I would also like to tell the world that animals love.
我還想分享一下關于動物愛情的故事。
There's not an animal on this planet
世界上任何一種動物
that will copulate with anything that comes along.
都不會饑不擇食地尋找活物進行交配。
Too old, too young, too scruffy, too stupid, and they won't do it.
太老的、太年輕的、太臟的或是太蠢笨的,它們都不會選擇。
Unless you're stuck in a laboratory cage --
除非你把它們關在實驗室的籠子里——
and you know, if you spend your entire life in a little box,
當然,如果你在籠子里度過一生,
you're not going to be as picky about who you have sex with --
也不會那么挑食了。
but I've looked in a hundred species,
在調查了一百個物種后,
and everywhere in the wild, animals have favorites.
我發現野外的每一個角落,每一只動物都有各自的心之歸屬。
As a matter of fact ethologists know this.
事實上,生態學家知道這些。
There are over eight words for what they call "animal favoritism:"
用四個詞可以概括動物各自的偏愛:
selective proceptivity, mate choice, female choice, sexual choice.
選擇性感知,配偶選擇,雌性選擇,性選擇。
And indeed, there are now three academic articles
這兒有三篇學術文章
in which they've looked at this attraction,
涉及到了這種吸引力。
which may only last for a second,
雖然這種吸引力也許只維持一秒,
but it's a definite attraction,
但它確實是存在的。
and either this same brain region, this reward system,
而且牽涉到大腦中到腹側背蓋區和獎賞系統
or the chemicals of that reward system are involved.
(更確切的說是獎賞系統中的相關化學物質)。
In fact, I think animal attraction can be instant --
事實上,我相信動物間的吸引力是可以即刻產生的——
you can see an elephant instantly go for another elephant.
我們能看到,大象有時會突然被另一頭大象吸引。
And I think that this is really the origin
我相信這就是我們所說的
of what you and I call "love at first sight."
“一見鐘情”的源頭。
People have often asked me whether
人們常問我是不是
what I know about love has spoiled it for me.
因為研究愛情太多而沒了愛的興致。
And I just simply say, "Hardly."
這基本是不可能的。
You can know every single ingredient in a piece of chocolate cake,
就如同在了解一塊巧克力蛋糕中的所有成份后,
and then when you sit down and eat that cake,
我仍然能夠品味
you can still feel that joy.
吃蛋糕的樂趣。
And certainly, I make all the same mistakes
我也同樣會
that everybody else does too,
犯大家都會犯的錯,
but it's really deepened my understanding
但這些經歷加深了我的對愛情的理解,
and compassion, really, for all human life.
并讓我對所有人都更有愛心。
As a matter of fact, in New York, I often catch myself
比如,我在紐約時,
looking in baby carriages and feeling a little sorry for the tot.
常看著嬰兒車里的小孩,并感到一絲同情。
And in fact, sometimes I feel a little sorry
有時,當想到大腦是多么富有感情,
for the chicken on my dinner plate,
我會對餐桌上的雞
when I think of how intense this brain system is.
抱有歉意。
Our newest experiment has been hatched
我們最近的實驗
by my colleague, Art Aron --
由我的同事阿爾特·阿倫操作進行,
putting people who are reporting that they are still in love,
內容是對長期相處后仍能夠保持相戀的情侶們
in a long-term relationship, into the functional MRI.
進行核磁共振測試。
We've put five people in so far,
至此,我們一共測試了5對這樣的情侶,
and indeed, we found exactly the same thing. They're not lying.
并發現了他們共同的特點。
The brain areas
在他們相戀25年后,
associated with intense romantic love
他們大腦中與熱戀相關的區域
still become active, 25 years later.
仍然保持活躍。
There are still many questions to be answered
關于愛情
and asked about romantic love.
還有很多未解開的迷。
The question that I'm working on right this minute --
現在我簡短地說一下
and I'm only going to say it for a second, and then end --
我正研究問題:
is, why do you fall in love with one person, rather than another?
為什么你會愛上他,而不是別人?
I never would have even thought to think of this,
原本我并沒有想要去思考這個問題,
but Match.com, the Internet-dating site,
但在三年前,一個約會網站Match.com找到我,
came to me three years ago and asked me that question.
并問了我這個問題。
And I said, I don't know.
我只能說“我不知道”。
I know what happens in the brain, when you do become in love,
我所知道的是人們戀愛時,大腦中到底發生了什么,
but I don't know why you fall in love with one person
但我卻不知道
rather than another.
為什么他就是你命中注定的愛人。
And so, I've spent the last three years on this.
所以,這三年我都在思考這個問題。
And there are many reasons that you fall in love with one person
心理學家告訴我們
rather than another, that psychologists can tell you.
一定有很多原因使你愛上他,而不是另一個人。