新奇事件簿 人类一半的时间在做白日梦

New research from America’s Harvard University shows people spend nearly half of their waking hours daydreaming¹, and not thinking about what they are actually doing. Moreover², they say this mind wandering is a sign of unhappiness. The study, to be published in the journal³ ‘Science,’ surveyed the thoughts and moods of over 2,200 volunteers. The participants downloaded an iPhone app and sent more than 250,000 messages during the day and night. Researchers Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert conclude that most of us are in another world for more than 46 per cent of our waking hours, and that means we are unhappy: "A human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind,” they said.

来自美国哈佛大学一项最新研究显示，人们醒着的时候近一半的时间在做白日梦，而不是在想他们实际上在做什么。此外，他们说，这种出神的行为是不快乐的标志。这项研究即将发表在《科学》杂志上，调查了超过2200名志愿者的想法和情绪。参加者下载了一款iPhone程序，白天和晚上共发送了超过25万条信息。研究人员Matthew Killingsworth和Daniel Gilbert得出结论，在46%的清醒时间，我们大部分人的思想都在另外一个世界，这意味着我们不快乐：“人类的思绪是飘渺的思绪，飘渺的思绪是不快乐的思绪。”他们这样说。

Dr Killingsworth said “mind-wandering” was “ubiquitous across all activities” in our daily lives. His study found that we are happiest when exercising, chatting with friends or making love and least happy when working or using our computer at home. He added: "Mind-wandering is an excellent predictor of people's happiness,” and that “our mental lives are filled, to a remarkable⁴ degree, by the non-present”. Professor Gilbert believes daydreaming is one of the things that make us human. He said: “Unlike other animals, human beings spend a lot of time thinking about what is not going on around them, contemplating⁵ events that happened in the past, might happen in the future or will never happen at all.”

Killingsworth博士表示“走神”是我们日常行为中非常普遍的行为。他的研究发现，当我们运动，跟朋友聊天，或者做爱的时候是最开心的，工作或在家中玩电脑的时候是最不开心的。他补充说：“走神是人快乐程度的优秀指标”，“我们的精神生活被心不在焉充满到一个非常显著的程度。”Gilbert教授相信，白日梦是我们作为人的一个特征。他说：“与其他动物不同，人们会花很长时间思考并没有发生在身边的事情，考虑过去发生的事情，未来可能发生的事情，或者根本就不会发生的事情。”

1 daydreaming   

v.想入非非，空想( daydream的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Stop daydreaming and be realistic. 别空想了，还是从实际出发吧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Bill was sitting and daydreaming so his mother told him to come down to earth and to do his homework. 比尔坐着空想， 他母亲要他面对现实，去做课外作业。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 moreover   

adv.再有，此外，而且

参考例句：

• The rent is reasonable, and moreover,the location is perfect.这房租合理，而且地点优越。
• The task is difficult, and moreover,time is pressing.任务艰巨，并且时间紧迫。

3 journal   

n.日志，日记；议事录；日记帐；杂志，定期刊物

参考例句：

• He kept a journal during his visit to Japan.他在访问日本期间坚持记日记。
• He got a job as editor of a trade journal.他找到了一份当商业杂志编辑的工作。

4 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

5 contemplating   

深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想

参考例句：

• You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
• She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。