经济学人134:形体政治学

 　　Science and technology

　　科学及技术

　　Human communication

　　人类交流

　　Gesture politics

　　形体政治学

　　People talk a lot, but their hand signals may convey more useful information

　　虽然人类主要通过语言交流，但是一些手势往往能传达更多有用的信息。

　　Silence is golden

　　沉默是金

　　IT IS received wisdom that humanity owes a lot of its evolutionary¹ success to its remarkable² ability to communicate.

　　人类在进化上的成功大部分归功于其非凡的交流能力已经成为一个被接受的常识。

　　So much so, in fact, that few have bothered to test this hypothesis in any systematic³ way.

　　尽管如此，事实上还没有人系统地验证过这一假设。

　　Now, a group of researchers led by Andrew King, of the Royal Veterinary College in Britain, has tried to plug this gaping⁴ hole.

　　如今，一个由“英国皇家兽医学院”的安德鲁.科恩率领的研究小组正尝试填补这块空缺。

　　Their first results have just been published in Biology Letters.

　　他们的第一个研究成果被发表在了《生物学快报》上。

　　Hunter-gatherers’ practice of scouring⁵ their surroundings for edible⁶ plants is responsible for half of the name anthropologists have bestowed⁷ on them.

　　采猎者搜集居住区周围可食用植物的行为应了人类学家赋予他们的名字中的一半的内容。

　　And for good reason.

　　而出于此理由，

　　With hunting likely to have been an intermittent⁸ diversion, effective foraging⁹ would have been crucial to tiding early humans over to the next woolly mammoth¹⁰.

　　狩猎可能变成了一种间歇性的活动，而有效的搜集活动对于帮助早期人类渡过冰河时期起到了关键作用。

　　So Dr King and his colleagues conducted a study to see how, if at all, communication enhances foraging prowess.

　　所以，科恩博士及其同事主持了这项研究活动以确认交流是如何促进搜集技巧的。

　　They recruited 121 visitors to, rather appropriately, the London Zoo, and split them into 43 groups.

　　他们邀请了大约121名游客访问伦敦动物园，并将他们分成了43个小组。

　　Each group contained between two and seven people.

　　每个小组的成员在2到7人之间，

　　Some were single-sex and some mixed.

　　且有的为单一性别，有的为男女混合搭配。

　　Some were composed of family and friends whereas others brought together complete strangers.

　　部分小组由亲戚朋友组成，其他则完全是陌生人。

　　Half the groups were allowed to communicate freely.

　　在这些小组中，一半可以进行自由交流，

　　The rest were told to exchange no verbal signals or gestures of any kind.

　　另一半择不允许通过声音信号以及任何肢体动作进行交流。

　　Each group was then asked to a room containing six foraging patches—boxes filled with 300 cards, some green and some white—arranged at a distance from a central home base.

　　每个小组会被邀请到一个设置了6个搜集区---也就是盛有300张绿色和白色卡片的盒子的房间，这些盒子被放置在离中心基地区域一定距离的地方。

　　The green cards were defined as good and the patches varied¹¹ from 5% to 95% green.

　　绿色的卡片为最好，每个搜集区所含绿色卡片的比例由5%到95%不等。

　　The foragers could not see inside the boxes and were allowed to pick only one card at a time, through a hand hole, using their dominant¹³ hand.

　　搜集者看不到盒子的内部情况并且只能惯用手从小孔处一次取出一枚卡片。

　　There were no restrictions¹⁴ on which patches to visit, but each time a card was plucked it had to be returned to the home base, irrespective of colour.

　　对于访问哪个搜集区并没有设置限制，但是每次卡片在取出之后无论是什么颜色，都必须送回基地区域。

　　The goal was to collect as many good cards as possible in an unspecified short period of time (all trials actually lasted ten minutes).

　　小组的目标就是在给定的时间段内（事实上每次尝试持续10分钟）搜集尽可能多的绿色卡片。

　　As an incentive¹⁵, members of the best-performing group would receive an animal-adoption prize worth ￡30 ($47).

　　作为鼓励，表现最好的小组将获得价值30英镑（47美元）的动物领养奖励。

　　Before the modern-day foragers were let loose, radio-frequency tags, like those used in swipe cards, were wrapped around everyone’s dominant wrist.

　　原始社会的搜集者比较分散，所以每个成员惯用手的手腕上都配带了一个与磁卡无线电标签相似的标签。

　　All the good forage¹² cards were similarly tagged.

　　所有绿色卡片上同样安置了相同的标签。

　　These, together with antennae¹⁶ on top of the boxes and in the home base, allowed Dr King to track the group members’ precise movements.

　　这些标签和卡片盒上以及基地区域内安置的天线使得科恩博士可以精准地追踪每个小组的行动。

　　That, in turn, made it possible to determine how long it took each group to reach a consensus¹⁷, defined as concentrating more than 90% of activity around a single patch.

　　从而，有可能确定每个小组需要花多长时间来达成共识，即该小组95%的活动都集中在一个搜集区内。

　　Unsurprisingly, the groups that were allowed to communicate proved the more effective foragers.

　　事实证明，那些可以进行交流的小组的搜集者效率相对较高。

　　They were much likelier than their non-communicating peers to converge¹⁸ on the greenest patches.

　　这也并让人感到不惊讶。与其他不可以进行交流的竞争者相比，他们更有可能汇聚在绿色卡片最多的搜集区。

　　What did come as something of a surprise, however, was the nature of the communication that mattered.

　　然而让人感到惊讶的却是他们交流的方式。

　　The researchers monitored noise levels and hand gestures.

　　研究者对他们使用发出的噪音以及手势进行了监测。

　　Noise levels served as a proxy¹⁹ for verbal communication; gestures, for the non-verbal sort.

　　噪音可以作为有声交流的替代方式，而手势则对应无声交流。

　　Dr King found that the only thing which explained the probability of lighting²⁰ on the best patch was gesture use, which peaked just before consensus was reached.

　　科恩博士发现唯一可以用来解释存在选择最好搜集区的可能性的原因是肢体语言的使用，并且这种肢体语言的使用在共识达成之前就已经达到了顶峰。

　　Noise levels remained more or less constant the whole time, suggesting that verbal messages were not as important.

　　在整个时间段内，噪音断断续续地得到了持续使用，这显示有声信息并不是那么重要。

　　Constant volume may hide the variable importance of what was said.

　　不间断的声音可能会影响不同重要性语言的传达。

　　So, Dr King plans to repeat the experiment, controlling for the meaning of both utterances²¹ and gestures.

　　所以，科恩博士计划重复试验，以确认发音和肢体语言的意义。

　　Moreover, hand gestures are a relatively²² local signal.

　　况且，手势是一种相对本土化的信号。

　　It remains²³ an open question whether they are as crucial to success in groups larger than the half-dozen or so people typical of foraging parties in hunter-gatherer societies. Spoken contributions allow information to be disseminated²⁴ rapidly to group members far away.

　　在采猎者社会群落中，典型的搜集者人数大约占到了一半左右，对于那些人数多于搜集者的群落，手势是对于这些人的成功能否起到同样的关键作用仍然是一个问题。

　　That may trump²⁵ the importance of non-verbal messages as groups grow larger.

　　声音可以将信息快速地传播给远处的部落成员。并且随着群落的壮大，语言信息的重要性将超过非语言传递信息的重要性。

　　But if gestures convey some vital extra information, people in larger groups may limit their communication to nearby co-foragers.

　　但是，如果肢体语言可以传达一些额外的重要信息，那么在较大群落中，人们会将交流范围仅限于附近的搜集者。

　　This might lead to the emergence²⁶ of subgroups.

　　从而导致此次群落的出现。

　　How all this pertains²⁷ to the “hunter” in “hunter-gatherer” has yet to be investigated.

　　关于以上这些是如何影响采猎群落中的狩猎者目前还没有相关调查。

　　Getting a project on that past an ethics²⁸ committee might involve an interesting act of communication in its own right.

　　如果绕开道德层面来开展研究项目，其本身就是一种有趣的交流方式。

1 evolutionary   

adj.进化的；演化的，演变的；[生]进化论的

参考例句：

• Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
• These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。

2 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

3 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

4 gaping   

adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大

参考例句：

• Ahead of them was a gaping abyss. 他们前面是一个巨大的深渊。
• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 scouring   

擦[洗]净，冲刷，洗涤

参考例句：

• The police are scouring the countryside for the escaped prisoners. 警察正在搜索整个乡村以捉拿逃犯。
• This is called the scouring train in wool processing. 这被称为羊毛加工中的洗涤系列。

6 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。

7 bestowed   

赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It was a title bestowed upon him by the king. 那是国王赐给他的头衔。
• He considered himself unworthy of the honour they had bestowed on him. 他认为自己不配得到大家赋予他的荣誉。

8 intermittent   

adj.间歇的，断断续续的

参考例句：

• Did you hear the intermittent sound outside?你听见外面时断时续的声音了吗？
• In the daytime intermittent rains freshened all the earth.白天里，时断时续地下着雨，使整个大地都生气勃勃了。

9 foraging   

v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的现在分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西）

参考例句：

• They eke out a precarious existence foraging in rubbish dumps. 他们靠在垃圾场捡垃圾维持着朝不保夕的生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The campers went foraging for wood to make a fire. 露营者去搜寻柴木点火。 来自辞典例句

10 mammoth   

n.长毛象；adj.长毛象似的，巨大的

参考例句：

• You can only undertake mammoth changes if the finances are there.资金到位的情况下方可进行重大变革。
• Building the new railroad will be a mammoth job.修建那条新铁路将是一项巨大工程。

11 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

12 forage   

n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草；v.搜寻，翻寻

参考例句：

• They were forced to forage for clothing and fuel.他们不得不去寻找衣服和燃料。
• Now the nutritive value of the forage is reduced.此时牧草的营养价值也下降了。

13 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

14 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

15 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

16 antennae   

n.天线；触角

参考例句：

• Sometimes a creature uses a pair of antennae to swim.有时某些动物使用其一对触须来游泳。
• Cuba's government said that Cubans found watching American television on clandestine antennae would face three years in jail.古巴政府说那些用秘密天线收看美国电视的古巴人将面临三年监禁。

17 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

18 converge   

vi.会合；聚集，集中；(思想、观点等)趋近

参考例句：

• The results converge towards this truth.其结果趋近于这个真理。
• Parallel lines converge at infinity.平行线永不相交。

19 proxy   

n.代理权，代表权；（对代理人的）委托书；代理人

参考例句：

• You may appoint a proxy to vote for you.你可以委托他人代你投票。
• We enclose a form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting.我们附上委任年度大会代表的表格。

20 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

21 utterances   

n.发声( utterance的名词复数 )；说话方式；语调；言论

参考例句：

• John Maynard Keynes used somewhat gnomic utterances in his General Theory. 约翰·梅纳德·凯恩斯在其《通论》中用了许多精辟言辞。 来自辞典例句
• Elsewhere, particularly in his more public utterances, Hawthorne speaks very differently. 在别的地方，特别是在比较公开的谈话里，霍桑讲的话则完全不同。 来自辞典例句

22 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

23 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

24 disseminated   

散布，传播( disseminate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。
• Berkovitz had contracted polio after ingesting a vaccine disseminated under federal supervision. 伯考维茨在接种了在联邦监督下分发的牛痘疫苗后传染上脊髓灰质炎。

25 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

26 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

27 pertains   

关于( pertain的第三人称单数 )； 有关； 存在； 适用

参考例句：

• When one manages upward, none of these clear and unambiguous symbols pertains. 当一个人由下而上地管理时，这些明确无误的信号就全都不复存在了。
• Her conduct hardly pertains to a lady. 她的行为与女士身份不太相符。

28 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。