Do you get nervous thinking about geometry, equations or a coming math test? If yes, you are far from alone. Math anxiety has become a common psychological condition among students around the world. Students in countries with higher levels of math anxiety tend to achieve lower math grades, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Feb 15.
一想到幾何、方程式或即將到來的數(shù)學(xué)考試，你會緊張嗎？如果你感到緊張，那你不是唯一這樣的人。數(shù)學(xué)焦慮已經(jīng)成為世界各國學(xué)生的一種普遍心理狀態(tài)。2月15日發(fā)表在《美國國家科學(xué)院院刊》上的一項研究表明，在數(shù)學(xué)焦慮程度較高的國家，學(xué)生的數(shù)學(xué)成績往往較低。

According to a University of Cambridge study, in ordinary life, many people experience some degree of discomfort when confronted with a math problem, ranging from mild tension to strong fear.
劍橋大學(xué)的一項研究顯示，在日常生活中，許多人在面對數(shù)學(xué)問題時都會感到某種程度的不適，令人產(chǎn)生輕微的緊張，甚至出現(xiàn)直至強烈的恐懼。

Some people also experience physical symptoms such as sweaty palms or a racing heart. They may then try to avoid every situation involving numbers, meaning they are held back from pursuing careers related to this subject, such as science, technology or engineering, according to The Guardian.
有些人還會出現(xiàn)一些生理癥狀，如手心出汗或心跳加速。據(jù)《衛(wèi)報》報道，這些人可能會試圖回避所有與數(shù)字打交道的情況，這意味著他們不會從事與數(shù)學(xué)學(xué)科相關(guān)的職業(yè)，如科學(xué)、技術(shù)或工程。

Reassurance comes from the fact that those with math anxiety aren’t destined to be bad at math. “If a child has math anxiety, don’t assume that they’re not good at math. They may have had a really bad experience with math and there are ways to improve math achievement,” Daniel Ansari, the senior author of the study told The London Free Press. “Students with math anxiety are not cognitively disadvantaged.”
令人慰藉的是，有數(shù)學(xué)焦慮的人并非注定數(shù)學(xué)不好?！澳呐乱粋€孩子有數(shù)學(xué)焦慮，也不要斷言他不擅長數(shù)學(xué)。他們可能在數(shù)學(xué)方面有過非常糟糕的經(jīng)歷，但還是有辦法提高他們的數(shù)學(xué)成績的。” 該研究的資深作者丹尼爾·安薩里在接受倫敦自由出版社采訪時表示，“有數(shù)學(xué)焦慮的學(xué)生并非在認知方面處于劣勢?！?/span>

Also, there are ways to manage your stress related to math. If you’re feeling stressed before a math exam, it may help to spend a few minutes exploring those feelings before the exam begins. “It’s about making sure you’re interpreting your feelings correctly,” Sian Beilock, a cognitive scientist in the US told the BBC. “Just because you have a fast heartbeat and sweaty palms, that does not necessarily mean you will fail.”
此外，還有一些方法可以減輕與數(shù)學(xué)相關(guān)的壓力。如果你在數(shù)學(xué)考試前感到緊張，在考試開始前花幾分鐘捋順這些感覺可能會有所幫助。美國認知科學(xué)家西安·貝洛克在接受英國廣播公司（BBC）采訪時表示:“這是為了確保你正確地認識自己的感受。僅僅心跳加快、手心出汗，并不意味著你就一定會失敗。”

A little math anxiety could be taken as a positive challenge to overcome. Just like many people get stage fright before delivering a speech, this nervous energy can help to motivate, according to Ian Lyons, a psychologist at Georgetown University in the US.
可以將一點數(shù)學(xué)焦慮視為需要克服的積極挑戰(zhàn)。美國喬治敦大學(xué)的心理學(xué)家伊恩·萊昂斯認為，就像許多人在發(fā)表演講前會怯場一樣，這種緊張的情緒可以起到激勵作用。

以上文章內(nèi)容選自《21世紀(jì)學(xué)生英文報高中版》，詳情請見《21世紀(jì)學(xué)生英文報高中版》高二861期