【2023.3.9】六分钟英语 与陌生人说话 Anxious about tal

Introduction

Many people feel uncomfortable about the idea of talking to people they don't know, but this is something that could be good for their state of mind. Neil and Georgina discuss research that says that seemingly inconsequential conversations with new people can have a beneficial effect on our mood and wellbeing. And our presenters feel good about teaching you related vocabulary!

This week's question

According to the Oxford English dictionary, approximately how many words are in use in the English language? 

a)   171,146

b)   271,146 

c)   371,146

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Transcript

Note: This is not a word for word transcript  

Neil

Hello. This is 6 Minute English and I'm Neil. Joining me for our discussion is Georgina.

Georgina

Hello!

Neil

Now, Georgina, you’re a chatty, sociable kind of person, aren’t you?

Georgina

Well, yes, I think so.

Neil

But would you go up to a stranger and strike up a conversation?

Georgina

That might be going too far – if you don’t know them, what are you going to start talking about?

Neil

A good question. But maybe you should – because in this programme we’re looking at how talking to strangers might actually be good for you! But first, let me talk to you about today’s question. I’d like you to answer this. To make conversation we need words – so according to the Oxford English dictionary, approximately how many words are in use in the English language? Is it…

a)   171,146

b)   271,146

c)   371,146

Georgina

We use a lot of words in English, but not 371,000 – so I’ll go for a) 171,146.

NeilOK. Well, as always I will reveal the answer later in the programme. 

Now, let’s continue our conversation about having conversations with strangers! Many of us spend part of every day surrounded by strangers, whether on our commute to work, sitting in a park or cafe, or visiting the supermarket.

Georgina

But we rarely reach out and talk to them because we fear it would make us both feel uncomfortable – or awkward. And Gillian Sandstrom, social psychologist from Essex University in the UK, can explain why. Here she is speaking on BBC Radio 4’s All In The Mind programme….

Gillian Sandstrom, Social psychologist, Essex University

We kind of underestimate, we have this negative voice in our head that's telling us "I shouldn't have said that, why did I do that? I said that story better last time". But the other person doesn't know any of that and they’re probably… they might be anticipating that they won't have a positive conversation and then they do. And they think, wow, that person was amazing. So we walk round with this fear that the other person isn’t going to be interested in talking to us.

Georgina

Fascinating stuff. So we have a negative voice in our head telling us about all the bad things that might happen. We basically underestimate ourselves.

Neil

To underestimate means to think that something is smaller or less important than it really is. We worry that what we say won’t be interesting or important enough.

Georgina

Ah, but the other person doesn’t know that. They’re also anticipating – or guessing - the outcome. They're thinking that if they have a conversation, it won’t go well. But of course, when strangers do talk to each other it normally goes well.

Neil

Yes, it’s just fear that is stopping us. But if we get over that fear, and get chatting, people might actually like us – and we might make new friends.

GeorginaAnother reason why you should pluck up the courage to talk to strangers is that it’s good for our health!

Neil

‘Pluck up the courage’ – that’s a good phrase, Georgina, meaning force yourself to do something that you’re scared about and… research by the University of Chicago found we may often underestimate the positive impact of connecting with others for both our own and others' wellbeing.

Georgina

And connecting here means starting or having a good relationship with someone. So the research found that, for example, having a conversation with a stranger on your way to work may leave you both feeling happier than you would think.

Neil

Gillian Sandstrom also spoke about her research and the power of talking to strangers on the You and Yours programme. Listen out for the word ‘connected’…

Gillian Sandstrom, Social psychologist, Essex University

What we've shown in the research is that it's really good for your mood. So people are in a better mood after they reach out and have a conversation, however minimal, and the other thing that the research has shown is that just makes people feel more connected to each other.

Neil

There you go! Talking to strangers is good for our mood – and mood means the way we feel. It’s good for our mental health – and we might discover people actually like us! And even if we’re an introvert – a person who prefers to be alone rather than with other people - experiments have shown that talking to others can make us happier.

GeorginaThe problem remains, Neil, that when speaking to someone new, what do you talk about?

Neil

How about some interesting facts – like approximately how many words are in use in the English language? Which is what I asked you earlier. Is it?

a)   171,146

b)   271,146

c)   371,146

What did you say, Georgina?

Georgina

I said 171,146. Was I right?

Neil

Spot on, Georgina. Well done! Yes, there are an estimated 171,146 words currently in use in the English language, according to the Oxford English Dictionary –plus many more obsolete words.

GeorginaI shall pick a few of them and make conversation with someone on the Tube later, but not before we recap some of the vocabulary we’ve explained.

NeilYes – so we highlighted six words, starting with underestimate which is to think that something is smaller or less important than it really is.

Georgina

Anticipating means guessing or expecting a certain outcome. I anticipate this programme to be 6 minutes long!

NeilThat’s a given! Next, we mentioned the phrase to pluck up the courage,meaning to force yourself to do something that you’re scared or nervous about.

Georgina

When you connect with someone, it means you start or have a good relationship with someone. I think we’ve connected on this programme, Neil!

Neil

Absolutely, Georgina. And that’s put me in a good mood – mood means the way we feel.

Georgina

And finally, an introvert is a person who prefers to spend time on their own.

NeilThanks, Georgina. Well, that’s our conversation over, but you can hear more from us on our website and on our app. Goodbye!

Georgina

Bye!

Vocabulary

underestimate

think that something is smaller or less important than it really is

anticipating

guessing or expecting a certain outcome 

to pluck up (the) courage

to force yourself to do something that you’re scared or nervous about

connect

start or have a good relationship with someone

mood

the way we feel

introvert

person who prefers to spend time on their own 

双语版Transcript

Hello. Thisis 6 Minute English and I'm Neil.

大家好。这里是六分钟英语，我是尼尔。

Joining me forour discussion is Georgina.

和我搭档进行讨论的是乔治娜。

Hello!

大家好。

Now, Georgina,you're a chatty, sociable kind of person, aren't you?

乔治娜，你是一个健谈、善交际的人，不是吗？

Well, yes, Ithink so.

嗯，是的，我想是那样的。

But would yougo up to a stranger and strike up a conversation?

但你会走向一个陌生人，开始一段对话吗？

That might begoing too far – if you don't know them, what are you going to start talkingabout?

那可能太过了——如果你不认识他们，你要开始谈论什么呢？

A goodquestion.

好问题。

But maybe youshould – because in this programme we're looking at how talking to strangersmight actually be good for you!

但也许你应该那么做——因为在本期节目中，我们要看看怎样与陌生人交谈会可能实际上对你有益！

But first, letme talk to you about today's question.

但首先，让我跟你聊聊今天的问题。

I'dlike you to answer this.

我想让你回答这个问题。

To makeconversation we need words – so according to the Oxford EnglishDictionary, approximately how many words are in use in the Englishlanguage?

为进行对话，我们需要单词——所以根据《牛津英语词典》，英语中大约有多少个单词在使用？

Is it… a)171,146 b) 271,146 or c) 371,146?

是a) 171，146个 b) 271，146个，还是c) 371，146个？

We use a lot ofwords in English, but not 371,000 – so I'll go for a) 171,146.

在英语中我们使用很多单词，但不是371，000个——所以我选a) 171，146个。

OK. Well,as always I will reveal the answer later in the programme.

好的。和往常一样，稍后我将在节目中揭晓答案。

Now, let'scontinue our conversation about having conversations with strangers!

现在，让我们继续关于和陌生人交谈的谈话。

Many of usspend part of every day surrounded by strangers, whether on our commute towork, sitting in a park or cafe, or visiting the supermarket.

我们中的许多人每天都有一部分时间被陌生人包围着，无论是我们通勤上班的路上，坐在公园或咖啡馆里，还是去超市。

But we rarelyreach out and talk to them because we fear it would make us both feeluncomfortable – or awkward.

但我们很少主动与他们交谈，因为我们担心那会让双方都感到不舒服——或者说尴尬。

And GillianSandstrom, social psychologist from Essex University in the UK, can explainwhy.

英国埃塞克斯大学的社会心理学家吉莉安·桑德斯罗姆可以解释原因。

Here she isspeaking on BBC Radio 4's All In The Mind programme… .

这是她在BBC广播4频道All In The Mind节目中谈到的……

We kind ofunderestimate, we have this negative voice in our head that's telling us"I shouldn't have said that, why did I do that?

我们有点低估了，我们脑海中有一个消极的声音告诉我们"我不应该说那个的，我为什么要那样做？

I said thatstory better last time".

我上次讲这个事的时候明明讲得更好。"

But the otherperson doesn't know any of that and they're probably… they might beanticipating that they won't have a positive conversation and then they do.

但是另一个人不知道那些，他们可能……你知道的，他们可能预料到他们不会有一段积极的对话，然后他们就确实没有。

And they think,wow, that person was amazing.

他们会想，哇，那个人太棒了。

So we walkround with this fear that the other person isn't going to be interested intalking to us.

所以我们带着这种恐惧走来走去，害怕别人对我们没兴趣。

Fascinatingstuff.

很有意思。

So we have anegative voice in our head telling us about all the bad things that mighthappen.

所以我们头脑中有一个消极的声音告诉我们所有可能发生的坏事。

We basicallyunderestimate ourselves.

我们基本上低估了自己。

Tounderestimate means to think that something is smaller or less important than itreally is.

低估的意思是认为某事物没有它实际上那么重要。

We worry thatwhat we say won't be interesting or important enough.

我们担心我们说的话不够有趣或不够重要。

Ah, but theother person doesn't know that.

啊，但另一个人对此并不知情。

They're alsoanticipating – or guessing - the outcome.

他们也在预料或猜测结果。

They'rethinking that if they have a conversation, it won't go well.

他们认为如果他们进行交谈，交谈不会顺利。

But of course,when strangers do talk to each other it normally goes well.

当然，当陌生人互相交谈时，通常情况下是顺利的。

Yes, it's justfear that is stopping us.

是的，正是恐惧阻止了我们。

But if we getover that fear, and get chatting, people might actually like us – and wemight make new friends.

但如果我们克服了这种恐惧，开始聊天，人们可能真的会喜欢我们——我们可能会交到新朋友。

Another reasonwhy you should pluck up the courage to talk to strangers is that it's good forour health!

你应该鼓起勇气和陌生人说话的另一个原因是它对我们的健康有好处！

"Pluck upthe courage" – that's a good phrase, Georgina, meaning force yourselfto do something that you're scared about and… research by the Universityof Chicago found we may often underestimate the positive impact of connectingwith others for both our own and others' wellbeing.

"鼓起勇气"——这是一个不错的短语，乔治娜，意思是强迫自己做一些你害怕的事情，而且……芝加哥大学的研究发现，我们可能经常低估与他人联系对我们自己和他人健康的积极影响。

And connectinghere means starting or having a good relationship with someone.

这里的"联系"指的是同某人开始或拥有良好关系。

So the researchfound that, for example, having a conversation with a stranger on your wayto work may leave you both feeling happier than you would think.

所以研究发现，例如，在你上班的路上和一个陌生人交谈，可能会使你们双方都感到比自己认为的更快乐。

GillianSandstrom also spoke about her research and the power of talking to strangerson the You and Yours programme.

吉莉安·桑德斯罗姆也在You and Yours节目中谈到了她的研究以及与陌生人交谈的力量。

Listen out forthe word "connected"…

注意听"有联系的"这个词……

What we'veshown in the research is that it's really good for your mood.

我们在研究中表明的是，它真的对你的心情有好处。

So people arein a better mood after they reach out and have a conversation, howeverminimal, and the other thing that the research has shown is that justmakes people feel more connected to each other.

所以人们在交谈之后心情会更好，不管交谈程度有多低。而研究表明的另一件事是，交谈让人们觉得彼此之间的联系更多了。

There you go!

就是那样！

Talking tostrangers is good for our mood – and mood means the way we feel.

与陌生人交谈对我们的心情有好处——心情就是我们的感受。

It's good forour mental health – and we might discover people actually like us!

它对我们的心理健康有好处——我们可能会发现人们其实是喜欢我们的！

And even ifwe're an introvert – a person who prefers to be alone rather than with otherpeople - experiments have shown that talking to others can make us happier.

即使我们是内向的人——一个喜欢独处而不是和别人一起的人——实验表明，和别人交谈可以让我们更快乐。

The problemremains, Neil, that when speaking to someone new, what do you talk about?

还是那个问题，尼尔，当你和陌生人说话时，你会说什么？

How about someinteresting facts – like approximately how many words are in use in the Englishlanguage?

说些有趣的事实，怎么样？比如英语中大约有多少个单词在使用？

Which is what Iasked you earlier.

这是我早些时候问你的。

Is it. . . a)171,146 b) 271,146 or c) 371,146?

是……a) 171，146个b) 271，146个，还是c) 371，146个？

What did yousay, Georgina?

你说是什么，乔治娜？

I said 171,146.Was I right?

我说是171，146个。对吗？

Spot on,Georgina.

完全正确，乔治娜。

Well done!

做得好！

Yes, there arean estimated 171,146 words currently in use in the English language, accordingto the Oxford English Dictionary –plus many more obsolete words.

是的，据《牛津英语词典》统计，目前英语中估计有171，146个单词在使用，此外还有更多被淘汰的词。

I shall pick afew of them and make conversation with someone on the Tube later, but notbefore we recap some of the vocabulary we've explained.

我将挑选其中几个单词，稍后用于在地铁上与人交谈，但并不是在我们回顾我们已经解释过的一些词汇之前。

Yes – so wehighlighted six words, starting with underestimate which is to think thatsomething is smaller or less important than it really is.

是的——所以我们强调了六个单词，从"低估"开始，它是指认为某事物没有它实际上那么重要。

Anticipatingmeans guessing or expecting a certain outcome.

"预料"指的是猜测或预期某种结果。

I anticipatethis programme to be 6 minutes long!

我预料这个节目会有6分钟长！

That's a given!

那是既定的！

Next, wementioned the phrase to pluck up the courage, meaning to force yourself todo something that you're scared or nervous about.

接下来，我们提到了短语"鼓起勇气"，意思是强迫自己去做你害怕或紧张的事情。

When youconnect with someone, it means you start or have a good relationship withsomeone.

当你和某人联系时，这意味着你同某人开始或拥有良好关系。

I think we'veconnected on this programme, Neil!

尼尔，我想我们已经在这个节目中有联系了！

Absolutely,Georgina.

当然，乔治娜。

And that's putme in a good mood – mood means the way we feel.

那让我心情很好——心情就是我们的感受。

And finally, anintrovert is a person who prefers to spend time on their own.

最后，内向的人是更喜欢独处的人。

Thanks,Georgina.

谢谢你，乔治娜。

Well, that'sour conversation over, but you can hear more from us on our website and onour app.

好了，我们的谈话结束了，但是你可以在我们的网站和应用程序上听到更多内容。

Goodbye!

再见！

Bye!