The science of laughter - Sasha Winkler

譯者: 麗玲 辛 審譯者: Yi-Ping Cho (Marssi)

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

你會不會覺得奇怪？ 有時候你看到有趣的事，

you might show your teeth, change your breathing,

你可能會露出牙齒，改變呼吸，

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

有些地方感覺無力、酸痛， 甚至可能流淚？

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

換句話說，我們為什麼 會有笑這種奇怪的行為？

When you laugh, your abdominal muscles contract rapidly.

當你笑的時候， 你的腹部肌肉會迅速收縮。

This alters your breathing patterns,

這改變了你的呼吸模式，

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

增加了胸腔內的壓力，推動空氣流出，

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

可能發出噴鼻息、喘氣，或其他聲音。

Because you’re exerting your abdominal muscles much more

由於你的腹部肌肉 比平常說話時更加用力，

than you usually would while talking,

they may start to hurt.

腹部肌肉可能會開始痛。

Laughter also inhibits your reflexes and muscle control,

笑也會抑制你的反應和肌肉控制，

causing sensations like leg weakness.

導致腿部無力等感覺。

So, where does this funny phenomenon come from?

那麼，這種有趣的現象從何而來呢？

Because there’s no archaeological record of laughter,

因為沒有笑的考古記錄，

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

所以無法確切地論斷 笑是如何演變以及其原因，

but scientists have some theories.

但科學家有一些理論。

Importantly, humans are not the only animals today

重要的是，人類並不是 唯一會笑的動物。

that do something like laughter.

Using ultrasonic recorders,

九十年代末，

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

研究人員利用超音波記錄儀發現，

老鼠在被搔癢時其實會咯咯地笑。

while being tickled.

Scientists have since compiled evidence of at least 65 species—

之後，科學家收集了至少 65 個物種

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

──主要是哺乳動物，但也有一些鳥類── 在社交遊戲中發出笑聲的證據。

Some, unsurprisingly, are our closest relatives.

毫不意外地，某些動物 是我們最親近的親戚。

By recording and analyzing the sounds primates make

透過記錄和分析靈長類動物

while playing and being tickled,

在玩耍和被撓癢時發出的聲音，

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

研究人員越來越相信 所有類人猿的遠古祖先

did something like laughter.

都會發出類似笑聲的聲音。

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

而且，由於其他猿類在打鬧玩耍時 會發出類似笑聲的聲音，

they think laughter may have originally developed to clearly signal

他們認為笑聲最初 可能是為了清楚地表示

friendly, non-aggressive intent.

友善、非攻擊性的意圖。

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

當然，人類不僅在摔跤玩鬧時笑，

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

在被逗樂、甚至驚訝、 困惑或緊張時也會笑。

Some scientists think laughter took on expanded functions

一些科學家認為， 在人類與其他類人猿分離

after humans split from other great apes

並發展出龐大的社會群體

and developed large social groups and more complex language abilities.

和更複雜的語言能力後， 笑聲的功能得到了擴展。

They hypothesize that laughter gradually became something we could use

他們假設，笑聲逐漸成為 我們不僅可以在玩耍時使用，

not just during play but within speech to convey subtle meanings

還可以在言語中傳達微妙的含義，

and a range of contexts to show our emotions.

並在各種情境中展示情緒。

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

這被認為是笑聲 具有感染力的原因之一：

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

它就像是邀請別人共享你的情緒。

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

僅僅聽到笑聲就可以 啟動大腦的關鍵區域，

triggering you to smile or laugh yourself.

引起你微笑或笑出聲。

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

在一項研究中， 參與者觀看有趣的影片，

they laughed significantly longer and more often

當有其他人在場時，他們笑的時間 明顯更長，也笑得更頻繁——

when another person was present—

even though they reported feeling the same level of amusement.

儘管他們反映愉悅的程度相同。

Human laughter is also generally louder

人類的笑聲通常也比大多數 動物的玩耍聲音更大。

than the play vocalizations of most animals.

Some scientists speculate that this is because our laughter functions

一些科學家推測，這是因為 我們笑聲扮演的功能

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

不僅是個體之間的訊號， 也是向周遭每個人廣播。

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

研究發現，世界各地的人， 甚至 5 個月大的孩子，

could reliably tell the difference between close friends and acquaintances

僅透過簡短的笑聲

just from brief clips of them laughing.

就能準確地區分 熟識的朋友和點頭之交。

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

同樣，我們可以只根據聲音 判斷笑聲是真笑還是假笑。

Fake, or volitional, laughter is produced

假笑或有意的笑聲

in entirely different networks in the brain,

是由大腦中完全不同的網絡產生的，

relying on speech-like pathways.

依賴類似言語的路徑。

Meanwhile, spontaneous laughter arises from older networks

但是，自發性的笑聲來自於

其他動物也用來發聲的舊網絡。

that other animals also use for their vocalizations.

And laughter is not just socially important;

笑聲不僅在社交上很重要，

it’s also thought to be good for us.

也被認為對我們有益。

When we laugh, our brains release feel-good neurotransmitters

當我們笑時，

我們的大腦會釋放腦內啡等 讓人愉悅的神經傳導物質，

like endorphins,

and decrease levels of stress hormones like cortisol.

並降低皮質醇等壓力荷爾蒙的濃度。

Some research even suggests that people who laugh more

一些研究甚至表明，笑得越多的人

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

可以更有效地應對壓力， 心血管健康狀況也更好。

Laughter is a universal human behavior.

笑是一種普遍的人類行為。

Babies can laugh before they can speak.

嬰兒在說話之前就會笑。

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

笑會不會是最好的良藥 得看是哪種病痛。

But as something that makes life more tolerable,

但作為讓生活更過得去、

strengthens bonds, and potentially improves aspects of your health,

增強人際關係並可能改善健康的舉動，

you can’t go wrong with a good laugh.

開心大笑是不錯的選擇。

Unless you have a broken rib or something.

除非你肋骨還是什麼斷了，

Then it’s no laughing matter.

那就不是開玩笑的事。

Certainly nothing to crack up about.

當然也不是什麼好笑的事。