解密生活小謎題

文/勞拉·米爾斯譯/陳玉潔王勇

解密生活小謎題

文/勞拉·米爾斯譯/陳玉潔王勇

Why songs get stuck in our heads, why do we see faces everywhere and why our voices sound so different on tape？為什么音樂會在腦海中回蕩？為什么在任何地方都看到人臉？為什么我們的聲音錄下來之后聽來如此不同？

如果你曾經想過咖啡為什么很容易溢出來，吐司為什么很容易烤焦，甚至納悶為什么我們的大腦會分神去思考這些問題，那么科學會給你答案。

If you have ever wondered why coffee spills so easily, toasts burns so easily, or even why your mind wanders to think about these ideas, science has the answers.

[2]專家通過烤吐司、測量“耳蟲”這些奇怪的實驗，為我們揭示了生活中一些小謎題的答案。

[2] From bizarre experiments involving burning toast and measuring ‘ear worms’, experts are able to provide the answers to life’s little mysteries.

[3]我們搜集了一些最令人困惑的日常難題，希望借此來解釋周圍的世界，比如為什么我們的聲音自己聽起來是如此不同。

[3] We have rounded up1round up 搜集。some of the most confusing daily conundrums2conundrum難題。to explain the world around us, including why our voices sound so different in our heads.

我的聲音聽起來真是那樣嗎？

[4]照鏡子時，反射的圖像是一種鏡像，所以我們每天看到的是左右臉相反的自己。

Do I really sound like that?

[4] When you look in a mirror, there fl ected image is a mirror image, so we see ourselves every single day back to front.

[5]如果我們的臉是對稱的，那也就無關緊要了。但是因為總是有點兒不對稱，這也就意味著我們在腦海中儲存的自己的肖像與實際相比是左右臉相反的，當我們看到自己正常呈現的樣貌時，就會覺得奇怪。

[5] If our faces were symmetrical this would not matter, but because there are little asymmetries3asymmetry不對稱。, it means that we mentally store a backwards picture of what we look like, and when we see our image the right way round4the right way round 正確的方法。, it can look strange.

[6]我們自己的聲音聽起來可能更奇怪。

我們聽別人講話時，聲音以振動的形式在空氣中傳播，最后撞擊耳膜使其振動。這使得內耳的淋巴液流動，從而拂動耳蝸毛細胞，將信號傳遞給大腦。

[6] The sound of our own voice can be even stranger.

When we hear someone else speaking, the sounds travel through the air as vibrations5vibration振動。, hitting the eardrum and causing it to vibrate. This moves fluid in the inner ear, which pushes against hairs and sends signals to the brain.

[7]我們自己講話時，聲音則是以另外一種方式傳到耳朵。

我們不僅接收空氣中的振動，同時還在感知自身大腦內部的振動。

我們利用聲帶和舌頭發聲時，頭部和頸部的軟組織振動，同時面部的骨頭也在振動。

[7] When we speak, the sound reaches our ear in a different way.

Not only are we picking up the vibrations in the air, we are also detecting vibrations inside our own head.

As we make the sounds with our vocal cords and tongue, the soft tissues in our head and neck vibrate, and so too do the bones in the face.

[8]這些額外的振動使得我們的聲音聽起來更為低沉。

因此聽自己的錄音時，我們聽不出這些低音，結果聲音聽起來音調更高，可能真的很怪異。

[8] These additional vibrations make our voice sound lower.

So when we hear our recorded voice, we don’t get these undertones6un-dertone低音。, and the higher-pitched version can seem very odd indeed.

為什么濕的織物看起來顏色更深？

[9]織物弄濕后顏色有明顯變化，這一現象我們視為理所當然，其實可以歸結為某種有趣的科學原理。

Why does wet fabric look darker?

[9] It is easy to take for granted, but the distinctive colour change of wet fabric is actually down to some interesting science.

[10]物質反射的光線量取決于“折射率”這一特性，它決定光線如何穿透一種物質。

織物弄濕后，照射在上面的光線必須從水中穿過，而不是從空氣中穿過，而這會改變光線的路徑。

[10] The amount of light re fl ected by a material depends on a property called the “index of refraction”, which determines how light moves through a material.

When fabric gets wet, the light hitting the material has to travel through water instead of air, and this alters its path.

[11]光線在水中的傳播速度要緩慢得多，碰到濕的織物時，光線會折射。

這樣更多的光線在織物內部散射開來，而不是反射回人的眼睛，從而使顏色顯得更深。

[11] Light moves much more slowly through water and, when it hits damp fabric, it bends.

Rather than reflecting back out towards the eye, more light gets scattered within the fabric, making the colour appear darker.

為什么吐司會烤焦？

[12]短短幾秒鐘的時間，吐司可能會從原色變為燒焦的顏色，甚至變成黑色，但是很多人可能也納悶，什么原因使得吐司這么容易烤焦。我們可以從它的化學成分中找到問題的答案。

Why does toast burn?

[12] Toast can go from pasty white to charred and black in just a few seconds, but what many people may ponder what makes it so prone to burning. The answer can be found in its chemistry.

[13]最常見的面包是用面粉、酵母和水制作而成。

面粉含有碳水化合物，而碳水化合物則包含長鏈糖類和蛋白質——蛋白質是長鏈氨基酸。這些都是美拉德反應的關鍵要素。

[13] Bread in its simplest form is made from wheat fl our, yeast and water.

The flour contains carbohydrates, which are long chains of sugars and proteins—long chains of amino acids7amino acid〈生化〉氨基酸。—and these are the key ingredients of a chemical reaction known as the Maillard reaction8一種普遍的非酶褐變現象，應用于食品香精的生產。.

[14]面包中的糖分（包括葡萄糖、果糖、麥芽糖和乳糖）含有稱作醛類的化學基團。溫度高于140℃（285℉）時，這些基團開始與小麥蛋白氨基酸中的氨基發生反應。

這是把面包變為吐司的第一步。

[14] The sugars in bread, which include glucose, fructose, maltose and lactose, contain chemical groups called aldehydes. At temperatures above around 140oC (285oF), these groups start to react with the amino groups (NH2) found on amino acids in the wheat proteins.

This is the fi rst step in the process of turning bread into toast.

[15]這些反應的產物狀態并不穩定，很快就會重新生成稱作阿馬多利化合物的化學成分。這些反應進一步深入，生成氣味和口感獨特的有色化合物。

[15] The products of these reactions are unstable and quickly rearrange into chemicals called Amadori compounds. These then go on to react even further, making a variety of colourful compounds with distinctive smells and tastes.

[16]面包從烤黃到烤焦的速度取決于其成分。

不同的糖類和氨基酸發生美拉德反應時，會生成口感不同氣味相異的分子。但一般來說，面包片越干，反應速度就越快，吐司烤成褐色進而烤焦的速度也就越快。

[16] The rate at which bread turns to toast, and then to charcoal, depends on its composition.

Various sugars and amino acids produce different flavour and odour molecules when they undergo the Maillard reaction. But in general, the drier the slice, the faster these reactions occur and the quicker the toast will brown and then burn.

[17]堿性面包，比如用小蘇打烤制的那種面包，要比酸性面包更容易烤焦。表面涂有牛奶或雞蛋的面包也會更快地變色，因為這類面包的表層含有額外的蛋白質。

[17] Alkaline breads, such as those made with baking soda, should brown faster than acidic ones and breads and buns glazed9glaze使表面光滑；澆糖漿（或糖汁）于（食物）的表面。with milk or egg will colour more quickly thanks to the extra protein content on the surface.

[18]專家提醒在烤制水果吐司時，我們要尤為謹慎，因為如果面包在烤面包機中烘烤時間過長，糖類就會融化變焦，進而變成又硬又脆的碳。

[18] Experts have warned people to pay close attention when making toast with fruity bread because the sugars will start to caramelise10caramelise使成焦糖。and turn to crunchy carbon if left in the toaster too long.

我們為什么在任何地方都看到人臉？

[19]從切片吐司上的宗教人物，到火星上的外星人，人臉會突然出現在最為奇怪的地方。

Why do we see faces everywhere?

[19] From religious figures on slices of toast to aliens on Mars, faces pop up in the strangest of places.

[20]這種現象稱為幻想性視錯覺。這種情況是大腦中稱作梭狀回面孔區的部分造成的，這部分專門負責識別人臉。

如果我們看到某樣東西與人臉哪怕略微相似，那么大腦的這一區域就會開始發揮作用。

[20] The phenomenon is known as pareidolia and happens thanks to a part of the brain called the fusiform face area, which is specially adapted to detect faces.

If we see something that even vaguely resembles a human visage11visage面貌；臉。, it lights up.

[21]多倫多大學的研究人員發現，這種快速加工過程發生在腦額葉前部皮層和后視覺皮層區域。前者負責我們期待看到的對象，后者負責我們實際看到的情況。

[21] Researchers at the University of Toronto found that this rapid processing occurs in the prefrontal cortex, which handles what we expect to see and the posterior visual cortex, which processes what we actually see.

[22]如果人們認為他們看到的應該是一張人臉，那么大腦就會進行相應的處理。

[22] When people believe that they should see a face, their brain will do the rest.

為什么音樂總在腦海回蕩？我們該如何擺脫？

[23]這種惱人的現象在科學文獻中有很多稱呼，比如想象中的音樂、非自主音樂想象、侵入式歌曲，或讓人稍感不適的“耳蟲”。

Why do songs get stuck in our heads and how do we banish them?

[23] This irritating phenomenon hasmany names in the scientific literature—imagined music, involuntary musical imagery, intrusive12intrusive造成干擾的。songs, or slightly disconcertingly13disconcertingly令人不安地。, “earworms”.

[24]聽到歌曲在腦海中循環播放是很常見的現象，很多人都曾經歷過。對很多人來說，這種情況至少每周出現一次。

[24] Hearing a song played on a loop inside our own brain is very common and the majority of people have experienced it. For many it is at least a weekly occurrence.

[25]彈奏音樂、聽歌和唱歌都會使這種現象變得更為頻繁。盡管人們常在感覺厭煩時提起它，這種現象并不總是令人不快。

[25] Playing music, listening to songs and singing can make it happen more often and although people most often mention it when it becomes an irritation, it is not always unpleasant.

[26]耳蟲和自發性的回憶往事、走神是一類情況，似乎是不能有意識控制的侵入式思維。

應對耳蟲最常見的一種方式似乎是聽之任之，不予理會，享受音樂，讓思緒流淌。

[26] Earworms fall into the same category as spontaneous recollections of memories and mind wandering and seem to be intrusive thoughts that are beyond our conscious control.

One of the most popular ways to deal with an earworm seems to be just to leave it alone; enjoy the song and allow the thought to pass.

[27]這種方法如果無效，那么分散注意力是另一種常見的解決之道，還有人甚至跟著曲調哼唱起來，通過聽到真實的聲音，來擺脫腦海中揮之不去的旋律。

[27] If that fails, distraction is another popular coping strategy, or some people even resort to engaging with the tune, listening to it in real life to get out of the loop inside their head.

[28]但還有一大難題需要克服。我們越是關注自己為此付出的努力是否奏效，大腦就越有可能再次循環這首歌。

[28] However, there is a major problem to be overcome; the more we focus on whether our attempts to get rid of the song have been successful, the more the brain is likely to go back to looping the song again.

[29]心理學家丹尼爾·韋格納在他的著名論文“具有諷刺意味的精神控制過程”中，曾經探討過這種觀點。

[29] This is an idea famously explored by psychologist Daniel Wegnerin his paper, Ironic Processes of Mental Control.

他指出，檢驗自己是否成功擺脫某種想法的時候，或許會讓它再次出現。

He pointed out that by monitoring whether or not you have managed to successfully get rid of a thought, you might just trigger it to start up again.

做變形詞游戲：西華盛頓大學的研究表明，變形詞游戲有助于緩解耳蟲帶來的壓力。跟非常復雜的任務相比，挑戰性小的游戲效果更好。

Doing an anagram:Studies performed at Western Washington University showed that anagrams14anagram相同字母的異序詞（如Elvis和lives）。could provide some relief from earworms. Puzzles that aren’t too challenging proved more successful than trying very complicated tasks.

嚼口香糖：雷丁大學的研究人員嘗試在志愿者聽完朗朗上口的歌曲后，給他們一些口香糖。他們認為下巴的活動會干擾短期記憶，影響大腦想象聲音的能力。

Chewing some gum:Researchers at the University of Reading tried giving chewing gum to volunteers after they had listened to catchy songs. Movement of the jaw is thought to interfere with short-term memory and the ability to imagine sounds in your head.

換首歌曲：從芬蘭和英國開展的研究看，小部分參與者稱使用“治愈”歌曲可以緩解“耳蟲”帶來的煩躁情緒；他們通過傾聽深受喜愛的經典歌曲，擺脫了腦中循環的那首惱人的歌曲。

Replacing the song:In studies peerr--formed in Finland and England, a small percentage of participants reported using‘cure’ songs to relieve the frustration of an earworm; by listening to well-liked classics, they distracted themselves from the unwanted15unwanted不需要的；討厭的。song in their head.

玩數獨：西華盛頓大學的研究人員推斷，做些復雜的非言語任務也有助于驅除耳蟲。簡單的數獨游戲效果最好，較難的游戲則會讓大腦分神。 □

Solving a sudoku16sudoku數獨，九宮格游戲。:Western Waasshh--ington University researchers reasoned that performing complex non-verbal tasks could also help to keep earworms away. Easy sudokus were most effective, while challenging puzzles prompted the mind to wander.

Life’s Niggling Little Mysteries Revealed

ByLaura Mears

（譯者單位：上海理工大學外語學院）