头脑风暴 = 浪费时间？

 　　Brainstorming² was invented by advertising³ executive Alex Osborn in 1939 and first published in 1942 in his book "How to Think Up."

　　头脑风暴由广告执行官Alex Osborn首创于1939年，并出现在他19421年的著作How to Think Up中。

　　This is a typical description, from James Manktelow, founder⁴ and CEO of MindTools, a company that promotes brainstorming as a way to “develop creative solutions to business problems”:

　　这是一个很经典的概念，James Maktelow提及，他是MindTools的创立者兼首席执行官，而这所公司则把头脑风暴作为一种“产生解决商业问题的创造性方案”的方法推而广之。

　　Brainstorming is often used in a business setting to encourage teams to come up with original ideas. It’s a freewheeling meeting format⁵, in which the leader sets out the problem that needs to be solved. Participants then suggest ideas for solving the problem, and build on ideas suggested by others. A firm rule is that ideas must not be criticized ?— ?they can be completely wacky and way out. This frees people up to explore ideas creatively and break out of established thinking patterns. As well as generating some great solutions to specific problems, brainstorming can be a lot of fun.

　　头脑风暴一般运用于商务场合，用以激发团队产生创意理念。这完全是一种随心所欲不受约束的会议模式，领导者们就会把有待解决的问题提出来。然后会议参与者便把自己的想法提出来，然后再基于他人的想法再提出自己的想法。这种思维模式有一个惯例，就是不对任何看法做出评判——因为有些想法实在是太跳脱古怪了。这样的方法能够解放人们的思想从而更有创造力地发现新点子并打破既有的思维模式，还能够为某些问题得出恰当的解决方案，因此头脑风暴是一件很有趣的事情。

　　头脑风暴 = 浪费时间？

　　Osborn claimed significant success for his technique. As one example of brainstorming’s effectiveness, he cited a group of United States Treasury⁶ employees who came up with 103 ideas for selling savings⁷ bonds in 40 minutes. Corporations and institutions including DuPont, IBM, and the United States government soon adopted brainstorming.

　　Obsborn认为这种技巧是非常成功的。就头脑风暴的有效性的一个例子，他提到了美国财政部的工作人员在40分钟内能够想到了103种推销储蓄债券的方法。包括Dupont和IBM在内的一些公司或机构，甚至是美国政府内部都陆续采用头脑风暴的方式解决问题。

　　By the end of the twentieth century, its origins forgotten, brainstorming had become a reflex approach to creating in many organizations and had entered the jargon⁸ of business as both a noun and a verb. It is now so common that few people question it. Everybody brainstorms⁹; therefore, brainstorming is good. But does it work?

　　在20世纪末，头脑风暴的起源已经被遗忘了，但它已经成为各大组织机构的一种习惯性思维模式了，同时也作为行业术语中的一个动词和名词使用。如今头脑风暴已经非常普遍，几乎没有人对它提出过质疑。每个人都头脑风暴，所以头脑风暴就是好的，但它真的管用吗？

　　Claims about the success of brainstorming rest on easily tested assumptions. One assumption is that groups produce more ideas than individuals. Researchers in Minnesota tested this with scientists and advertising executives from the 3M Company. Half the subjects worked in groups of four. The other half worked alone, and then their results were randomly¹⁰ combined as if they had worked in a group, with duplicate ideas counted only once.

　　关于头脑风暴有效性的观点建立在简单的测试假设上。有这么一个假设：团体总会比个人产生的想法多。在美国中西部的明尼苏达州，有研究人员就这一观点对采矿制造公司的科学家和广告执行者们进行了测试。有一半的受试对象被分配在四人小组里面工作，而另外的一半则独立工作，然后他们的测试结果就会随机结合起来，如同他们在一个小组里面工作一样，如果是重复的想法只算作一次。

　　3M company：Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company

　　(美国)明尼苏达采矿制造公司

　　In every case, four people working individually generated between 30% and 40% more ideas than four people working in a group. Their results were of a higher quality, too: Independent judges assessed the work and found that the individuals produced better ideas than the groups.

　　在每种情况下，四个单独工作的员工比四人小组工作的产生的点子比例多出30%到40%。同时他们的点子也是高质量的：中立的评估者评估了工作的难度并且结果发现，单独完成工作的员工比团队合作的员工产生更好的点子。

　　Follow-up research tested whether larger groups performed any better. In one study, 168 people were either divided into teams of five, seven, or nine or asked to work individually. The research confirmed that working individually is more productive than working in groups. It also showed that productivity decreases as group size increases.

　　后续的研究测试了团队的规模是否与他们的表现成正比。有这样一个研究，其中的168名员工要么被分配到5人，7人或9人的小组里工作，要么被分配为独立工作。研究证实了独立工作确实比团队合作更具创造力。同时研究也发现创造力与团队的规模成反比的关系。

　　The conclusion: “Group brainstorming, over a wide range of group sizes, inhibits¹¹ rather than facilitates creative thinking.” The groups produced fewer and worse results because they were more likely to get fixated on one idea and because, despite all exhortations¹² to the contrary, some members felt inhibited¹³ and refrained from full participation¹⁴.

　　得出的结论是：“团队进行头脑风暴，在一个大规模的团队里，只会抑制而不是促进创造性思维的产生。”团队合作所产生的点子之所以相对少和不足的原因在于，团队人员更倾向于妥协某一固定的想法，以及，因为团队里的特有的训导，让某些员工无法全心投入地轻松表达自己的想法。

　　Another assumption of brainstorming is that suspending judgment¹⁵ is better than assessing ideas as they appear.

　　另外一个关于头脑风暴的假设就是，对点子的延迟评判比即时评估来得有效。

　　Researchers in Indiana tested this by asking groups of students to think of brand names for three different products.

　　印第安纳州的研究者们测试了这个假设：询问多组学生对三种不一样商品品牌名字的看法。

　　Half of the groups were told to refrain from criticism and half were told to criticize as they went along.

　　在这些组别中，有一半的学生被限制了对品牌的评判，而另外一半则要求在这过程中不停地做出自己的评判。

　　Once again, independent judges assessed the quality of each idea. The groups that did not stop to criticize produced more ideas, but both groups produced the same number of good ideas. Deferring¹⁷ criticism added only bad ideas. Subsequent studies have reinforced this.

　　再一次，中立的评估者评估每一个学生点子的质量。一直给出评判的小组能够想到更多的想法，不过两个测试小组都有相当数量的好点子。延迟判断只会增加糟糕的想法。后续的研究进一步验证了这个观点。

　　Research into brainstorming has a clear conclusion. The best way to create is to work alone and evaluate solutions as they occur. The worst way to create is to work in large groups and defer¹⁶ criticism.

　　关于头脑风暴的研究有一个明确的结论。最佳的工作方式就是独立工作并在提出解决方案的时候及时作出评估。而最糟糕的工作创造方式则是在规模大的团队里工作和延迟评判。

　　Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs’s cofounder at Apple and the inventor of its first computer, offers the same advice:

　　Steve Wozniak, 苹果公司的创始人之一及其首台电脑的发明者，提供了相一样的建议：

　　“Work alone. You’re going to be best able to design revolutionary products and features if you’re working on your own. Not on a committee. Not on a team.”

　　“独立工作。通过自行努力，你就能够设计出最具有革命性的产品和功能。这不是一个委员会能做到的，也不是一个团队能做到的。”

　　Brainstorming fails because it is an explicit¹⁸ rejection¹⁹ of ordinary thinking ?— ?all leaps and no steps ?—? and because of its unstated assumption that having ideas is the same as creating. Partly as a result, almost everybody has the idea that ideas are important.

　　头脑风暴之所以不奏效原因是它明确拒绝常规思维——都是大跳跃没有小步伐——也因为它的不确定的假设：有想法如同创造。因此在某种程度上，几乎每个人都被困在了“点子很重要”的死胡同里。

　　According to novelist Stephen King, the question authors signing books get asked most often? — ?and are least able to answer ?—? is “Where do you get your ideas from?”

　　根据小说家Stephen King的说法，作者在为书本签名时最常被提问的问题，也是最难回答的问题就是：你的灵感来源是什么？

　　Ideas are like seeds: They are abundant, and most of them never grow into anything. Also, ideas are seldom original. Ask several independent groups to brainstorm¹ on the same topic at the same time, and you will likely get many of the same ideas.

　　灵感就像是种子：它们是大量的，但大多数都无法长出点什么。再者，灵感是极少独创的。如果同时就同一话题让多个独立的小组进行头脑风暴，你会发现有很多同样的想法。

　　This is not a limitation of brainstorming; it is true of all creation. Because everything arises from steps, not leaps, most things are invented in several places simultaneously²⁰ when different people walk the same path, each unaware²¹ of the others.

　　不仅仅是头脑风暴，所有事物都有这样的局限。因为万事的发展都是一步接一步，而非一步跳到另一步。许多发明也是在不同地方同时产生的，只因不同的人走了同一条道，而没有意识到别人也在做同样的事。

　　For example, four different people discovered sunspots independently in 1611; five people invented the steamboat between 1802 and 1807; six people conceived of the electric railroad between 1835 and 1850; and two people invented the silicon²² chip in 1957.

　　举个例子，有4个不同的人各自在1611年发现了太阳黑子；有5个人在1802年和1807年间发明了轮船；有6个人在1835年和1850年间构想了电气轨道；还有两个人在1957年发明了硅片。

　　When political scientists William Ogburn and Dorothy Thomas studied this phenomenon, they found 148 cases of big ideas coming to many people at the same time and concluded that their list would grow longer with more research.

　　当政治学家William Ogburn和Dorothy Thomoas研究这个现象的时候，他们发现那些意义非凡的想法当中，有148例同时出现在许多人的脑海里，并且他们认为随着研究深度的增加，这个名单会扩大。

　　Having ideas is not the same thing as being creative. Creation is execution, not inspiration. Many people have ideas; few take the steps to make the thing they imagine.

　　有想法不等同于具有创造力。创造是一种执行力，而不是激发力。许多人都有想法，但是很少人能够花一点功夫在这些想法上。

1 brainstorm   

vi.动脑筋，出主意，想办法，献计，献策

参考例句：

• The women meet twice a month to brainstorm and set business goals for each other.她们每个月聚会两次，在一起出谋献策，为各自制定生意目标。
• We can brainstorm a list of the most influential individuals in the company.我们可以集体讨论，列出该公司中最有影响的人员的名单。

2 brainstorming   

献计献策,合力攻关

参考例句：

• With Brainstorming, treat the view on how to solve the problem rightly. 利用脑激励法(Brainstorming)，正确对待学生实验中的问题解决观。
• We are going to do some brainstorming soon. 我们很快就要做些脑力激荡。

3 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

4 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

5 format   

n.设计，版式；[计算机]格式，DOS命令:格式化(磁盘)，用于空盘或使用过的磁盘建立新空盘来存储数据；v.使格式化，设计，安排

参考例句：

• Please format this floppy disc.请将这张软盘格式化。
• The format of the figure is very tasteful.该图表的格式很雅致。

6 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

7 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

8 jargon   

n.术语，行话

参考例句：

• They will not hear critics with their horrible jargon.他们不愿意听到评论家们那些可怕的行话。
• It is important not to be overawed by the mathematical jargon.要紧的是不要被数学的术语所吓倒.

9 brainstorms   

脑猝病( brainstorm的名词复数 )； 计上心头； 突来的灵感； 集体研讨

参考例句：

10 randomly   

adv.随便地，未加计划地

参考例句：

• Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
• Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句

11 inhibits   

阻止，抑制( inhibit的第三人称单数 )； 使拘束，使尴尬

参考例句：

• A small manufacturing sector inhibits growth in the economy. 制造业规模太小有碍经济增长。
• His bad English inhibits him from speaking freely. 他英语学得不好，这使他不能表达自如。

12 exhortations   

n.敦促( exhortation的名词复数 )；极力推荐；（正式的）演讲；（宗教仪式中的）劝诫

参考例句：

• The monuments of men's ancestors were the most impressive exhortations. 先辈们的丰碑最能奋勉人心的。 来自辞典例句
• Men has free choice. Otherwise counsels, exhortations, commands, prohibitions, rewards and punishments would be in vain. 人具有自由意志。否则，劝告、赞扬、命令、禁规、奖赏和惩罚都将是徒劳的。 来自辞典例句

13 inhibited   

a.拘谨的，拘束的

参考例句：

• Boys are often more inhibited than girls about discussing their problems. 男孩子往往不如女孩子敢于谈论自己的问题。
• Having been laughed at for his lameness,the boy became shy and inhibited. 那男孩因跛脚被人讥笑，变得羞怯而压抑。

14 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

15 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

16 defer   

vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从

参考例句：

• We wish to defer our decision until next week.我们希望推迟到下星期再作出决定。
• We will defer to whatever the committee decides.我们遵从委员会作出的任何决定。

17 deferring   

v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的现在分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• Recently, the Supreme Court has focused on an additional reason for deferring to administrative agencies. 最近，最高法院强调了尊重行政机构的另一种理由。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Think of it as deferring part of the compiler's job to runtime. 可以认为这是将编译器的部分工作延迟到了运行时。 来自互联网

18 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。

19 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

20 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

21 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

22 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。