经济学人323:健康指标 从表面判断

 　　Science and technology

　　科学技术

　　Health indicators²

　　健康指标

　　On the face of it

　　从表面判断

　　More evidence that symmetrical features indicate good health

　　更多证据表明对称容貌显示身体健康

　　BEAUTY may be in the eye of the beholder³, but a symmetricalface is usually a big help.

　　情人眼里出西施，但对称的容貌通常有助于美感。

　　In contrast, asymmetry⁴ is often associated with malignance.

　　相反，非对称通常与丑恶相联。

　　Biologists have long speculated why this is.

　　生物学家长期思考为什么会出现这种情况。

　　In theory, evolution provides a logical answer: unfit individuals are less likely than fitter folk to be able to maintain the symmetrical development of their bodies when exposed to stress and disease.

　　就理论上而言，进化论就是其逻辑答案。在面临压力与疾病时，非健康者可能不如健康者能保持自身的对称发展。

　　In other words, many parts of the body are supposed to be symmetrical, so any deviation⁵ from perfect symmetry indicates that an animal has not been able to grow as intended.

　　换句话说，身体的许多部位本是对称的，那么，从完美对称变为非对称表明身体已不可能按正常发展。

　　As an animal is unlikely to want to mix its genes⁶ with an unfit or diseased partner, evolution selects symmetry as an attractive trait.

　　由于健康者不大可能愿意其基因与非健康/患病者的相结合，进化论便选择对称作为一个有吸引力的特征。

　　Whether asymmetry and poor health or fitness really go hand in hand has not been easy to prove.

　　很难证明非对称者是否与非健康或健康真正相关联。

　　Research on this in humans causes ethical⁷ problems and can raise hackles.

　　关于人类这个问题的研究导致种簇问题，造成愤怒。

　　Now a new study conducted with macaque monkeys hints that there is indeed a connection.

　　现在，以猕猴为例的一项新的研究表明他们的确有关联。

　　Previous studies with macaques have demonstrated that the animals will gaze longer at symmetrical faces than they do at asymmetric⁸ ones, which could be interpreted as the monkeys finding such faces more attractive.

　　先前有关猕猴的研究实验表明，相比非对称性猕猴，猕猴愿意花更多长凝视拥有对称性容貌的猕猴，这可能理解为猕猴发现那些具有对称性容貌的具有更多吸引力。

　　The results of these studies have led researchers to believe that the monkeys have a preference for symmetry just as humans do.

　　研究结果使得研究者相信猕猴与人类一样偏爱对称性容貌者。

　　However, a clear connection between health and symmetry had not been made.

　　然而，健康与对称性的关联还未得到确切的证明。

　　Fascinated by this question, Anthony Little of the University of Stirling in Scotland and Annika Paukner of the National Institutes of Health in America established a new study with 93 female macaque monkeys.

　　受这个问题的困扰，苏格兰斯特林大学的安东尼.里特与美国国立卫生研究院的安妮卡.波克恩一起对93只猕猴进行一项新的研究。

　　The monkeys came from three different groups and had been raised in some degree of captivity⁹.

　　这些猕猴来自三个不同群组，受到不同程度的圈养。

　　All of the monkeys, between the ages of five and 20, were photographed, face forward.

　　所有这些猕猴年龄都在5岁-20岁，他们面朝前面一起接受拍照。

　　Dr Little and his colleagues analysed facial symmetry using a computer to measure the distance of various features, like the edges of the nostrils¹⁰, lips and eyes, from a line drawn¹¹ down the centre of the monkey's face.

　　一条中间直线划分猕狒面部，里特博士和他的同事使用电脑测量不同器官的两边距离，包括鼻孔，嘴唇，眼睛。

　　These distances were then compared and any differences between them were added to an overall asymmetry score.

　　然后，对这些测量的距离进行对比，把所有的差距汇总，就成了非对称数据。

　　Thus a perfectly¹² symmetrical face, with eyes, lips and nostrils exactly the same distance from the central line, would earn a score of zero.

　　因此，非常完美的对称面貌，眼睛，嘴唇以及鼻子两边离中间线的距离是相同的，因而总对称分数为0。

　　A highly asymmetric one would score the sum of all the distance differences between features on the face.

　　他们记录下非常不对称的猕猴脸部器官的差距和。

　　The team then considered the overall health of the monkeys during their first four years of life.

　　前四年这个团队关注这些猕猴的总体健康。

　　This comparison was made from veterinary records and evidence of health problems.

　　他们对兽医记录的以及健康问题的证据进行对比。

　　The researchers looked out for minor¹³ wounds that had been noted¹⁴ by staff but left to heal on their own; major wounds such as bites that required stitches; levels of subcutaneous fat and muscle; the quality of their coat; and their weight gain.

　　研究人员关注那些工作人员之前注意到却任其自愈的小伤口；诸如咬伤之类需要缝合的大伤口；因咬而需缝线的大伤口；皮下脂肪厚度，肌肉的强壮；表皮质量以及体重增加。

　　These health factors were compiled into two scores, one reflecting wounds and one reflecting the monkey's general condition, and they were compared with the asymmetry scores.

　　这些健康因素分成两组分数，一组反映伤口情况，另一组反应猕猴总体身体状况，这些与不对称性数据进行比较。

　　Dr Little and his colleagues report in Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology that whereas wounds showed no relationship to asymmetry, as the monkeys' condition scores declined so too did their facial-symmetry results.

　　里特博士和他同事在《行为生态学和社会生物学》杂志上报道：虽然伤口与不对称性无任何关系，但猴子身体状况越差，它们的脸部就越不对称。

　　The researchers argue that this health connection is what makes macaque monkeys look longer at symmetrical faces than they do at uneven¹⁵ ones.

　　这些研究员认为，这一健康关联是因为猕猴对着对称面貌比不对称面貌时间长。

　　Thus facial symmetry really does appear to be an indicator¹ of health, at least among macaques.

　　因此，面貌对称性真正能呈现身体健康指标，至少猕猴是这样。

　　And what is true for them is likely to be true for people too.

　　因此，适用于猕狒的这一原理可能也适用于人。

　　1.associate with 联合,联系

　　The date and time to associate with the type library.

　　与该类型库相关联的日期和时间。

　　Create a container control designer class to associate with the custom control.

　　创建容器控件设计器类，并将其与自定义控件关联。

　　2.able to 能；会

　　He was even able to build his own home.

　　他现在甚至能建一所自己的房子。

　　How fortunate that he had been able to love!

　　能爱别人是多么幸运的一件事！

　　3.conduct with 行为

　　To view your conduct with disgust.

　　厌恶地看待你的行为。

　　Defense¹⁶ lawyers are expected to challenge the nature of her injuries, her recollection of events, the veracity¹⁷ of elements of her life story, and her conduct with other men if the case proceeds.

　　辩方律师可能会挑战她受伤的类型、她对事件的回忆、她所讲的过去生活的真实成分、如果这个案件继续下去，还有她与其他男性的交往。

　　4.lead to 导致,引起

　　That can lead to serious consequences.

　　这会导致严重的后果。

　　All these ideologies¹⁸ lead to repression¹⁹.

　　所有这些思想最终都导致镇压。

1 indicator   

n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。

2 indicators   

（仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的）指针( indicator的名词复数 )； 指示物； （车辆上的）转弯指示灯； 指示信号

参考例句：

• The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
• It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。

3 beholder   

n.观看者，旁观者

参考例句：

• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 看起来觉得美就是美。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It has been said that art is a tryst, for in the joy of it maker and beholder meet. 有人说艺术是一种幽会，因为艺术家和欣赏者可在幽会的乐趣中相遇在一起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 asymmetry   

n.不对称；adj.不对称的，不对等的

参考例句：

• These bands must introduce longitudinal asymmetry in the planetary albedo.这些云带必定引起行星反照率的经向不对称性。
• In any event the asymmetry is clear enough.总之，不对称是非常明显的。

5 deviation   

n.背离，偏离；偏差，偏向；离题

参考例句：

• Deviation from this rule are very rare.很少有违反这条规则的。
• Any deviation from the party's faith is seen as betrayal.任何对党的信仰的偏离被视作背叛。

6 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

7 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

8 asymmetric   

a.不对称的

参考例句：

• Most people's faces are asymmetric. 大多数人的脸不对称。
• We have made no reference to asymmetric carbon atoms. 我们未曾涉及不对称碳原子。

9 captivity   

n.囚禁；被俘；束缚

参考例句：

• A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。
• He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。

10 nostrils   

鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her nostrils flared with anger. 她气得两个鼻孔都鼓了起来。
• The horse dilated its nostrils. 马张大鼻孔。

11 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

12 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

13 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

15 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

16 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

17 veracity   

n.诚实

参考例句：

• I can testify to this man's veracity and good character.我可以作证，此人诚实可靠品德良好。
• There is no reason to doubt the veracity of the evidence.没有理由怀疑证据的真实性。

18 ideologies   

n.思想（体系）( ideology的名词复数 )；思想意识；意识形态；观念形态

参考例句：

• There is no fundamental diversity between the two ideologies. 这两种思想意识之间并没有根本的分歧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Radical ideologies require to contrast to their own goodness the wickedness of some other system. 凡是过激的意识形态，都需要有另外一个丑恶的制度作对比，才能衬托出自己的善良。 来自辞典例句

19 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。