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英语新闻:女性面孔影响生孩子的数量

时间:2011-10-31 06:35:46

(单词翻译:单击)

 Chaps, if you’re wondering whether the lady of your dreams wants a big family, the answer could be staring you in the face.

伙计们,如果你想知道你的心上人是否想多要孩子,答案可能就“写在脸上”。

Women with feminine looks are more likely to long for lots of children, according to research – and the softer their features, the bigger a brood(一窝,一伙) they have in mind.

The study suggests that men desperate to be dads should seek women with button noses, large eyes and full lips, as they are likely to want at least four children.

But those less keen on fatherhood would be better setting their sights on less delicate sorts, who may only be interested in having one child.

The St Andrews University scientists believe their finding can be explained by the female sex hormone1 oestrogen(雌激素) , with high levels making features softer and nurturing2 the maternal3 instinct.

The discovery of a link between broodiness and delicate looks could explain the maternal instincts of Hollywood beauty Angelina Jolie, who has adopted three children and had three of her own.

Jools Oliver, a former model, has a family of four with her chef husband Jamie, while actress Reese Witherspoon had two children by the age of 27.

The researchers asked 25 young women how many children they wanted and when they would like to have them, and measured their oestrogen levels.

Miriam Law Smith of St Andrews University’s Perception Lab, which specialises in face research, said: ‘The more oestrogen they had, the more children they wanted. We were surprised to find such a strong result.’

In a second experiment, a different group of young women had their photos taken and were asked about their desire for children.

Dr Law Smith then created a composite(复合的,合成的) image of the faces of the women with the strongest maternal instinct, and another based on the women who were least interested in having a family.

The face made up of the features of the most maternal women was judged as more feminine by a group of male and female volunteers.

On average, the most maternal women wanted 4.3 children – almost three more than those judged to be the least feminine, the journal Hormones4 and Behavior reports.

英语新闻


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1 hormone uyky3     
n.荷尔蒙,激素,内分泌
参考例句:
  • Hormone implants are used as growth boosters.激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。
  • This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body.这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
2 nurturing d35e8f9c6b6b0f1c54ced7de730a6241     
养育( nurture的现在分词 ); 培育; 滋长; 助长
参考例句:
  • These delicate plants need careful nurturing. 这些幼嫩的植物需要精心培育。
  • The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants. 这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。
3 maternal 57Azi     
adj.母亲的,母亲般的,母系的,母方的
参考例句:
  • He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
  • The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。
4 hormones hormones     
n. 荷尔蒙,激素 名词hormone的复数形式
参考例句:
  • This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
  • The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。