触摸的力量

Imagine you're sitting in your local café watching two people you don't know. It's likely that you could guess quite a lot about their relationship based on how, and how often, they touch. It might also tell you quite a lot about what culture you live in. In one study from the 1960s, couples in cafés in Puerto Rico were seen to touch each other an average of three times per minute, while those in London averaged zero times an hour.

想象一下，你现在正坐在当地的一家咖啡店里注视着两位陌生人。依据他们的接触方式和触碰频率，你可以对他们的关系猜出大概。同时也可大概了解当地的文化。20世纪60年代的一项研究表明：坐在波多黎各咖啡店的夫妻们每分钟触碰彼此的频率为3次，而在伦敦咖啡店坐着的情侣们一小时都没触碰过彼此。

A lot of what we know about the importance of human touch comes from looking at the behaviour of other species. Many animals and birds groom themselves to remove dirt and parasites from their coat, but primates, our closest relatives, spend up to 20% of the day grooming each other. This is usually a rhythmic combination of vigorous finger-thumb pinches that pluck out pieces of debris, mixed with gentler sweeps that provide a stroking sensation.

人类从观察其它物种的行为了解了触碰的重要性。很多的动物和鸟类都会给自己梳毛以清除毛上的尘土和寄生虫，但与人类最亲近的灵长类动物，每天1/5的时间都用来互相梳理毛发。通常，这是个有节奏的结合：能够拔起废墟的手指与轻柔挥动的手指相混合，轻柔时就像在抚摸彼此。

The main aim is not cleanliness but social bonding. Grooming partnerships between two females can last for years, and they spill over into other displays of loyalty. For example, the likelihood that a female gelada baboon will go to the rescue of another female who is attacked is related to the amount of time they have spent grooming one another.

主要的目的不是干净而是社会联系。两个雌性动物为对方梳理毛发的关系可持续好几年，这也会渗入到对其它方面的忠诚度。例如：一只雌性狒狒去救另一只遭遇袭击的雌性狒狒的可能性就与它们互相梳毛的次数有关。

In humans the effect of touch is so strong that even a barely noticed touch can have a big effect on how we view another person. Well-controlled studies have shown that, for example, waitresses receive bigger tips after "accidentally" touching a customer while returning their change, and students are more likely to volunteer answers if a teacher briefly touches their arm. In children, too, touching is a powerful driver of behaviour - just like in the young of other species.

对于人类而言，触摸的效应太强，即使是几乎不被发现的触碰都能对我们如何看待他人产生重大影响。对照研究表明，例如在还零钱时，女服务员"不小心"碰到了顾客，那么她收到的小费就会比较丰厚；如果老师轻微触碰了学生的肩膀，那学生就更可能主动回答问题。对于孩子们而言，触摸也是一个十分有影响力的行为驱动--就像其它物种中的年轻生命一样。