciousness is for those who claim not to know. Consciousness, it is said, is the state you are in when you are awake or dreaming and what you lack when you are in a dreamless sleep, under anaesthesia*, or in a coma. Yet for those who claim not to know what the word ‘consciousness’ means, such an explanation will fall flat. Which aspect of being awake illustrates consciousness? Without knowledge of the relevant difference between being awake and being in a dreamless sleep, it would be difficult to know. After all, when I’m awake, my brain activity is different from when I’m in a dreamless sleep, but if I had wanted to convey that consciousness is merely a certain form of brain activity, I could have done that directly. Of course, you may have understood the proffered explanation of consciousness, but I imagine that you understood what consciousness was before you read it.
(2)Some of the very same philosophers who think that nothing can be said to enlighten those who claim to not know what consciousness is have found quite a bit to say about what it is to those who claim to already know. And much of their discussion centres on the idea that for you to be conscious there has to be something it is like to be you: while rocks have no inner experiences — or so most presume — and thus there is nothing it is like to be a rock, you know that there is something it is like to be you, something it is like to savour your morning coffee, to feel the soft fur of a kitten, to feel the sting when that adorable kitten scratches you. These experiences are conscious experiences; they have what philosophers refer to as ‘qualitative content’ or ‘qualia’; there is something it is like to have these experiences. And that there is something it is like to have the wealth of experiences we have is, according to various philosophers, what makes life worth living. To be sure, whether the meaning of life resides in inner experience or in outward actions aimed at making the world a better place is worth pondering. But in any event, it does seem that without consciousness, something significant about our lives would be missing.
(3)The claim that to be conscious is for there to be ‘something it is like to be you’ can be described in terms of having a ‘point of view’, or a ‘perspective’. To have a point of view in this sense is simply to be the centre of conscious experience. Of course, to explain consciousness in terms of having a point of view and then to explain what it is to have a point of view in terms of being conscious is circular. Yet, on the assumption that we cannot explain consciousness in terms of something else (you’re not going to understand it, unless you have it), such a circle is to be expected — whether it is a virtuous or a vicious one, however, can be debated.
*anaesthesia 麻酔
解説
第1段落
What are we trying to understand when we try to understand consciousness?
What are we trying to understand when we try to understand consciousness?
私たちが意識を理解しようとするときに, 私たちは何を理解しようとしているのか?
意識について理解しようとしているとき, 本当は何について理解しようとしているのか?
Not only do philosophers have no agreed-upon definition of consciousness, some think that it can’t be defined at all, that you can understand conscious experiences only by having them.
Not only do philosophers have no agreed-upon definition of consciousness, some think that it can’t be defined at all, that you can understand conscious experiences only by having them.
哲学者が意識の無の同意された定義を持つだけでなく, いくつかはそれは全く定義されることができないということ, つまり, あなたはそれらを持つことによってのみ意識的な経験を理解できるということを考える。
哲学者の間でさえ意識の定義が定まっていないだけでなく, そもそも定義することができず, 意識的な経験をすることによってのみ理解することができると考える人もいる。
Such philosophers see consciousness as Louis Armstrong purportedly saw jazz: if you need to ask what it is, you’re never going to know.
- このasは, 後ろに文の形があるので, 接続詞のas。see A as Bのasと間違えやすいので注意。
- purportedlyは文脈からの予測が難しいので訳せなくてもよい。副詞なので無視しても意味は通るはず。
Such philosophers see consciousness as Louis Armstrong purportedly saw jazz: if you need to ask what it is, you’re never going to know.
そのような哲学者は, Louis Armstorongがpurportedlyにジャズを見たように, 意識を見る。もしあなたがそれが何かを尋ねる必要があるならば, あなたは決して知るつもりではない。
そのような哲学者は, ルイ・アームストロングがジャズをみなしていたとされるのと同じような方法で, 意識をみなしている。つまり, それが何かと聞いている時点で, 決して理解できないだろう, ということである。
Indeed, the task of explaining consciousness to someone who professes not to know — and there are philosophers who do profess this — is much more challenging than that of explaining jazz to the uninitiated.
- professは難しめの単語だが, confessとの類似性から十分予測できる。
- uninitiatedは, initial「最初の」→initiate「始める」→uninitiate「始めない」→uninitiated「初心者の」のように派生語から類推できるが, 英文の対比構造をよく見れば, 知らなくても訳せる。
Indeed, the task of explaining consciousness to someone who professes not to know — and there are philosophers who do profess this — is much more challenging than that of explaining jazz to the uninitiated.
確かに, 知らないとprofessするような誰かに対して意識を説明することのタスクは, そしてこれを実際にprofessするような哲学者は存在する, uninitiatedに対してジャズを説明することのあれよりもずっとよりチャレンジングだ。
実際, 意識についてよく分からないという人々に意識について説明することは, ジャズについてよく分からないという人々にジャズについて説明することよりも, ずっと困難である。そして, 自分も意識についてよく理解していないと正直に述べている哲学者も, 実際に存在している。
If you don’t know what jazz is, you can at least listen to music that is classified as jazz and compare it to its precursor ragtime, its cousin the blues, and its alter ego classical music.
- classify A as B「AをBと分類する」
- compare A to[with] B「AをBと比較する」
- precursor ragtimeやalter egoなどは訳せなくてよいので, 何となく何を言っているかわかればOK。
If you don’t know what jazz is, you can at least listen to music that is classified as jazz and compare it to its precursor ragtime, its cousin the blues, and its alter ego classical music.
もしあなたがジャズが何かということを知らないならば, あなたは少なくともジャズとして分類されているような音楽を聴くことができて, それをそのprecursor ragtimeや, そのいとこのブルースや, そのalter egoのクラシック音楽と比較することができる。
ジャズがどんなものか知らなくても, 少なくともジャズと分類されている音楽を聴くことができる。その前身であるラグタイム, いとこであるブルース, 分身であるクラシック音楽を聴いて比較することもできる。
Presumably, such an exercise will give you a sense of jazz.
Presumably, such an exercise will give you a sense of jazz.
おそらく, そのようなエクササイズはあなたにジャズのセンスを与えるだろう。
おそらく, このようなことをすれば, ジャズの感覚がわかるだろう。
But with consciousness, there is nothing to compare it to, since when you are not conscious, you are not aware of anything.
But with consciousness, there is nothing to compare it to, since when you are not conscious, you are not aware of anything.
しかし意識とともに, それと比較すべき無がある。なぜなら, あなたが意識していないときに, あなたは任意のものを意識していないからだ。
しかし意識に関しては, 比較対象が存在しない。意識していない状態のときは, 何にも気づいていないからだ。
Furthermore, jazz has been highly theorized since Armstrong’s time, so a trip through the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts may very well provide some insight into the nature of jazz for those who do not know.
- may very wellもmay wellもmayと同じ。変な意味を覚える必要はない。
- 単数名詞(不可算名詞)の前についたsomeは, certainと同じで, 「ある, 特定の」。
- provide A with B = provide B for A「AにBを提供する」。
Furthermore, jazz has been highly theorized since Armstrong’s time, so a trip through the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts may very well provide some insight into the nature of jazz for those who do not know.
さらに, ジャズはArmstrongの時間以来高くセオリー化されてきたので, New York Public Library for the Performing Artsを通じた旅は, 知らないような人々のためにジャズの性質の中へのある洞察を提供するかもしれない。
その上ジャズは, アームストロングの時代以降高度に理論化されてきたので, ニューヨークの図書館を少し回れば, ジャズを知らない人でもジャズの本質に関するいくらかの洞察は得ることができるかもしれない。
第2段落
Nevertheless, there are written accounts of consciousness intended to provide a sense of what consciousness is for those who claim not to know.
Nevertheless, there are written accounts of consciousness intended to provide a sense of what consciousness is for those who claim not to know.
それにもかかわらず, 知らないと主張するような人々のために意識が何かということのセンスを提供することを意図されたような意識の書かれた説明がある。
しかしそれでも, 意識について分からないという人々に意識とは何かを分かってもらうための記述がある。
Consciousness, it is said, is the state you are in when you are awake or dreaming and what you lack when you are in a dreamless sleep, under anaesthesia, or in a coma.
- comaは知らなくてよい。
Consciousness, it is said, is the state you are in when you are awake or dreaming and what you lack when you are in a dreamless sleep, under anaesthesia, or in a coma.
意識は, ~だと言われている, あなたが起きたり夢見ているときにあなたがinするような状態で, あなたが夢の無い睡眠の中, 麻酔の下, comaの中のときにあなたが欠くものだ。
意識とは, 目覚めているときや夢を見ているときにある状態であり, 夢を見ていない睡眠中, 麻酔中, 昏睡状態にはない状態だと言われている。
Yet for those who claim not to know what the word ‘consciousness’ means, such an explanation will fall flat.
Yet for those who claim not to know what the word ‘consciousness’ means, such an explanation will fall flat.
しかし, 「意識」という語が意味するものを知らないと主張するような人々にとって, そのような説明はflatに落ちるだろう。
しかし, 「意識」という言葉の意味が分からないという人々にとっては, そのような説明も無意味だろう。
Which aspect of being awake illustrates consciousness?
Which aspect of being awake illustrates consciousness?
起きていることのどの側面が, 意識を説明するのか?
起きている状態のどの部分が, 意識を表しているのか。
Without knowledge of the relevant difference between being awake and being in a dreamless sleep, it would be difficult to know.
Without knowledge of the relevant difference between being awake and being in a dreamless sleep, it would be difficult to know.
起きていることと夢の無い睡眠の中の間の関連する違いの知識なしに, 知ることは難しい だろう。
起きている状態と, 夢を見ていない睡眠状態の違いが分からなければ, それを知るのは難しいだろう。
After all, when I’m awake, my brain activity is different from when I’m in a dreamless sleep, but if I had wanted to convey that consciousness is merely a certain form of brain activity, I could have done that directly.
After all, when I’m awake, my brain activity is different from when I’m in a dreamless sleep, but if I had wanted to convey that consciousness is merely a certain form of brain activity, I could have done that directly.
結局, 私が起きているとき, 私の脳の活動は私が夢の無い睡眠の中にいるときから異なる。しかし, もし私が, 意識は単に脳の活動のある形態だということを伝えたかったなら, 私はあれをダイレクトに行っていただろう。
結局のところ, 起きている状態のときの脳の活動は, 夢を見ていない睡眠状態のときのものとは異なる。しかし, もし意識が脳の活動の一形態にすぎないということを伝えたかっただけであれば, それを直接伝えることができただろう。
Of course, you may have understood the proffered explanation of consciousness, but I imagine that you understood what consciousness was before you read it.
Of course, you may have understood the proffered explanation of consciousness, but I imagine that you understood what consciousness was before you read it.
もちろん, あなたは意識のprofferされた説明を理解できたかもしれない。しかし, 私はあなたがそれを読む前に, あなたが意識とは何かを理解したということを想像する。
もちろん, 意識についてそのように説明されたら理解したかもしれないが, それを読む前に意識とは何かすでに理解していたのだと思う。
第3段落
Some of the very same philosophers who think that nothing can be said to enlighten those who claim to not know what consciousness is have found quite a bit to say about what it is to those who claim to already know.
- enlightenはlightの動詞形で, 直訳の「照らす」から派生した「啓蒙する」の意味が重要。
- quite a bit = quite a few。
Some of the very same philosophers who think that nothing can be said to enlighten those who claim to not know what consciousness is have found quite a bit to say about what it is to those who claim to already know.
意識とは何かということを知らないと主張するような人々を明るくするために無のことが言えるということを考えるようなまさに同じ哲学者のいくつかは, すでに知っていると主張するような人々に対してそれが何かということについて言うためにかなりの量を見つけてきた。
意識とは何かを知らないという人々に, 教えられることは何もないと考えるまさに同じ哲学者が, 意識をすでに知っているという人々には, かなり多くのこと語っている場合もある。
And much of their discussion centres on the idea that for you to be conscious there has to be something it is like to be you:
- centre = center「中心」で, ここでは動詞で使われているので, 「中心に集まる」。
- something it is like to be youの部分は難しいので適当に訳す。
And much of their discussion centres on the idea that for you to be conscious there has to be something it is like to be you:
そして, この議論のほとんどは, あなたが意識的であるために, あなたであることのような何かがある必要があるというアイデアの上にcentreする。
そして, この議論の大部分は, 意識を持つためには, 自分が自分であるという感覚が必要であるという考えの上に成り立っていることが多い。
while rocks have no inner experiences — or so most presume — and thus there is nothing it is like to be a rock, you know that there is something it is like to be you, something it is like to savour your morning coffee, to feel the soft fur of a kitten, to feel the sting when that adorable kitten scratches you.
- savourとstingは知らなくてよいので, 全体的に何を言っているかわかればOK。
while rocks have no inner experiences — or so most presume — and thus there is nothing it is like to be a rock, you know that there is something it is like to be you, something it is like to savour your morning coffee, to feel the soft fur of a kitten, to feel the sting when that adorable kitten scratches you.
石は無の内部の経験を持つまたはとてもほとんどが想定する, そしてしたがって石であることのような無が存在する一方, あなたはあなたであるような何か, つまり, あなたの朝のコーヒーをsavourすること, 子猫のやわらかい毛皮を感じること, stingを感じることのような何かが存在する, あの愛らしい子猫があなたをひっかくとき, ということを知る。
石には内部意識が存在しない, またはたいていの場合そう思われているので, 石には自分が石であるという感覚がない。一方人間は, 自分が自分であるという感覚があることを知っている。それは, 朝のコーヒーを味わったり, 子猫のやわらかい毛を感じたり, そのかわいい子猫に引っかかれた時に痛みを感じたりするような感覚である。
These experiences are conscious experiences; they have what philosophers refer to as ‘qualitative content’ or ‘qualia’; there is something it is like to have these experiences.
- refer to A as B「AをBと呼ぶ, みなす」
These experiences are conscious experiences; they have what philosophers refer to as ‘qualitative content’ or ‘qualia’; there is something it is like to have these experiences.
これらの経験は意識的な経験だ。これらは哲学者が「質的な中身」または「qualia」と呼ぶものを持つ。これらの経験を持つことのような何かがある。
これらの経験は意識的なものであり, 哲学者が「質的内容」または「クオリア」と呼ぶものを備えている。つまり, これらの経験を持っているという「何かしらの感覚」がある。
And that there is something it is like to have the wealth of experiences we have is, according to various philosophers, what makes life worth living.
And that there is something it is like to have the wealth of experiences we have is, according to various philosophers, what makes life worth living.
そして, 私たちがもつ経験の豊かさを持つことのような何かがあるということは, 様々な哲学者によると, 人生を生きる価値のあるものにするものだ。
そして, 豊かな経験を持っているという感覚があることによって, 人生は生きる価値のあるものになるのだと, 多くの哲学者が述べている。
To be sure, whether the meaning of life resides in inner experience or in outward actions aimed at making the world a better place is worth pondering.
To be sure, whether the meaning of life resides in inner experience or in outward actions aimed at making the world a better place is worth pondering.
確かに, 人生の意味が, 内側の経験に住むのか, 世界をより良い場所にすることへ狙われた外側の行動に住むのかということは, 熟考する価値がある。
確かに, 人生の意味は内的経験にあるのか, それとも世界をより良くするための外的行動にあるのかを考えることは, 価値がある。
But in any event, it does seem that without consciousness, something significant about our lives would be missing.
- in any event「いずれにせよ」のイディオムは知らなくてよいが, 同じ意味のin any caseから類推してもよい。
But in any event, it does seem that without consciousness, something significant about our lives would be missing.
しかし任意のイベントの中で, 意識無しに, 私たちの生活に関する重要な何かが欠けているであろうということは実際に思われる。
しかしどんな出来事においても, 意識がなければ, 人生で重要な何かが実際に欠けているように感じられる。
第4段落
The claim that to be conscious is for there to be ‘something it is like to be you’ can be described in terms of having a ‘point of view’, or a ‘perspective’.
The claim that to be conscious is for there to be ‘something it is like to be you’ can be described in terms of having a ‘point of view’, or a ‘perspective’.
意識的であることは, 「あなたであることのような何か」が存在することであるという主張は, 「見方」や「観点」を持っているという観点から述べられることができる。
意識的であるということは「自分が自分であるという感覚」が存在することであるという主張は, 「物事の見方」や「観点」を持っているという視点から, 述べることができる。
To have a point of view in this sense is simply to be the centre of conscious experience.
To have a point of view in this sense is simply to be the centre of conscious experience.
見方を持つことは, この意味で, 単に意識的な経験の中心であることだ。
この文脈では, 物事の見方を持っているというのは, 単に意識的な経験の中心にいるということである。
Of course, to explain consciousness in terms of having a point of view and then to explain what it is to have a point of view in terms of being conscious is circular.
Of course, to explain consciousness in terms of having a point of view and then to explain what it is to have a point of view in terms of being conscious is circular.
もちろん, 見方を持つことの観点から意識を説明することと, それから意識的であることの観点から見方を持つとは何かを説明することは, 円的だ。
もちろん, 物事の見方を持っているという視点から意識を説明し, そのあとで, 意識的であるという視点から物事の見方を持っているとはどういうことかを説明することは, 循環論法である。
Yet, on the assumption that we cannot explain consciousness in terms of something else (you’re not going to understand it, unless you have it), such a circle is to be expected — whether it is a virtuous or a vicious one, however, can be debated.
Yet, on the assumption that we cannot explain consciousness in terms of something else you’re not going to understand it, unless you have it, such a circle is to be expected — whether it is a virtuous or a vicious one, however, can be debated.
しかし, 私たちは他の何かの観点から意識を説明できないという仮定の上で, あなたがそれをもたない限り, あなたはそれを理解しないだろう, そのような円は必ず予想される。それが美徳または悪徳なそれかということは, しかし, 議論されることができる。
しかし, 他の視点からは意識を説明できないという前提の上では(意識がなければ意識を理解することは出来ないだろう), このような循環は予測されるものである。しかし, この循環が好循環か悪循環であるかは, 議論の余地がある。
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