英語文化隨身帶
快樂學堂
作者：Ben Mortimer 翻譯:芥子
電台節目“英語文化隨身帶”文章短小精悍，內容包羅萬象。將英語文化裝進口袋裏，利用閑散的時間隨身翻閱，英語學習者可以在潛移默化中了解當代英語世界的生活和文化。
也許我們都清楚“一見鍾情”隻是小說和影視作品中用來製造浪漫氣氛的慣用手法，但很多人還是希望在現實生活中能夠遇上這種情節吧（偶爾發發白日夢、花癡一下很正常啦）！這種因為看見漂亮的陌生人而產生的興奮感可靠嗎？科學家給出了以下解釋——
“Love at first sight” is an English expression which means to fall in love with someone instantly[立即地]， after just looking at him or her for the first time. Whether you believe this is real love or just shallow[膚淺的] desire[渴望]， it’s a 1）scene in today’s books， movies， and television shows.
According to this old idea， falling in love is a matter of fate. When love strikes[來到]， we’re helpless to 2）our feelings. Indeed， according to some modern brain research， seeing an attractive person can jolt[震搖；震驚] your 3）. This shows up on MRI （magnetic resonance[共振] imaging） scans[掃描]. But what does that jolt really mean？
In one British study， volunteers wore special helmets that scanned their brains as they looked at photos of strangers. When a person they found attractive seemed to be looking right at them， the part of the brain called the “reward[獎賞] center” 4）up. This might not mean much. That same area lights up when you expect any kind of reward， such as food when you’re 5）.
Researchers said that the response[反應] could be based on an evolutionary[進化的] adaptation[適應] for choosing healthy-looking mates. Today， it might only mean a shallow desire to associate[聯係起來] with attractive people for social status.
Another study at Trinity College in Dublin， Ireland， also measured brain activity in volunteers looking at photos. Researchers found that an area called the “prefrontal cortex[前額葉皮質]” lit up for certain photos. That part of the brain is important for mature[成熟的] decision-making.