时差N小时 人们为什么恐惧牙医?(上)

Dear A Moment of Science,

亲爱的《科学一刻》栏目组，

I hate going to the dentist. In fact, I openly fear it.

我很讨厌看牙医。实际上，我感到很害怕。

Yet I've never actually had a really bad or painful experience with a dentist.

其实，我并没有过看牙医的糟糕或痛苦经历。

So why do I fear it so much?

那为什么会对此感到恐惧呢?

You're certainly not alone.

有这种感受的不止你一个人。

Quaking in your boots at the mere¹ thought of a dental check up-let alone having a cavity taken care of-is a time honored tradition.

一想到检查牙齿，腿脚就哆嗦，更别说补牙洞了。这种感受由来已久。

And it doesn't necessarily derive² from a bad dental experience.

害怕牙医不一定是因为有过痛苦的经历。

New research shows that fear of the dentist is often passed down from parents to their children.

新研究表明，对牙医的恐惧感常常是由父母传递给孩子的。

Fathers are especially involved.

父亲的反应尤其关键。

Previous studies found a link between parents' attitudes toward the dentist and kids' fear.

之前的研究表明，父母对牙医的态度和孩子对看牙医的恐惧感有关。

But the new study reveals that kids pay even closer attention to how their fathers react when the dentist is involved.

不过，现在有研究发现孩子会密切注意父亲看牙医时的反应。

1 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

2 derive   

v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自

参考例句：

• We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。
• We shall derive much benefit from reading good novels.我们将从优秀小说中获得很大好处。