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Listen to part of a lecture in a psychology class.
请听心理学课上的部分内容。
For some time now, psychologists have been aware of an ability we all share.
心理学家意识到我们都有的一种能力已经有一段时间了。
It’s the ability to sort of judge or estimate the numbers or relative quantities of things. It’s called the Approximate Number Sense, or ANS.
它是一种判断或估算数字或事物的相关数量的能力。它被叫做近似数字感，或者ANS。
ANS is a very basic, innate ability. It’s what enables you to decide at a glance whether there are more apples than oranges on a shelf.
ANS是一个非常基础的、与生俱来的能力。正是这项能力让你看一眼就能决定架子上的苹果是不是比橘子多。
And studies have shown that even six-month-old infants are able to use this sense to some extent.
研究表明，甚至6个月大的婴儿在某种程度上都能使用这种感觉。
And if you think about it, you’ll realize that it’s an ability that some animals have as well.
如果你细细想一想就会发现，一些动物也有这种能力。
Animals have number...uh...approximate...?
动物有近似......数字.......？
Approximate Number Sense. Sure. Just think: would a bird choose to feed in a bush filled with berries or in a bush with half as many berries?
近似数字感，没错。你想啊，一只鸟会选择在一个满是浆果的树丛中进食还是在一个只有一半浆果的树丛中进食？
Well, the bush filled with berries I guess.
我猜是满是浆果的那个树丛吧。
And the bird certainly doesn’t count the berries.
而且鸟肯定不会数浆果的数量。
The bird uses ANS: Approximate Number Sense. And that ability is innate, it’s inborn.
鸟使用了ANS：近似数字感。这种能力是与生俱来的，天生的。
Now I’m not saying that all people have an equal skill or that the skill can’t be improved, but it’s present...uh...as I said...it’s present in six-month-old babies.
我不是说所有人都有同等的能力或者这种能力不能提高，但是它显现在......就像我说的，它显现在六个月大的婴孩身上。
It isn’t learned. On the other hand, the ability to do symbolic or formal mathematics is not really what you would call universal.
它不是习得的。但是，做符号数学或形式数学的能力并不是你们会认为普遍的能力。
