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Cheating on your significant other is taboo in almost all cultures,
背叛另一半在幾乎所有的文化中均被視為禁忌。
yet somehow adds flavor to the plot of movies and inspiration for countless songs about heartbreak.
不過不知怎地這種行為被用來為電影情節加料，同時也是無數苦情歌的靈感來源。
But why do people cheat in the first place?
但首先為什么人類會不忠呢？
Is there a science behind it?
我們能否給出科學的解釋？
Only about 3% of mammals are monogamous, meaning they stay with one partner their whole life and humans fall into this category.
一夫一妻制僅僅存在于3%的哺乳動物中，這類包括了向往執子之手與子偕老的人類。
From an evolutionary perspective it creates an advantage where one partner can protect the younglings while the other searches for food and provides resources.
從進化觀點上，這提供了一定的優勢，夫妻中的一人得以保護后代，而其配偶則負責尋找食物，提供資源。
But somehow, extra-pair mating or cheating is a fairly common human behavior.
但出于某種原因，人類與配偶之外的對象交配或出軌行為是普遍存在的。
The gene coding for a dopamine receptor plays a key role in cheating for men and women.
人類出軌行為與多巴胺受體的基因編碼有著重要的關系。
Sometimes call the ‘happy hormone’, it’s released after pleasurable activities like exercise, eating food, and orgasming.
有時被稱為“快樂激素”，它在人類進行運動，進食，高潮等愉悅的活動后分泌。
And one study found that 50% of people who possess the long allele variant of this gene had cheated on their partner,
一項研究表明在該基因區擁有長等位基因的人中50%曾經背叛他們的伴侶。
compared to only 22% of people who have the short allele.
相比之下，僅有22%的擁有短等位基因的人出軌。
The long allele participants also had a tendency to be risk-takers and succumb to addictive behaviors such as alcoholism.
這些長等位基因擁有者也更傾向于承擔風險，并更容易沉湎于諸如酗酒之類的成癮行為。
Perhaps the phrase ‘once a cheater, always a cheater’ may have a basis in reality.
或許一次出軌，終生出軌的說法的確有其現實依據。
Levels of the hormone vasopressin also play a role.
后葉加壓素同樣能夠起作用。
Similar to oxytocin, which is sometimes called the ‘cuddle hormone’ vasopressin can affect trust, empathy and social bonding.
與俗稱“熊抱激素”的催產素類似，后葉加壓素能夠影響人與人間的信任，同感能力及社交關系。
In fact, injecting vasopressin directly into a polygamous montane vole’s reward centre increases the likelihood of it becoming monogamous!
事實上，向擁有多個性伴侶的山地田鼠的獎賞中樞直接注射后葉加壓素可以增加其忠于單一性伴侶的可能性。
People with autism also have lower vasopressin levels, affecting their ability to understand social cues.
自閉癥患者通常也擁有偏低的后葉加壓素水平，這影響了他們在社交中理解對方暗示的能力。
And in 2014 a study involving over 7000 Finnish twins found that cheating women had a variant in the gene that codes for a vasopressin receptor,
一項2014年對7000余對芬蘭雙胞胎的研究表明，出軌的女性后葉加壓素受體的編碼基因發生了變異，
further suggesting that low levels of vasopressin have an influence on cheating.
進一步闡述了后葉加壓素水平低下與出軌行為間的聯系。
