We touch our faces all the time. Yet， stopping this “simple” behavior might be harder than you think because its already hardwired into our system.

我們總是在用手摸臉，然而，不做這個(gè)“簡(jiǎn)單”的動(dòng)作或許比你想象中要難，因?yàn)檫@個(gè)動(dòng)作早已固定存在于身體系統(tǒng)之中。

Some face touching is an automatic reflex—like when there is an itch on your nose， youll scratch it without thinking. A study found that touching your face also helps to reduce stress and regulate emotions. For example， youre more likely to do it when you feel awkward or embarrassed. According to Dacher Keltner， a psychologist at the University of California Berkeley， US， this action may also come with a social function. When you are talking to someone and want to change the subject， for example， touching your face is like “the curtains on a stage， closing up one act of the social drama， ushering in the next，” Keltner told the BBC.

一些人摸臉的動(dòng)作是自然反射行為——比如，當(dāng)你覺(jué)得鼻子有點(diǎn)癢時(shí)，你就會(huì)不自覺(jué)地去撓一撓。一項(xiàng)研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，摸臉也有助于減少壓力、調(diào)節(jié)情緒。比如，你在感到尷尬不安時(shí)，往往更容易做這個(gè)動(dòng)作。美國(guó)加州大學(xué)伯克利分校的心理學(xué)家達(dá)契爾·凱爾特納認(rèn)為，這個(gè)動(dòng)作或許也具備社交功能。比如，你在和某人交談時(shí)想要換個(gè)話題，摸臉的動(dòng)作就像是“舞臺(tái)上的幕布落下，社交戲劇的一幕結(jié)束，即將開始下一幕”， 凱爾特納在接受英國(guó)廣播公司采訪時(shí)如此表示。

Moreover， face touching in almost all of these occasions is subconscious， which means its very hard to change because you dont even know youre doing it.

此外，摸臉的動(dòng)作在上述的所有場(chǎng)合中幾乎都是無(wú)意識(shí)的，意味著這點(diǎn)很難改，因?yàn)槟闵踔炼紱](méi)發(fā)覺(jué)自己在做這個(gè)動(dòng)作。

But youre not alone. In a 2015 study， where a group of medical students were filmed in class， it was found that they touched their faces an average of 23 times an hour—with 44 percent of the touches being in the “T-zones”. That was particularly surprising since medical students were supposed to know better.

但會(huì)這么做的并非只有你一人。2015年的一項(xiàng)研究記錄了班級(jí)中一組醫(yī)學(xué)生的行為，發(fā)現(xiàn)醫(yī)學(xué)生們平均每小時(shí)摸臉23次——其中有44%的人觸碰了“T區(qū)”。這一發(fā)現(xiàn)令人尤感意外，因?yàn)獒t(yī)學(xué)生們理應(yīng)有著更好的衛(wèi)生常識(shí)。

Since its so hard to shake the habit， we should wash our hands more often.

既然這個(gè)習(xí)慣很難改正，我們應(yīng)該更加頻繁地洗手。

Word Study

automatic /'??t?'m?t?k/ adj. 自動(dòng)的;無(wú)意識(shí)的

Breathing is an automatic function of the body.

emotion /?'m???n/ n. 強(qiáng)烈的感情;情緒

He lost control of his emotions.

usher /'???（r）/ v. 把……引往;引領(lǐng)

The secretary ushered me into his office.