为什么打哈欠会传染? Why is yawning contagious?

为什么打哈欠会传染? Why is yawning contagious?
Oh excuse me.
哦，不好意思。
Have you ever yawned because somebody else yawned?
你有没有因为看到别人打哈欠而自己也跟着打哈欠的情况？
You aren't especially tired.
你其实还不算太累。
Yet suddenly your mouth opens wide and a big yawn comes out.
但突然间，你的嘴巴大张，一个大哈欠不由自主地冒了出来。
This phenomenon is known as contagious yawning, and while scientists still don't fully understand why it happens, there are many hypotheses currently being researched.
这种现象被称作传染性打哈欠。尽管科学家还没有完全弄清楚为什么会这样，但目前已经有很多假说在进行研究。
Let's take a look at a few of the most prevalent ones, beginning with 2 physiological hypotheses before moving to a psychological one.
我们来探讨几种较为普遍的假设，先从两个生理学假说谈起，随后再讨论一个心理学的假说。
Our first physiological hypotheses states that contagious yawning is triggered by a specific stimulus, an initial yawn.
我们的第一个生理假设认为，传染性打哈欠是由一个特定的刺激引起的，那就是最初的哈欠。
This is called fixed action pattern.
这一现象称作固定动作模式。
Think of fixed action pattern like a reflex.
把固定动作模式想象成一种本能反应。
Your yawn makes me yawn, similar to a domino effect.
你打哈欠会引起我打哈欠，就如同多米诺骨牌效应。
One person's yawn triggers a yawn in a person nearby that has observed the act.
一个人的打哈欠会让看到这个动作的附近的人不自觉地也跟着打哈欠。
Once this reflex is triggered, it must run its course.
一旦这种反应被触发，就必须让它自然发展。
Have you ever tried to stop a yawn once it has begun?
你有没有试过一想打哈欠就立刻停止？
Basically impossible?
几乎不可能吧？
Another physiological hypotheses is known as non conscious mimicry or the chameleon effect.
另一种生理假说被称作非意识模仿，亦即变色龙效应。
This occurs when you imitate someone's behavior without knowing it, a subtle and unintentional copycat maneuver.
这种情况发生在你无意中模仿某人的行为上，是一种微妙且非故意的模仿动作。
People tend to mimic each other's postures.
人们往往会不自觉地模仿对方的体态。
If you are seated across from someone that has their legs crossed, you might cross your own legs.
如果你面对着一个双腿交叉坐着的人，你可能也会不自觉地交叉双腿。
This hypothesis suggests that we yawn when we see someone else yawn because we're unconsciously copying his or her behavior.
这个理论认为，当我们看到别人打哈欠时跟着打哈欠，是我们无意识中模仿他（她）的行为。
Scientists believe that this chameleon effect is possible because of a special set of neurons known as mirror neurons.
科学家们相信，之所以会有变色龙效应，是因为存在一种特殊的神经元，称为镜像神经元。
Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that responds equally when we perform an action, as when we see someone else perform the same action.
镜像神经元指的是一种大脑细胞，无论是我们自己执行动作还是看到他人执行相同动作时，都会做出相应的反应。
These neurons are important for learning and self awareness.
这些神经元在学习和自我认知方面发挥着重要作用。
For example, watching someone do something physical like knitting or putting on lipstick can help you do those same actions more accurately.
例如，看别人进行像编织毛衣或者涂抹口红这样的物理活动，能帮助你更精确地完成这些动作。
Neuroimaging studies using FMRI functional magnetic resonance imaging shows that when we see someone yawn or even hear their yawn, a specific area of the brain housing these mirror neurons tends to light up, which in turn causes us to respond with the same action, a yawn.
神经成像学的研究利用功能性磁共振成像显示，当我们看到别人打哈欠或者听到他们打哈欠时，大脑中那些镜像神经元所在的特定区域会亮起，这反过来促使我们作出同样的反应，也就是打哈欠。
Our psychological hypotheses also involves the work of these mirror neurons.
我们的心理学假说也牵涉到镜像神经元的功能。
We will call it the empathy yawn.
我们将其称作共情哈欠。
Empathy is the ability to understand what someone else is feeling and partake in their emotion, a crucial ability for social animals like us.
共情指的是理解他人所感受并与之共鸣的能力，这对像我们这样的社交性动物来说，是一项极其重要的能力。
Recently, neuroscientists have found that a subset of mirror neurons allows us to empathize with others feelings at a deeper level.
最近，神经科学家们发现，某些镜像神经元让我们能够在更深的层次上理解并共情他人的情感。
Scientists discovered this empathetic response to yawning while testing the first hypotheses we mentioned fixed action pattern.
科学家们在测试我们之前提到的固定动作模式假设时，发现了这种对哈欠的共情反应。
The study was set up to show that dogs would enact a yawn reflex at the mere sound of a human yawn.
这项研究的目的是证明，仅仅通过听到人打哈欠的声音，狗就会产生哈欠反应。
While their studies showed this to be true, they found something else interesting.
虽然研究结果证实了这一点，但他们还发现了其他有趣的现象。
Dogs yawned more frequently at familiar yawns, such as from their owners than at unfamiliar yawns from strangers.
研究发现，狗对熟悉人的哈欠反应更频繁，比如它们的主人，相较于陌生人的哈欠。
Following this research, other studies on humans and primates have also shown that contagious yawning occurs more frequently among friends than strangers.
继这项研究之后，有关人类和灵长类动物的其他研究也显示出打哈欠具有传染性，在朋友之间比起陌生人更为频繁。
In fact, contagious yawning starts occurring when we are about 4 or 5 years old at the point when children develop the ability to identify others emotions properly.
实际上，当我们大约4到5岁时，开始出现打哈欠的传染现象，这一阶段孩子们发展出了正确辨识他人情绪的能力。
Still, while newer scientific studies aim to prove that contagious yawning is based on this capacity for empathy, more research is needed to shed light on what exactly is going on.
然而，虽然最新的科学研究试图证明，传染性打哈欠是基于共情能力，我们还需要更多的研究来揭示背后的具体机制。
It's possible that the answer lies in another hypothesis altogether.
答案可能完全存在于另一个假设之中。
The next time you get caught in a yawn, take a second to think about what just happened.
下次你忍不住打哈欠的时候，不妨停下来想一想刚才发生了什么。
Were you thinking about a yawn?
你是不是在想着打哈欠？
Did someone near you yawn?
周围有人打哈欠了吗？
Was that person a stranger or someone close?
那个人是个陌生人还是你认识的人？
And are you yawning right now?
以及，你现在有没有打哈欠？

希望站长今天分享的听力资料对大家有帮助！