為什么高興的時(shí)候時(shí)間總是溜得那么快？高興的時(shí)候，總感覺(jué)時(shí)間飛逝，而無(wú)聊的時(shí)候，時(shí)間好像怎么也過(guò)不完，這到底是怎么回事呢？怎樣讓高興的時(shí)候時(shí)間過(guò)得慢一點(diǎn)兒呢？

    Scientists have come up with a theory for why time flies when you are having fun-- and drags when you are bored.

    科學(xué)家們提出理論依據(jù)，解釋為什么當(dāng)你玩得開(kāi)心的時(shí)候，時(shí)間總是過(guò)得飛快，而當(dāng)你無(wú)聊的時(shí)侯，時(shí)間卻過(guò)得特別慢。

    Scans have shown that patterns of activity in the brain change depending on how we focus on a task.

    通過(guò)掃描發(fā)現(xiàn)，大腦活動(dòng)的方式隨著我們對(duì)事情的關(guān)注程度發(fā)生變化。

    Concentrating on time passing, as we do when bored, will trigger brain activity which will make it seem as though the clock is ticking more slowly.

    我們?cè)跓o(wú)聊的時(shí)候，往往把注意力集中在時(shí)間的流逝上，這樣會(huì)使大腦活動(dòng)產(chǎn)生錯(cuò)覺(jué)，總覺(jué)得時(shí)鐘似乎走得更慢

    The research, by the French Laboratory of Neurobiology and Cognition, is published in the magazine Science.

    法國(guó)神經(jīng)生物和認(rèn)知學(xué)實(shí)驗(yàn)室進(jìn)行的此項(xiàng)研究發(fā)表在《科學(xué)》雜志上。

    In the study, 12 volunteers watched an image while researchers monitored their brain activity using MRI scans.

    在研究中，當(dāng)12名志愿者同時(shí)看一幅圖像時(shí)，研究者們用核磁共振成像掃描儀來(lái)監(jiān)控他們大腦的活動(dòng)。

    Volunteers were given a variety of tasks. In one they were told to concentrate simply on the duration of an image, in another they were asked to focus on the colour, and in a third they were asked to concentrate on both duration and colour.

    志愿者們被分配了各種不同的任務(wù)。一次他們被要求專(zhuān)注于圖象持續(xù)的時(shí)間，另一次集中觀察圖象的色彩，第三次同時(shí)關(guān)注圖象持續(xù)的時(shí)間和色彩。

    The results showed that a network of brain regions was activated when more subjects were paid attention to duration.

    結(jié)果表明，在觀看圖像的過(guò)程中，注意的對(duì)象多的話，就會(huì)激活大腦區(qū)域網(wǎng)絡(luò)。

    It is thought that if the brain is busy focusing on many aspects of a task, then it has to spread its resources thinly, and pays less heed to time passing.

    科學(xué)家們認(rèn)為如果大腦忙于關(guān)注一項(xiàng)任務(wù)中的多個(gè)方面，那么它不得不分散注意力，這樣就不太會(huì)注意到時(shí)間的流逝。

    Therefore, time passes without us really noticing it, and seems to go quickly.

    所以，我們還沒(méi)真正注意到時(shí)間，時(shí)間就已經(jīng)過(guò)去了，而且似乎過(guò)得特別快。

    However, if the brain is not stimulated in this way, it concentrates its full energies on monitoring the passing of time.

    然而，如果大腦并沒(méi)有受到這樣的刺激，它就會(huì)把全部精力用來(lái)監(jiān)控時(shí)間的流逝。

    This may make time seem to drag, but in fact it is probably a more accurate perception of reality.

    這樣就會(huì)覺(jué)得時(shí)間過(guò)得特別慢，但是事實(shí)上這可能是對(duì)現(xiàn)實(shí)情況的更準(zhǔn)確的認(rèn)識(shí)。

    Indeed, the researchers found that the more volunteers concentrated on the duration of the images, the more accurate were their estimates of its duration.

    事實(shí)上，研究者們發(fā)現(xiàn)，志愿者們?cè)绞亲⒁鈭D像持續(xù)的時(shí)間，他們對(duì)于時(shí)間的估計(jì)就越準(zhǔn)確。

    Lead researcher Dr Jennifer Coull said many of the areas of the brain involved in estimating time were the same that played a key role in controlling movement, and preparing for action.

    主任研究員詹尼弗·庫(kù)爾博士說(shuō)，大腦中有許多參與估計(jì)時(shí)間的區(qū)域，同時(shí)他們對(duì)行為控制和行動(dòng)準(zhǔn)備也起到重要的作用。

    She said this overlap suggests that the brain may make sense of time as intervals between movements, in much the same way as a musician marks time with his foot, or an athlete anticipates the sound of a starter's pistol.

    她說(shuō)這種區(qū)域重合說(shuō)明大腦在活動(dòng)的間隙可能會(huì)注意到時(shí)間，在很大程度上就像音樂(lè)家用腳來(lái)記錄時(shí)間、運(yùn)動(dòng)員預(yù)料發(fā)令員的槍聲一樣。