UNIT2Howempathyunfolds(呈现、显露)1ThemomentHope,justninemonthsold,sawanotherbabyfall,tearswelledupinherowneyesandshecrawled(爬)offtobecomfortedbyhermother,asthoughitwereshewhohadbeenhurt.And15-month-oldMichaelwenttogethisownteddybearforhiscryingfriendPaul;whenPaulkeptcrying,Michaelretrieved(恢复,取回)Paul'ssecurityblanketforhim.Boththesesmallactsofsympathyandcaringwereobservedbymotherstrainedtorecordsuchincidentsofempathyinaction.Theresultsofthestudysuggestthattherootsofempathycanbetracedto(追溯到)infancy(初期、婴儿期).Virtually(几乎、事实上)fromthedaytheyareborninfantsareupsetwhentheyhearanotherinfantcrying—aresponsesomeseeastheearliestprecursor(先驱、前导)ofempathy.2Developmentalpsychologistshavefoundthatinfantsfeelsympatheticdistress(危难、不幸)evenbeforetheyfullyrealizethattheyexistapartfromotherpeople.Evenafewmonthsafterbirth,infantsreacttoadisturbance(干扰)inthosearoundthemasthoughitweretheirown,cryingwhentheyseeanotherchild'stears.Byoneyearorso,theystarttorealizethemisery(痛苦、不幸)isnottheirownbutsomeoneelse's,thoughtheystillseemconfusedoverwhattodoaboutit.InresearchbyMartinL.HoffmanatNewYorkUniversity,forexample,aone-year-oldbroughthisownmotherovertocomfortacryingfriend,ignoringthefriend'smother,whowasalsointheroom.Thisconfusion(混淆、困惑)isseentoowhenone-year-oldsimitate(模仿)thedistressofsomeoneelse,possiblytobettercomprehend(理解)whattheyarefeeling;forexample,ifanotherbabyhurtsherfingers,aone-year-oldmightputherownfingersinhermouthtoseeifshehurts,too.Onseeinghismothercry,onebabywipedhisowneyes,thoughtheyhadnotears.3Suchmotormimicry(模仿),asitiscalled,istheoriginaltechnicalsenseofthewordempathyasitwasfirstusedinthe1920sbyE.B.Titchener,anAmericanpsychologist.Titchener'stheorywasthatempathystemmedfrom(起源于)asortofphysicalimitationofthedistressofanother,whichthenevokes(引起、唤起)thesamefeelingsinoneself.Hesought(寻找,seek的过去式)awordthatwouldbedistinctfromsympathy,whichcanbefeltforthegeneralplight(困境、境况)ofanotherwithnosharingwhateverofwhatthatotherpersonisfeeling.4Motormimicryfadesfrom(从……中消逝)toddlers'(初学走路的孩子)repertoire(全部技能)ataroundtwoandahalfyears,atwhichpointtheyrealizethatsomeoneelse'spainisdifferentfromtheirown,andarebetterabletocomfortthem.Atypicalincident,fromamother'sdiary:5Aneighbor'sbabycriesandJennyapproachesandtriestogivehimsomecookies.Shefollowshimaroundandbeginstowhimper(呜咽、啜泣)toherself.Shethentriestostrokehishair,buthepullsaway.Hecalmsdown,butJennystilllooksworried.Shecontinuestobringhimtoysandtopat(轻拍)hisheadandshoulders.6Atthispointintheirdevelopmenttoddlersbegintodivergefrom(背道而驰)oneanotherintheiroverall(全体的,内在的)sensitivitytootherpeople'semotionalupsets,withsome,likeJenny,keenly(敏锐地、强烈地)awareandotherstuningout(漠视,麻木不仁).AseriesofstudiesbyMarianRadke-YarrowandCarolynZahn-WaxlerattheNationalInstituteofMentalHealthshowedthatalargepartofthisdifferenceinempathicconcernhadtodowithhowparentsdisciplined(训导)theirchildren.Children,theyfound,weremoreempathicwhenthedisciplineincludedcallingstrongattentiontothedistresstheirmisbehaviorcausedsomeoneelse:Lookhowsadyou'vemadeherfeelinsteadofThatwasnaughty.Theyfoundtoothatchildren'sempathyisalsoshapedbyseeinghowothersreactwhensomeoneelseisdistressed;byimitatingwhattheysee,childrendeveloparepertoireofempathicresponse,especiallyinhelpingotherpeoplewhoaredistressed.