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Does creativity decline with age?
创造力会随年龄增长而衰退吗？
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Does creativity decline with age?
创造力会随年龄增长而衰退吗？
人们通常认为小孩子远比成年人更有创造力，但一项新研究表明事实并非如此，成年人反而更具创造力。在设有明确目标和时间限制的测试中，成年参与者在独创性和整体创造力方面的评价都高于学龄前儿童。研究人员解释说，人们并不会随着年龄增长而丧失创造潜能，只是因为担心受到负面评价，才失去了发挥想象力的自信。
Most people believe children are far more creative than adults,
大多数人认为小孩子远比成年人更有创造力，far more creative 更有创造力得多
but a new study reveals that this is not true.
但一项新研究表明事实并非如此。reveals that 揭示出 / not true 并非事实
Researchers found that adults actually outperform preschoolers on creative tasks.
研究发现，在创造力任务中，成年人的表现其实优于学龄前儿童。outperform 表现优于 / creative tasks 创造力任务
A team at the University of Graz tested 92 children alongside 70 adults.
格拉茨大学的一个研究团队对92名儿童和70名成年人进行了测试。tested 进行了测试 / alongside 以及、和……一起
Participants took on three challenges, like finding creative uses for a tin.
参与者接受了三项挑战，比如为铁罐找出具有创造性的用途。took on challenges 接受了挑战 / creative uses 创意用途
They also had to draw an imaginary animal within eight minutes.
他们还必须在八分钟内画出一种想象中的动物。imaginary animal 想象中的动物 / within eight minutes 八分钟内
Judges then rated the adults higher on originality and overall creativity.
随后，评审人员在独创性和整体创造力方面给成年人打出了更高的分数。rated higher 评价更高 / originality 独创性 / creativity 创造力
Adults were especially successful when tasks had clear goals and time limits.
尤其在目标和时间限制明确的情况下，成年人的表现尤为出色。especially successful 尤为出色、成功 / time limits 时间限制
So why do young children always seem so much more inventive?
那么，为什么小孩子看起来总是要机智新奇得多呢？seem 看起来 / inventive 极具创意的、别出心裁的
Dr. Mathias Benedek, a senior author of the study, says that
该研究的主要作者马蒂亚斯·贝内德克博士这样解释道：senior author 主要作者
children simply get absorbed in play and treat mistakes as normal.
孩子们只是完全沉浸在玩乐中，并将犯错视为很正常的事。get absorbed in 沉浸于 / treat mistakes 对待错误
Adults, on the other hand, felt far more anxious during the exercises.
相反，成年人在整个测试过程中感到焦虑得多。on the other hand 另一方面、反之 / far more anxious 焦虑得多
Because adults constantly worry about negative judgment,
因为成年人总是不断担忧受到负面评价，constantly worry 不断担忧 / negative judgment 负面评价
they often dismiss their own unusual ideas before trying them.
所以往往还没尝试，就把自己那些非同寻常的想法全盘否定了。dismiss 摒弃、否定 / unusual ideas 不寻常的想法 / before trying 尝试之前
Benedek explains that people do not lose their creative potential with age.
贝内德克博士解释说，人并不会随着年龄增长而失去创造潜能。creative potential 创造潜能 / with age 随着年龄增长
Instead, adults simply lose the confidence to use their imagination.
成年人只是失去了发挥想象力的自信心而已。lose the confidence 失去自信 / imagination 想象力
Now, researchers want to study why adults become so afraid of rejection.
现在，研究人员希望探究为什么成年人会如此害怕遭到拒绝。study 研究、探究 / afraid of rejection 害怕被拒绝
Quiz 🧠
Q1. Do adults lose their creative ability as they get older?
查看答案
✅ No
即使上了年纪，人的创造潜能也不会消失。只是人们往往因为害怕犯错而失去了自信。
Adults keep their creative potential, but they often lose confidence and worry more about mistakes.
Q2. What does 'dismiss' mean in 'dismiss an unusual idea'?
查看答案
✅ Reject or ignore
将某种想法'dismiss'意味着尚未认真考虑便予以否定或忽视。
To dismiss an idea means to reject it without giving it serious thought.
Q3. When doing creative tasks, why do many adults hesitate to share unusual ideas?
查看答案
✅ Fear of judgment
成年人害怕遭到他人的负面评价，因此往往不敢轻易表达奇思妙想。
Adults often feel anxious about negative reactions, so they hide their wild ideas.
Dialogue 🎧
Michael: Emma, you are not going to believe this study I just read today.
Michael: 艾玛，我今天读到一项研究，说出来你肯定不敢相信。
Emma: Try me! What did it say?
Emma: 说来听听！到底说了什么？
Michael: It turns out adults are actually more creative than little kids.
Michael: 结果表明，成年人的创造力其实比小孩子还要强。
Emma: No way! That cannot be true. Little kids have crazy wild imaginations.
Emma: 不可能吧！这绝不可能。小孩子的想象力简直天马行空。
Michael: I thought so too!
Michael: 我一开始也是这么想的！
Michael: But researchers at the University of Graz tested ninety-two children against seventy adults.
Michael: 但格拉茨大学的研究人员对92名儿童和70名成年人进行了对比测试。
Emma: Wait, what kind of test was it? Did they just hand them crayons?
Emma: 等等，是什么样的测试啊？难道就只是给他们发了蜡笔？
Michael: They had them find creative uses for a tin.
Michael: 他们让受试者想出铁罐的创意用途。
Michael: And they had to draw an imaginary animal within eight minutes.
Michael: 而且还要在八分钟内画出一只想象中的动物。
Emma: Eight minutes? I would have totally panicked under that kind of pressure!
Emma: 八分钟？要是我在那种压力下，肯定彻底慌了！
Michael: Actually, adults did best with clear goals and time limits.
Michael: 实际上，成年人在有明确目标和时间限制时表现最好。
Michael: Judges rated them higher on originality and overall creativity.
Michael: 评审人员在独创性和整体创造力方面给成年人打了更高的分。
Emma: That blows my mind. Why do young kids always seem so much more inventive, then?
Emma: 真让人大跌眼镜。那为什么小孩子看起来总是更有创意呢？
Michael: Dr. Mathias Benedek, the senior author, says children simply get completely absorbed in play.
Michael: 主要作者马蒂亚斯·贝内德克博士说，孩子们只是完全沉浸在玩耍中。
Emma: Right, and they treat mistakes as normal instead of failing!
Emma: 没错，而且他们把犯错当作再正常不过的事，而不是失败！
Michael: Exactly. Meanwhile, the adults felt far more anxious during the exercises.
Michael: 确实如此。而成年人在测试过程中却感到焦虑得多。
Emma: Oof, that hits close to home. We are always terrified of being judged.
Emma: 唉，真是扎心。我们总是极其害怕被别人评判。
Michael: Totally.
Michael: 太真实了。
Michael: Because of that fear of rejection, adults dismiss their own unusual ideas before even trying them.
Michael: 正是因为害怕被否定，成年人甚至还没尝试，就先把自己的奇思妙想扼杀了。
Emma: So we still have the ideas, but we just choke?
Emma: 所以我们脑子里其实是有创意的，只是紧张得卡壳了？
Michael: Yes! Benedek says we do not lose our creative potential with age.
Michael: 对！贝内德克博士说，我们的创造潜能并不会随着年龄增长而消失。
Michael: We just lose our confidence.
Michael: 我们只是失去了自信而已。
Emma: That is kind of hopeful, honestly.
Emma: 老实说，这还挺让人看到希望的。
Emma: We just need to stop being so scared and start playing again.
Emma: 我们只需要不再那么瞻前顾后，重新像孩子一样去玩就好了。