带个“僚机”真的能帮你约到人吗？：英语精读讲义

On a night out while looking for love, 短語搭配

晚上出门寻找爱情时，

there's nothing like having the support of a friend, 語法

没有什么比朋友的支持更让人安心，

known sometimes as a wingman or wingwoman. 文化背景

这样的朋友有时被称为“男僚机”或“女僚机”。

The term originates from fighter jet pilots

这个称呼源于战斗机飞行员，

where the wingman's job is to support and protect the leading pilot.

僚机的职责是支援并保护领航飞行员。

This same dynamic is applied when a friend needs support approaching potential partners.

当朋友需要有人帮忙接近潜在对象时，也会运用同样的搭档模式。

But what's the science behind this strategy, 短語搭配

但这种策略背后有什么科学依据，

and do wingmen actually work?

僚机真的有用吗？

First things first, 表達脈絡

首先，

you look better in a group than you do on your own. 講解

身处一群人之中时，你比独自一人看起来更有魅力。

One study had participants evaluate pictures of 300 people 語法

一项研究让参与者评估了300个人的照片，

and found that faces were significantly more attractive

结果发现，以下方式会让人脸显得明显更有吸引力：

when they were shown in a group photo

让这些脸出现在集体照中，

compared to the same faces shown on their own.

而不是单独展示同样的脸。

Another good tactic a squad can use is that 語法

一群朋友还可以借鉴另一种妙招，

of a wild turkey.

那就是野火鸡的做法。

Wild turkeys attract mates in a coalition

野火鸡会结成联盟来吸引配偶，

where one turkey is dominant and

其中一只占据主导地位，

the other turkeys are helpers.

其他火鸡则负责协助。

These helper turkeys wear less colorful plumage,

这些帮手火鸡的羽毛没那么鲜艳，

making the dominant one look like a better catch. 講解

因而让占主导地位的那只显得更值得选择。

And this strategy almost doubles the reproductive success

而且，这种策略几乎能让繁殖成功率翻倍，

compared to those turkeys who ride solo. 習語

相比那些单打独斗的火鸡而言。

Even male fireflies work together to attract ladies.

就连雄性萤火虫也会合作吸引雌性。

Fireflies use bioluminescent flashes to signal a mate,

萤火虫用生物发光的闪烁信号呼唤配偶，

and when male fireflies synchronize their flashes,

当雄性萤火虫同步闪光时，

females responded 82% of the time 語法

雌性做出回应的概率为82%，

compared to 3% of the time with asynchronous flashes.

而闪光不同步时只有3%。

So maybe it's time for your squad to think of a coordinated dance, 語法

所以，也许你们这群朋友该考虑编一段协调一致的舞蹈了，

especially if you're the wingman to a lance-tailed manakin.

尤其是当你给一只矛尾娇鹟当僚机时。

Males of this species team up in pairs 短語動詞

这个物种的雄鸟会两两组队，

performing intricate dances,

表演复杂的舞蹈，

including leaping over one another. 語法

其中包括从彼此头顶跃过。

But within the group,

但在这个组合中，

there is an alpha and a beta,

会有一只阿尔法雄鸟和一只贝塔雄鸟，

and the beta never gets lucky. 習語

而贝塔雄鸟永远得不到交配机会。

So why be a wingman?

那为什么还要当僚机呢？

A study that tracked and analyzed DNA of 457 birds

一项研究追踪了457只鸟，并分析了它们的DNA，

found that beta birds,

结果发现，贝塔雄鸟

after learning from the alphas, 語法

在向阿尔法雄鸟学习后，

had a better chance of becoming an alpha the following year. 短語搭配

第二年更有机会成为阿尔法雄鸟。

These strategies are often used among males,

这些策略往往由雄性采用，

but what about females? 表達脈絡

那雌性呢？

Across cultures, 表達脈絡

在不同文化中，

human women tend to be more selective or choosy than men when it comes to partnerships, 講解

人类女性在选择伴侣时往往比男性更谨慎、更挑剔，

though significant variation does exist among sexes. 語法

不过，各性别群体内部确实也存在显著差异。

After all,

毕竟，

females expend more resources in pregnancy,

雌性在怀孕时要投入更多资源，

making it important that they choose a partner more selectively. 語法

因此更谨慎地挑选伴侣十分重要。

When asked to describe their courtship strategies, 語法

当研究人员让人们描述自己的求偶策略时，

interestingly,

有趣的是，

women were actually more likely to use cooperative techniques than men, 語法

女性其实比男性更常采用合作技巧，

but these techniques were used to avoid partners where there was no romantic interest. 語法

但这些技巧是用来避开自己不感兴趣的对象的。

Again,

同样要说明的是，

this certainly varies from person to person, 短語搭配

这肯定因人而异，

and these studies also only focused on heterosexual behavior.

而且这些研究也只关注了异性恋行为。

How far will your squad go for you? 習語

你的朋友愿意为你做到什么程度？

Are they willing to lie?

他们愿意撒谎吗？

It turns out the closer relationship you have with someone, 講解

事实证明，你和某人的关系越亲近，

the more likely you are to lie to make them look good. 語法

就越可能为了让对方显得更出色而撒谎。

This is why going out with your best friends to the bar can help boost your image. 短語搭配

这就是为什么和最好的朋友一起去酒吧能帮你提升形象。

Of course,

当然，

looking for love or a fling while in the company of friends is fun and often effective, 講解

和朋友一起寻找爱情或短暂艳遇既有趣，往往也很有效，

but just remember that finding romance doesn't need to be a strategic game where you have to trick someone.

但请记住，寻找爱情不必变成一场非得靠欺骗别人的策略游戏。

If you just be yourself, 語氣意圖

只要做真实的自己，

you're more likely to find someone who likes you for you. 習語

你就更有可能遇到一个喜欢真实的你的人。

Special thanks to Audible for supporting this episode and giving you a free 30-day trial at audible.com/asap.

特别感谢Audible赞助本期节目，并通过audible.com/asap为你提供30天免费试用。

This week,

本周，

we wanted to recommend the book The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf,

我们想推荐Andrea Wulf的著作The Invention of Nature，

which is a fascinating investigation of the relationship between environments around the world and their connectedness with humanity.

这本书以引人入胜的方式探究了世界各地的环境，以及它们与人类之间的联系。

You can get a free 30-day trial at audible.com/asap

你可以前往audible.com/asap获得30天免费试用，

and choose from a massive selection.

并从海量内容中挑选。

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

我们很喜欢有声书，因为它们特别适合在路上收听。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

别忘了订阅，每周观看更多科学视频。