大学英语自学教程 上册 un21

[04:17.07]However,unrelated areas sometimes show parallel values.
[04:20.79]然而，同一数字在不相关的方面有时量值是相似的。
[04:24.52]For instance,the language of probability seems to mean about the same thing in predictions about the weather
[04:29.19]比如，表示概率的语言在预报天气
[04:33.87]and about politics:the expression is certain to (rain, or be elected)
[04:38.44]和政治时似乎所指意思相同：“肯定要”（下雨或被选为）
[04:43.01]signifies to the average person about a 70 per cent chance;
[04:46.54]对一般人意味着70%的概率；
[04:50.06]is likely to,about a 60 per cent chance;
[04:53.09]“很可能”大约有60%的机会；
[04:56.12]probably will, about 55 perscent.
[04:59.01]“大概会”则大约有55%的可能性。
[05:01.90]Secondly, the size of the population of items influences
[05:05.67]其次，事物总量的大小会影响
[05:09.45]the valueassigned to an expression.
[05:12.08]一种表达方式被赋予的量值。
[05:14.72]Thus,if we tell a subject to take "a few"
[05:17.54]因此，如果叫一名实验者从盒子里取出“一些”
[05:20.37]or "a lot of"glass balls from a box,
[05:23.49]或“很多”玻璃球，
[05:26.61]he will take more if the box contains a large number of glass balls
[05:30.33]盒子里玻璃球数目多的时候，他取出的就多，
[05:34.05]than if it has a small number.
[05:36.33]反之他取出的就少。
[05:38.60]But not proportionately more:
[05:40.94]但不是按比例增加的：
[05:43.28]if we increase the number of glass balls eight times,
[05:46.45]如果将玻璃球的数目增加7倍，
[05:49.62]the subject takes only half as large a percentage of the total.
[05:53.04]被试者也只按玻璃球总数比例的一半取出玻璃球。
[05:56.47]Thirdly, there is a marked change with age.
[05:59.39]最后，取球数目随年龄显著变化。
[06:02.32]Among children between six and fourteen years old,
[06:05.19]在6岁到14岁的孩子中，
[06:08.07]the older the child,the fewer glass balls he will take.
[06:11.10]年龄越大，孩子取出的玻璃球越少。
[06:14.13]But the difference between a lot and a few widens with age.
[06:17.55]但“许多”和“一些”之间的差别随年龄增长而变大。
[06:20.97]This age effect is so consistent that it might be usedas a test of intelligence.
[06:25.36]这种年龄产生的效果是一贯的，以致都可用其作智商测验。
[06:29.75]In place of a long test
[06:32.07]我们可以叫实验者
[06:34.40]we could merely ask the subjectto give numerical values to expressions such as nearly always
[06:39.76]给在某一特定语境下的说法如nearly always
[06:45.13] and very rarely in a given context,
[06:48.16]和very rarely赋予数值意义，
[06:51.19]and then meagre hi8 intelligence by the ratio of the number for
[06:54.68]通过所得的   nearly always的数值与very rarely数值之间的比率，
[06:58.17]nearly always to the one for very rarely.
[07:01.45]来衡量实验者的智商。
[07:04.72]We have found that this ration increases systematically
[07:07.51]我们发现，这个比率随着年龄 的增长有规律地变大，
[07:10.29]from about 2 to 1 for a child of seven
[07:13.41]从7岁小孩所给的约为2：1
[07:16.53]to about 20 to 1 for a person twenty--five years old.
[07:19.95]增大到25岁成人所给的约为20：1。
[07:23.38]Text B
[07:26.12]It Never Rains but It Pours!
[07:28.69]“不雨则已，一雨倾盆”
[07:31.27]An hour before midnight is worth two afteror so my mother used to tell me
[07:35.24]“午夜前睡一小时能顶午夜后两小时。”
[07:39.21]as I sat down to breakfast after a particularly late night.
[07:42.03]过去如果我很晚才睡第二天坐下来吃早餐时母亲 就总这么对我唠叨。
[07:44.85]But is it really true that sleep before 12 p.m.
[07:47.93]但真的是这样吗，晚上12点以前睡效果
[07:51.01]is twice as good for you as sleep after that hour.'?
[07:53.53]比之后睡要好得多？
[07:56.06]At the time, like most young people,
[07:58.54]可那时像大多数年轻人一样，
[08:01.02]I regarded this proverbas an old wive's tale with no relevance to my own life.
[08:04.44]我对此不以为然，把它看成是与我生活不相关的无稽之谈。
[08:07.86]I mean, an hour is an hour ... it's 60 minutes, a.m. or p.m.
[08:11.59]我的意思是，一小时就是一小时，不管上午还是下午，都是60分钟。
[08:15.31]However, now older and wiser,
[08:17.65]但是，现在我长大了，也懂得多了，
[08:19.98]I remember my mother's wordsas I scramble into bed at 11 o'clock.