宝宝思维探秘

To many parents, babies are a wonderful mystery. Who knows what lurks¹ in their tiny heads and what they are doing with their flailing² arms? Well, researchers now say that from the eyes of an infant, parents are just as mysterious and confusing. A study comparing the eye movements and attention spans³ of a one-year-old baby to both adults and 6-month-olds finds that infants younger than a year can not predict what another person is trying to do. But by 12 months, infants are just as good as adults at guessing simple actions of those around them.

For example, if mummy picks up a favorite toy, young infants can't guess that she is about to hand it over even if mummy has given it to them a million times before. Even with familiar faces and situations, young babies can not really understand when people are trying to help them. Their brains simply don't have enough wiring yet to predict what is coming next. This knowledge may not solve all of a new parent's questions, but it may help them understand a little bit better why children do what they do.

With this Medical Minute, I'm Dr. Timothy Johnson.

1 lurks   

n.潜在，潜伏；（lurk的复数形式）vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Behind his cool exterior lurks a reckless and frustrated person. 在冷酷的外表背后，他是一个鲁莽又不得志的人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Good fortune lies within Bad, Bad fortune lurks within good. 福兮祸所倚，祸兮福所伏。 来自互联网

2 flailing   

v.鞭打( flail的现在分词 )；用连枷脱粒；（臂或腿）无法控制地乱动；扫雷坦克

参考例句：

• He became moody and unreasonable, flailing out at Katherine at the slightest excuse. 他变得喜怒无常、不可理喻，为点鸡毛蒜皮的小事就殴打凯瑟琳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His arms were flailing in all directions. 他的手臂胡乱挥舞着。 来自辞典例句

3 spans   

跨度( span的名词复数 )； 持续时间； 一段时间； （五指张开时的）指距

参考例句：

• A steel railway bridge spans the Yalu River. 鸭绿江上有一座钢铁大桥。
• The wire door was a couple of hand-spans from his face. 铁笼门距他的脸只有一两个巴掌远。 来自英汉文学