This New Device Can Manipulate Your Dreams While You Sleep#

造梦机来了，MIT定向梦境孵化设备#

文章导读
MIT 的神经科学家造了一个叫 Dormio 的腕带设备，能在你刚入睡的"临睡恍惚态"（hypnagogia）里，用音频提示词给梦"定向孵化"：让你想一棵树，你就真会梦见树。
它能成立，靠的是一扇"感官后门"：在从清醒滑向睡眠的交界地带，人虽然开始做梦，却仍然听得见声音。Dormio 抓住这个窗口，反复执行"提示—入睡—唤醒—报告"的循环。实验中，被提示"想一棵树"的参与者有 67% 梦到了树，而对照组几乎没有。
文章同时交代了两条应用线：睡眠期记忆巩固（与"定向记忆再激活"TMR 同源）和创造力与问题求解（借走神态里发散的思维方式）。它是标准的"新技术说明文"：设备原理 → 工作流程 → 实验证据 → 应用前景。

阅读提示：文中加粗的词为考研 / 六级 / 四级高频词（原文 App 中高亮的核心词为 manipulate），文末附核心词汇表与长难句解析。

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一、正文精读（英中对照）#

第 1 段（导语）：一句话说清这项技术#

Scientists have developed an experimental device and protocol for manipulating the content of people’s dreams while they are sleeping, by making them recall specific cues that can trigger targeted dream themes and experiences.

译文：科学家研发了一套实验性的设备与流程，能够在人们睡觉时操纵其梦境内容——方法是让他们回忆一些特定的提示线索，这些线索能触发针对性的梦境主题与体验。

翻译要点

• manipulate 是原文 App 高亮的本文核心词，意为"操纵、控制"，此处 manipulating the content of dreams 是本文题眼，标题亦同。
• cue 指"（用来引发反应的）提示信号、线索"，是心理学实验的术语，贯穿全文。
• that can trigger... 为定语从句修饰 cues，trigger 意为"触发、引发"，常与 cue / reaction / memory 搭配。
• 本句结构：developed A and B for doing sth., by making them recall...，by 引导方式状语，翻译时用破折号把"方法"后置更顺。

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第 2 段：把"造梦"从科幻拉回现实#

While the boundless dream-building of Inception remains the stuff of science fiction for now, the new research shows that the evolving science of dream control is far more than fantasy — and that information processing during sleep is capable of being engineered from the outside.

译文：尽管《盗梦空间》里那种无边无际的造梦眼下仍是科幻情节，但这项新研究表明，不断发展的梦境控制科学远不止是幻想——而且睡眠期间的信息加工，是可以从外部加以"设计"的。

翻译要点

• the stuff of science fiction 为固定说法"科幻小说里的东西"，stuff 此处指"那种内容/情节"。
• far more than fantasy 意为"远不止是幻想"，far 强化程度。
• engineer 是本文的关键熟词僻义：不是"工程师"，而是动词"精心设计、改造"，be engineered from the outside 即"可以从外部加以设计"。
• 两个 that 从句并列作 shows 的宾语（shows that A — and that B），第二个 that 不可省略，翻译时需补出"而且"。

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第 3 段：Dormio 与"定向梦境孵化"#

In a new study, a team led by neuroscientist Adam Haar Horowitz from MIT describes how a wearable electronic device — called Dormio — enables what the researchers term ‘targeted dream incubation’ (TDI), during the fluid first stage of sleep where the sleeper experiences a borderland state of consciousness called hypnagogia.

译文：在一项新研究中，麻省理工学院的神经科学家亚当·哈尔·霍罗维茨所领导的团队描述了一种可穿戴电子设备——名为 Dormio——如何实现研究者所称的"定向梦境孵化"（TDI）。它作用于睡眠最初那个流动朦胧的阶段，此时睡眠者正处于一种被称为"临睡恍惚态"（hypnagogia）的意识边缘地带。

翻译要点

• describes how... 中 how 引导宾语从句；从句内又有 what the researchers term 'targeted dream incubation'，what...term... 意为"研究者称之为……的东西"。
• term 在此为动词"把……称为"，是熟词僻义（常见义为名词"术语、学期"）。
• incubation 本义"孵化"（孵蛋），此处喻指"在睡眠中培育、诱发（梦境）"，与 incubator（孵化器）同源。
• where the sleeper experiences... 为定语从句修饰 the fluid first stage of sleep，where 相当于 in which。
• hypnagogia 是专业术语"临睡恍惚态"（入睡前意识朦胧状态），本文重复出现，建议记住拼写与含义。

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第 4—5 段：这种状态什么感觉#

“This state of mind is trippy, loose, flexible, and divergent,” Haar Horowitz explains.

“It’s like turning the notch up high on mind-wandering and making it immersive — being pushed and pulled with new sensations like your body floating and falling, with your thoughts quickly snapping in and out of control.”

译文："这种精神状态迷幻、松散、灵活而发散，"哈尔·霍罗维茨解释道。
“这就像把’走神’的旋钮拧到最大，并让它变得沉浸——你的身体漂浮、下坠，被新的感觉推来拉去，念头飞快地在可控与失控之间进进出出。”

翻译要点

• trippy 为口语词"迷幻的、产生幻觉感的"，由 trip（迷幻体验）衍生， informal 但生动。
• turning the notch up high 中 notch 本义"（旋钮的）档位、刻度"，turn up the notch 即"调高档位、加大强度"，译"把旋钮拧到最大"。
• mind-wandering 是心理学术语"走神、思绪游移"，用连字符构成的复合名词。
• immersive 意为"沉浸式的"，源自 immerse（浸入），科技与教育文本高频词。
• snapping in and out of control 中 snap 意为"快速地进出、一进一出"，in and out of 强调状态的反复切换。

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第 6 段：为什么可行——感官后门#

Hypnagogia shares many of the fluid, dream-like sensations of REM sleep, but with an important difference: people can still hear and process audio during this in-between state as they transition from being awake to being asleep (and vice versa) — a crucial sensory backdoor that enables targeted dream incubation to work.

译文：临睡恍惚态与快速眼动（REM）睡眠有许多相似的流动梦境感，但有一个重要区别：在从清醒过渡到入睡（或反之）的中间状态里，人仍然能听见并处理声音——这是一扇关键的"感官后门"，让定向梦境孵化得以实现。

翻译要点

• shares many of the...sensations 意为"具有……的许多共同感觉"，share 此处是"共有"而非"分享给他人"。
• REM sleep = rapid eye movement sleep，“快速眼动睡眠”，做梦最集中的睡眠阶段，是科普文本的必备术语。
• and vice versa 为拉丁语借语"反之亦然"，此处指"从清醒到入睡"与"从入睡到清醒"双向成立。
• a crucial sensory backdoor 是全段的核心比喻：backdoor（后门）喻指"绕过常规通道的隐性入口"——声音能趁意识松懈时溜进梦里。
• 破折号后的名词短语是对前句的解释性同位，翻译时用"这是一扇……"补出主语。

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第 7 段：与 TMR 的异同#

Much like a similar experimental method called targeted memory reactivation (TMR), which reactivates specific memories that are triggered by a cue delivered during sleep, TDI may have applications as a learning tool that can improve memory consolidation, but it comes with a specific advantage: the Dormio device, worn on the wrist like a sensor-laden glove.

译文：类似的实验方法还有"定向记忆再激活"（TMR）——它通过在睡眠中传递线索来重新激活特定记忆。与它相仿，TDI 作为一种学习工具或许能改善记忆巩固；但它有一项独特优势：Dormio 设备像一只布满传感器的手套，戴在手腕上。

翻译要点

• Much like... 为介词短语前置作类比，主句是 TDI may have applications as a learning tool。
• which reactivates specific memories that are triggered by a cue delivered during sleep 为双层嵌套定语从句：which 从句修饰 TMR，内层 that 从句修饰 memories，最内层 delivered during sleep 为过去分词短语修饰 cue。
• consolidation 意为"巩固"，memory consolidation（记忆巩固）是神经科学术语，指短时记忆转为长时记忆的过程，本文出现两次。
• sensor-laden 为"名词 + -laden（装满……的）"复合形容词，类似 fat-laden（高脂肪的）。
• worn on the wrist like a sensor-laden glove 为过去分词短语作后置定语修饰 the Dormio device。

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第 8 段：工作流程第一步——音频提示#

As a person falls asleep wearing the device, audio cues are played via an associated app, such as “Remember to think of a tree” (the dream theme used in the experiment).

译文：当人戴着设备入睡时，配套的应用会播放音频提示，比如"记得想一棵树"（这正是实验中使用的梦境主题）。

翻译要点

• As a person falls asleep wearing the device 中 wearing the device 为现在分词短语作伴随状语。
• via an associated app 中 via 意为"通过、经由"，associated 意为"配套的、关联的"。
• 括号内的同位补充说明"树"是实验选定的主题，翻译时保留括号即可。

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第 9 段：第二步——监测与唤醒#

The Dormio sensors look out for physiological data signalling the person has fallen asleep, at which point the system rouses them briefly, prompting them to say what was going through their mind as they slept, with their verbal dream report recorded by the app.

译文：Dormio 的传感器会监测那些表明此人已经入睡的生理数据；此时系统会把他们短暂唤醒，让他们说出刚才睡着时脑子里在想什么，口头梦境报告由应用记录下来。

翻译要点

• look out for 在此意为"留意、监测"，不是"小心"。
• signalling the person has fallen asleep 中 signalling 后省略了 that，为"表明……"的现在分词短语作后置定语修饰 data。
• at which point 为"介词 + which"引导的非限制性定语从句，指"就在此时"，是正式书面语的高频衔接。
• prompting them to say... 为现在分词作结果状语，prompt sb. to do 意为"促使某人做某事"。
• with their verbal dream report recorded by the app 为 with 复合结构（独立主格）：with + 名词 + 过去分词，表伴随结果，是考研英语（二）翻译的高频结构。
• verbal 意为"口头的"，verbal report 即"口头报告"，是实验心理学标准方法。

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第 10 段：第三步——循环往复#

After this brief interruption, they then return to sleep — but only for a short while — during a series of repeated dreams, awakenings, and prompted recordings, all centred around a state of directed hypnagogia.

译文：这次短暂打断之后，他们会重新入睡——但只睡一小会儿——如此经历一连串反复的"做梦、唤醒、提示录音"，全部围绕一种"定向临睡恍惚态"展开。

翻译要点

• interruption 意为"打断、中断"，动词为 interrupt。
• but only for a short while 用破折号插入，强调"每次只睡一小段"，这正是能停留在临睡恍惚态的关键。
• during a series of... 直译"在……期间"，此处实为"经历一连串……"，需按中文习惯转换。
• centred around（美式拼法 centered）意为"以……为中心"，all centred around... 为过去分词短语补充说明前面三个名词。

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第 11 段：研究者的定义#

“Targeted dream incubation is a protocol for reactivating memories during sleep in a manner that leads to incorporation of the targeted memory, or related memories, into dream content,” the researchers explain in their paper.

译文："定向梦境孵化是一套在睡眠中重新激活记忆的流程，它能让目标记忆（或相关记忆）融入梦境内容，"研究者在论文中解释道。

翻译要点

• in a manner that... 意为"以……的方式"，that 从句修饰 manner，是正式定义句式。
• incorporation of A into B 意为"把 A 融入 B"，名词化结构，动词为 incorporate A into B，考研翻译常考这类名词化转换。
• 两个逗号间的 or related memories 为插入语，翻译时保留括号或破折号均可。

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第 12 段：研究目的（原文高亮句）#

“The aim of the current study is to assess the ability of Dormio to identify the sleep onset period and successfully manipulate the content of hypnagogic dream report through pre-sleep verbal prompts.”

译文：“本研究的目的是评估 Dormio 识别入睡时点的能力，以及它能否通过睡前口头提示，成功操纵临睡恍惚态梦境报告的内容。”

翻译要点

• assess 意为"评估、评定"，比 evaluate 更强调"量化测评"，是研究目的句（aim of the study）的标准动词。
• sleep onset period 中 onset 意为"开始（尤指病症/状态的起始）“，sleep onset 即"入睡时点”，是睡眠研究术语。
• hypnagogic 为 hypnagogia 的形容词形式，“临睡恍惚（状态）的”。
• 两个并列不定式 to identify... and (to) manipulate... 共享 the ability of Dormio to...，第二个 to 被省略。

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第 13 段：初步结论#

While the prototype system is still being refined, the experimental results suggest it does appear to successfully influence dreams and can document their contents to a significant extent.

译文：尽管这套原型系统仍在打磨之中，实验结果表明，它确实看起来能够成功影响梦境，并能在相当程度上记录梦境内容。

翻译要点

• prototype 意为"原型、样机"，指尚在开发初期的版本。
• is still being refined 为现在进行时的被动语态"仍在被改进"，refine 意为"打磨、改进"。
• it does appear to... 中 does 为强调助动词，“确实看起来……”。
• document 在此为动词熟词僻义：“记录、存档”，不是名词"文件"。
• to a significant extent 意为"在相当程度上"，是学术写作中限定结论强度的常用短语。

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第 14 段：关键数据#

When Dormio prompted the participants to think of a tree before and during the ‘borderland’ sleep state, 67 percent of the dream reports collected by the app mentioned references to a tree upon waking from a hypnagogic state.

译文：当 Dormio 提示参与者在"边界地带"睡眠状态之前及期间想一棵树时，应用收集到的梦境报告中有 67% 在从临睡恍惚态醒来时提到了与树有关的内容。

翻译要点

• before and during the 'borderland' sleep state 中 before 与 during 共享宾语，两个介词并列。
• references to a tree 意为"对树的提及"，reference to 为固定搭配，references 用复数表"多次出现"。
• upon waking from... 中 upon + 动名词 意为"一……就……"，比 when waking 更正式。
• collected by the app 为过去分词短语作后置定语，压缩了"（这些报告）由应用收集"这层信息。

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第 15 段：参与者的第一人称报告#

“My dream did involve a tree,” one participant said in a verbal report they gave after awakening. “I was following the roots with someone and the roots were transporting me to different locations… I could hear the roots of the tree pulsating with energy as if they were leading me to some location.”

译文："我的梦里确实有一棵树，"一位参与者在醒来后的口头报告中说。“我和某个人沿着树根走，树根把我带到不同的地方……我能听见树根脉动着能量，仿佛它们在领我去某个地方。”

翻译要点

• did involve 中 did 为强调助动词，回应实验设计：“确实梦到了树”。
• they gave after awakening 为省略关系词的定语从句修饰 report；awakening 在此为名词"醒来、唤醒"，与第 10 段的复数 awakenings 呼应。
• pulsating with energy 中 pulsate 意为"有节奏地搏动、脉动"，with energy 表"带着能量"，注意不是"因为能量"。
• as if they were leading me... 为 as if 引导的虚拟语气，从句用过去式 were 表与事实的距离感。

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第 16 段：对照组的空白#

In contrast, dream reports from a control group — who were only prompted to observe their thoughts — featured virtually no references to trees.

译文：相比之下，对照组——他们只被要求观察自己的念头——的梦境报告中几乎没有提到树。

翻译要点

• control group 是实验设计术语"对照组"，与实验组（experimental group）相对，本文虽然没有明说实验组，但对比关系已经成立。
• featured 为动词熟词僻义：“以……为主要内容、包含”，主语是"梦境报告"，不是名词"特写"。
• virtually no... 意为"几乎没有"，virtually 表"实际上、接近于"，语气比 almost 更书面。
• 破折号内的 who were only prompted to... 为非限制性定语从句，only 是理解实验设计的关键：对照组没有收到"想一棵树"的指令。

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第 17 段：两条应用线#

In addition to helping shape people’s dreams, the researchers say their Dormio system and dream incubation protocol could be used for various learning techniques involving sleep-based memory consolidation — or as a tool to help creativity and problem-solving, by prompting people to consciously recall the fluid and vivid thinking of their hypnagogic state.

译文：除了帮助塑造梦境，研究者表示，Dormio 系统与梦境孵化流程还可用于多种涉及"基于睡眠的记忆巩固"的学习技巧——或者作为激发创造力与解决问题能力的工具，引导人们有意识地回忆临睡恍惚态中那种流动而鲜活的思维。

翻译要点

• In addition to doing sth. 意为"除了……之外（还）"，to 为介词，后接动名词。
• involving sleep-based memory consolidation 为现在分词短语作后置定语修饰 learning techniques，sleep-based 为"名词 + -based"复合形容词"基于睡眠的"。
• problem-solving 为复合名词"问题解决"，与 creativity 并列，是教育/管理文本高频搭配。
• consciously 意为"有意识地"，与前文 mind-wandering（无意识走神）形成对照。

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第 18 段（结尾）：收益落在醒后#

“Dreaming about a specific theme seems to offer benefits post-sleep, such as on creativity tasks related to this theme,” Haar Horowitz says.

译文："梦见一个特定主题，似乎能在睡醒之后带来收益——比如在与该主题相关的创造力任务上，"哈尔·霍罗维茨说。

翻译要点

• post-sleep 为"post- + 名词"复合词"睡后的"，类似 post-war（战后）、post-graduation（毕业后）。
• benefits...such as on creativity tasks 中 on creativity tasks 修饰 benefits，即"在创造力任务上的收益"，介词 on 表"关于、在……方面"。
• 结尾引用研究者的话收束，是科普文章的标准收尾法：以专家口吻重申价值，不做绝对化断言（seems to offer）。

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二、核心词汇表#

1. 考研高频核心词#

2. 六级高频词#

3. 四级高频词#

4. 高频短语 / 固定搭配#

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三、长难句解析#

1. In a new study, a team led by neuroscientist Adam Haar Horowitz from MIT describes how a wearable electronic device — called Dormio — enables what the researchers term ‘targeted dream incubation’ (TDI), during the fluid first stage of sleep where the sleeper experiences a borderland state of consciousness called hypnagogia.

• 主干：a team ... describes how ...，how 引导宾语从句。
• 从句内结构：a wearable electronic device enables [what the researchers term 'TDI']，what...term... 为名词性从句作宾语，意为"研究者所称的……"。
• 修饰成分：led by neuroscientist Adam Haar Horowitz（过去分词作后置定语修饰 a team）、called Dormio（修饰 device）。
• 时间与地点：during the fluid first stage of sleep 为时间状语，where the sleeper experiences... 为定语从句修饰该时间状语中的 stage，从句内 called hypnagogia 为过去分词作后置定语。
• 译文：在一项新研究中，麻省理工学院的神经科学家亚当·哈尔·霍罗维茨所领导的团队描述了一种可穿戴电子设备——名为 Dormio——如何实现研究者所称的"定向梦境孵化"（TDI）。它作用于睡眠最初那个流动朦胧的阶段，此时睡眠者正处于一种被称为"临睡恍惚态"的意识边缘地带。

2. Much like a similar experimental method called targeted memory reactivation (TMR), which reactivates specific memories that are triggered by a cue delivered during sleep, TDI may have applications as a learning tool that can improve memory consolidation, but it comes with a specific advantage: the Dormio device, worn on the wrist like a sensor-laden glove.

• 主干：TDI may have applications as a learning tool ..., but it comes with a specific advantage。
• 类比状语：Much like a similar experimental method ...，其中 called TMR 修饰 method；which reactivates specific memories ... 为非限制性定语从句；内层 that are triggered by a cue 修饰 memories；delivered during sleep 为过去分词修饰 cue——四层修饰层层嵌套。
• that can improve...：修饰 tool 的定语从句。
• 冒号后：the Dormio device, worn on the wrist like a sensor-laden glove 为 advantage 的同位语，worn... 为过去分词短语作后置定语。
• 译文：类似的实验方法还有"定向记忆再激活"（TMR）——它通过在睡眠中传递线索来重新激活特定记忆。与它相仿，TDI 作为一种学习工具或许能改善记忆巩固；但它有一项独特优势：Dormio 设备像一只布满传感器的手套，戴在手腕上。

3. The Dormio sensors look out for physiological data signalling the person has fallen asleep, at which point the system rouses them briefly, prompting them to say what was going through their mind as they slept, with their verbal dream report recorded by the app.

• 主干：The Dormio sensors look out for physiological data。
• 后置定语：signalling (that) the person has fallen asleep 为现在分词短语修饰 data，signalling 后省略了 that。
• 非限制性定语从句：at which point the system rouses them briefly，at which point = “就在此时”。
• 结果状语：prompting them to say what was going through their mind as they slept，内含 what 宾语从句与 as 时间从句。
• with 复合结构：with their verbal dream report recorded by the app，with + 名词 + 过去分词 表伴随结果，是考研翻译高频结构。
• 译文：Dormio 的传感器会监测那些表明此人已经入睡的生理数据；此时系统会把他们短暂唤醒，让他们说出刚才睡着时脑子里在想什么，口头梦境报告由应用记录下来。

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四、写作素材提炼#

可迁移的观点句

1. While the boundless dream-building of *Inception* remains the stuff of science fiction for now, ... is far more than fantasy.（用大众文化作品作参照系，再拉回现实，是科技评论的开场范式）
2. Like any other tool, its impact comes down to how we use it.（普适性判断句，任何新技术话题都可用）
3. While the prototype system is still being refined, the experimental results suggest it does appear to...（"承认不完善 + 指出证据支持"的审慎结论句式）
4. Dreaming about a specific theme seems to offer benefits post-sleep.（seems to 收尾，避免绝对化）

可迁移的论证结构

引入技术（一句话说清"是什么"）→ 大众参照（《盗梦空间》）→ 设备与概念（Dormio / TDI / hypnagogia）→ 原理（感官后门）→ 工作流程（提示—入睡—唤醒—报告）→ 数据证据（67% vs 对照组）→ 应用前景（记忆巩固 / 创造力）→ 专家引语收尾

第 6 步的数据对比值得注意：作者不是只报实验组数字，而是拉出对照组（只观察念头的人"几乎没有"提到树）制造反差。写作中引用数据时，"实验组 + 对照组"的双报告比单一数字更有说服力。

类比论证句式

• Much like a similar experimental method called X, which ..., Y may have applications as ..., but it comes with a specific advantage: ...（先挂靠已知方法建立可信度，再点出差异，适合介绍新事物）

可迁移的术语块

• targeted dream incubation 定向梦境孵化 ｜ targeted memory reactivation 定向记忆再激活 ｜ memory consolidation 记忆巩固 ｜ hypnagogia 临睡恍惚态 ｜ REM sleep 快速眼动睡眠 ｜ control group 对照组

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五、一句话总结#

入睡前的"意识交界地带"还开着一条听觉后门——Dormio 就是顺着这条缝往梦里递提示词：让你想一棵树，67% 的人就真梦见了树。

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本文档由截图原文整理，英文原文版权归原作者及扇贝阅读所有，译文与词汇标注仅供学习使用。