为什么人们会对数学感到如此焦虑？ - Orly Rubinsten：英语精读讲义

When French mathematician Laurent Schwartz was in high school,

当法国数学家劳伦特·施瓦茨还在读高中时，

he started to worry that he wasn't smart enough to solve math problems. 語法

他开始担心自己不够聪明，解不出数学题。

Maybe you know a similar feeling.

也许你有过类似的感觉。

You sit down to take a math test and you feel your heart beat faster 語法

你坐下来参加数学考试，感觉心跳加速，

and your palms start to sweat.

手心开始出汗。

You get butterflies in your stomach and you can't concentrate. 習語

你心里忐忑不安，无法集中注意力。

This phenomenon is called math anxiety. 語法

这种现象被称为“数学焦虑症”。

And if it happens to you,

如果这发生在你身上，

you're not alone. 語氣意圖

你并不孤单。

Researchers think about 20% of the population suffers from it. 短語搭配

研究人员认为大约20%的人受此困扰。

Some psychologists even consider it a diagnosable condition. 用詞

一些心理学家甚至认为这是一种可诊断的疾病。

But having mathematical anxiety doesn't necessarily mean you're bad at math. 短語搭配

但有数学焦虑症并不一定意味着你数学不好。

Not even close. 語氣意圖

差得远呢。

Laurent Schwartz went on to win the Fields Medal, 講解

劳伦特·施瓦茨后来赢得了菲尔兹奖，

the highest award in mathematics.

这是数学界的最高奖项。

People might think that they're anxious about math because they're bad at it. 短語搭配

人们可能会认为，他们对数学感到焦虑是因为他们数学不好。

But it's often the other way around. 習語

但事实往往恰恰相反。

They're doing poorly in math because they're anxious about it. 語法

他们数学考得差，是因为他们对数学感到焦虑。

Some psychologists think that's because math anxiety decreases a cognitive resource called working memory. 用詞

一些心理学家认为，这是因为数学焦虑会减少一种叫做“工作记忆”的认知资源。

That's the short-term memory system

这是一种短期记忆系统，

that helps you organize the information you need to complete a task.

它可以帮助你组织完成一项任务所需的信息。

Worrying about being able to solve math problems or not doing well on a test eats up working memory, 短語動詞

担心自己能不能解出数学题，或者担心考不好，会消耗工作记忆，

leaving less of it available to tackle the math itself. 語法

让你只剩下很少的精力去应对数学本身。

People can suddenly struggle with even basic math skills 短語搭配

人们可能会突然在基本的数学技能上遇到困难，

like arithmetic that they've otherwise mastered. 用詞

比如他们本来已经掌握了的算术。

Academic anxiety certainly isn't limited to math, 短語搭配

学业焦虑当然不局限于数学，

but it does seem to happen much more frequently 語法

但在数学这门学科上，它似乎发生得更加频繁，

and cause more harm in that subject.

造成的伤害也更大。

So why would that be? 表達脈絡

那么，为什么会这样呢？

Researchers aren't yet sure,

研究人员目前还不确定，

but some studies suggest that the way children are exposed to math 短語搭配

但一些研究表明，孩子们接触数学的方式

by their parents and teachers play a large part. 短語搭配

受父母和老师的影响很大。

If parents talk about math like something challenging and unfamiliar, 語法

如果父母把数学说成是一件充满挑战和陌生的事情，

children can internalize that. 用詞

孩子们就会在潜移默化中接受这种看法。

Teachers with math anxiety are also likely to spread it to their students. 語法

有数学焦虑症的老师也很容易把它传染给学生。

Pressure to solve problems quickly dials up stress even more. 短語動詞

快速解题的压力更会增加这种焦虑。

And in some cultures,

在某些文化中，

being good at math is a sign of being smart in general. 短語搭配

数学好是聪明的一个普遍标志。

When the stakes are that high, 習語

当得失如此之大时，

it's not surprising that students are anxious.

学生感到焦虑也就不足为奇了。

Even Maryam Mirzakhani,

即使是玛丽亚姆·米尔扎哈尼，

an influential mathematician

这位有影响力的数学家，

who was the first woman to win the Fields Medal,

同时也是首位获得菲尔兹奖的女性，

felt unconfident and lost interest in mathematics 短語搭配

也曾感到不自信，对数学失去了兴趣，

because her math teacher in middle school didn't think she was talented.

因为她中学的数学老师认为她没有天赋。

So if you experience mathematical anxiety, 表達脈絡

那么，如果你经历了数学焦虑，

what can you do?

你能做些什么呢？

Relaxation techniques like short breathing exercises

放松技巧，比如短暂的呼吸练习，

have improved test performance in students with math anxiety. 短語搭配

已经被证明可以提高患有数学焦虑症的学生的考试成绩。

Writing down your worries can also help. 短語動詞

把你的烦恼写下来也有帮助。

This strategy may give you a chance to reevaluate a stressful experience, 短語搭配

这个策略可能给你一个重新评估压力体验的机会，

freeing up working memory. 短語動詞

从而释放出工作记忆。

And if you have the chance,

如果有机会的话，

physical activity like a brisk walk

像快走这样的体育活动

deepens breathing and helps relieve muscle tension,

可以加深呼吸，帮助缓解肌肉紧张，

preventing anxiety from building. 語法

从而防止焦虑累积。

You can also use your knowledge about the brain to change your mindset.

你还可以利用关于大脑的知识来改变你的心态。

The brain is flexible

大脑是灵活的，

and the areas involved in math skills can always grow and develop.

与数学技能相关的大脑区域可以不断成长和发展。

This is a psychological principle called the growth mindset. 用詞

这是一个被称为“成长型思维”的心理学原理。

Thinking of yourself as someone who can grow and improve 語法

把自己看作是一个可以成长和进步的人，

can actually help you grow and improve.

实际上可以帮助你成长和进步。

If you're a teacher or parent of young children,

如果你是一名幼教老师或年轻孩子的父母，

try being playful with math 語法

试着用好玩的方式对待数学，

and focusing on the creative aspects.

关注它的创造性。

That can build the numerical skills

这可以培养他们的数字技能，

that help students approach math with confidence later on. 短語搭配

帮助学生在未来充满信心地应对数学。

Importantly,

重要的是，

you should give children the time and space to work through their answers. 講解

你应该给孩子时间和空间，让他们自己算出答案。

And if you're an administrator,

如果你是一名学校管理者，

make sure your teachers have the positive attitudes and mathematical confidence

请确保你的老师具有积极的态度和数学自信，

necessary to inspire confidence in all of their students.

这是激发所有学生自信心的必要条件。

Also,

此外，

don't let anyone spread the myth 短語搭配

不要让任何人散布这样的神话：

that boys are innately better than girls at math. 用詞

男孩天生就比女孩更擅长数学。

That is completely false. 語氣意圖

这是完全错误的。

If you experience math anxiety,

如果你经历着数学焦虑，

it may not help to just know that math anxiety exists.

仅仅知道数学焦虑症的存在可能并没有什么帮助。

Or perhaps it's reassuring to put a name to the problem. 習語

或者，也许能给这个问题起个名字会让人感到些许宽慰。

Regardless,

无论如何，

if you take a look around yourself,

如果你环顾四周，

the odds are good 短語搭配

很有可能，

that you'll see someone experiencing the same thing as you.

你会看到有人正在经历和你一样的事情。

Just remember that the anxiety is not a reflection of your ability, 習語

只要记住，焦虑并不是你能力的体现，

but it is something you can conquer with time and awareness. 習語

而是你可以通过时间和意识去克服的障碍。