Hello, this is 6 Minute English and I'm Neil.

大家好，我是 Neil，這是六分鐘學英文。

Joining me for our discussion is Georgina.

跟我一起參與討論的是 Georgina。

Hello!

大家好！

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

Georgina，你是個健談且善於社交的人，對吧？

Well, yes, I think so.

沒錯，應該是。

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

但你會走向陌生人並開啟話題聊天嗎？

That might be going too far.

那可能超出我會做的舉動了。

If you don't know them, what are you going to start talking about?

如果你不認識他，你要如何開啟話題？

A good question.

是個好問題。

But maybe you should because in this programme, we're looking at how talking to strangers might actually be good for you!

但你也許應該這麼做，因為本集我們將探討與陌生人交談的好處！

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

首先，讓我告訴你今天的問題。

I'd like you to answer this.

我希望你能回答。

To make conversation we need words, so according to the Oxford English dictionary, approximately how many words are in use in the English language?

我們必須用言語來交談，所以根據牛津英語字典，大約有多少字在英語中被使用？

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

是 a) 171,146 b) 271,146 or c) 371,146 中哪一個呢？

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

我們在英文中使用許多字，但應該沒有 371,000 這麼多，所以我要選 a) 171,146。

Okay.

好。

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

一如繼往地，我會稍後在節目中揭曉答案。

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

我們接續談論與陌生人攀談的主題吧！

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.

大部分人的一天中都會圍繞在陌生人周圍，無論是通勤上班時，坐在公園或咖啡廳時，或去超市時。

But we rarely reach out and talk to them because we fear it would make us both feel uncomfortable or awkward.

但我們很少會與他們交談，因為我們害怕會使彼此不自在或尷尬。

And Gillian Sandstrom, social psychologist from Essex University in the UK, can explain why.

英國艾塞克斯大學的社會心理學家 Gillian Sandstrom 可以解釋原因。

Here she is speaking on BBC Radio 4's "All in The Mind" programme.

接下來是她在 BBC 的 All in The Mind 廣播節目中所說的話。

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."

我們低估腦海中的負面聲音，它告訴我們：「我不應該說那些話的，我為什麼會那樣做？我上次說那件事時表現的比較好。」

But the other person doesn't know any of that and they're probably you know, they might be anticipating that they won't have a positive conversation and then they do.

但對方根本沒有那些想法，展開的談話更可能超乎他們預期的順利。

And they think, wow, that person was amazing.

他們心想：「哇，這個人真棒。」

So we walk around with this fear that the other person isn't going to be interested in talking to us.

所以我們常常伴隨著恐懼，認為別人沒有興趣與我們交談。

Fascinating stuff.

真有趣。

So we have a negative voice in our head telling us about all the bad things that might happen.

我們腦中的負面的聲音，訴說所有可能會發生的壞事。

We basically underestimate ourselves.

我們基本上低估了自己。

To underestimate means to think that something is smaller or less important than it really is.

「低估」意指把某件事情想的微不足道或不重要。

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

我們擔心自己說的話不夠有趣或不夠重要。

Ah, but the other person doesn't know that.

但對方並不知道我們的想法。

They're also anticipating or guessing the outcome.

他們也在預測或揣測我們即將說出的話。

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

他們也擔心若開啟話題, 談話會不順利。

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

但想當然爾，陌生人交談時，通常會很順利。

Yes, it's just fear that is stopping us.

沒錯，是恐懼使我們裹足不前。

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

但若我們克服恐懼並主動攀談，人們可能會對我們有好感，我們也會認識新朋友。

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

我們應該要鼓起勇氣與陌生人攀談的另一個原因就是這有助於健康。

"Pluck up the courage," that's a good phrase, Georgina, meaning force yourself to do something that you're scared about.

「鼓起勇氣」，這是一個不錯的片語，Georgina，意為強迫自己做自己害怕的事情。

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.

芝加哥大學所做的研究指出，我們可能經常低估與他人產生連結，對我們及他人的身心健康帶來的正向影響。

And connecting here means starting or having a good relationship with someone.

「產生連結」意指與他人建立或維持良好的關係。

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.

因此研究發現，舉例來說，你在上班的路上與陌生人攀談，可能帶給雙方意想不到的快樂。

Gillian Sandstrom also spoke about her research and the power of talking to strangers on the You and Yours programme.

Gillian Sandstrom也在You and Yours節目中談及她的研究發現，以及與陌生人攀談產生的力量。

Listen out for the word "connected."

注意「產生連結」這個字。

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

研究指出與陌生人攀談有助於我們改善心情。

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.

所以人與人接觸並交談，即使時間短暫，心情都會變好；研究也指出這使人們覺得彼此的聯繫更緊密。

There you go!

你說得沒錯！

Talking to strangers is good for our mood and mood means the way we feel.

與陌生人攀談有益於情緒，情緒意指我們的感受。

It's good for our mental health and we might discover people actually like us!

與陌生人攀談有助於心理健康，也可能發現人們是真心喜歡我們！

And even if we're an introvert, a person who prefers to be alone rather than with others, experiments have shown that talking to others can make us happier.

實驗結果顯示，即使我們是屬於喜歡獨處、不樂於與他人相處的內向者，與他人攀談也會使我們更快樂。

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

Neil，問題在於與陌生人交談時應該聊些什麼？

How about some interesting facts, like approximately how many words are in use in the English language?

好比說一些有趣的事實，例如大約有多少字在英語中被使用？

Which is what I asked you earlier.

這是我先前問過你的。

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

是 a) 171,146 b) 271,146 or c) 371,146 中哪一個呢？

What did you say, Georgina?

Georgina，你說過的答案是哪一個呢？

I said 171,146.

我回答 171,146。

Was I right?

我答對了嗎？

Spot on, Georgina, well done!

Georgina，你答對了真棒！

Yes, there's an estimated 171,146 words currently in use in the English language, according to the Oxford English Dictionary plus many more obsolete words.

根據牛津英文字典加上其他過時的單字，大約有 171,146 個字在目前的英文中被使用。

I 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.

我應該選一些單字等會在地鐵上與別人攀談，但首先，先重述一下今日解釋過的單字。

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

我們強調了六個單字，第一個是 underestimate，意思為低估，也就是將事情想的過於輕微不重要。

Anticipating means guessing or expecting a certain outcome.

anticipate 意指猜測或期待特定的結果。

I anticipate this programme to be 6 minutes long!

我預期本集節目長達六分鐘。

That's a given!

這是眾所皆知的事實。

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

下一個是片語 pluck up the courage，意思為逼自己做自身感到害怕或緊張的事。

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

connect with sb. 意指與他人展開或產生一段好的關係。

I think we've connected on this programme, Neil!

我認為我們已經與這個節目產生連結了！

Absolutely, Georgina.

一點也沒錯。

And that's put me in a good mood.

我的心情因為節目而愉快。

Mood means the way we feel.

mood 指我們的感覺。

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

最後，introvert 意指偏好獨處的人。

Thanks, Georgina.

Georgina，謝謝你。

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

我們談話到此為止，可以在網站或 app 上獲取更多相關消息。

Goodbye!

掰掰！

Bye!

再見！

Six minute English, from the BBC

BBC 六分鐘學英文

Hi, thanks for watching all the way to the end of the video.

嗨，謝謝你把影片看到最後。

I hope you enjoyed it.

我希望你喜歡這支影片。

If you want even more great content, we've got plenty more videos on the channel.

如果你想獲得更棒的內容，我們在頻道中還有更多影片。

So, subscribe and you'll never miss a thing.

所以，記得訂閱，這樣就不會錯過任何影片了。

I'll see you there, bye.

頻道見囉，掰掰。