《男性声音能显示出说话人体能状况》英文赏析

Study subjects were able to accurately assess men's physical strength based only on listening to them speak

Which of these guys would you guess is stronger? Him? [Arnold Schwarzenegger saying “One of us is in deep trouble.”]. Or him? [Pee Wee Herman saying, “I’m having a party, and you’re invited!”] If you chose Arnold over Pee Wee, it’s not just because you’re an astute student of popular culture. A new study shows that people are able to accurately judge a man’s strength from his voice. The work appears in the Proceedings of the Royal Society.

The meek may inherit the Earth. But the powerful tend to prevail in physical conflicts. So it’s not surprising that humans have evolved the ability to accurately size up their potential opponents. Such assessments usually spring from visual inspection. But what if it’s dark out, or your rivals are at a distance or on the phone? Will auditory information suffice?

Scientists asked undergraduates to listen to recordings of men from a variety of cultures: from Romanian college students to Argentinian llama herders. And they found that subjects could accurately predict upper body strength based on voice alone. Even when that voice was from an unfamiliar culture.

So if you’re gonna pick a fight sight unseen, listen first. Just to make sure the other guy doesn’t sound like this. [John Wayne saying, “You better wipe that smile off your face or I’ll do it for you.”]

【词汇解释】

te adj. 机敏的，精明的，狡猾的

He is a very astute merchant, and can not accept to be the first offers a price.

他是个非常精明的商人，不可能接受第一个出价。

adj. 温顺的，谦恭的'

She is as meek as a tory adj. 听觉的

她像小羊一样的温顺。

ice vi. 足够，合格 vt. 使 ... 足够

The rations will suffice until next week.

这些口粮足够吃到下星期。

An hour should suffice for the journey.

这点路程一小时足够了。