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“簡單”的動作或許比你想象中要難，因為這個動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.

一些人摸臉的動作是自然反射行為——比如，當(dāng)你覺得鼻子有點癢時，你就會不自覺地去撓一撓。一項研究發(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，往往更容易做這個動作。美國加州大學(xué)伯克利分校的心理學(xué)家達(dá)契爾·凱爾特納認(rèn)為，這個動作或許也具備社交功能。比如，你在和某人交談時想要換個話題，摸臉的動作就像是“舞臺上的幕布落下，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廣播公司采訪時如此表示。

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，摸臉的動作在上述的所有場合中幾乎都是無意識的，意味著這點很難改，因為你甚至都沒發(fā)覺自己在做這個動作。

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.

但會這么做的并非只有你一人。2015年的一項研究記錄了班級中一組醫(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，因為醫(yī)學(xué)生們理應(yīng)有著更好的衛(wèi)生常識。

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

既然這個習(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. 自動的;無意識的

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.