新奇事件簿 吃爆米花导致广告效果减弱

The advertising¹ people see while at the movies is less effective when audiences eat popcorn². This is the conclusion of a newly-published study from Germany's Cologne University. According to researchers, people remember the names of new brands or products by silently pronouncing them in their brains. However, with a mouth full of popcorn, this process is interrupted. The report is titled "Popcorn in the Cinema: Oral Interference Sabotages³ Advertising Effects". It describes how the chewing action interferes⁴ with the brain's "inner speech" that operates whenever we come across a new name. Researchers say: "This happens covertly⁵, that is, without our awareness⁶."

如果观众看电影时吃爆米花，那么他们看到的广告的效果就会减弱。这是德国科隆大学最新发表的一份研究得出的结论。研究人员称，如果在安静状态下向他们的大脑中宣读，人们能记住新品牌和产品的名字。然而，如果满嘴都是爆米花，记忆过程被扰乱。该报告题为“电影院的爆米花：口头干预破坏广告效果”。该报告描述了咀嚼行为如何干扰我们接触一个新名字时运作的大脑的“内部语言”。研究人员表示：“这是暗中进行的，我们意识不到。”

Researcher Sascha Topolinski invited 96 people to watch a movie. Half of the group was given popcorn, while the rest received a small sugar cube. A week later, the participants were asked to rate a series of products, including some of those they had seen adverts⁷ for during the movie. The sugar cube group remembered a lot more of the product names than those who ate popcorn. Mr Topolinski said: "The mundane⁸ activity of eating popcorn made participants immune to the pervasive⁹ effects of advertising." He added: "This finding suggests that selling candy in cinemas actually undermines advertising." This presents cinema owners with a dilemma¹⁰. There is usually a 900% mark-up on popcorn sold in movie theatres.

研究员Sascha Topolinski邀请96人看电影。其中一半的人分发了爆米花，其他人则发一小块糖。一周后，要求参加者辨别一系列产品，包括他们看电影时曾经看到的产品。吃糖块的一组记得的产品名字比吃爆米花的一组记得的多很多。Topolinski先生说：“吃爆米花这种平凡的行为导致参加者对广告的入侵效应免疫。”他补充说：“该发现表明，在电影院出售糖果会削弱广告效果。”这导致电影院老板进退两难。电影院出售的爆米花价格比外面高出九倍。

1 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

2 popcorn   

n.爆米花

参考例句：

• I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.当我在家观看电视剧时，喜欢吃爆米花。
• He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收银机后，嘴里塞满了爆米花。

3 sabotages   

阴谋破坏（某事物）( sabotage的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The plastic sheeting used in farmland extremely pollutes and sabotages the soil environment. 农田塑料薄膜（地膜）污染对土壤环境危害很大，覆膜灌溉技术可能会增加其复杂性。

4 interferes   

vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉

参考例句：

• The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
• That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。

5 covertly   

adv.偷偷摸摸地

参考例句：

• Naval organizations were covertly incorporated into civil ministries. 各种海军组织秘密地混合在各民政机关之中。 来自辞典例句
• Modern terrorism is noteworthy today in that it is being done covertly. 现代的恐怖活动在今天是值得注意的，由于它是秘密进行的。 来自互联网

6 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

7 adverts   

advertisements 广告，做广告

参考例句：

• the adverts on television 电视广告
• The adverts are not very informative. 这些广告并没有包含太多有用信息。

8 mundane   

adj.平凡的；尘世的；宇宙的

参考例句：

• I hope I can get an interesting job and not something mundane.我希望我可以得到的是一份有趣的工作，而不是一份平凡无奇的。
• I find it humorous sometimes that even the most mundane occurrences can have an impact on our awareness.我发现生活有时挺诙谐的，即使是最平凡的事情也能影响我们的感知。

9 pervasive   

adj.普遍的；遍布的，(到处)弥漫的；渗透性的

参考例句：

• It is the most pervasive compound on earth.它是地球上最普遍的化合物。
• The adverse health effects of car exhaust are pervasive and difficult to measure.汽车尾气对人类健康所构成的有害影响是普遍的，并且难以估算。

10 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。