《中英對照讀新聞》Silent signs show politicians' power and weakness 肢體語言透露政治人物的能力與弱點

◎鄭寺音

Whether it’s a power walk or raised eyebrows, politicians like George W. Bush and Tony Blair use a silent language to appear dominant and likeable.

不管是走路虎虎生風或揚眉，政治人物像是布希與布雷爾，運用肢體語言來顯示他們佔了上風與令人喜愛。

Through gestures, mannerisms and facial expressions they can convey an impression of power, authority and fitness, psychologist and author Dr Peter Collett said.

心理學家與作家柯列特表示，透過手勢、癖好和臉部表情，他們可以傳達權力、權威與健康的印象。

But politicians can also unwittingly reveal if they are feeling uncomfortable and stressed.

但政治人物也會不經意地透露他們是否覺得不舒服與有壓力。

In video clips shown at a science conference, Collett showed that Bush bites the inside of his mouth if he gets distressed while Blair raises his eyebrows when he is trying to look agreeable.

柯列特在一個科學研討會上播放的片段顯示，布希不開心的時候，會咬嘴巴內側；布雷爾則會在想要看起來可愛時挑眉。

"The mouth bite shows that Bush is feeling nervous. It is what psychologists call emotional leakage," said Collett who used to work at the University of Oxford.

曾在牛津大學工作的柯列特說：「咬嘴顯示布希覺得緊張，這就是心理學家所稱的情緒洩漏。」

He added it is an unconscious reaction and was evident when Bush was told of the attacks on September 11, 2001 and on other occasions as his way of keeping his anxieties under control.

他補充說，這是無意識的反應，在布希被告知二○○一年九月十一日的攻擊，還有其他場合他試著控制緊張時，都可明顯看出。

新聞辭典

eyebrow：名詞，眉、眉毛。例句：At school his purple hair usually causes raised eyebrows.（在學校，他的紫髮經常引人側目。）

mannerism：名詞，癖性，一個人一再出現的臉部、肢體動作或聲音。例句：He’s got some very strange mannerisms.（他有一些非常奇怪的癖性。）

unwittingly：副詞，不經意地、不知情地。例句：I regret any anxiety or concern which I may, unwittingly, have caused.（我對我可能不經意造成的緊張或關切感到遺憾。）