出轨的科学：英语精读讲义

Cheating on your significant other is taboo in almost all cultures, 用詞

对伴侣不忠在几乎所有文化中都是禁忌，

yet somehow adds flavor to the plot of movies 習語

但不知为何，它却能让电影情节更有看头，

and inspiration for countless songs about heartbreak.

也为无数关于心碎的歌曲带来灵感。

But why do people cheat in the first place? 短語搭配

可人们究竟为什么会出轨？

Is there a science behind it? 表達脈絡

这背后有科学依据吗？

Only about 3% of mammals are monogamous,

只有大约3%的哺乳动物实行单配偶制，

meaning they stay with one partner their whole life. 語法

也就是说，它们一生只和一个伴侣在一起。

And humans fall into this category. 短語搭配

人类也属于这一类。

From an evolutionary perspective, 表達脈絡

从进化角度来看，

it creates an advantage where one partner can protect the younglings 語法

这样做有一个优势：一方可以保护幼崽，

while the other searches for food and provides resources.

另一方则去寻找食物、提供资源。

But somehow extrapair mating or cheating is a fairly common human behavior. 用詞

但不知为何，配对之外的交配，也就是出轨，却是人类相当常见的一种行为。

The gene coding for a dopamine receptor 用詞

编码多巴胺受体的基因

plays a key role in cheating for men and women. 短語搭配

在男女的出轨行为中都起着关键作用。

Sometimes called the happy hormone, 講解

多巴胺有时被称为“快乐激素”，

it's released after pleasurable activities like exercise, eating food, and orgasming.

在运动、进食和达到性高潮等愉悦活动后会释放出来。

And one study found that 表達脈絡

一项研究发现，

50% of people who possess the long allele variant of this gene

在携带该基因长等位基因变体的人中，50%

had cheated on their partner

曾对伴侣不忠，

compared to only 22% of people who have the short allele. 語法

而携带短等位基因的人中，这一比例只有22%。

The long allele participants also had a tendency to be risk takers 短語搭配

携带长等位基因的参与者也更倾向于冒险，

and succumb to addictive behaviors such as alcoholism. 短語搭配

并容易陷入酗酒等成瘾行为。

Perhaps the phrase once a cheater, always a cheater may have a basis in reality. 講解

也许“一次出轨，终身出轨”这句话确实有现实依据。

Levels of the hormone vasopressin also play a role.

血管加压素的水平也会发挥作用。

Similar to oxytocin,

它和催产素相似，

which is sometimes called the cuddle hormone,

后者有时被称为“拥抱激素”，

vasopressin can affect trust, empathy, and social bonding.

血管加压素会影响信任、同理心和社会联结。

In fact, injecting vasopressin directly into a polygamous montane vole's reward center

事实上，把血管加压素直接注入多配偶制山地田鼠的奖赏中心，

increases the likelihood of it becoming monogamous. 短語搭配

会增加它转为单配偶制的可能性。

People with autism also have lower vasopressin levels,

自闭症患者的血管加压素水平也较低，

affecting their ability to understand social cues.

这会影响他们理解社交线索的能力。

And in 2014, a study involving over 7,000 Finnish twins

2014年，一项涉及7000多名芬兰双胞胎的研究

found that cheating women had a variant

发现，曾出轨的女性携带一种变体，

in the gene that codes for a vasopressin receptor,

这种变体位于编码血管加压素受体的基因中，

further suggesting that low levels of vasopressin have an influence on cheating. 表達脈絡

这进一步表明，血管加压素水平偏低会影响出轨行为。

Money may also be a factor. 表達脈絡

金钱也可能是一个因素。

Males who earn significantly more than their female counterpart

收入远高于女性伴侣的男性

are more likely to cheat.

更容易出轨。

But they're also more likely to cheat on their wives

但他们也更容易背叛妻子——

if they're stay-at-home dads.

如果他们是全职爸爸的话。

Only when both partners have similar earning potential 語法

只有当双方的赚钱能力相近时，

do the chances of either cheating decrease significantly.

任何一方出轨的概率才会显著下降。

Of course, many other life factors can lead to infidelity, 講解

当然，还有许多其他生活因素会导致不忠，

from unresolved emotional issues, baggage from past relationships, 習語

比如未解决的情感问题、过去恋情留下的包袱，

and excessive alcohol intoxication.

以及过量饮酒导致的醉酒。

Unfortunately, same-sex partnerships have not been studied enough to gain any clear insights, 語法

遗憾的是，针对同性伴侣关系的研究还不够多，无法得出明确结论，

highlighting how scientific research continues to exclude specific minority groups. 表達脈絡

这凸显出科学研究仍在排除某些特定的少数群体。

Either way, cheating is clearly based in biology and genetics 表達脈絡

无论如何，出轨显然与生物学和遗传因素有关，

for some of us in spite of being a monogamous species. 語法

至少对我们中的一些人是这样，尽管人类属于单配偶物种。

Special thanks to Audible for supporting this episode

特别感谢Audible支持本期节目，

and giving you a free audiobook at audible.com/asap.

并通过audible.com/asap送给你一本免费有声书。

This week we wanted to recommend the book SuperBetter,

本周我们想推荐《SuperBetter》这本书，

where author and game designer Jane McGonigal

作者兼游戏设计师Jane McGonigal在书中

explains how to cultivate greater resiliency in everyday life by using mental strengths you apply to game playing.

讲解如何运用玩游戏时所用的心理优势，在日常生活中培养更强的韧性。

You can get a free copy at audible.com/asap

你可以在audible.com/asap免费领取一本，

or any others of your choice from a massive selection.

也可以从海量书目中任选其他一本。

We love them as they're great when you're on the go. 習語

我们很喜欢有声书，因为出门在外时听特别方便。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

也请订阅我们，观看每周更新的更多科学视频。