托福阅读背景知识（十）

五、福阅读背景知识：性格决定魅力

　　If you exhibit positive traits such as honesty and helpfulness， the chances are that you will be perceived as a good looking person， for a new study has found that the perception of physical attractiveness is influenced by a person's personality.

　　The study， led by Gary W. Lewandowski， Jr， found that people who exhibit negative traits， such as unfairness and rudeness， appear to be less physically attractive to observers.

　　In the study， the participants viewed photographs of opposite-sex individuals and rated them for attractiveness before and after being provided with information on personality traits.

　　After personality information was received， participants also rated the desirability of each individual as a friend and as a dating partner.

　　Information on personality was found to significantly alter perceived desirability， showing that cognitive processes modify judgments of attractiveness.

　　"Perceiving a person as having a desirable personality makes the person more suitable in general as a close relationship partner of any kind，" said Lewandowski.

　　The findings show that a positive personality leads to greater desirability as a friend， which leads to greater desirability as a romantic partner and， ultimately， to being viewed as more physically attractive.

　　The findings remained consistent regardless of how "attractive" the individual was initially perceived to be， or of the participants' current relationship status or commitment level with a partner.

　　What would you think of this lady's physical attractiveness if she exhibited bad personal traits?

　　"This research provides a more positive alternative by reminding people that personality goes a long way toward determining your attractiveness; it can even change people's impressions of how good looking you are，" said Lewandowski.

　　如果你表现出诚实和乐于助人等美好品质，那么别人会觉得你的外表也很迷人。一项最新研究发现，一个人的性格会影响别人对他或她的外表吸引力的看法。

　　该项由盖里?W?勒万多维斯基负责的研究发现，人们认为，表现出不诚实和粗鲁等恶劣品质的人外表也不够吸引人。

　　研究对象首先观看了一组异性的照片，随后分别在得知照片中人物的性格特点之前和之后给他们的外表评分。

　　研究对象在得知照片中人物的性格特点后，还对与其中每个人交朋友或做恋人的期望值进行了评分。

　　研究人员发现，有关人物性格特点的信息大大改变了之前的喜好度评分，研究对象的认知过程改变了他们对照片中人物外表的评价。

　　勒万多维斯基说：“总的来说，如果人们认为一个人的性格较好，那么他们会觉得无论与这个人做朋友还是做恋人都更合适。”

　　研究结果表明，人们更期望与性格较好的人交朋友、成为恋人，从而会认为他们的外表更迷人。

　　无论照片中人物给人的“第一印象”怎样、或者研究对象目前的情感关系状况以及与伴侣的亲密程度如何，研究结果都是一致的。

　　勒万多维斯基说：“该研究提出了一个更为积极的观点，它提醒人们，性格在很大程度上能决定你的吸引力;性格甚至能够改变人们对于你外表的印象。”

六、托福阅读背景知识：水烟的危害

　　World health experts warned Thursday that smoking water pipes, long popular in the Middle East and North Africa and with a growing fan base elsewhere, can be more harmful than cigarettes.

　　世界卫生专家近期警告称， 在中东和北非盛行的水烟危害程度可能比香烟更大，全球其他地区也有越来越多的水烟爱好者。

　　"A single puff from a water pipe is nearly equal to the volume of smoke inhaled from an entire cigarette," said The Tobacco Atlas launched at the World Conference on Tobacco OR Health in Abu Dhabi.

　　在阿布扎比的世界烟草或健康大会上推出的世界烟草图册显示;"从水烟管吸入一口的烟量几乎等于吸入一整只香烟的量。”

　　And World Health Organization tobacco expert Edouard Tursan d'Espaignet said "one session of shisha (water pipe) can be equal to smoking 20 to 30 cigarettes in one go, which can be very dangerous."

　　世界卫生组织烟草专家爱德华•图尔桑•艾斯帕内特说“吸食一次什莎(水烟)的量可能等于一口气吸食20到30只香烟的量，这是很危险的。”

　　The water pipe, variously known as a hubbly-bubbly, hookah, shisha or nargileh, has become a major worry for anti-tobacco campaigners as its is popularised across university campuses, overlooked by regulators.

　　水烟的叫法五花八门，如 hubbly-bubbly，hookah，shisha或者nargileh，而因为其在大学校园颇为流行并被管理者忽视，所以水烟已成为反烟运动者主要的担忧。

　　In recent years, its use has spread to the United States, Europe and, to a lesser extent,South America.

　　近年来，水烟已流入美国、欧洲和南美的部分地区。

　　Gemma Vestal of the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative told AFP that while shishas were previously the domain of older males, "younger people between 18- and 24-years old living in cities and educated" are increasingly smoking them.

　　世界卫生组织无烟倡议行动的杰玛•维斯塔说，虽然先前吸食水烟的群体是老年男性，但是越来越多年龄在18岁到24岁之间、住在城市且受过教育的年轻人都开始吸食水烟。

　　The chairman of pathology and laboratory medicine at the American University of Beirut, Ghazi Zaatari, says aromatic flavourings known as maasal added to the tobacco offer younger smokers a "smoother and more tolerated" alternative to the taste of traditional tobacco.

　　贝鲁特美国大学的病理学和实验室医学主席加齐•扎泰里说，水烟中添加的一种叫做maasal的芳香味道给年轻烟民提供了比传统烟草“更顺畅，更易接受”的味道。

　　And the "water pipe has an interesting design because it somewhat engages your five senses. You're holding the hose, there’s something you're looking at, there is the aroma, there is the sound of the bubbling and there is this kind of sensational thing with the social gathering."

　　而且水烟的设计很有趣，因为它从某种程度上同时调动吸烟者的五官感受。你拿着烟管，你看着它，它有香味，它有冒泡的声音，此外，在社交聚会中吸水烟是一件多么美妙的事。

　　In social gatherings that last for an average of an hour, the smoker can quickly get "hooked on it because of the nicotine."

　　在持续平均一小时的社交聚会中，水烟吸食者会迅速对它上瘾，因为它含有尼古丁。

　　Moreover, the smoke from charcoal used to heat the tobacco contains toxins.

　　此外，用于加热烟草木炭释放的烟雾也含有毒素。

　　The WHO said harmful effects include impact on the "respiratory system, cardiovascular system, oral activity and teeth."

　　世界卫生组织称，它会对人的健康造成危害，包括损坏呼吸系统，心血管系统，口腔活动和牙齿等。

　　In addition to the dangers of lung cancer, data also suggest probable associations with oral, oesophageal, gastric, and urinary bladder cancer, as well as chronic bronchitis, cardiovascular disease, stroke as well as other illnesses.

　　除了肺癌的危险，数据还表明吸食水烟的危害可能与口腔癌、食管癌、胃癌和膀胱癌，以及慢性支气管炎、心血管疾病、中风，以及其他疾病相关联。

　　Global tobacco companies are increasingly investing in the water pipe business, experts say, while little has been done to curb their use, despite a crackdown on cigarettes.

　　专家表示，全球的烟草公司正越来越多地投资于水烟行业，但是除了打击烟草行业以外，对于水烟的消费没有任何限制措施。

　　According to The Tobacco Atlas, "water pipes fall into a less heavily or un-regulated group of tobacco products" in most countries.

　　根据烟草图册介绍，水烟在大多数国家是不受严重监管或不监管的烟草产品。

　　"There has been a gap for a while and now hopefully, with this global effort, they (tobacco regulators) are coming back to emphasise the importance of including the water pipe in all these policies and regulations on tobacco," Zaatari said.

　　“这个缺口已经存在一段时间了，希望通过全球的努力，他们(烟草监管者)能够强调将水烟纳入所有烟草政策和法规监管的重要性，”扎泰里说。

　　Brazil has taken measures to ban flavourings, while Turkey has extended warning labelling from cigarette packets to include the water pipe.

　　巴西已经采取措施禁止在水烟中加入香料，同时土耳其已将之前有关香烟烟盒上必须有警告标志的规定执行范围扩展至水烟领域。

　　And the ruler of the UAE emirate of Sharjah has banned the use of water pipes altogether, earning him an award this week from the WHO.

　　阿拉伯联合酋长国的沙迦酋长国国王已下令彻底禁止吸食水烟，世界卫生组织因此给他颁了一个奖。

　　Vocabulary

　　pathology：病理学

　　hose：软管

　　aroma：香味

　　oesophageal cancer：食道癌

　　urinary bladder cancer：膀胱癌