TED演讲:吸引力的科学(1)

 　　We like to think of romantic feelings as spontaneous and indescribable things that come from the heart. 我们倾向于将浪漫当成是一种来自于内心内心，自发而又而难以言述的行为。

　　But it's actually your brain running a complex series of calculations within a matter of seconds that's responsible for determining attraction. 但是实际上是你的大脑，在瞬间做出的一系列复杂运算决定了一个人对你的吸引力。

　　Doesn't sound quite as poetic¹, does it? 听起来一点也没有诗意对吧？

　　But just because the calculations are happening in your brain doesn't mean those warm, fuzzy feelings are all in your head. 然而，虽然所有的运算都是由大脑完成的，那些温暖而朦胧的感觉并不仅仅存在于脑海中。

　　In fact, all five of your senses play a role, each able to vote for, or veto, a budding attraction. 实际上，你的五种感觉都参与其中，各自趋同或者否决了正在萌芽中的吸引力。

　　The eyes are the first components² in attraction. 眼睛是吸引力的第一个裁判。

　　Many visual beauty standards vary between cultures and eras, and signs of youth, fertility and good health,  不同的文化和时代，对视觉美的标准都有所不同而作为年轻、活力、健康的标志，

　　such as long lustrous³ hair, or smooth, scar-free skin, are almost always in demand because they're associated with reproductive fitness. 比如富有光泽的长发或者光滑无疤的皮肤永远很受欢迎，因为它们也代表着良好的繁殖能力。

　　And when the eyes spot something they like, our instinct is to move closer so the other senses can investigate. 当眼睛注意到他们喜爱的事物，我们的本能让我们越靠越近这时其他的感觉也参与其中。

　　The nose's contribution to romance is more than noticing perfume or cologne. 鼻子对于浪漫的贡献绝不仅仅是分辨香水或古龙水。

　　It's able to pick up on natural chemical signals known as pheromones. 它能够辨别一种被称作“费洛蒙“的天然的化学信号。

　　These not only convey important physical or genetic⁴ information about their source but are able to activate⁵ a physiological⁶ or behavioral response in the recipient⁷. 它们不仅传递着气味发出者重要的生理或基因信息，而且能够激发接收者的心理或行为上的反应。

　　In one study, a group of women at different points in their ovulation cycles wore the same T-shirts for three nights. 在一个研究中，一组处于不同月经周期的女性连续三个晚上穿着同样的T恤。

　　After male volunteers were randomly⁸ assigned to smell either one of the worn shirts, or a new unworn one,  之后，男性志愿者被随机抽取去闻一件穿过的T恤，或者一件新的没穿过的。

　　saliva⁹ samples showed an increase in testosterone in those who had smelled a shirt worn by an ovulating woman. 唾液样本显示那些闻过排卵期女性穿过的T恤的男性睾丸素分泌有明显的增加。

1 poetic   

adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的

参考例句：

• His poetic idiom is stamped with expressions describing group feeling and thought.他的诗中的措辞往往带有描写群体感情和思想的印记。
• His poetic novels have gone through three different historical stages.他的诗情小说创作经历了三个不同的历史阶段。

2 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

3 lustrous   

adj.有光泽的；光辉的

参考例句：

• Mary has a head of thick,lustrous,wavy brown hair.玛丽有一头浓密、富有光泽的褐色鬈发。
• This mask definitely makes the skin fair and lustrous.这款面膜可以异常有用的使肌肤变亮和有光泽。

4 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

5 activate   

vt.使活动起来，使开始起作用

参考例句：

• We must activate the youth to study.我们要激励青年去学习。
• These push buttons can activate the elevator.这些按钮能启动电梯。

6 physiological   

adj.生理学的，生理学上的

参考例句：

• He bought a physiological book.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• Every individual has a physiological requirement for each nutrient.每个人对每种营养成分都有一种生理上的需要。

7 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。

8 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

9 saliva   

n.唾液，口水

参考例句：

• He wiped a dribble of saliva from his chin.他擦掉了下巴上的几滴口水。
• Saliva dribbled from the baby's mouth.唾液从婴儿的嘴里流了出来。