Curiosity and Wonder
充满好奇、永葆新奇
This week, we recognized students for academic achievement, as each teacher got to name one student as an exemplar of what we call "academic character". These students are not necessarily the ones with the highest averages; they are those who have shown certain traits that we find admirable in scholars. In the past, I have given this recognition to a student who has shown resilience, who has seen academic struggle or even failure as a chance to learn. Other times, I have recognized students for creativity, responsibility, or enthusiasm. This quarter, however, I recognized a young woman, Haley Elliott, for her curiosity and wonder. Haley always asks probing questions, always continues her reflections long after class is over, and is sometimes so blown away by what she discovers that she can't wait to share her experiences. Haley approaches learning with curiosity and wonder.
本周我们对学生们的学术成就进行了表彰奖励，每位老师都会推荐一位“学术品格”优异的模范生。这些学生不一定是平均成绩最高的学生，而是那些在学生中表现出特殊品质的人。过去，我一直都非常认可那些有坚忍精神的学生，他们把学术竞争甚至失败都看作是学习的机会。有的时候，我能看到学生们的创造力、责任感以及热情。然而，这一刻，名字叫做Haley Elliott的充满好奇和满怀新奇的女同学吸引了我的注意力。Haley总是会问一些尖锐的问题，总是会在下课后继续思考，有时她会迫不及待地想要分享自己的经历。她总是带着好奇和新奇的态度去学习。
These two traits could be seen as synonymous, but as Paul Martin Opdal of the Institute of Education at the University of Tromsoe points out, they are quite different. Curiosity is directed at something with a defined framework, something that can be examined according to accepted procedures, like the scientific method. For example, currently I am curious about the perceptions of truth in Conrad's Heart of Darkness; I'm curious about how race and gender affect perception (how do I see things differently as a white male?); and I'm curious about the future effects of things like artificial intelligence and virtual reality on education. I ask questions about these things, I research what the experts say, and that leads to more questions and discoveries.
这两个特性可以看做同义词，但是Paul Martin Opdal教育学院的Tromsoe指出，他们是完全不同的。好奇指的是有明确框架的事物，这种东西可以按照公认的程序，如科学方法来检验。例如，目前我对Conrad的《Heart of Darkness》中对真理的看法很好奇；我很好奇种族和性别是如何影响感知的（我如何看待不同的白人男性？）；我对未来人工智能和虚拟现实在教育中的应用感到好奇。我会问一些关于这些事物的问题，还会根据专家所说进行研究，从而引出更多的问题和发现。
According to psychology professor Todd Kashdan from George Mason University, curiosity has its benefits. People who are curious are more likely to fend off mental illness, making them healthier. They are also more likely to develop greater analytic and problem-solving skills, making them more intelligent. People who are curious develop stronger social relationships as people relate more easily to those who are open and genuinely interested in them. Finally, Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania has named curiosity as one of the top-five human strengths.
根据乔治梅森大学心理学教授Todd Kashdan所说，好奇有它特有的好处。充满好奇心的人更有可能抵御精神疾病，使得他们更加健康。他们也更有可能发展自身更强的分析和解决问题的能力，使得他们更加聪明。充满好奇心的人会建立更加牢固的社会关系，因为人们更容易与那些和他们坦诚相待的人交往。最后宾夕法尼亚大学的Martin Seligman将好奇命名为五大增强人类力量的因素。
Wonder, on the other hand, is directed at realities beyond accepted frameworks and causes one to question accepted rules and procedures. I have experienced wonder when I look at the night sky, most recently as I stood in the darkness by a pile of cardboard that would soon be a bonfire. The sky was clear, immense, and bright with stars. I have felt the same thing as I have sat by the ocean, awed by its expanse, its power, and its constant motion. But I've experienced wonder in small things, too, in trees and leaves, in flowers. In these moments of wonder, I am lifted out of myself and experience something greater.
另一方面，新奇指的是人们对现实事物公认的规则和程序产生疑问。当我站在黑暗中看着夜空的时候，我遇到了让我感到新奇的事，边上的一堆纸板怎么突然就变成了篝火。天空如此安宁静谧，无边无际，星光璀璨，我坐在海边面对天空也有同样的感觉，对它的浩瀚、它的力量和它的持续运动都感到敬畏。同时我也经历过一些小的新奇事物，比如树木、树叶和花丛。在这些新奇的时刻，我解放了自我，体验到了更伟大的事物。
According to recent studies, wonder builds more tolerance for uncertainty and makes one more aware of spiritual reality, making us conscious of something beyond ourselves and our comprehension. Wonder shrinks our ego, making us nicer and giving us a new and broader perspective. People who experience wonder have a greater sense of abundance, making them more generous; they especially feel like they have more time, making them more patient. Those who regularly experience wonder are more likely to believe in the interconnectedness of all humanity; this is especially true in astronauts who regularly experience wonder as they view the earth from a far and contemplate the vastness of the universe. Finally, having a sense of wonder has been proven to correlate with finding more meaning in life.
最近的研究表明，新奇会让人们对不确定事物产生更多的容忍度，使得人们更加认识到精神实体，意识到超越自己以及我们理解的事物。新奇会让我们意识到自己的渺小，让我们变得更好，给我们一个新的更广阔的视野。有过新奇经历的人会有更大的富足感，他们会变得更慷慨；他们觉得自己会有更多的时间、更多的耐心。那些经常感到新奇的人更容易相信人类之间的联系；这对宇航员来说尤其真实，因为他们是从远处凝视浩瀚的宇宙来观察地球的。最后，新奇已被证明与生活中更有意义的事物联系在一起。
So I have taken the advice of those who advocate being more curious: building knowledge (the more you know, the more you can ask questions about), finding the unfamiliar in the familiar, and making sure I pay attention and be present to all around me. I have also taken the advice of those who promote developing more of a sense of wonder: going out into nature, seeking out inspiring works of art and music, and allowing myself to be awed by the people I encounter. I am certainly not engaged in these efforts all the time, but I find that I am happier and more inspired when I make the time to pursue them, especially when I allow myself to wonder.
所以我接受了那些提倡变得更好奇的人的建议：建立知识框架（你知道的越多，你能提出的问题越多），在熟悉的领域寻找不熟悉的事物，并确保专心对待周围的事物。我也接受了那些提倡满怀新奇的人的建议：融入大自然，寻找鼓舞人心的艺术和音乐作品，让遇到自己的人都产生敬畏感。我当然不会一直沉浸在这些事物中，只是我发现当我花时间去追寻它们的时候，我会感到更快乐，更有灵感，尤其是让自己去感受新奇的时候。
Curiosity takes some effort, and wonder often rocks our world. Both will cause us some discomfort, but as Assistant Head for Academics Jeff Burroughs is fond of saying, we should dare to be curious. I would add that, like Haley, we should dare to experience wonder, too.
好奇心需要努力去发现，而敢于质疑则会给我们带来震撼。这两种感觉都会造成一些不适，但学院助理Jeff Burroughs说，我们应该敢于充满好奇。我还要补充一点，我们也应该像Haley一样，永葆新奇。
