对数字的恐惧 - 6分钟英语：英语精读讲义

6 Minute English from BBCLearningEnglish.com.

来自 BBCLearningEnglish.com 的《6分钟英语》。

Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

大家好，这里是 BBC Learning English 制作的《6分钟英语》。

I'm Sam.

我是 Sam。

And I'm Neil.

我是 Neil。

Neil, would you describe yourself as a numbers person? 用詞

Neil，你会把自己描述成一个对数字敏感的人吗？

If you mean, am I someone who understands numbers and is good at using them and interpreting data, 講解

如果你是指，我是否懂数字、擅长使用数字并能分析数据，

then no.

那我就不是了。

Okay, so maybe you're like me.

好吧，那也许你和我一样。

You weren't good at maths at school? 短語搭配

你在学校时数学不好吗？

No, I wasn't.

是的，不好。

Algebra, geometry, times tables, 用詞

代数、几何、乘法表，

it was all very confusing.

这些都让人非常头痛。

Yeah, we're not alone, Neil. 語氣意圖

是啊，我们不是唯一这样的人，Neil。

But the fear of numbers might just be in our heads 習語

但对数字的恐惧可能只是在我们的脑海里，

and we might have enough number knowledge to get by with. 短語動詞

其实我们掌握的数学知识也许足够应付生活了。

That's what we'll be exploring in this program 表達脈絡

这就是我们将在本期节目中探讨的话题，

while looking at some relevant vocabulary.

同时我们还会学习一些相关的词汇。

But, sorry, Neil, I'm going to start with a maths question.

不过，抱歉，Neil，我要先问一个数学问题。

It's thought the largest number in the world is called a googol. 講解

人们认为世界上最大的数字叫做 googol（古戈尔）。

It's written with a 1

它的写法是一个1，

and how many zeros?

后面跟着多少个零？

Is it A, a 100 zeros,

是 A，100个零，

B, a 1,000 zeros,

B，1000个零，

or C, 10,000 zeros?

还是 C，10000个零？

I'll guess 10,000 zeros.

我猜是10000个零。

Okay, I'll reveal the answer later on. 短語搭配

好的，我稍后会揭晓答案。

But let's talk more about the fear of numbers now. 表達脈絡

但现在让我们来多聊聊对数字的恐惧。

Of course, numbers are important in our lives,

当然，数字在我们的生活中很重要，

but one bad experience at school can put us off them for life. 講解

但在学校里的一次糟糕经历可能让我们终生排斥它们。

Put off means make someone dislike something.

Put off 的意思是让某人讨厌某事。

What put me off maths was it was not only complicated but very theoretical, 語法

让我对数学感到排斥的是，它不仅复杂，而且非常理论化，

not very practical,

不太实用，

useful for real life situations.

对现实生活毫无帮助。

And the problem now is, it's easy to be fooled by fancy figures that we get told about. 講解

现在的问题是，我们很容易被听到的一些花哨数据所蒙骗。

This is something the Why Factor program on BBC World Service has been exploring. 語法

这是 BBC 国际频道《The Why Factor》节目一直在探索的话题。

They spoke to Charles Seife, who's an author and professor at New York University, 語法

他们采访了纽约大学的作家兼教授 Charles Seife，

who explained why we're at the mercy of people who throw numbers at us. 習語

他解释了为什么我们会任由那些向我们抛出数字的人摆布。

Because we are primed not to question numbers, 用詞

因为我们被引导去不加质疑地接受数字，

certain people have learned that numbers are perhaps the most powerful tools for deception. 短語搭配

某些人已经发现，数字也许是最具欺骗性的强大工具。

Advertisers, marketers, politicians,

广告商、营销人员、政客，

who try to convince the public through spurious oratory, 講解

他们试图通过虚假的演说来试图说服公众，

have learned that the one thing that they can't get challenged on is numbers, 語法

他们已经发现，唯一不会受到质疑的东西就是数字，

or the challenge is ineffective.

或者说对数字的质疑是无效的。

Interesting words from Charles Seife there.

Charles Seife 的话很有意思。

He explains that numbers might be a powerful tool for deceiving people.

他解释说，数字可能成为欺骗人们的强大工具。

Many of us are primed,

我们中的许多人都被“引导（primed）”了，

so told to behave in a certain situation and in a certain way,

也就是被告知在特定情况下以特定的方式行事，

not to question numbers,

不去质疑数字，

accept them as fact. 短語搭配

而是将它们当作事实接受。

Yes, and this is dangerous.

是的，这很危险。

So when politicians, for example, do good and effective public speaking,

因此，举个例子，当政客们进行出色且有效的公共演讲时，

known as oratory, 用詞

也就是所谓的演说术（oratory），

the information they give could be spurious. 用詞

他们提供的信息可能是虚假的（spurious）。

That means false, not correct, or inaccurate.

这意味着错误、不正确或不准确。

But numbers are more persuasive. 用詞

但数字更有说服力。

They make you believe something is true. 語法

它们让你相信某件事是真的。

So, unless you're confident with numbers, 語法

所以，除非你对数字很有把握，

you're unlikely to challenge the facts and figures that you're given. 短語搭配

否则你不太可能质疑别人给你的事实和数据。

So, Sam, if I said to you that 10% of the 10 million people who eat meat 語法

那么，Sam，如果我跟你说，吃肉的1000万人中，有10%的人

have a 20% chance of being 5% overweight,

有20%的几率会超重5%，

would you challenge that?

你会质疑这一点吗？

Um, I'd have to go away and work that out. 短語動詞

嗯，我得去算一算才行。

As I said, Neil, I'm not a numbers person. 表達脈絡

正如我所说，Neil，我不是一个对数字敏感的人。

Even talking about numbers makes me anxious. 語法

即使只是谈论数字也会让我感到焦虑。

Well, interestingly, the Why Factor program explained that girls are more anxious about learning maths. 短語搭配

有趣的是，《The Why Factor》节目解释说，女孩在学习数学时会更加焦虑。

But even if they feel more nervous about maths, 語法

但即使她们对数学感到更紧张，

they aren't any worse with numbers than their more confident classmates. 語法

她们对数字的掌控能力并不比那些自信的同学差。

It's just the fear that's stopping you. 語法

仅仅是恐惧阻碍了你。

Well, maybe, but one bad experience can knock our confidence 習語

或许吧，但一次糟糕的经历就可能打击我们的信心

and ability to use maths.

和使用数学的能力。

Take comfort from Paula Miles, 短語搭配

Paula Miles 的话也许能给你一些安慰，

who teaches statistics to psychology students at St. Andrews University.

她在圣安德鲁斯大学教心理学学生统计学。

She told the Why Factor that she thinks there's no such thing as a numbers person. 短語搭配

她告诉《The Why Factor》节目，她认为根本不存在所谓“对数字敏感的人”。

There is no such thing as someone who's a number person or not.

根本没有所谓的对数字敏感或不敏感的人。

If we're taught in the right way, 語法

如果我们接受了正确的教育方式，

then I think we all have the potential to be a numbers person. 短語搭配

那我认为我们都有潜力成为一个对数字敏感的人。

I'm not saying we're all going to grow up to be mathematicians, 講解

我并不是说我们都会成为数学家，

but we're all going to get to a point where we have the basic numeracy skills that we need 講解

但我们都会达到这样一个程度：掌握所需要的基本计算技能

to be able to cope in our environment. 短語搭配

来应对我们所处的环境。

I feel a little better now.

我现在感觉好些了。

We all have the possibility within us,

我们内心中都有可能，

or potential, to be a numbers person.

或者说有潜力（potential），成为一个对数字敏感的人。

Yes, I think it's about survival.

是的，我认为这事关生存。

We want to develop numeracy, 短語搭配

我们需要发展计算能力（numeracy），

basic mathematical skills,

即基本的数学技能，

to use numbers in a particular situation that we're in.

以便在特定的情况下使用数字。

We might not be a genius like Einstein, 文化背景

我们可能不会像爱因斯坦那样是个天才，

but we know enough to work things out. 語法

但我们懂得足以解决问题的知识就够了。

I wonder if you worked out the answer to my question correctly, Neil. 語氣意圖

我想知道你是否正确算出了我那个问题的答案，Neil。

Earlier, I asked about what's thought to be the largest number in the world,

之前，我问了关于被认为是世界上最大的数字的问题，

called a googol.

它叫做 googol。

How many zeros does it have?

它有多少个零？

A 100 zeros,

A，100个零，

a 1,000 zeros,

B，1000个零，

or 10,000 zeros?

还是 10000个零？

I said 10,000 zeros.

我选了10000个零。

Sorry, Neil.

抱歉，Neil。

A googol is 10 to the 100th power, 用詞

一个 googol 是10的100次方，

so a mere 100 zeros. 用詞

所以仅仅是100个零。

I don't think I'll be using that number any time soon, 短語搭配

我觉得我近期不会用到那个数字，

but I might be using some of the vocabulary we've discussed today, 表達脈絡

但我可能会用到我们今天讨论过的一些词汇，

including a numbers person.

包括 a numbers person（对数字敏感的人）。

That's someone who understands numbers and is good at using them and interpreting data.

指懂得数字、擅长使用数字并能分析数据的人。

Not like us.

不像我们。

If you're put off something,

如果你被某事 put off，

it means you are made to dislike something.

意思是让你对某事产生反感。

And to be primed means to behave in a certain situation.

而 to be primed 意思是准备好在特定情况下行事。

The skill of effective public speaking is known as oratory,

有效的公众演讲技巧被称为演说术（oratory），

and spurious means false, inaccurate, or not correct.

而 spurious 意思是虚假的、不准确的或不正确的。

And when we have the possibility within us to do something,

当我们内心具备做某事的可能性时，

we describe it as our potential.

我们将其描述为我们的潜力（potential）。

And having numeracy means having basic mathematical skills.

而拥有计算能力（numeracy）即拥有基本的数学技能。

But now we reach the number six,

现在我们来到了数字6，

6 Minutes of English.

《6分钟英语》到此结束。

Thanks very much for listening.

非常感谢大家的收听。

Goodbye.

再见。

Goodbye.

再见。

6 Minute English from the BBC.

来自 BBC 的《6分钟英语》。