信息≠知识
Information ≠ Knowledge
文、译/林巍1
〔1〕随着信息技术的飞跃发展，特别是智能手机的不断开发2，各种信息不断充斥着人们的生活。“低头族”到处可见，甚至在会议、课堂和聚会中；更严重者（如在驾驶3）还会造成灾难。
[1] As information technology, specially the smartphone, rapidly develops, people are overwhelmed by all sorts of information. As a result, “smartphone addicts” can be seen everywhere – during meetings, lectures and gatherings; in the worst cases, such as when driving, they can cause disasters.
〔2〕然而，人们需要那么多信息4吗？须知，信息并不等于知识。零散的信息、碎片化的阅读，并不构成有用的材料，相反还会造成干扰，形成所谓“信息污染5”。知识固然离不开信息，但它是加工过的信息，其特点是具有结构性，有机地融入不同个体已有的知识体系内，从而在整体效应6中发挥作用。
[2] Well, do people need to be inundated with such information? We should remind ourselves that information does not equate to knowledge. Scattered information and fragmented reading not only cannot form anything useful in our minds but can rather actually interfere with our thinking, resulting in so-called “information overload”. Basically, information can be transformed into knowledge only when it is processed for a certain purpose featuring with a structure. In other words, when integrated into an individual system, knowledge functions as a part of a holistic effect.
〔3〕在生理结构和功能上，人的感觉器官并不比其他高等生物更敏锐，但却可以在本质上认识无限的物质世界7，这主要得益于人的抽象思维能力和与之配套的语言系统。其中的奥秘，就在于系统化的结构。
[3] In terms of biological structure and functions, the sensory organs of human beings are in fact no more developed than other highly evolved creatures, and yet humans can catch more of the essence of the world, mainly due to their abstract thinking capacity and their language systems. The secret lies in systematized structures.
〔4〕系统的核心是结构，不同的结构决定了不同的性质与功能。金刚石和石墨，都是由碳元素组成的单质，但由于其碳原子排列顺序的不同，形成了世界上最硬和最软的物质。人的认识体系、知识结构亦然; 相同的信息也会产生不同的效果。我们可以说“知识就是力量”，但却不能说“信息就是力量”。
[4] The core of a system is the structure which determines its nature and functions. Diamond and graphite, for example, are both made solely of carbons. However, their different arrangements of carbonaceous atoms result in the hardest and softest substances in the world. The same principle applies to our perceptual and knowledge systems, where the same amount of information may cause different effects. In a way, we may say “knowledge is power” – but information is not.
〔5〕人的所谓“预知” 或“触类旁通”，其实都是知识系统功能8的作用。俄国化学家门捷列夫, 在发明了元素周期表后，从该表中的几个空位，预测了新元素的存在。果然，十五年后，其他科学家发现了与预测相符的三种元素。理论物理学家狄拉克研究电子的性质，认为“真空”正如充满电子的海洋，那里其实没有电子的“泡泡”，然后他预测了正子的存在。在物理学上，许多基本粒子的发现，都是先用对称理论预测，然后通过复杂试验找寻出来的，从而弥补了主观与客观间的差距。对于现代天体物理中的最大奥秘之一——暗物质的发现，也必然是这一规律的结果。
[5] So-called “prediction” or “knowing the rest by analogy” is generated essentially by systematic analysis. Taking chemistry as an example, some gaps in the Periodic Table discovered by the Russian chemist Mendeleyev predicted several new chemical elements; three of which were found by other chemists fifteen years later. Similarly, the theoretical physicist Diac revealed that there were no electronic “bubbles” in a vacuum during his research into the nature of electrons, and then predicted that something called a “positron” might exist. In physics, many basic particles are found by way of repeated experiments based on symmetrical theory, thus bridging the gap between the subjective and objective worlds. In searching one of the greatest mysteries in modern astrophysics – dark matter – the same law applies.
〔6〕从“信息”向“知识”转化的过程，需要能力。人们需将信息有效地筛选、归类、储存，才有利于其心智的发展；而不是盲目地“接受”信息9，那样将使我们处于被动和应付状态，难以主动和创造。
[6] The transformation of “information” into “knowledge” requires ability. Information can be beneficial to our mental development only if it has been effectively screened, categorized and stored. Blindly “receiving” information, on the other hand, will put us in a passive position where creativity can hardly be initiated.
〔7〕所以，准确而言，人的聪明才智，不取决于信息接触的多少，而取决于10筛选信息、将其处理成有用知识的能力。
[7] To be precise, a human’s intelligence therefore does not depend on how much information he or she has been exposed to; rather, it is the ability to process information into personal constructive knowledge that counts.
注释：
1. 博士，暨南大学翻译学院特聘教授。
2. 与前面的“飞跃发展”似没有本质的区别，故不妨合并译出。
3. 此处内容在译文中不妨展开，即不拘泥于原文形式。
4. 似可译为inundated/overwhelmed information，但这里转换为to be inundated with such information，以更符合英文表达习惯。
5. 不宜直译成information pollution 等。
6. 亦可为a larger whole 等。
7. “在本质上认识无限的物质世界”，并未被“充足”地原样译出，而是以折扣的方式处理：catch more of the essence of the world，因为根据上文，关于人类认识系统的limited与客观世界的unlimited性质间的差距，故catch more of 是对原文更为吻合、准确的转述。同时，（主要得益于人的抽象思维能力和）“与之配套的语言系统”，容易译成equipped with its related linguistic system，其实大可不必对此过于“专业化”，而将其淡化为and their language systems 即可。
8. 其中的“功能”，很容易译成function，然而该词是从客观的“系统作用”而言的，而原文实际指人通过该系统所作出的分析与结果，是从主观角度着眼的，故应为systematic analysis。
9. 原文为否定式的表达，而译文为肯定式表达（Blindly “receiving” information, … will put us in …）。这既是为了强调，同时也使表达更为通顺。
10. “……不取决于……，而取决于……”，似可译作does not depend on … but depends on …，但那样过于平铺了，特别是对于“而取决于将信息有效地处理成对自己有用知识的能力”的表达力度不够，故采用了“therefore does not depend on …; rather, it is … that counts”的句式。