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Dear Yael and Don: The other night,I was at a party, and one of the people I was talking with was pretty overweight. I was trying to be careful not to say anything affensive, but in suddenly I blurted out something...Is there a scientific explanation for my behaviour?"
亲爱的雅艾尔和唐：前天晚上，我参加一个聚会，其中跟我交谈的一个人身材超重。我试图让自己小心，不说任何冒犯的话，但突然间我忍不住脱口说了什么...我的这种行为有没有对应的科学解释呢？
Yael: Good quuestion! There are many possible reasons why we say things out loud we mean to keep to ourselves. But one compelling explanation is that the very act of straining to avoid saying something embarrassing or awkward raises the risk of doing just that.
雅艾尔：问得好！为什么我们明知道有些话不该说出来，却偏偏脱口而出，有很多可能的原因来解释这一现象。其中一个令人信服的解释就是想要避免说一些令人尴尬、难堪的话的紧张感加大了那样做的风险。
Don: Wait, you mean to say that we say things because we are trying too hard to be appropriate?
唐：等等，你是指我们说出来是因为我们竭力使自己表现地得体。
Yael: Sort of. Scientists explain it as a struggle between the conscious and unconscious mind. Say you're at a party and someone near you is smoking. It's obnoxious, but you don't want to make a big deal, so you consciously try to think about something else. But meanwhile, your unconscious mind is on the lookout for any smoking related thoughts.
雅艾尔：差不多。科学家把这解释为意识与潜意识之间的斗争。例如你在聚会上，看见旁边有人抽烟。这让人很不愉快，但你并不想小题大做，所以你有意识地试图转移注意力。但与此同时，你又下意识地在脑中搜索吸烟相关的信息。
Don: So even though I'm not trying to think thoughts about smoking, I'm still thinking them.
唐：所以，即使我尽量不去想吸烟的事情，但实际上我仍在想。
Yael: Right, and if you've had a bit to drink, or you are tired, or stressed, whatever, an unconscious smoking thought can burble to the conscious surface. And before you know it you blurt out something about how second hand smoke is a deadly killer.
雅艾尔：对，如果你多喝了点酒，或者你感到疲惫、压抑，但无论如何，下意识中有关吸烟的想法仍会浮出意识的表面。在你清楚之前，你会脱口说出二手烟是致命的杀手之类的话。
Don: So, in a sense, we are at the mercy of our unconscious minds?
唐：那么，从某种意义上讲，我们受潜意识想法的控制？
Yael: Sometimes. In certain situations, at least, we're not in total control of what we think, and how we act.
雅艾尔：有时候是的。至少在某些场合，我们不能完全控制自己的想法和言行。
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