Remember that game of catch?
还记得刚刚的接球游戏吗？
Imagine it with a lump of clay.
让我们把球想像成一块软软的黏土。
As each person touches it, they shape it to fit their own unique perceptions based on any number of variables,
当每个人接到它时会受很多因素的影响，每个人会把它捏成符合自己独特知觉的形状。
like knowledge or past experience, age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or family background.
这些影响因素包括阅历，年龄，种族，性别，民族，宗教，或家庭背景。
Simultaneously, every person interprets the message they receive based on their relationship with the other person,
与此同时，人们会根据自己与对方的关系
and their unique understanding of the semantics and connotations of the exact words being used.
以及自己对语言的独特解释来理解对方说的话。
They could also be distracted by other stimuli, such as traffic or a growling stomach.
人们有时也会被其他事物分心，比如堵车，肚子叫了。
Even emotion might cloud their understanding, and by adding more people into a conversation,
甚至情绪也会干扰人们对事物的理解。而且，当谈话的参与人数增加，
each with their own subjectivities, the complexity of communication grows exponentially.
每个人都带着主观性，交流的复杂程度就会飙升。
So as the lump of clay goes back and forth from one person to another, reworked, reshaped, and always changing,
黏土块在人们之间不断传递，重塑，变形，
it's no wonder our messages sometimes turn into a mush of miscommunication.
难怪我们的讯息有时会变成一堆交流不畅的烂泥巴。
But, luckily, there are some simple practices that can help us all navigate our daily interactions for better communication.
但幸运的是，一些练习能帮助我们掌控日常互动从而达到顺畅交流。
One: recognize that passive hearing and active listening are not the same.
练习一：首先你要意识到，被动聆听和主动聆听是有区别的。
Engage actively with the verbal and nonverbal feedback of others, and adjust your message to faciliate greater understanding.
要积极去感受他人言语和非言语信息，并通过调整你的表达来促使对方更好地理解你。
Two: listen with your eyes and ears, as well as with your gut.
练习二：聆听时要用到你的眼，耳，甚至内脏。
Remember that communication is more than just words.
记住，交流并不仅限于文字交流。
Three: take time to understand as you try to be understood.
练习三：理解他人和试图被他人理解都要慢慢来。
In the rush to express ourselves, it's easy to forget that communication is a two-way street.
如果急于表达自己的看法，就容易忘记交流其实是双向的。
Be open to what the other person might say.
要善于接受对方可能说的话。
And finally, four: Be aware of your personal perceptual filters.
最后，练习四：要意识到自己的“感知过滤器”。
Elements of your experience, including your culture, community, and family, influence how you see the world.
你的阅历，包括文化，社群和家庭环境，都会影响你如何看待这个世界。
Say, "This is how I see the problem, but how do you see it?"
你要说：“我是这样看这个问题的，你呢？”
Don't assume that your perception is the objective truth.
不要以为你的主观看法都是客观真理。
That'll help you work toward sharing a dialogue with others to reach a common understanding together.
这个练习可以帮你改进与他人的谈话从而达成互相理解。
