(单词翻译:单击)
Hey Bill. It’s Pete from Atlanta, Georgia, and I was wondering if you believe in free will?
比尔，你好。我是乔治亚州亚特兰大的皮特，我想知道你相信自由意志吗？
It feels like the idea of choice is the biggest argument for free will, but is choice real or is it just an idea in our heads?
似乎选择是有自由意志的最大论据，但选择是真实存在还是它只是我们头脑中的想法？
If I look at my life I feel like I’m here through a series of single decisions and it just kind of feels very linear and kind of on a track.
如果回头看看我的生活，我会发现自己是通过一系列的单个选择走到今天的，像是线型的，有一条轨迹
But I’m not so sure. What do you think about it? Thanks.
可我又不太确定。你是怎么看的？谢谢
So is there such a thing as free will? The answer is clearly “it depends what you mean.”
有自由意志这种东西吗？答案很明显是“这要看你是什么意思了”
So I am so compelled by these tests where they have brain scans going on, working real time, and then the subject is asked to make a choice.
那些实验让我很被动，它们有实时监控的大脑扫描，让实验对象做出一个选择
And they can see on the brain scan that the choice has already been made before the person is able to articulate it
人们可以从大脑扫描上看到，在人说出来之前，这个选择就已经做好了
or even watch the choice had been made have it bounce back and forth and then settle on another choice.
甚至是看着这个选择在做出来之前，会来回跳动，然后在另一个选择上停了下来
This is a wonderful question, but that there is no free will—that, to me, is an extraordinary claim,
这个问题很好，但是没有自由意志这种说法对我来说非常独特
because I feel that I have made choices – and this might be what you’re driving at—
因为我觉得我做过很多选择——这可能就是你的意图
I feel that I have made choices freely based on things that have happened around me,
我觉得我会根据发生在我周围的事情自由作出选择
based on the environment and my experiences and my perception of the experiences of others.
根据环境和我的经历，以及我对别人经历的看法
So in other words if there really were absolutely no free will
那么换句话说，如果真的绝对没有自由意志
could you then predict what every single person in the universe or on Earth is going to do and where he or she will end up.
那你能够预测宇宙中或者地球上的每个人会做什么或最终的归宿吗
And then furthermore can that not be influenced by some cosmic force or forces that we can’t assess?
再进一步，那些能不受宇宙的力量或我们无法评估的力量所影响吗？
It could be. It just doesn’t seem reasonable. I think much more reasonable is: our brains are complicated,
是可能的。好像很没道理。我觉得更能说得通的是：我们的大脑很复杂
and they got this big or as big as they are organically through evolution, with layer being added upon layer.
它们通过进化长成这么大的器官，里面层层交叠
So our ability to choose is often confused.
所以我们的选择能力总是很让人困惑
Our ability to make choices is often affected by the environment, by our experiences and by biochemistry, the shape of our brain.
我们的选择能力经常会受环境、经历、生物化学即大脑形状的影响
So I think the answer is clearly “some of each.”
所以我觉得答案是“两种皆有可能”
