Apologies go down better through right ear, study finds

　　Saying sorry isn’t always enough to earn forgiveness but you have more chance of getting your message across if you speak into someone’s right ear, research indicates.

　　Scientists found that when we are angry, the right ear becomes more receptive to sound than the left.

　　The discovery has led to the theory that by targeting the right ear, the penitent are more likely to succeed in talking someone round.

　　Researchers came to the conclusion after carrying out hearing tests on 30 young men who had been worked up into a fury.

　　The participants were given a folder of hostile statements to read to anger them, while scientists observed their heart rate, blood pressure and testosterone levels rise.

　　The research team from the University of Valencia found that when angry, the participants’ right ears were significantly more susceptible to sound.

　　However, there was no change in the left ear, according to the research, published in the journal Hormones and Behaviour.

　　It is thought this is because the left side of the brain processes sounds that come in through the right ear.

　　If anger activates it, noise from the right, but not the left, will be heard more keenly.

　　Previous research has shown that if you want to persuade someone to do something, you should also speak in their right ear.

　　一声“对不起”往往不足以求得别人的原谅，但一项最新研究表明，如果这声“对不起”是对着对方的右耳说，他会更容易“听进去”。

　　科学家发现，当人们在生气的时候，右耳变得比左耳更敏锐。

　　根据这一发现，研究人员提出，对着对方的右耳说对不起更容易获得对方的原谅。

　　研究人员在对30名年轻男性进行听力测试后得出了这一结论。这些男性在测试中都被激怒。

　　研究人员让研究对象阅读了一些挑衅性的言论以激怒他们，同时发现，研究对象的心率、血压和荷尔蒙水平都有所上升。

　　瓦伦西亚大学的研究小组发现，在生气时，研究对象的右耳会对声音变得格外敏感。

　　而左耳对声音的敏感度却没有明显变化。这项研究成果在《荷尔蒙与行为研究》期刊上发表。

　　研究者认为，这是因为人的左脑主要负责处理从右耳传入的声音。

　　当生气使左脑变得活跃时，从右耳传入的声音会被听得更清楚。

　　之前的研究表明，如果你想说服别人去做什么事情，最好也对着他的右耳说。

　　Vocabulary:

　　get the message across：传递出信息，让对方明白

　　penitent：悔罪者，道歉者

　　talk someone round：to persuade somebody to accept something or to agree to something(说服某人)

　　work up：to move or stir the feelings; excite(激动，生气)