【精英翻譯】的部落格

精英翻譯出自 http://iservice.ltn.com.tw/Service/english

◎李信漢

Rolling five straight sevens at the craps table. Sinking eight consecutive three-point basketball shots. Making the light at the intersection every day all week.

在賭桌上擲骰子連續5次出現7。投籃連續投進8記3分球。在十字路口連續一週每天都趕上綠燈。

Such streaks are all easily within the bounds of statistical probability. But when they’re happening, people believe that they have what is often called the hot hand. Our brains are hardwired to find such patterns and meaning. And now researchers find that other primates also appear to believe in streaks.

這種連贏的機會只有在統計機率裡才可能出現。一旦出現，人們相信發生在他們身上的，就是所謂的「手氣旺。」我們大腦與生俱來的本能，會去找出這種模式和意義。而現在研究人員發現，其他的靈長類動物似乎也相信運氣。

Scientists created computer games that could be played by rhesus monkeys. Some of the games were programmed to show clear patterns—that is, they were fixed. But one game gave random results.

科學家開發了一些給獼猴玩的電腦遊戲。這些遊戲中，有些程式會呈現出明顯的固定模式，意即它是事先安排好的。但其中一款遊戲則會出現隨機的結果。