是什么让受欢迎的孩子如此受欢迎？：英语精读讲义

So often in American high school movies,

经常在美国的高中电影里，

there's a certain format when you think about the students,

当你想到那些学生时，往往有一种固定的模式，

especially in those older films.

特别是在那些老电影中。

The cliques and the clichés

那些小团体和老套的情节

usually involve some alpha male who's a bit of a jock. 用詞

通常会有一个有点像体育健将的“阿尔法男”。

He's handsome and tough,

他又帅又酷，

but usually gets his comeuppance. 短語搭配

但通常也会得到应有的报应。

If there's an alpha female,

如果有一个“阿尔法女”，

the school's hottest chick, 用詞

即学校里最辣的妞，

well, she often turns out to be mean and insecure. 短語動詞

嗯，她往往会被证明是刻薄且缺乏安全感的。

Then there's the bespectacled nerd

然后还有戴着眼镜的书呆子，

or the likable and clumsy stoner 用詞

或者惹人喜爱却笨手笨脚的瘾君子，

and the wholesome church-going kid

以及乖巧去教堂做礼拜的孩子，

who really pines for wild excitement. 短語搭配

骨子里却非常渴望狂野的刺激。

Is there any truth to these stereotypes?

这些刻板印象有几分真实性吗？

Probably yes,

可能有吧，

but only you can be the judge of that. 語氣意圖

但只有你自己能来评判。

A better question is,

一个更好的问题是，

why do some kids always seem to attract a following? 短語搭配

为什么有些孩子似乎总是能吸引一群追随者？

That's what we'll find out today.

这就是我们今天想要探讨的。

In this episode of The Infographics Show,

在本期《The Infographics Show》中，

what makes popular kids popular?

是什么让受欢迎的孩子如此受欢迎？

This popularity game isn't just a phenomenon in high school.

这种人气游戏不仅是高中的独有现象。

If you watch young kids interact in primary school or even preschool,

如果你观察小学甚至幼儿园里小孩子们的互动，

you'll often see a child

你经常会看到一个孩子

that seems to spend a lot of time by him or herself,

似乎大部分时间都独自待着，

ignored and sometimes looking slightly sad.

受到冷落，有时看起来还有点悲伤。

Then you look over to the other end of the playground

然后你看向操场的另一头，

and there's a little tyrant

会发现一个小霸王

shouting orders and taking charge of pretty much everything. 短語搭配

在发号施令，几乎掌控着一切。

This is often the popular child,

这往往就是那个受欢迎的孩子，

at least as far as the eye can see. 習語

至少在视线所及的范围内是如此。

One researcher named Patricia Hawley

一位名叫Patricia Hawley的研究员

calls these types of children bi-strategic controllers. 用詞

将这类孩子称为“双重策略控制者”。

There's another name for this that you might know,

还有另一个你可能更熟悉的叫法，

frenemy. 用詞

“友敌”（frenemy）。

They dominate and they could be what we call alpha kids.

他们喜欢支配别人，可能就是我们所说的“阿尔法小孩”。

Hawley says they will also take stuff from their friends

Hawley说，他们还会拿走朋友的东西

and threaten other children.

并且威胁其他孩子。

Now, while that doesn't sound like it could lead to popularity,

尽管这听起来不像是能带来人气的做法，

she also says they have great social skills

但她也表示，这些孩子拥有出色的社交技巧

and can be very cooperative.

并且能表现得非常配合。

Still, why are they so popular?

那么，为什么他们还是那么受欢迎呢？

Well, that's partly because they are usually quite charming

这在一定程度上是因为他们通常相当有魅力，

and act in a positive way.

行事也很积极主动。

It draws kids to them. 短語搭配

这吸引了其他孩子向他们靠拢。

This confidence of theirs attracts friends 語法

他们的自信吸引了朋友，

and that makes them happy

这让他们感到快乐，

and this happiness is also said to be magnetizing.

而据说这种快乐也是具有磁性的。

Psychology Today goes further, 表達脈絡

《Psychology Today》则进一步

explaining that by the time the kids are around the age of 11, 語法

解释说，当孩子们长到大约11岁时，

they are already in some kind of clique.

他们就已经处于某种小团体之中了。

But there's one clique more popular than the others

但总有一个小团体比其他的更受欢迎，

and about 1/3 of young students will be in that clique.

大约三分之一的小学生会属于那个小团体。

This group engages in a lot of nasty political maneuvering 習語

这个群体会进行许多令人反感的政治手段

to maintain or enhance social status, 短語搭配

来维持或提升他们的社交地位，

the researcher said,

该研究员说，

stating that about 1/10 of students

并指出大约十分之一的学生

will be trying to get into this clique,

会努力试图挤进这个小团体，

the hangers-on, 用詞

他们被称为跟屁虫，

and another 1/10 will be natural-born loners. 用詞

而另外十分之一则是天生的独行侠。

About half of the students in one school year

在一个学年里，大约一半的学生

won't care much about popularity

并不太在乎受不受欢迎，

and have their own small group of friends without much politics

他们有自己小小的朋友圈，没有那么多勾心斗角，

and they are generally loyal and caring to one another.

他们彼此之间通常很忠诚、互相关心。

They might only be popular with their group,

他们可能只在自己的小圈子里受欢迎，

but it seems they might also be more content. 用詞

但看来他们可能也更容易感到满足。

Besides being dominant,

心理学家表示，除了表现出支配欲之外，

psychologists say that when children approach their teens,

当孩子们快进入青春期时，

just being good-looking will make them popular,

仅仅是长得好看就能让他们受欢迎，

as will athleticism, wealth, strength, 語法

运动能力、财富、力量也一样，

and sometimes the fear they impose

有时甚至是因为他们给人带来的恐惧感，

or the fashionable clothes they wear.

或者是他们穿的时尚衣服。

While manipulative and aggressive kids may win other kids over 短語動詞

虽然喜欢操纵别人且具有攻击性的孩子可能会赢得其他孩子的追随

in the younger years,

在他们年纪较小的时候，

researcher Antonia Suluson says

但研究员Antonia Suluson说

that these cool kids will often lose their attraction in high school.

这些很酷的孩子在上了高中后往往会失去吸引力。

But there is always nuance when it comes to the human mind. 短語搭配

但涉及到人类心理时，事情总有细微差别。

An Australian study taken in 2015

一项2015年在澳大利亚进行的研究

said one of the best assets a kid can have

表明，一个孩子如果想受欢迎，

if he or she wants to be popular

所能拥有的最大资本之一

is actually mind-reading. 用詞

实际上是“读心术”。

They were talking about young kids, though,

不过，他们讨论的是比较小的孩子，

ages 2 to 10.

年龄在2到10岁之间。

They looked at 2,096 children

他们观察了2096名儿童

from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America

来自亚洲、澳大利亚、欧洲和北美，

and found that those that got on best and were popular 短語動詞

结果发现，那些混得最好、最受欢迎的孩子

knew what the other kids wanted,

知道其他孩子想要什么、

thought, and felt.

在想什么、有什么感觉。

They were empathetic.

他们富有同理心。

You don't have to be a mean girl to be liked, 用詞

你不需要成为一个坏女孩才能讨人喜欢，

but you may have to

但你可能必须要这样

if you want to constantly be the belle of the ball. 習語

如果你想要永远成为舞会上最耀眼的人。

The British Journal of Developmental Psychology

《British Journal of Developmental Psychology》

said a similar thing

也有类似的说法，

in that kids that know what others are thinking 語法

认为知道其他人在想什么的孩子

tend to be popular

往往比较受欢迎，

and they added that sometimes this could be used for kind acts,

他们还补充说，有时这种能力会被用于行善，

but at other times manipulation.

但在其他时候则被用于操纵。

It's no wonder school is sometimes called a battleground. 講解

难怪学校有时被称为战场。

The same study said jock popularity was indeed a real 短語搭配

同一项研究指出，校园健将的受欢迎程度确实是真实

thing, stating older high schoolers will be drawn to strong,

存在的，并指出高年级的高中生会被强壮、

good-looking, athletic, and smartly dressed kids.

漂亮、擅长运动且穿着考究的孩子所吸引。

But in actuality, said the study,

但研究表示，实际上，

we might just perceive them being more popular.

我们可能只是觉得他们更受欢迎。

They might also be secretly envied or hated by their peers.

他们在背地里可能也会被同龄人嫉妒或讨厌。

Who needs that? 語氣意圖

谁需要这样呢？

The study said the same thing about tough guys.

该研究对于硬汉类型的孩子也有同样的看法。

While they might be surrounded by minions, 用詞

虽然他们可能被一群小弟簇拥着，

that doesn't necessarily mean they are popular. 語法

但那并不一定意味着他们就受欢迎。

Humans are not primates

人类不是灵长类动物，

and we don't have the same dominance hierarchy

我们并没有相同的统治阶层，

because we have more developed and complex minds.

因为我们拥有更发达、更复杂的大脑。

In fact,

实际上，

what really makes popular kids more popular

真正让受欢迎的孩子更加受欢迎的，

is when they have great impulse control.

是他们拥有极强的冲动控制能力。

They might get angry,

他们也可能会生气，

but only when it is called for. 短語動詞

但只有在必要的时候才会发作。

Most studies state that those dominant kids who may seem popular,

大多数研究表明，那些看起来受欢迎的强势孩子，

but are distrusted, disloyal, or too aggressive

如果不被信任、不忠诚或太具攻击性，

are actually not as popular as we might think. 語法

实际上并没有我们想象的那么受欢迎。

Psychologists state that these kids are often unhappy on the inside 習語

心理学家指出，这些孩子的内心往往并不快乐，

as we all get fulfillment from true love and sincere friendships. 短語搭配

因为我们都是从真爱和真诚的友谊中获得满足感的。

But why trust the experts? 表達脈絡

但是为什么要相信专家呢？

What do high school kids think about what makes others popular?

高中生自己是怎么看待让别人受欢迎的原因的呢？

This was asked on a forum

有人在论坛上问了这个问题，

and here are some of the answers.

以下是一些回答。

One high school senior said social skills was one thing,

一位高中高年级学生说，社交技巧是一方面，

but also having some particular skill you are very good at.

但拥有某项你非常擅长的特殊技能也是一方面。

You must have both.

你必须两者兼备。

The sociability might be an important factor here

在这里，社交能力可能是一个重要因素，

as sometimes great minds tend to be less sociable.

因为有时候聪明绝顶的人往往不太合群。

We might call these young adults nerds or geeks. 用詞

我们可能会称这些年轻人为书呆子或极客。

The genius Elon Musk said he was always a bit different

天才Elon Musk说他总是显得有些与众不同，

and for that he said he was continually bullied in school,

正因为如此，他说他在学校不断被欺负，

enough to traumatize him. 語法

足以给他留下心理阴影。

Musk's first wife once said,

Musk的第一任妻子曾说，

"I don't think people understand how tough he had it growing 語法

“我不认为人们了解他的成长过程有多艰难。

up. He was a really lonely kid."

他真的曾是个非常孤独的孩子。”

Michael Phelps said he was also bullied a lot,

Michael Phelps说他也经常被欺负，

but said he channeled his anger into his training regimen. 短語搭配

但他把愤怒转化为训练的动力。

Most people on the forum agreed,

论坛上的大多数人都同意，

being good at socializing and having some kind of talent

擅长社交并具备某种才华

was key to high school popularity. 短語搭配

是在高中受到欢迎的关键。

Another person was maybe more cynical

另一个人可能更愤世嫉俗一点，

and even had her own equation for popularity. 習語

甚至有她自己的一套计算受欢迎程度的方程式。

This combined looks, friends, number of enemies, rejections,

这结合了长相、朋友、敌人的数量、被拒绝的次数，

and who is following you on Instagram.

以及谁在Instagram上关注了你。

She believed mathematically you could work out your popularity, 短語動詞

她相信你可以用数学方法算出你有多受欢迎，

but it's likely she was joking.

但她很可能是在开玩笑。

So, what if you are popular or were

那么，如果你现在很受欢迎，或者曾经

popular? What does this mean for later

很受欢迎呢？这对你以后的生活

life? One study led by Joseph P. Allen,

意味着什么？弗吉尼亚大学心理学教授

Hugh P. Kelly Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia,

Joseph P. Allen领导的一项研究

looked at 184 US teens

观察了184名美国青少年，

and followed them for 10 years from age 13 to 23.

并在他们13到23岁这10年间进行了跟踪调查。

According to that study,

根据这项研究，

being popular comes back to bite you in the butt. 習語

受欢迎最终会让你自食其果。

They said the popular kids in high school

他们说高中里受欢迎的孩子

were more likely to have problems with drugs, alcohol, 語法

更容易沾染毒品、酒精问题，

and even have more chance of becoming involved in crime.

甚至有更大的几率卷入犯罪活动。

The study also followed those cool kids in school

该研究还追踪了学校里那些酷小孩，

who showed pseudo-mature 用詞

他们表现出假成熟的

behaviors. These are the reckless kids,

行为。这些就是鲁莽的孩子，

the kids that first smoke, sneak into movie theaters,

那些最先抽烟、偷偷溜进电影院、

damage property,

破坏公物、

or tell you how they reached second base 習語

或者告诉你自己是如何“上二垒”的孩子，

when you haven't even been near the field.

而你连球场都还没接近过。

Not surprisingly, these

毫不奇怪，这些

kids, as the Hollywood movies often portray,

孩子，就像好莱坞电影中经常描绘的那样，

became more delinquent

变得越来越叛逆，

until it started to make them less popular and more reckless.

直到这让他们变得不那么受欢迎，也越来越鲁莽。

The study said they would take part in riskier and more criminal acts

研究称，他们会参与风险更高、违法程度更严重的活动，

to gain popularity with older peers,

以便在年长的同伴中获得人气，

but it was a dead-end street. 習語

但那只是一条死胡同。

As for the kids that were only popular for their looks or bravado, 講解

至于那些只是因为长相或虚张声势而受欢迎的孩子，

the study said in later life this became a problem.

研究表明在他们以后的生活中这也成了问题。

These previously cool teens appeared less competent, socially, and otherwise,

到了青年时期，这些以前很酷的青少年在社交和其他方面，

than their less cool peers by the time they reached young adulthood,

似乎都比那些不那么酷的同龄人缺乏能力，

said the researchers.

研究人员说。

Because their early relationships weren't grounded in empathy and love, 習語

因为他们早期的关系并非建立在同理心和爱之上，

in adult life they struggled to form lasting relationships. 短語搭配

在成年生活中，他们很难建立持久的关系。

So, are you in high school right now?

那么，你现在上高中吗？

And if so, can you add to this?

如果是的话，你有什么要补充的吗？

We've all been there, 習語

我们都经历过这个阶段，

so what do you think about these studies?

那么你对这些研究有什么看法呢？

Do they mirror your experience? 習語

它们反映了你的经历吗？

Let us know in the comments.

请在评论区告诉我们。

Also, be sure to check out our other video

此外，请务必去看看我们的另一个视频

called Private School versus Public School.

叫做《私立学校与公立学校》。

Thanks for watching and as always,

感谢观看，和往常一样，

don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.

别忘了点赞、分享和订阅。

See you next time.

我们下次见。