The power of beauty 美的力量

　　The power of beautyBeauty is essentially¹ a form of energy, something that radiates from a fine example of absolutely anything, whether a delightful² taste or smell, or a gorgeous sight. This energy is in effect a form of information, nature's bar code telling us how healthy that attitude is, because health-bringing things increase the likelihood that we and our genes³ will survive.

　　Harvard phychologist Nancy Etcoff observes that, with this vital equation very much in mind, our brains behave like a highly sensitive radar⁴ constantly hunting a signal. If we're shown the photograph of a face, it takes us less than a fifth of a second to make a judgement of its beauty.

　　Much of the language of this energy is hard-wired and universal. Even three month-old babies have been shown to prefer gazing at conventionally beautiful faces, and adults from diverse ethnic⁵ cultures can all agree on who is exactly how good-looking in other populations.

　　Experimental studies have also established that the active ingredients include symmetry, order, proportion and balance. Since beauty is so powerful and important, we can be thankful that there are many ways to be beautiful, and very many sources. And though we most readily think of experiencing that energy through our five physical senses of sight, sound, taste, touch and smell, other dimensions are even more potent⁶. For example, there is movement-which can be the internal, kinaesthetic sense of our own bodies in dance or sport; or the thrill of seeing an art or craft well performed. Consider, too, how ideas, insights, and solutions, can be deemed beautiful. Among scientists, Einstein's Theory of Relativity is unanimously praised for its extraordinary beauty.

　　Yale's David Gelernter, a professor of computer science, has argued convincingly that "lust⁷ for beauty" has driven the great technological⁸ discoveries. It is no accient, he would claim, that Mitchell's Spitfire, with its Merlin engines and distinctive⁹ wings, could help win a war while also seeming wonderful to the eye and ear.

　　And just as the plan for a bank robbery, a bridge, or a computer program can all work beautifully, so can a whole personality. We know from the studies of many lifetimes that humans find a balance of loving and confidence and kindness and humour to be highly attractive and very healthy qualities.

　　Yet, the greatest source of beauty, for the sheer intensity¹⁰ and volume of positive emotion it brings to our lives, is the beautiful relationship--the one in which we can thrive and flourish and grow beyond ourselves. This fertile bond can exist between two living things, or a person and a place, or a person and a skill, and the world becomes only more beautiful the more deeply we understand it. Therefore, we will find profound happiness in narturing and appreciating diverse beauties in whatever ways we can.

　　美实质上是一种能量，任何美好的事物都能发出这种能量，比如美食、香气或美景。实际上这种能量就是一种信息，好似自然界的“条形码”，告诉我们事物的健康度，正是这些能促进健康的事物使我们和我们的基因更好地繁衍下去，生生不息。

　　哈佛大学心理学家南希.艾特考夫指出，因为我们非常清楚以上这点的重要性，我们的大脑就像一个高灵敏度的雷达在不断地搜索着信号。比如把一张人物照放在我们眼前，我们会在不到1/5秒的时间内对它的美丑做出判断。

　　对这种能量的认识是人类普遍具备的先天特质。甚至3个月大的婴儿也表现出对传统意义上的漂亮的脸蛋的青睐。不同种族的成年人在判断其他族人的容貌美丑问题上也能达成共识。

　　研究表明，对称、条例、比例和平衡是影响人们判断美的重要因素。美的力量是巨大而不可忽视的。我们应当感谢美丽有那么多的表达方式，美的源泉是那么丰富多彩。说到美，也许我们很容易想到通过视觉、听觉、味觉、触觉和嗅觉这五种感官来体验它的能量，但其实还有其他更为有效的途径，比如：“动觉”--它可能是我们跳舞或运动时身体内部的肌肉动感，也可能是看到一件精湛的艺术品或工艺制品时的兴奋和激动不已。再想想我们又有多少可以被称为“漂亮”的想法、见解和解决方案吧。科学家们不就对爱因斯坦“相对论”所蕴涵的非凡之美一致地给予了高度赞赏么。

　　耶鲁大学计算机科学教授大卫.格冷特用有力的实例说明了“对美的强烈渴望”成就了一系列伟大的科技成就。他指出，米切尔设计的喷火式战斗机正是凭借其采用的马林引擎和独特的机翼，在取得战斗胜利的同时还能给人带来视觉和听觉的享受。

　　正如我们可以说一起银行抢劫、一座桥梁或是一个计算机程序的设计干得很“漂亮”，一个人的整体人格也可以是“漂亮”的。从对许多人的生平研究中发现，爱心、自信、友善和幽默是非常健康的品质，拥有这些品质的人是极具魅力的。

　　然而，就其带给我们的美好感觉的度和量而言，美的最主要来源是我们与外界的美好关系，它们给我们的生活带来源源不断的感情--让我们茁壮成长，超越自我。这一有力的和谐关系可以存在于生物与生物之间，也可存在于人和某个地方之间，或是人和某项技能之间。当我们能更好地认识这些关系时，世界就会变得更加美丽。因此，我们在培育和欣赏美的同时，也会得到无穷的快乐。

1 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

2 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

3 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

4 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

5 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

6 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

7 lust   

n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望

参考例句：

• He was filled with lust for power.他内心充满了对权力的渴望。
• Sensing the explorer's lust for gold, the chief wisely presented gold ornaments as gifts.酋长觉察出探险者们垂涎黄金的欲念，就聪明地把金饰品作为礼物赠送给他们。

8 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

9 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

10 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。