时差N小时 动物受激后打哈欠

If you've ever visited a zoo, you've probably seen animals yawn. You might have thought those yawns were a result of boredom¹, but research has suggested that most animals do not yawn for precisely² the same reasons as humans.

如果你曾参观过动物园，那你可能看见过动物们打哈欠。你可能会想，这是因为动物们也感到无聊，但研究表明大多数动物打哈欠是出于与人类不同的原因。

Both humans and animals yawn to become more alert, but humans tend to yawn when they are bored or sleepy. And animals yawn in anticipation³ of a stimulating⁴ situation. When a human feels bored or sleepy, their blood flow becomes a bit sluggish⁵ and the brain gets less oxygen. As a result, they yawn in order to supply the brain with extra oxygen which helps them become more alert.

人类和动物打哈欠都能使自身变得更警惕，但是人类倾向于在无聊或者困乏的时候打哈欠。而动物打哈欠则是因为预期的刺激。当人们感到无聊或者困乏的时候，人体内的血液流动速度稍微减慢，于是造成大脑缺氧。因此人们打哈欠是为了给大脑补充氧气，这样人才能变得更警觉。

Most research has suggested that, contrary to common belief, we don't yawn because our brains need extra oxygen, but because we need to become more alert. Instead of yawning in order to help raise alertness levels during boring situations, animals yawn in anticipation of exciting situations. One scientist has spent hundreds of hours observing the yawning patterns of several animal species, including lions, monkeys and humans.

与普遍观念相反的是，大多数研究表明我们并不是因为大脑缺氧才打哈欠，而是因为我们需要变得更警觉。与人类在无聊的情况下为了保持警觉性而打哈欠相反，动物会因令其兴奋的事情即将发生而打哈欠。一位科学家花了几百个小时观察几种动物的打哈欠模式，包括狮子、猴子和人类。

He found that human beings yawned most often in situations with minimal⁶ stimulation⁷, but in which alertness was important, such as driving late at night; they yawned least often during physically⁸ stimulating situations such as an aerobics⁹ class.

他发现人类打哈欠多数处在刺激最小的情况下，同时也是警觉性很重要的情况下，例如在深夜驾车；当他们身理上受到刺激时打哈欠最少，例如上有氧运动课。

Captive lions and monkeys, on the other hand, yawned most often just before feeding time, one of the most stimulating times of the day. Other scientists have also observed laboratory rats yawning just prior to eating. These studies suggest that animals yawn in anticipation of stimulation rather than as a result of boredom.

另一方面，圈养的狮子和猴子在喂食时间前总是打哈欠。喂食是一天中刺激最大的时刻。其他科学家们也观察过实验室的老鼠，发现它们总是在吃饭之前打哈欠。这些研究表明动物打哈欠不是因为无聊，而是因为预期的刺激。

1 boredom   

n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊

参考例句：

• Unemployment can drive you mad with boredom.失业会让你无聊得发疯。
• A walkman can relieve the boredom of running.跑步时带着随身听就不那么乏味了。

2 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

3 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

4 stimulating   

adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的

参考例句：

• shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
• This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。

5 sluggish   

adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的

参考例句：

• This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
• Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

6 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

7 stimulation   

n.刺激，激励，鼓舞

参考例句：

• The playgroup provides plenty of stimulation for the children.幼儿游戏组给孩子很多启发。
• You don't get any intellectual stimulation in this job.你不能从这份工作中获得任何智力启发。

8 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

9 aerobics   

n.健身操，健美操，韵律操

参考例句：

• Doing aerobics is a good way to improve one's health.做有氧健身操是改善健康状况的一个好方法。
• Aren't you going to the aerobics class this morning?今天上午你不是去上有氧运动课吗？