對數字的恐懼 - 6分鐘英文：英語精讀講義

6 Minute English from BBCLearningEnglish.com.

來自 BBCLearningEnglish.com 的《6分鐘英語》。

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

大家好，這裡是 BBC Learning English 製作的《6分鐘英語》。

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，你會把自己形容成一個對數字敏感的人嗎？

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，我是否懂數字、擅長使用數字並能解讀數據，

then no.

那我就不是了。

Okay, so maybe you're like me.

好吧，那也許你和我一樣。

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

你在學校時數學不好嗎？

No, I wasn't.

是的，不好。

Algebra, geometry, times tables, 用詞

代數、幾何、九九乘法表，

it was all very confusing.

這些都讓人非常頭痛。

Yeah, we're not alone, Neil. 語氣意圖

是啊，我們不孤單，Neil。

But the fear of numbers might just be in our heads 慣用語

但對數字的恐懼可能只是在我們腦海裡作祟，

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

其實我們擁有的數學知識或許已經足夠應付生活了。

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

這就是我們將在本集節目中探討的主題，

while looking at some relevant vocabulary.

同時我們也會學習一些相關的單字。

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

不過，抱歉，Neil，我要先問一個數學問題。

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

人們認為世界上最大的數字叫做 googol（古高爾）。

It's written with a 1

它的寫法是一個1，

and how many zeros?

後面跟著多少個零？

Is it A, a 100 zeros,

是 A，100個零，

B, a 1,000 zeros,

B，1000個零，

or C, 10,000 zeros?

還是 C，10000個零？

I'll guess 10,000 zeros.

我猜是10000個零。

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

好的，我稍後會揭曉答案。

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

但現在讓我們先來多聊聊對數字的恐懼。

Of course, numbers are important in our lives,

當然，數字在我們的生活中很重要，

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

但在學校裡的一次糟糕經驗可能讓我們一輩子排斥它們。

Put off means make someone dislike something.

Put off 的意思是讓某人討厭某事。

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

讓我對數學感到排斥的是，它不僅複雜，而且非常理論化，

not very practical,

不太實用，

useful for real life situations.

對現實生活毫無幫助。

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

現在的問題是，我們很容易被聽到的一些花俏數據所蒙騙。

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

這是 BBC 國際頻道《The Why Factor》節目一直在探索的話題。

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

他們採訪了紐約大學的作家兼教授 Charles Seife，

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

他解釋了為什麼我們會任由那些向我們拋出數字的人擺佈。

Because we are primed not to question numbers, 用詞

因為我們被引導去不加質疑地接受數字，

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

某些人已經發現，數字也許是最具欺騙性的強大工具。

Advertisers, marketers, politicians,

廣告商、行銷人員、政客，

who try to convince the public through spurious oratory, 講解

他們試圖透過虛假的演說來試圖說服大眾，

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

他們已經發現，唯一不會受到質疑的東西就是數字，

or the challenge is ineffective.

或者說對數字的質疑是無效的。

Interesting words from Charles Seife there.

Charles Seife 的話很有意思。

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

他解釋說，數字可能成為欺騙人們的強大工具。

Many of us are primed,

我們中的許多人都被「引導（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況下以特定的方式行事，

not to question numbers,

不去質疑數字，

accept them as fact. 片語搭配

而是將它們當作事實接受。

Yes, and this is dangerous.

是的，這很危險。

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

因此，舉例來說，當政客們進行出色且有效的公共演講時，

known as oratory, 用詞

也就是所謂的演說術（oratory），

the information they give could be spurious. 用詞

他們提供的資訊可能是虛假的（spurious）。

That means false, not correct, or inaccurate.

這意味著錯誤、不正確或不準確。

But numbers are more persuasive. 用詞

但數字更有說服力。

They make you believe something is true. 文法

它們讓你相信某件事是真的。

So, unless you're confident with numbers, 文法

所以，除非你對數字很有把握，

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

否則你不太可能質疑別人給你的事實和數據。

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

那麼，Sam，如果我跟你說，吃肉的1000萬人中，有10%的人

have a 20% chance of being 5% overweight,

有20%的機率會超重5%，

would you challenge that?

你會質疑這一點嗎？

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

嗯，我得去算一算才行。

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

正如我所說，Neil，我不是一個對數字敏感的人。

Even talking about numbers makes me anxious. 文法

即使只是談論數字也會讓我感到焦慮。

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

有趣的是，《The Why Factor》節目解釋說，女孩在學習數學時會更加焦慮。

But even if they feel more nervous about maths, 文法

但即使她們對數學感到更緊張，

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

她們對數字的掌控能力並不比那些自信的同學差。

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

僅僅是恐懼阻礙了妳。

Well, maybe, but one bad experience can knock our confidence 慣用語

或許吧，但一次糟糕的經驗就可能打擊我們的信心

and ability to use maths.

和使用數學的能力。

Take comfort from Paula Miles, 片語搭配

Paula Miles 的話也許能給你一些安慰，

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

她在聖安德魯斯大學教心理學學生統計學。

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

她告訴《The Why Factor》節目，她認為根本不存在所謂「對數字敏感的人」。

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

根本沒有所謂的對數字敏感或不敏感的人。

If we're taught in the right way, 文法

如果我們接受了正確的教育方式，

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

那我認為我們都有潛力成為一個對數字敏感的人。

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

我並不是說我們都會成為數學家，

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

但我們都會達到這樣一個程度：掌握所需要的基本計算技能

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

來應對我們所處的環境。

I feel a little better now.

我現在感覺好些了。

We all have the possibility within us,

我們內心中都有可能，

or potential, to be a numbers person.

或者說有潛力（potential），成為一個對數字敏感的人。

Yes, I think it's about survival.

是的，我認為這攸關生存。

We want to develop numeracy, 片語搭配

我們需要發展計算能力（numeracy），

basic mathematical skills,

即基本的數學技能，

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

以便在特定的情況下使用數字。

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

我們可能不會像愛因斯坦那樣是個天才，

but we know enough to work things out. 文法

但我們懂得足以解決問題的知識就夠了。

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

我想知道你是否正確算出了我那個問題的答案，Neil。

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

之前，我問了關於被認為是世界上最大的數字的問題，

called a googol.

它叫做 googol。

How many zeros does it have?

它有多少個零？

A 100 zeros,

A，100個零，

a 1,000 zeros,

B，1000個零，

or 10,000 zeros?

還是 10000個零？

I said 10,000 zeros.

我選了10000個零。

Sorry, Neil.

抱歉，Neil。

A googol is 10 to the 100th power, 用詞

一個 googol 是10的100次方，

so a mere 100 zeros. 用詞

所以僅僅是100個零。

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

我覺得我近期不會用到那個數字，

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

但我可能會用到我們今天討論過的一些單字，

including a numbers person.

包括 a numbers person（對數字敏感的人）。

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

指懂得數字、擅長使用數字並能解讀數據的人。

Not like us.

不像我們。

If you're put off something,

如果你被某事 put off，

it means you are made to dislike something.

意思是讓你對某事產生反感。

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

而 to be primed 意思是準備好在特定情況下行事。

The skill of effective public speaking is known as oratory,

有效的公眾演講技巧被稱為演說術（oratory），

and spurious means false, inaccurate, or not correct.

而 spurious 意思是虛假的、不準確的或不正確的。

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

當我們內心具備做某事的可能性時，

we describe it as our potential.

我們將其描述為我們的潛力（potential）。

And having numeracy means having basic mathematical skills.

而擁有計算能力（numeracy）即擁有基本的數學技能。

But now we reach the number six,

現在我們來到了數字6，

6 Minutes of English.

《6分鐘英語》到此結束。

Thanks very much for listening.

非常感謝大家的收聽。

Goodbye.

再見。

Goodbye.

再見。

6 Minute English from the BBC.

來自 BBC 的《6分鐘英語》。