100-days: twenty-four

Title: No word of a lie: scientists rate(评出) the world's biggest peddlers of bull(说瞎话的人，扯淡的人)

　　bullshit　v.胡说，瞎说　　　　bullshit n.　　nonsense; bollocks(英国常用)

　　no word of a lie　实话实说，一点不假

　　peddler　n.小贩　　　peddle　v.兜售，叫卖

　　bull　n.<俚>胡说，废话；公牛

　　　　eg.Much of what he says is sheer bull.　他说的大部分是胡扯

　　

In new research, scientists claim(声称，宣称) to have identified(辨认，认出，确认) the most common practitioners of the ignoble art(技术，技巧)—bullshit. Their study of 40, 000 teenagers(青少年) reveals that boys;(此处分号类似与or) those from privileged backgrounds; and North Americans in particular(尤其，特别), top the charts as the worst offenders.

　　practitioner　n.专门人才　　dental practitioners　牙医

　　ignoble　adj.卑劣的，不光彩的　　反义词　=>　noble　adj.

　　reveal　vt.揭露; 泄露; 显露; [神] 启示;　n.揭示，展现; [建] 门侧，窗侧;

　　privileged　adj.享有特权的; 特许的，专用的; 秘密的，保密的; 幸运的;

　　top the charts　(固)跃升榜首　　charts　图表；每周流行唱片排行榜

　　worst　adj.最严重的; 最差的; 最令人不满的; 最糟的;　n.最坏的事情; 最严重的事;　adv.最坏; 最严重; 最糟;

　　offender　n.（正式）犯罪分子　

“Everyone knows(认识) a bullshitter but there’s been very little work(研究) done on them, ” said John Jerrim, who led the latest study at UCL’s Institute of Education. With his UCL colleague(同事，同行，同僚), Nikki Shure, and Phil Parker, a psychologist(心理学家) at the Australian Catholic University, Jerrim analysed data gathered by the OECD to assess(评定，评估) how well 15-year-olds around the globe have mastered(master的过去分词，n.大师　v.精通，掌握) key academic subjects(重点学科).

　　OECD　Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development　　经济合作与发展组织，简称经合组织；是全球36个市场经济国家组成的政府间国际组织，总部设在巴黎米埃特堡。

　　around the globe　世界各地

　　gather　vt.收集; 采集; 聚集，搜集; 收紧，收缩;　vi.逐渐增加，积聚;

　　academic　adj.学院的，大学的，学会的，（学术，文艺）协会的; 学究的，学理上的，空谈的，非实用的; 〈美〉文科的，文学的; 柏拉图学派的;

For one of the questions, the teenagers must rate(评估) how familiar(熟悉的) they are with 16 mathematical concepts(数学概念) ranging from polygons and vectors to quadratic functions and congruent figures. Hidden among the bona fide terms(术语) are three fakes(赝品; 骗子):proper numbers(质数), subjective scaling(主观缩放) and declarative functions(导函数).

　　mathematical　adj.数学的; 精确的; 绝对的; 可能性极小的;

　　concept　n.观念，概念; 观点; 思想，设想，想法; 总的印象

　　ranging from A to B 范围从 A 到 B

　　polygon　n.多边形

　　vector　n.矢量，向量

　　quadratic function　二次函数　　　quadtatic　adj.二次的，平方的　　　　quadratic equation一元二次方程

　　congruent figure　全等图形　　congruent　adj.全等的；一致的，符合的

　　　　congruent triangles　全等三角形

　　bona fide　adj.真实的　　genuine,  real

　　term　n.术语; 期限; 学期; 条款;　vt.把…称为; 把…叫做;

　　proper number　“适数”，可能化用自 prime number (质数)

　　scaling　n.缩放

　　declarative function　“陈述函数”，可能化用自 derivative function （导函数）

Jerrim took the students’ responses to the three fake concepts to draw up a “bullshit scale(等级)”, which he then used to compare(比较，对照) different groups, such as boys and girls, high and low socioeconomic status(地位), and the regions(地区，地域) where people lived.

　　draw up　拟定 　　to draw up a contract

　　socioeconomic　adj.社会经济的　　socio-　与社会有关的；社会和…

Those who ranked(rank 排列) highest on the scale tended to see themselves as more self-confident(更自信), more persevering, and more popular at school, than those further(adv.表示程度上更远的) down the scale.

　　sb.  tended to see themselves as　某人倾向于认为他们自己怎么样

　　persevering　adj.坚持不懈的　　a persevering person

“People are social animals and we desire(渴望) feelings of connection, belonging(归属感), and inclusion(包容感), so we try to participate(参与某事) when it is critical(关键性的，至关重要的) to build and maintain(维系) these relationships(关系), ” said John Petrocelli, a psychologist at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, who was not involved in the study. “Such situations sometimes require us to talk about things (that) we really know nothing about, and what comes out(说出) is bullshit.”

　　inclusion　n.包括，包含；不排斥任何群体，包容　　include　v.

　　critical　adj.关键的; 批评的，爱挑剔的; 严重的; 极重要的;

　　maintain　vt.保持; 保养; 坚持; 固执己见;

　　involve　vt.包含; 使参与，牵涉; 围绕，缠绕; 使专心于;

　　situation　n.（人的） 情况; 局面，形势，处境; 位置; [心理学] 情境;

“I truly believe it is critical to better understand bullshitting behaviour before we can more competently detect(察觉) and dispose of bullshit, ” he added.

　　competently　adv.胜任地；有能力地

　　we can more competently do sth　我们更能…

　　dispose of　解决　　to dispose of waste　处理废品

　　　　to defeat sb.　　

　　　　to dispose of his opponent　击败对手