2020-09-07 Lockdown may have lasting effects on friendships 新冠肺炎封锁可能对人类友谊产生持久影响

进化心理学家罗宾·邓巴教授（Prof Robin Dunbar）说：“如果不投入时间和精力去维护友谊，友谊则会面临快速恶化 —— 这个过程可能只需要三个月左右。” 他表示，疫情封锁给人际关系带来的压力，虽然有望是短期的，但这种压力可能会对一些友谊产生长期的影响。

Maintaining a strong social bond takes time and effort. That’s according to evolutionary psychologists who studied the social lives of our closest primate relatives. 

维持牢固的社会联系需要时间和精力。这是进化心理学家们在研究了我们的灵长类近亲的社交生活后得出的结论。

Whether you’re a monkey or a human, the strength of a bond is directly linked to the amount of time you spend together, and a friendship can deteriorate beyond repair in just three months.

不管你是猴子还是人，感情关系的强弱与你和他人共度时间的长短有着直接的联系，而一段友谊可能在短短的三个月内恶化到无法修复的地步。 

This, scientists say, is likely to be bad news for what they call our more marginal friendships. Without the reinforcement of a shared workplace or a chat at the school gates, some less valued relationships could be irreparably damaged by lockdown.

科学家们表示，这个结论对我们所谓的 “边缘友谊” 可能是个坏消息。没有了在共享工作场所或在校门口聊天的强化巩固，一些不太受重视的关系可能会因疫情封锁而遭受无法弥补的伤害。 

Many people have swapped face-to-face contact for video chats, but the researchers say that this and social distancing has left us deprived of human touch.

许多人已经把面对面的交流形式换成了视频聊天，但研究人员们表示，这一变化和社交距离的疏远让我们失去了以往待人处事的方式。 

Just like the grooming that chimpanzees spend hours doing, a welcome squeeze on the arm or a cuddle from a friend causes our brains to release pleasure-boosting chemicals. That helps explain why many of us might feel we’re fighting a pretty fundamental need for a hug.

就像黑猩猩花数小时互相梳理毛发一样，朋友热情地攥一下你的手臂或给你一个拥抱都会使我们的大脑释放出增加愉悦感的化学物质。这有助于解释为什么我们当中的许多人在封锁期间可能在和渴望拥抱的这个基本需求作斗争。

词汇表

social bond 社会联系
evolutionary 进化的
deteriorate 恶化
beyond repair 无法修复的，无法补救的
marginal 边缘的
reinforcement 增强，巩固
irreparably 无法弥补地
human touch 平易近人的待人处事方式
squeeze 捏，挤
cuddle 抱，搂抱
pleasure-boosting 增加愉悦感的
fundamental 基本的

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. True or false? According to evolutionary psychologists, in order to maintain a friendship, we need to invest time and effort in them.

2. Based on the scientists, how long does it take for a friendship to become irreparable, if you don’t spend time together?

3. While face-to-face contact has become difficult, what have many people switched to?

4. According to the text, why are many of us fighting the need for a hug?

答案

1. True or false? According to evolutionary psychologists, in order to maintain a friendship, we need to invest time and effort in them.
True. Maintaining a strong social bond takes time and effort.

2. Based on the scientists, how long does it take for a friendship to become irreparable, if you don’t spend time together?
It takes in just three months for a friendship to deteriorate beyond repair.

3. While face-to-face contact has become difficult, what have many people switched to?
Many people have switched from face-to-face contact to video chats.

4. According to the text, why are many of us fighting the need for a hug?
The reason many of us fight the need for a hug might be that a welcome squeeze on the arm or a cuddle from a friend causes our brains to release pleasure-boosting chemicals.