研究顯示 左撇子在解決難題時表現得更出色

From mythsto modern research, the label attached to being left-handed is undeniable. Left-handed people, or "lefties" as they are often called, are generally believed to be good at art -- Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso and Michelangelo Buonarroti were all left-handed.

從神話到現代研究，關於“左撇子”的標籤一直都在。人們通常認爲，慣用左手的人（他們也經常被稱爲“左撇子”）都很擅長藝術--萊昂納多·達·芬奇、巴勃羅·畢加索以及米開朗基羅·博那羅蒂全都是左撇子。

But what exactly makes someone left-handed or right-handed?

但爲什麼有人慣用左手，有人慣用右手呢？

Our brain is divided into two parts: the left hemisphere, and the right hemisphere. The left hemisphere, linked to logic and analysis, is responsible for the right side of the body. The right hemisphere, linked to creativity and imagination, controls the left side of the body.

我們的大腦被分爲左、右兩個大腦半球。左腦與邏輯分析能力有關，控制身體的右側。而與創造力和想象力相關的右腦則控制身體的左側。

So, people tend to believe lefties are controlled by the right side of the brain, and are more creative than right-handers.

所以，人們相信左撇子們受右腦的控制，比右撇子更有創造力。

Some also think that lefties may not be as good as demonstrating mathematical and problem-solving skills as their right-handed counterparts.

一些人還認爲，左撇子或許在數學以及解決問題的能力上並不如右撇子出色。

However, a recent study carried out by scientists from the University of Liverpool in the UK and the University of Milan in Italy proved this theory wrong.

然而，英國利物浦大學以及意大利米蘭大學的科學家們近期發佈的一項研究卻證實這一理論是錯誤的。

The study, published on academic website The Conversation, involved more than 2,300 students in Italy aged between 6 and 17 years old. They were asked to complete several mathematical tasks of different skill levels.

發佈於學術網站The Conversation上的這項研究，在意大利邀請了2300多名6-17歲的學生進行實驗。學生們被要求完成幾個不同難度的數學問題。

It turned out the left-handers outperformed the others when the tasks involved difficult problem-solving. This pattern was particularly clear in male adolescents.

結果表明，左撇子在解決難題時的表現比其他人都要出色，在男性青少年中這點尤爲明顯。

However, when it came to simple arithmetic, there was no difference between left- and right-handers.

然而，左撇子和右撇子在簡單算術上的表現並沒有多少區別。

It was also discovered that those who are "severely" right-handed performed less well in all the experiments compared to "moderate" right-handers and left-handers.

該研究還發現，“重度”右撇子在所有實驗中的表現都不如“中度”右撇子以及左撇子。

"Taken together, these findings show that handedness... does influence abilities to some extent," the study's authors wrote.

該研究的作者寫道：“綜合來看，這些發現表明慣用手在某種程度上的確影響了人們的能力。”

Nevertheless, "handedness is just an indirect expression of brain function," wrote psychology professor Giovanni Sala from the University of Liverpool in the UK, lead author of the study.

然而，該研究的主要作者、英國利物浦大學心理學教授喬瓦尼·薩拉寫道：“慣用手只是大腦功能的一種間接反映”。

Sala also noted that only one third of people with a highly-developed right side of the brain are left-handed. It means that there are lots of right-handed people with a similar brain function as left-handers.

薩拉還指出，在右腦高度發達的人中，只有三分之一是左撇子。這意味着不少右撇子的大腦功能其實和左撇子的十分相似。

Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin are some famous left-handers. And at least six former US presidents are left-handed, including Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. So if you're a leftie, you might be on your way to becoming a genius, or even the president.

阿爾伯特·愛因斯坦、艾薩克·牛頓以及查爾斯·達爾文都是著名的左撇子。而包括貝拉克·奧巴馬以及比爾·克林頓在內的至少6位美國前總統也都是左撇子。所以如果你是個左撇子，或許你將成爲一名天才，甚至還能當上總統。