it might feel as if you've never encountered anything so devastatingly adorable in your mortal life.

感覺可能就像是你這輩子沒遇到這麼夭壽可愛的東西。

You may want to pet its soft fur and kiss its tiny head.

你可能會想摸摸牠那軟軟的毛，親親牠那小小的頭。

But you may also feel the conflicting urge to squeeze or smush the kitten, maybe even stuff it in your mouth.

但你可能也會有種很衝突的衝動， 讓你想要擠捏或壓扁這隻小貓，或甚至把牠塞到你的嘴裡。

However, you don't.

然而，你不會這麼做。

And you might be appalled by yourself.

你可能會被你的念頭給嚇壞。

But this urge, which psychologists call "cute aggression," is a surprisingly common one estimated to affect about half of all adults.

這種衝動被心理學家稱為 「可愛侵略性」，普遍程度十分驚人， 有大約一半的成人會受它影響。

To better understand this peculiar phenomenon, let's start with what cuteness is.

為了更了解這種奇怪的現象， 我們首先來談談「可愛」是什麼。

In 1943, one scientist created a baby schema that identified key features associated with cuteness, like plump cheeks, large eyes, and short limbs.

1943 年，一名科學家創造出了一種寶寶圖式， 找出和可愛相關的關鍵特徵，如：胖嘟嘟的臉頰、大眼睛，及短肢體。

These characteristics, associated with many young animals, were placed in opposition with those perceived as less cute.

許多年幼的動物也有這些特徵，它們被拿來和被認為不那麼可愛的特徵做對比。

Decades of study have since indicated that this baby schema reliably tracks with how people perceive cuteness.

之後數十年的研究都指出， 這種寶寶圖式能很可靠地追蹤出人們如何認定什麼是可愛。

When study participants see images containing more features that the baby schema pinpoints as cute, they tend to look at them longer and more often.

若研究受試者看的圖像具有較多寶寶圖式所指明的可愛特徵，他們傾向會比較常看這些圖像，且看比較久。

And the photos appear to stimulate brain regions associated with emotion and reward.

而這些照片會刺激到的大腦區域很顯然和情緒及獎勵有關。

Cuteness is also thought to influence behavior.

「可愛」也被認為會影響行為。

In a 2009 study, participants performed better at the game Operation—which demands precise, careful movements— when shown cute images beforehand.

在一項 2009 年的研究中，受試者玩手術遊戲表現較佳的時候——這種遊戲需要精確、謹慎的動作——都是預先看過可愛影像的時候。

The results of another study indicated that people use recycling bins more when they have cute images on them.

另一項研究的結果顯示，如果想讓大家更常用回收垃圾筒，就要在筒子上加上可愛的圖像。

And the fact that cuteness hijacks our emotions is certainly not lost on authorities and advertisers.

而可愛會劫持我們的情緒這個事實，當權機關和廣告商肯定都會運用。

But why does cuteness have this hold on us?

但為什麼可愛對我們有這種支配力？

It's nearly impossible to know for sure, but one theory is that cute things simply make us want to nurture them.

幾乎不可能有肯定的答案，但有一個理論是：可愛的東西就會讓我們想要養育它們。

Because human babies are relatively helpless on their own,

因為人類的寶寶相對比較無助，不能靠自己，

it's hypothesized that evolution favored infants who were perceived as cute and inspired more care and interaction.

這個理論便假設，演化會偏愛被認為可愛的嬰兒，並會帶來更多照顧和互動。

And, being acutely sensitive to cuteness, we're tuned into similar features in other species.

因為我們對可愛的敏感度很高，我們就會連結到其他物種的類似特徵。

In fact, as we domesticated animals, their appearances tended to change too.

事實上，當我們馴養動物時，牠們的外觀也傾向會改變。

Some scientists have noted a phenomenon called "domestication syndrome,"

有些科學家注意到了一種稱為「馴化症候群」的現象，

where certain animals appear to have gradually adopted more juvenile features as they became more docile.

當某些動物變得更溫馴， 牠們顯然也會漸漸出現更幼年的特徵。

One theory is that these physical changes are regulated by an embryonic structure called the neural crest.

有個理論是，調節這些身體改變的是一種胎兒時期的結構， 叫做神經脊。

It helps determine how some of a developing embryo's cells differentiate and where they go.

它會協助決定一些在成長中的胚胎細胞要如何分化和到那些部位。

Delaying or inhibiting the arrival of these cells in certain areas of the body can result in an underdevelopment of the pituitary and adrenal glands, which govern fear and aggression.

延遲或抑制這些細胞抵達身體的某些區域可能會造成腦垂體和腎上腺發育不足，它們負責掌管恐懼和侵略性，

It can also lead to physical characteristics like floppier ears, shorter snouts, and smaller jaws.

還可能造成身體上的特徵，如：下垂的耳朵、較短的鼻子， 以及較小的下顎。

This is one idea of how selecting for behavioral characteristics like friendliness, may also select for more juvenile, cuter physical traits.

這是其中一個想法，說明為何挑選友善之類的行為特徵可能也等同於挑選比較年幼、 比較可愛的身體特徵。

Basically, as humans bred and domesticated docile dogs, we seem to have made some breeds look more like babies.

基本上，隨著人類繁殖和馴養出溫馴的狗， 我們似乎會讓一些品種看起來更像嬰兒。

Some scientists theorize that we may have even domesticated ourselves.

有些科學家甚至推理，我們可能已經馴化了我們自己。

The thinking here is that as ancient humans formed larger, more cooperative groups, they selected for friendlier individuals.

他們的想法是，當古時的人類組成更大、更團結合作的團體，他們也會挑選比較友善的人。

This may have then led to some of the physical characteristics that distinguish us from our closest evolutionary cousins, like smaller, rounder skulls and subtler brow ridges.

這可能進而導致我們和我們在演化上的近親在一些身體特徵上有所區別，比如我們的顱骨比較小、比較圓，以及眉脊比較精細。

But if cuteness is related to nurturing and decreased aggression, why would anyone ever want to squeeze or bite cute things?

但，如果可愛和養育以及侵略性減低有關， 為什麼會有人想要擠捏或啃咬可愛的東西？

Well, cute aggression is importantly not linked to the actual intention to do harm.

嗯，很重要的是，可愛侵略性和想要造成傷害的意圖無關。

Instead, it seems to result from emotional overload.

它反而似乎是情緒過載造成的結果。

Some scientists think that cute things elicit such positive emotions from certain people that the experience becomes overwhelming.

有些科學家認為可愛的東西會引起這種正面的情緒，有些人會覺得這樣的感受變得讓他們難以承受。

They hypothesize that slightly aggressive, discordant thoughts are the brain's way of putting the brakes on and regulating those intense feelings—not getting you to actually eat a kitten.

他們假設稍微侵略性、不協調的想法是大腦踩煞車以及管理這些強烈感覺的方式——不是真的要讓你去吃一隻小貓。

Cuteness can come off as a frivolous, innocent quality, but it wields immense, consequential power.

可愛有可能是以一種輕浮、 無辜的特質呈現出來，但它能產生巨大、重大的力量。

Not to be aggressive, but cuteness kind of runs the world.

沒有任何侵略性的意思，但「可愛」可以說是主宰著世界。