◎鄭寺音

Researchers found that between birth and the age of 78 a woman will cry for more than 12,000 hours, for reasons including hunger as a baby to falling out with a partner when older.

研究人員發現，女性從出生到78歲，會哭超過1萬2000小時，理由包括從小時候因肚子餓而哭，到大一點因為與伴侶吵架而哭。

During their first year they will shed tears for three hours a day when they need changing, feeding or entertaining. When they grow older, teenage girls cry for approximately 2 hours and 13 minutes a week and by their mid 20s they will cry for as much as 2.24 hours a week after falling out with their partner, watching a soppy film or losing a loved one.

出生第一年女性一天裡會因為需要換尿布、餵食或娛樂而掉淚3小時，長大一點，少女一週大約哭2小時又13分鐘，20來歲中期之前，與伴侶吵架、看了讓人感傷的電影或是失去所愛的人之後，一週會哭2.24小時。

The poll of 3,000 people, conducted by www.TheBabyWebsite.com, shows the reasons why women cry change dramatically over our lifetime.

這份由TheBabyWebsite.com訪問3千人的調查顯示，女性哭泣的原因在一生中會有大幅改變。

Between the ages of one and three years of age children cry for up to 2 hours and five minutes a day. Their main reasons for crying include falling over, hurting themselves and feeling tired.

在1到3歲之間，小孩子每天最多哭2小時5分。哭的主要理由包括跌倒、弄傷自己、覺得累。

And between the ages of four and 12 years old children continue to cry for 2 hours and 11 minutes a week. Children in this age bracket are most likely to cry after hurting themselves, being told off for doing something naughty or feeling poorly.

4歲到12歲之間的小孩，一週哭2小時11分。這個年齡層的小孩最可能會在弄傷自己、被告知不要做某些頑皮的事情或是覺得可憐哭泣。

新聞辭典

fall out with：片語，吵架。例句：He left home after falling out with his parents.（他與父母吵架後離家。）

soppy：形容詞，感傷的。例句：That’s one of the soppiest stories I’ve ever heard!（那是我聽過最讓人感傷的故事之一！）

bracket：名詞，階層，族群。例句：Most British university students are in the 18 - 22 age bracket.（英國多數大學生是在18到22歲這個年齡層。）

自由時報-980903

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