and indescribable things that come from the heart.

而且無法言喻的浪漫感覺是源自於心中。

But it's actually your brain running a complex

事實上那是你的大腦在幾秒內

series of calculations within a matter of seconds

進行了一連串複雜的運算，

that's responsible for determining attraction.

因此產生這種決定性的吸引力。

Doesn't sound quite as poetic, does it?

聽起來不太有詩意對吧?

But just because the calculations are happening in your brain

即使所有的運算都發生在你的大腦中

doesn't mean those warm, fuzzy feelings are all in your head.

並不代表那些溫暖、難以捉摸的感覺都發生在你的腦內

In fact, all five of your senses play a role,

事實上，你五感都參與其中

each able to vote for, or veto, a budding attraction.

每個感官都能贊同、或否決一個剛萌發的吸引力。

The eyes are the first components in attraction.

視覺是構成吸引力的第一個要素。

Many visual beauty standards vary

眾多視覺上美的標準

between cultures and eras,

會因相異的文化及時期而有所不同。

and signs of youth, fertility and good health,

而年輕、有繁殖力與健康良好的象徵，

such as long lustrous hair,

例如亮麗的長髮，

or smooth, scar-free skin,

或者是平滑沒有傷疤的皮膚，

are almost always in demand

幾乎總是必備的。

because they're associated with reproductive fitness.

因為他們和生殖能力有關。

And when the eyes spot something they like,

當眼睛發現他們喜歡的東西時，

our instinct is to move closer

我們的直覺便是靠得更近，

so the other senses can investigate.

因此其他感官才能夠查看。

The nose's contribution to romance

嗅覺對於浪漫愛情的貢獻

is more than noticing perfume or cologne.

不止是聞到香水或古龍水。

It's able to pick up on natural chemical signals

它還能分辨出天然的化學信號，

known as pheromones.

稱之為"費洛蒙"。

These not only convey important

費洛蒙除了傳遞關於它們來源的

physical or genetic information about their source

身體及基因資訊外，

but are able to activate a physiological

還能夠促使接受者產生生理上

or behavioral response in the recipient.

或者行為上的反應。

In one study, a group of women at different points in their ovulation cycles

在一項研究中，一群在經期不同階段的女性

wore the same t-shirts for three nights.

穿著同款的T恤三個晚上。

After male volunteers were randomly assigned

男性志願者被隨機指派

to smell either one of the worn shirts,

去聞被穿過的衣服，

or a new unworn one,

或去聞沒被穿過的新衣。

saliva samples showed an increase in testosterone

唾液樣本顯示，

in those who had smelled a shirt worn by an ovulating woman.

聞過被排卵期女性穿過的衣服的樣本中，睪丸素增加了。

Such a testosterone boost

這種睪丸素的提升，

may give a man the nudge to persue a woman

可能促使男性去追求一位

he might not have otherwise noticed.

除此種方式以外他不太可能注意到的女性。

A woman's nose is particularly attuned

女姓的嗅覺對於一種

to MHC molecules,

MHC(主組織相容性複合基因)粒子特別敏銳，

which are used to fight disease.

用以抵禦疾病。

In this case, opposites attract.

這個案例中，異性相吸。

When a study asked women to smell t-shirts

當研究要求女性去聞多件

that had been worn by different men,

被不同男性穿過的T恤時，

they preferred the odors of those whose

她們比較喜歡那些和她們

MHC molecules differed from theirs.

具有不同MHC氣味的衣服。

This makes sense.

這很合理。

Genes that result in a greater variety of immunities

能生產更多樣性免疫力的基因

may give offspring a major survival advantage.

也許能給予後代更大的生存優勢。

Our ears also determine attraction.

我們的聽覺也是影響吸引力的原因。

Men prefer females with high-pitched, breathy voices,

男性喜歡音高較高、帶點氣聲，

and wide formant spacing,

和寬共振峰幅度的嗓音，

correlated with smaller body size.

讓人覺得與嬌小的身軀有關。

While women prefer low-pitched voices

然而女性較喜歡低沉

with a narrow formant spacing

與窄共振峰幅度的嗓音，

that suggest a larger body size.

讓人聯想到巨大的身軀。

And not surprisingly,

毫無意外地，

touch turns out to be crucial for romance.

觸覺是影響浪漫故事的重要關鍵。

In this experiment,

這個實驗中，

not realizing the study had begun,

在受試者不知道實驗開始的前提下，

participants were asked to briefly hold the coffee,

要求他們簡單地拿著一杯咖啡，

either hot or iced.

或熱或冷。

Later, the participants read a story

接著，讓受試者閱讀一篇關於

about a hypothetical person,

一個假定人物的故事，

and were asked to rate their personality.

並且去評價他們的個性。

Those who had held the hot cup of coffee

手握熱咖啡的受試者

perceived the person in the story as happier,

覺得故事中的人物個性較開朗、

more social, more generous and better-natured

合群、慷慨和自然。

than those who had held the cup of iced coffee,

相較之下，手握冰咖啡的受試者則覺得

who rated the person as cold, stoic, and unaffectionate.

那個人物的個性冰冷、恬淡且無情。

If a potential mate has managed to pass

如果一位潛在的伴侶成功應付了

all these tests, there's still one more:

所有的難題，那麼只剩下一個關卡:

the infamous first kiss,

那惡名昭彰的第一次接吻。

a rich and complex exchange

一個極其複雜、意味深遠的

of tactile and chemical cues,

觸覺與化學訊息交換，

such as the smell of one's breath,

例如一個人呼吸的氣味，

and the taste of their mouth.

和他們嘴巴的滋味。

This magical moment is so critical

這神奇的時刻重要到

that a majority of men and women

大多數的人們表示

have reported losing their attraction to someone

在糟糕的第一次接吻後，就不再對某人

after a bad first kiss.

著迷了。

Once attraction is confirmed,

一旦這種吸引力確立，

your bloodstream is flooded

你的血液中將會充滿

with norepinephrine,

去甲腎上腺素(有收縮血管、升高血壓的作用)，

activating your fight or flight system.

啟動身體的戰鬥或逃跑反應系統。

Your heart beats faster,

心跳加速、

your pupils dilate,

瞳孔放大、

and your body releases glucose for additional energy,

身體釋放葡萄糖轉換成能量，

not because you're in danger

不是因為你身處危險之中，

but because your body is telling you

而是因為你的身體告訴你

that something important is happening.

某些重要的事情正在發生。

To help you focus,

幫助你專心，

norepinephrine creates a sort of tunnel vision,

"去甲腎上腺素"塑造出一種管狀視覺，

blocking out surrounding distractions,

封鎖周遭令人分神的事物，

possibly even warping your sense of time,

甚至很有可能扭曲你的時間感，

and enhancing your memory.

並增強記憶力。

This might explain why people never forget their first kiss.

也許這能解釋為什麼人們忘不了初吻。

The idea of so much of our attraction

這麼多關於我們吸引力

being influenced by chemicals and evolutionary biology

受到化學以及生物演化影響的見解

may seem cold and scientific rather than romantic,

似乎有點冷血、科學而不浪漫，

but the next time you see someone you like,

但下次你見到你喜歡的人時，

try to appreciate how your entire body is playing matchmaker

試著去體會你的身體是如何扮演著月下老人的腳色，

to decide if that beautiful stranger is right for you.

幫你決定那美麗的陌生人適不適合你。