The science of laughter - Sasha Winkler

翻译人员: nancy 郭 校对人员: Yanyan Hong

Isn’t it odd that, when something’s funny,

大家不觉得奇怪吗？ 当我们遇到好笑的事情的时候，

you might show your teeth, change your breathing,

我们可能露出牙齿， 改变呼吸频率，

become weak and achy in some places, and maybe even cry?

身体的某些部位可能变得无力和疼， 有时甚至会哭出来？

In other words, why do we do this bizarre thing that is laughter?

换而言之，我们为什么会发“笑” 这件奇怪的事？

When you laugh, your abdominal muscles contract rapidly.

当你笑的时候，你的腹部肌肉会快速收缩，

This alters your breathing patterns,

这会改变的呼吸规律，

increasing the pressure in your chest cavity, and pushing air out,

增大胸腔的压力，把空气排出体内，

which might audibly emerge as a snort, wheeze, or vocalization.

它可能会以吸鼻子、 喘气或发声的形式出现。

Because you’re exerting your abdominal muscles much more

因为你比平时讲话时更多得

than you usually would while talking,

使用腹部肌肉，

they may start to hurt.

所以腹部可能会有疼感。

Laughter also inhibits your reflexes and muscle control,

除此之外，笑还会抑制你的反射弧 和肌肉控制能力，

causing sensations like leg weakness.

引起腿部无力等感觉。

So, where does this funny phenomenon come from?

那么，这种有趣的现象是从何 而来的呢？

Because there’s no archaeological record of laughter,

由于考古记录中没有对“笑”的记载，

it’s impossible to say exactly how and why it evolved,

所以我们无法准确得知道笑是 如何以及为何进化而来。

but scientists have some theories.

虽然如此，科学家们提出了一些假设，

Importantly, humans are not the only animals today

值得注意的是，人类并不是当今

that do something like laughter.

唯一会做类似“笑”这种动作的动物。

Using ultrasonic recorders,

90年代后期，

researchers in the late 90s realized that rats were basically giggling

研究人员使用超声波记录器 发现老鼠在被挠痒痒时

while being tickled.

会做类似咯咯笑的动作。

Scientists have since compiled evidence of at least 65 species—

此后，科学家们收集了至少65种 会在社交玩耍中发出声音的动物证据，

mostly mammals, but also some birds— that vocalize during social play.

他们主要包含哺乳动物及一些鸟类。

Some, unsurprisingly, are our closest relatives.

毫不奇怪，有些物种 是我们人类的近亲。

By recording and analyzing the sounds primates make

通过记录和分析 灵长类动物在玩耍和被挠痒痒时

while playing and being tickled,

发出的声音，

researchers grew more convinced that the ancient ancestor of all great apes

研究人员更加确信 所有类人猿的远古祖先

did something like laughter.

都会做类似“笑”的事情。

And, because other apes make laughter-like sounds during rough-and-tumble play,

除此之外，由于其他类人猿在打闹的游戏 会发出笑声般的声音，

they think laughter may have originally developed to clearly signal

科学家认为笑声原本是为了表明友好、

friendly, non-aggressive intent.

非进攻性的想法。

But of course, humans don’t just laugh when we’re wrestling,

当然，人类不只在打闹时发笑，

but also when we’re amused, and even surprised, confused, or nervous.

我们还会在被逗乐， 感到惊讶、困惑或紧张时笑。

Some scientists think laughter took on expanded functions

一些科学家认为， 在人类与其他巨猿分枝

after humans split from other great apes

并发展出庞大的社交群体 和更高级的语言能力之后，

and developed large social groups and more complex language abilities.

笑声的功能得到了扩展。

They hypothesize that laughter gradually became something we could use

他们假设，笑声的功能逐渐广泛化， 我们不仅能在游戏时使用，

not just during play but within speech to convey subtle meanings

还可以在语言中用来 传达微妙的含义

and a range of contexts to show our emotions.

和不同的氛围感 以表达我们的情感。

This is thought to be one of the reasons that laughter is contagious:

科学家认为这是笑声具有 感染力的原因之一：

it’s like an invitation to share in someone’s emotional state.

笑的感染力就像邀请他人与自己共情一样。

Just hearing clips of laughter can activate key regions in your brain,

就算只是听到一点笑声也可以 激活我们大脑中的关键区域，

triggering you to smile or laugh yourself.

触发我们自发地微笑或大笑。

And, when participants in one study watched a funny video,

一项研究中的参与者 在观看一段有趣的视频时，

they laughed significantly longer and more often

如果有另一个人在场，

when another person was present—

他们笑的时间更长并且频率更多，

even though they reported feeling the same level of amusement.

虽然他们回应说自己感觉到的 愉悦程度是相同的。

Human laughter is also generally louder

另外，人类的笑声通常

than the play vocalizations of most animals.

比大多数动物在玩乐时的发声更响亮。

Some scientists speculate that this is because our laughter functions

一些科学家推测， 这是因为我们的笑声

not only as a signal between individuals, but a broadcast to everyone around.

不仅是在发言者和倾听者两人之间的传递， 而且是对周围所有人传递。

Studies found that observers across the world and as young as 5 months old

研究发现，世界各地的参与者， 包括只有五个月大的孩子都可以

could reliably tell the difference between close friends and acquaintances

在听完亲密的朋友和熟人的简短笑声音频后

just from brief clips of them laughing.

准确地分辨出他们。

Similarly, we can tell whether a laugh is real or fake based just on the sound.

同样，我们可以仅根据声音来判别 真心的笑和虚假的笑。

Fake, or volitional, laughter is produced

虚假或故意的笑声是在大脑中

in entirely different networks in the brain,

完全不同的区域产生的，

relying on speech-like pathways.

这类似于说话时激活的大脑区域。

Meanwhile, spontaneous laughter arises from older networks

然而，自发的笑声在更老的大脑区域产生，

that other animals also use for their vocalizations.

其他动物也使用这个区域来发声。

And laughter is not just socially important;

笑声不仅在社交中起到重要作用，

it’s also thought to be good for us.

它也对我们的身体有好处。

When we laugh, our brains release feel-good neurotransmitters

当我们笑的时候，我们的大脑会释放 让我们感觉良好的神经递质，

like endorphins,

比如内啡肽，

and decrease levels of stress hormones like cortisol.

并降低类似皮质醇的压力荷尔蒙水平。

Some research even suggests that people who laugh more

一些研究甚至表明，笑得更多的人

can cope with stress more effectively and have better cardiovascular health.

可以更有效地应对压力， 并拥有更健康的心血管。

Laughter is a universal human behavior.

笑是一种普遍的人类行为。

Babies can laugh before they can speak.

宝宝在说话之前就可以笑。

Whether it's the best medicine depends on your ailment.

至于它是否是良药取决于 你的病情。

But as something that makes life more tolerable,

但是，开怀大笑总不会错，

strengthens bonds, and potentially improves aspects of your health,

因为它可以提高我们对生活的耐受力，

you can’t go wrong with a good laugh.

增强人际关系， 并有效提高你的健康水平。

Unless you have a broken rib or something.

除非你的肋骨骨折了或者什么的，

Then it’s no laughing matter.

那就没有笑的余地了，

Certainly nothing to crack up about.

这可不是件好笑的事。