11月底的瓜有点多，微博热搜那叫一个精彩。但近日不吃瓜，改聊吃饭。首先得从前两天热搜里一个奇怪的话题 #约会对象相貌平平 吃得更多# 说起。

 

什么意思呢？研究表明，约会对象会影响你的食欲or食量。

 

《泰晤士报(The Times)》是这么介绍的：

 

 

If your date is a feast for the eyes, you don't need a feast for the stomach. Scientists have found that single people order healthier food if they are paired with an attractive partner. However, if their meal is with someone seen as plainer, they are more likely to pig out.

如果约会是一场视觉盛宴，那就不需要用盛宴来款待你的胃了。科学家发现，单身人士与有魅力的同伴用餐时会点更健康的食物。但他们要是和相貌平平的人一起用餐，就更有可能大吃一顿。

feast

 

作名词可以表示“盛宴；宴会，大餐”，如：婚宴a wedding feast；也可以指“（感官）享受，特别的享受”（something that is very enjoyable to see, hear, experience, etc.）或者是“令人喜爱的事物”（a collection of something to be enjoyed），举个例子：

His food is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

他做的菜既赏心悦目又让人大饱口福。

a feast for the eyes 大饱眼福；一饱眼福，令人赏心悦目，视觉盛宴（a visual feast）

 

此外，feast有时也可以指“（宗教）节日”，英文解释为：a day on which a religious event or person is remembered and celebrated. 如：

a Muslim feast day 一个穆斯林节日。

 

plain

 

文中的plain(er)和attractive相对应，plain作为形容词时常见含义是“无装饰的，简单的，朴素的，单纯的”，如：一件朴素的白衬衫 a plain white blouse；以及表示“清楚的，明白的，显而易见的，明显的”，举个例子：

It was plain that he was not going to agree.

显然他是不会同意的。

 

此处是一种委婉的说法，表示“不好看的，不漂亮的，相貌平平的”，举个例子：

She had been a very plain child.

她小时候并不是个漂亮的孩子。

 

补充：相貌平平，还有很多种说法，如：Plain Jane和Average Joe。具体详情小编之前发的文章《“美”是beautiful，“丑”是ugly，那么“相貌平平”怎么说？》。

 

 

pig out

 

看到pig，猜也知道意思...pig out表示“大吃大喝，狼吞虎咽，暴饮暴食”，举个例子：

We pigged out on all the delicious cakes and pastries.

我们狼吞虎咽地吃着各种可口的蛋糕和点心。

类似的还可以把pig作为名词，说“make a pig of oneself”，如：

They made complete pigs of themselves at the dinner.

他们在晚宴上大吃大喝。

 

顺便提下另一个和pig有关的有意思的口语表达“pigs might fly”或者“when pigs fly”通常用来表示不相信某事会发生，“根本不可能的事情；无稽之谈，等到猴年马月，太阳从西边出来”，举个例子：

"I'll have finished it by tomorrow." "And pigs might fly!"

“明天我就能完成了。”“那才怪呢/太阳还能从西边出来呢。”

When would they be hired again? Perhaps, as the saying goes, when pigs fly.

他们什么时候会被重新雇用？也许正像俗话说的，等到猴年马月吧。

 

 

The research, involving more than 600 American undergraduates, suggests that both sexes now worry about how romantic interests view their diet.

这项有600多名美国大学生参与的研究显示，如今男性和女性都很在意心仪的对象对自己饮食习惯的看法。

 

In the study, each of the participants were told to pick an item from a restaurant menu after being shown a photo of who they would be eating with. Unknown to the participants, the photographs had previously been rated as either attractive, unattractive or average.

在研究过程中，研究人员要求参与者在看过午餐同伴的照片后选一道菜。而参与者不知道的是，这些照片此前已被分为有魅力、无魅力和中等三个等级。

 

 

The scientists found the most attractive people inspired their partners to eat healthily. On the other hand people in relationships, those with unattractive dates, or straight people with someone of the same sex did not change their meal choice.

研究结果表明，与有魅力的同伴用餐时人们会选择更健康的食物。对已有对象的人或是用餐同伴为同性的异性恋者而言，对方的魅力等级不会影响食物的选择。

 

'Perhaps because society portrays thinner women as more desirable,' the authors wrote, 'women may be especially motivated to appear thin or at least to engage in behaviors that promote thinness when in the presence of others.'

 

They added: 'Smaller meals are generally considered to be more neat and feminine ... and women tend to be rated as more attractive when their meals contain lower fat content.'

“较小份的食物通常被认为更优雅、更有女人味。如果女性食物中的脂肪含量较低，则容易被认为更有魅力。”

 

But their theory about men was wrong – they thought men would eat more calories in a bid to seem more muscular and strong. This theory appears to have been based on past research claiming men eat bigger portions in the presence of women in an attempt to seem more powerful. However, if that was ever true it doesn't apply to 21st century young men, who are more likely to want to be seen as health-conscious.

他们曾猜测由于男性希望被认为身体健硕，故有理由在女性面前吃得更多“以便保持他们的男子汉形象”。然而，即便过去确实是那样，但他们的研究也表明现在已经时过境迁。男性也希望被认为拥有健康意识。

 

muscular

/ˈmʌskjʊlə/

表示“肌肉发达的；强壮的”，英文解释为“having large strong muscles”，如：肌肉损伤 muscular injuries

 

 

'Individuals who consume healthier foods tend to be rated as more fit, attractive, and likeable,' the scientists said to explain the men's behaviour. 'This research showed that women rate men who eat “good” (i.e., healthy) foods to be especially attractive.(悄悄划重点)

 

'It could be said that people generally adhere to the mantra of “you are what you eat”.'

 

mantra

 

1）表示“准则”，英文解释为“You can use mantra to refer to a statement or a principle that people repeat very often because they think it is true, especially when you think that it not true or is only part of the truth.”，举个例子：

Listening to customers is now part of the mantra of new management in public services.

倾听顾客的要求是当今公用事业新型管理准则中的一部分。

2）表示“老话，口头禅，口号”，英文解释为“a word or phrase representing a rule or principle which someone often uses, but which other people often find annoying or boring”。

 

 

On the flipside, looking at attractive women doesn't change how healthy a man wants to be, but makes him likely to spend more money on food and drink.

 

来源：The Times& DailyMail& 参考消息网