双语研究：对着右耳说道歉更有效

 　　研究：对着右耳说道歉更有效

　　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 penitent¹ 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 folder² 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 susceptible³ to sound.

　　However, there was no change in the left ear, according to the research, published in the journal Hormones⁴ 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 activates⁵ 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)

1 penitent   

adj.后悔的；n.后悔者；忏悔者

参考例句：

• They all appeared very penitent,and begged hard for their lives.他们一个个表示悔罪，苦苦地哀求饶命。
• She is deeply penitent.她深感愧疚。

2 folder   

n.纸夹，文件夹

参考例句：

• Peter returned the plan and charts to their folder.彼得把这份计划和表格放回文件夹中。
• He draws the document from its folder.他把文件从硬纸夹里抽出来。

3 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

4 hormones   

n. 荷尔蒙，激素 名词hormone的复数形式

参考例句：

• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
• The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。

5 activates   

使活动，起动，触发( activate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Activates the window and displays it in its current size and position. 激活窗口，保持当前的大小及位置不变。
• Pulling out the alarm switch activates alarm and pushing it deactivates it. 闹钟的开和关是通过拔出和按入闹铃开关实现的。