model 是什麼？

有人譯做「模式」，但也許譯為「模型」比較好。諾貝爾經濟學獎得主保羅．克魯曼（Paul Krugman）在所著《面對失靈的年代：克魯曼談金融海嘯》（The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008）一書，給了model精簡的解釋：

The only way to make sense of any complex system, be it global weather or the global economy, is to work with models—simplified representations of that system which you hope help you understand how it works. Sometimes models consist of systems of equations, sometimes of computer programs (like the simulations that give you your daily weather forecast); but sometimes they are like the model airplanes that designers test in wind tunnels, small-scale versions of the real thing that are more accessible to observation and experiment.

中文的意思是：

要理解任何複雜的系統，不管是全球氣象，還是世界經濟，唯一的方法是使用模型（models）──以簡化的方式呈現那個系統，希望有助於了解它是怎麼運作的。有時模式由方程式組成，有時由電腦程式（就像每天的氣象預測所做的模擬）構成；但有時則像模型飛機，設計師拿來在風洞中測試。這種模型是實物的縮小版，更容易觀察和實驗。

閱讀筆記：

• I’m a neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) modeler and a coach for traders. As an NLP modeler, I encounter a number of people who excel in something, determine what they do in common, and then determine what beliefs, mental strategies, and mental states are required to perform each task. Once I have this information, I can teach those tasks to others and expect to get similar re-sults. My job as a coach is to find talented people and make sure they learn and follow the fundamentals. （Source: Super Trader: Make Consistent Profits in Good and Bad Markets）我是神經語言程式（neuro-linguistic programming；NLP）的模式設計者，也是交易人的教練。身為NLP模型設計者，我遇過許多人擅長於做某件事，確定他們做了哪些相同的事，然後確定執行每一件任務，需要什麼信念、心理策略和心理狀態。我一有了這些資訊，就能把那些任務教給別人，並且期待得到類似的結果。當教練的工作，則是找到有才華的人，務使他們學到和遵循基本知識去做。