Neil, would you describe yourself as ‘a numbers person’?
尼尔，你会把自己描述为“一个数字人”吗？
Neil(尼尔)
If you mean, am I someone who understands numbers and is good as using them and interpreting data, then no!
如果你的意思是，我是一个理解数字并且擅长使用它们和解释数据的人，那么不是！
Sam(山姆)
OK. So, maybe like me, you weren’t good at maths at school?
还行。所以，也许像我一样，你在学校不擅长数学？
Neil(尼尔)
No, I wasn’t. Algebra, geometry, times tables – it was all very confusing.
不，我不是。代数、几何、时间表 —— 这一切都非常令人困惑。
Sam(山姆)
We’re not alone, Neil. But the fear of numbers might just be in our heads and we might have enough number knowledge to get by with. That’s what we’ll be exploring in this programme while looking at some relevant vocabulary. But, sorry, Neil, I’m going to start with a maths question! It’s thought the largest number in the world is called a googol. It’s written with a 1 and how many zeros? Is it… a) A hundred zeros; b) A thousand zeros, or c) Ten thousand zeros?
OK. I’ll reveal the answer later on. But let’s talk more about the fear of numbers now. Of course, numbers are important in our lives but one bad experience at school can put us off them for life. ‘Put off’ means make someone dislike something.
What put me off maths was it was not only complicated but very theoretical – and not very practical – useful for real-life situations. And the problem now is, it’s easy to be fooled by fancy figures that we get told about.
This is something The Why Factor programme on BBC World Service has been exploring. They spoke to Charles Seife, who’s an author and professor at New York University, who explained why we are at the mercy of people who throw numbers at us….
Charles Seife, author and professor, New York University(Charles Seife，作家兼教授， 纽约大学)
Because we are primed not to question numbers, certain people have learned that numbers are perhaps the most powerful tools for deception... advertisers, marketers, politicians, who try to convince the public through spurious oratory - have learned that the one thing they can't get challenged on is numbers or challenges are ineffective.
Interesting words from Charles Seife there. He explains that numbers might be a powerful tool for deceiving people. Many of us are primed – so, told to behave in a certain situation and in a certain way – not to question numbers, accept them as fact.
Yes, and this is dangerous. So, when politicians, for example, do good and effective public speaking – known as oratory – the information they give could be spurious – that means false, not correct or inaccurate. But numbers are more persuasive – they make you believe something is true.
So, unless you’re confident with numbers, you’re unlikely to challenge the facts and figures that you are given. So, Sam, if I said to you ten per cent of the ten million people who eat meat have a twenty per cent chance of being five per cent overweight – would you challenge that?
I’d have to go away and work that out! As I said, Neil, I’m not a numbers person. Even talking about numbers makes me anxious.
我得走开去解决这个问题！正如我所说，尼尔，我不是一个数字人。即使谈论数字也让我感到焦虑。
Neil(尼尔)
Well, interestingly, The Why Factor programme explained that girls are more anxious about learning maths, but even if they feel more nervous about maths, they aren’t any worse with numbers than their more confident classmates. It’s just the fear that’s stopping you!
Well maybe, but one bad experience can knock our confidence and ability to use maths.
好吧，也许吧，但一次糟糕的经历会打击我们使用数学的信心和能力。
Neil(尼尔)
Take comfort from Paula Miles, who teaches statistics to psychology students at St. Andrews University. She told The Why Factor that she thinks there’s no such thing as ‘a numbers person’….
Paula Miles, St Andrews University(Paula Miles，圣安德鲁斯大学)
There is no such thing as someone who is a 'number person' or not. If we're taught in the right way, then I think we all have the potential to be a numbers person. I'm not saying we're all going to grow up to be mathematicians but we're all going to get to a point where we have the basic numeracy skills that we need to be able to cope in our environment...
I feel a little better now! We all have the possibility within us – or potential – to be a numbers person.
我现在感觉好多了！我们都有可能 —— 或者说有潜力 —— 成为一个数字人。
Neil(尼尔)
Yes, I think it’s about survival. We want to develop numeracy – basic mathematical skills – to use numbers in a particular situation that we are in. We might not be a genius like Einstein, but we know enough to work things out.
I wonder if you worked out the answer to my question correctly, Neil? Earlier, I asked about what’s thought to be the largest number in the world - called a googol. How many zeros does it have? A hundred zeros, a thousand zeros, or ten thousand zeros?
th Sorry, Neil. A googol is ten to the 100 power – so a mere 100 zeros.
对不起，尼尔。googol 是 10 的 10 次方 —— 所以只有 100 个零。
Neil(尼尔)
I don’t think I’ll be using that number anytime soon. But I might be using some of the vocabulary we’ve discussed today, including a numbers person…
我不认为我会很快使用这个数字。但我可能会使用我们今天讨论的一些词汇，包括一个数字人......
Sam(山姆)
… that’s someone who understands numbers and is good as using them and interpreting data – not like us!
...这是一个理解数字并善于使用它们和解释数据的人 —— 不像我们！
Neil(尼尔)
If you are put off by something, it means you are made to dislike something. And to be primed means told to behave in a certain situation.
如果你被某件事推迟了，这意味着你被生而不喜欢某事。而准备好意味着被告知在某种情况下表现。
Sam(山姆)
The skill of effective public speaking is known as oratory. And spurious means false, inaccurate, or not correct.
有效公开演讲的技巧被称为演讲。虚假意味着错误、不准确或不正确。
Neil(尼尔)
And when we have the possibility within us to do something, we describe it as our potential. And having numeracy means having basic mathematical skills.
当我们内在有可能做某事时，我们将其描述为我们的潜力。拥有算术能力意味着拥有基本的数学技能。
Sam(山姆)
But now we’ve reached the number six – six minutes of English. Thanks very much for listening and goodbye.
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