不论是拼图、谜语、数独还是纵横字迷，它们都各有各的乐趣。那到底是什么让这些智力游戏趣味横生？一个引人入胜的智力游戏有哪些特点？本期节目围绕智力游戏的乐趣展开讨论。

词汇：puzzles 智力游戏

Throughout history, people have been attracted to puzzles, from Ancient Greek riddles to brain-teasing video games, people have tried to solve problems for fun. But what is it about these conundrums that makes us enjoy them?

纵观历史，人们一直被谜题所吸引，从古希腊的谜语到益智电子游戏，人们一直试图以解决问题为乐趣。但究竟是什么让我们喜欢这些谜题呢?

It could be that the desire to find a solution is wired into us. A study has shown that when people complete anagrams, it can stimulate the reward centre in the brain. One of the researchers behind the study, Yongtaek Oh, suggests that problem-solving ability provides an evolutionary advantage – it can help us survive! It's clear that this 'aha' moment is very enjoyable, but it's not just completing a puzzle that people enjoy.

可能是我们天生就渴望找到解决办法。一项研究表明，当人们完成字谜游戏时，它可以刺激大脑中的奖励中心。这项研究的研究人员之一，Yongtaek Oh认为解决问题的能力提供了一种进化优势——它可以帮助我们生存!很明显，这种“啊哈”的时刻非常有趣，但这不仅仅是人们喜欢的完成一个谜题。

David Shariatmadari highlights that solving the best puzzles requires a combination of luck and skill. He points out that the element of chance makes it more open to a wide range of people, while the need for skill gives players a feeling that they are in control. This also helps to provide a balance between being something challenging and something achievable. Michael Vilensky, a psychologist at Ohio State University, tells us that puzzles offer us a situation that we can control and resolve, which can be satisfying when compared with other life challenges. Other experts, such as therapist Elizabeth Hinkel, argue that by requiring concentration, puzzles can provide mindful moments away from the stresses of everyday life. Puzzles can also have a social aspect, whether that's making it easy to share your scorecard on social media, or the fact that people are keen to help each other find clues and come up with the answer.

David Shariatmadari强调，解决最好的谜题需要运气和技能的结合。他指出，机会元素让游戏面向更广泛的人群，而对技能的需求则让玩家觉得自己掌握了主动权。这也有助于在具有挑战性和可实现性之间取得平衡。俄亥俄州立大学(Ohio State University)的心理学家迈克尔·维伦斯基(Michael Vilensky)告诉我们，谜题为我们提供了一种可以控制和解决的局面，与其他生活挑战相比，这是令人满意的。其他专家，如治疗师伊丽莎白·欣克尔(Elizabeth Hinkel)认为，通过要求注意力集中，益智游戏可以让人有片刻专注的时间，远离日常生活的压力。谜题也具有社交元素，无论是在社交媒体上轻松分享你的记分卡，还是人们热衷于互相帮助寻找线索并想出答案。

Puzzles and fun may even be dependent on each other, researchers at Drexel University have suggested. When looking at brain images, they found that some people preparing to do a puzzle showed activity associated with positive moods and that these people were better able to come up with solutions. They also found that subjects performed better on puzzles if they had seen a funny video beforehand.

德雷塞尔大学(Drexel University)的研究人员表示，谜题和乐趣甚至可能是相互依赖的。当观察大脑图像时，他们发现一些准备做拼图的人表现出与积极情绪相关的活动，这些人更能想出解决问题的办法。他们还发现，如果受试者事先看过有趣的视频，那么他们在谜题上的表现会更好。

词汇表

riddle 谜语
brain-teasing 考验脑力的
solve 解决
problem 问题，难题
conundrum 谜语，难题
solution 解决方法，答案
anagram （游戏）同字母异序词
problem-solving 解决问题的
'aha' moment 顿悟时刻
complete 完成（谜语），解开（谜题）
luck 运气
skill 技能，技巧
element of chance 碰运气的成分
player 玩家
challenging 有挑战性的
achievable （谜语）可完成的，可解开的
resolve 解决
concentration 专注力，注意力集中
mindful 聚精会神的，注意的
scorecard 记分卡
clue （谜语、游戏、问题答案的）提示
come up with 想出
answer 答案，解法

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What can happen when people do anagrams?

2. What two things does David Shariatmadari say solving good puzzles requires?

3. Why does Michael Vilensky say that puzzles can be satisfying?

4. How can puzzles be social?

5. What did psychologists at Drexel University find that made completing puzzles easier?

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. A puzzle where you have to rearrange the letters is called _______.

a conundrum                 a scorecard                      an anagram              a riddle

2. A _______ helps you find the answer.

solution                          clue                                  problem                     conundrum

3. A tricky puzzle is _______.

complete                        achievable                       mindful                       brain-teasing

4. It feels satisfying to _______ the answer.

complete                        resolve                             answer                       come up with

5. If a puzzle depends on your ability, it requires _______.

luck                                concentration                   skill                             chance

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。 

1. What can happen when people do anagrams?
A study suggests that it stimulates the reward centre in the brain.

2. What two things does David Shariatmadari say solving good puzzles requires?
He says that solving good puzzles requires both luck and skill.

3. Why does Michael Vilensky say that puzzles can be satisfying?
He says that puzzles can be satisfying because they offer us a situation that can be controlled and resolved.

4. How can puzzles be social?
Because results can be shared on social media and people can work together to complete them.

5. What did psychologists at Drexel University find that made completing puzzles easier?
They found that watching a funny video first helped people complete puzzles.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. A puzzle where you have to rearrange the letters is called an anagram.

2. A clue helps you find the answer.

3. A tricky puzzle is brain-teasing.

4. It feels satisfying to come up with the answer.

5. If a puzzle depends on your ability, it requires skill.

文章来源BBC，侵权删。