The science of attraction - Dawn Maslar

譯者: Ariel Hueijun Li 審譯者: Marssi Draw

We like to think of romantic feelings

我們總認為戀愛的感覺是不可預測

as spontaneous and indescribable things that come from the heart.

無法形容的心理感受

But it's actually your brain

但其實那是你的腦袋在數秒之間

running a complex series of calculations within a matter of seconds

處理一連串複雜的計算

that's responsible for determining attraction.

最後決定了什麼對你有吸引力

Doesn't sound quite as poetic, does it?

聽起來一點也不浪漫，對吧？

But just because the calculations are happening in your brain

但就算你腦袋裡轉著計算公式

doesn't mean those warm, fuzzy feelings are all in your head.

不代表那個溫熱柔軟的感覺 都只是你的幻覺

In fact, all five of your senses play a role,

事實上，你的五個感官也各出了一份力

each able to vote for, or veto, a budding attraction.

投票通過或否決剛滋長的愛苗

The eyes are the first components in attraction.

眼睛是參與吸引力決策 的第一個成員

Many visual beauty standards vary between cultures and eras,

視覺審美標準在各文化、時代之間皆相異

視覺審美標準在 各文化、時代之間皆相異

and signs of youth, fertility and good health,

年輕、生育力 與健康的徵象也都不同

such as long lustrous hair,

例如有光澤的長長秀髮

or smooth, scar-free skin,

或光滑無痕的肌膚

are almost always in demand

幾乎總是需求不斷

because they're associated with reproductive fitness.

因為這些和繁衍後代的能力有關

And when the eyes spot something they like,

而當眼睛看見喜歡的事物時

our instinct is to move closer

我們的本能便是靠上前

so the other senses can investigate.

好讓其他的感官也能夠偵察

The nose's contribution to romance

鼻子對於愛情的貢獻

is more than noticing perfume or cologne.

不只是注意到香水或古龍水而已

It's able to pick up on natural chemical signals

鼻子也接收自然化學物質的信號

known as pheromones.

這類物質稱作費洛蒙

These not only convey

費洛蒙不只傳達關於其來源的

important physical or genetic information about their source

生理或基因的重要資訊

but are able to activate a physiological or behavioral response in the recipient.

也能引發信號接受者

在生理上或行為上的回應

In one study, a group of women

某研究曾讓一群 在月經週期不同階段的女人

at different points in their ovulation cycles

wore the same T-shirts for three nights.

穿著同一件衣服三晚

After male volunteers were randomly assigned

再隨機指定男性自願者

to smell either one of the worn shirts, or a new unworn one,

聞那些被穿過的衣服

或是沒人穿過的新衣服之後

saliva samples showed an increase in testosterone

唾液採樣顯示 聞排卵期女性穿過衣物的男性

in those who had smelled a shirt worn by an ovulating woman.

身上睪固酮量增加了

Such a testosterone boost

這樣的睪固酮激增

may give a man the nudge to pursue a woman

就可能驅使男人去追求一位

he might not have otherwise noticed.

他原來也許不會注意到的女人

A woman's nose is particularly attuned

女人的鼻子則對

to MHC molecules, which are used to fight disease.

主要組織相容性複合體 (MHC) 分子特別敏銳

這是用來抗病的分子

In this case, opposites attract.

在這種情形下，異性就會相吸

When a study asked women to smell T-shirts that had been worn by different men,

當實驗要求女人聞

不同男人穿過的 T 恤時

they preferred the odors of those whose MHC molecules differed from theirs.

她們偏好與自己

不同 MHC 分子的氣味

This makes sense.

這不無道理

Genes that result in a greater variety of immunities

免疫能力多元的基因

may give offspring a major survival advantage.

可能給後代重要的存活優勢

Our ears also determine attraction.

我們的耳朵也能決定吸引力

Men prefer females with high-pitched, breathy voices,

男人比較喜歡女人的聲音頻率高、氣聲多

and wide formant spacing, correlated with smaller body size.

共振峰間距寬

代表了較小的體形

While women prefer low-pitched voices with a narrow formant spacing

而女人則偏愛低頻的聲音

共振峰間距窄

that suggest a larger body size.

表示體形較大

And not surprisingly,

以及，意料之中

touch turns out to be crucial for romance.

觸覺對愛情來說是很關鍵的

In this experiment, not realizing the study had begun,

在這個研究中

不知實驗已開始的受試者

participants were asked to briefly hold the coffee,

被要求暫時拿著一杯咖啡

either hot or iced.

可能是冰的也可能是熱的

Later, the participants read a story about a hypothetical person,

之後，受試者閱讀一篇故事

內容關於一個虛構的人物

and were asked to rate their personality.

他們被要求評價這個人物的個性

Those who had held the hot cup of coffee

拿著熱咖啡的人

perceived the person in the story as happier,

對故事人物認知為較開心

more social, more generous and better-natured

也較願意交際、大方，較溫和的人

than those who had held the cup of iced coffee,

比照拿冰咖啡的受試者的看法

who rated the person as cold, stoic, and unaffectionate.

他們則認為這個人物冷漠、嚴謹、不熱情

If a potential mate has managed to pass all these tests,

如果有某個可能的對象通過

這些檢驗，最後還有一項：

there's still one more:

the infamous first kiss,

惡名昭彰的初吻

a rich and complex exchange of tactile and chemical cues,

初吻交換豐富而複雜的

觸覺及化學信號

such as the smell of one's breath,

像是呼吸的氣味

and the taste of their mouth.

及嘴巴的味道

This magical moment is so critical that a majority of men and women

這個神奇的時刻非常關鍵

以致於很多男人女人

have reported losing their attraction to someone

都說過他們在糟糕的初吻經驗後

after a bad first kiss.

就對對方失去興趣了

Once attraction is confirmed, your bloodstream is flooded

一旦確認了吸引力

你的血液裡便充滿了

with norepinephrine,

去甲腎上腺素

activating your fight or flight system.

啟動你的「打或逃」機制

Your heart beats faster,

你的心跳加速

your pupils dilate,

瞳孔放大

and your body releases glucose for additional energy,

身體釋放出葡萄糖 以產生額外的能量

not because you're in danger but because your body is telling you

不是因為你有危險了

而是你的身體在告訴你

that something important is happening.

有件大事正在發生

To help you focus,

為了讓你能專注

norepinephrine creates a sort of tunnel vision,

去甲腎上腺素製造出隧道視覺的效果

blocking out surrounding distractions,

遮蔽周遭讓你分心的東西

possibly even warping your sense of time,

可能甚至涷結你的時間感

and enhancing your memory.

而增強你的記憶力

This might explain why people never forget their first kiss.

這也許能解釋為何人們總忘不了初吻

The idea of so much of our attraction

知道了我們的吸引力

being influenced by chemicals and evolutionary biology

是如此受化學物質與生物演化的影響

may seem cold and scientific rather than romantic,

可能令人感覺無情、過於理性，一點也不浪漫

but the next time you see someone you like,

但下次你遇見喜歡的人時

try to appreciate how your entire body is playing matchmaker

試著感謝你的整個身體如何替你作媒

to decide if that beautiful stranger is right for you.

來決定這個美麗的陌生人適不適合你