SEtalk: Why Children Ask Why

How many questions did you ask yesterday?

你们昨天问了多少个问题？

I mean real questions, because you wanted to know something.

我是说真正的问题，因为你们真的想知道些什么。

If you're four years old, the answer is probably hundreds!

如果你们才4岁，答案可能是好几百个！

I teach young children, so I hear them all day long.

我教小孩子，所以一整天都在听他们提问。

Six years ago, a little boy called Leo was in my class.

6年前，我班上有个叫Leo的小男孩。

One morning, he looked outside, and he had a question.

一天早上，他望向窗外，心里冒出了一个问题。

Why is the sky blue?

天空为什么是蓝色的？

I explained it simply, but he just asked, why?

我简单地解释了一下，可他只是问：为什么？

I answered again, and he asked why again!

我又回答了一遍，他又问为什么！

After the fifth why, I said, because it just is!

问到第五个为什么时，我说：没有为什么，就是这样！

He stopped asking, and I felt terrible.

他不再问了，我心里特别难受。

So how many questions do children really ask?

那么，孩子们到底会问多少问题呢？

In 2007, a psychologist studied recordings of young children with their parents.

2007年，一位心理学家研究了幼儿和父母在一起时的录音。

They asked about seventy-six questions an hour!

孩子们每小时大约会问76个问题！

A study in 2009 went further, and it found something interesting.

2009年的一项研究更进一步，发现了一件有趣的事。

When children got a real answer, they usually seemed satisfied.

孩子们得到真正的答案时，通常看起来很满意。

When they didn't, they asked again or made up their own answer.

如果没有，他们就会再问一次，或者自己编一个答案。

So children who keep asking why aren't trying to annoy us.

所以，一直问为什么的孩子并不是想惹我们烦。

They really want to understand how the world works.

他们是真的想弄明白这个世界是怎么运转的。

So what happens to all those questions when we grow up?

那么，等我们长大了，那些问题都去哪儿了？

A researcher called Susan Engel visited classrooms, and she counted every question.

一位叫Susan Engel的研究者走访了许多教室，把每一个问题都数了下来。

Some classes asked just two to five questions in two hours.

有些班级在2个小时里只问了2到5个问题。

In some classes, not one question was asked, and nobody noticed.

有些班级一个问题都没有，而且没有人注意到。

Maybe kids learn that answers matter more than questions.

也许孩子们学到的是：答案比问题更重要。

If nobody rewards questions, we simply stop asking them.

如果没人鼓励提问，我们自然就不再问了。

After Leo, I changed one small thing, and it worked.

Leo那件事之后，我改变了一件小事，结果很管用。

Now, when I don't know the answer to a question,

现在，当我不知道一个问题的答案时，

I say, great question, let's find out together!

我会说：好问题，我们一起来找答案吧！

We've looked up spiders, volcanoes, and why cats purr.

我们查过蜘蛛、火山，还有猫为什么会打呼噜。

And last month, Leo came back to visit me!

就在上个月，Leo回来看我了！

He's twelve now, and he wants to be a scientist!

他现在12岁了，想当一名科学家！

He still asks why, but now he finds the answers himself.

他还是爱问为什么，不过现在他会自己找答案了。

So here's my challenge for you.

所以，我想给大家一个挑战。

When a child asks you why, don't stop them.

当孩子问你们为什么时，别打断他们。

Ask them, what do you think?

问问他们：你觉得呢？

And this week, ask one why question of your own.

还有，这周请你们自己也问一个为什么。

Thank you, and keep asking why!

谢谢大家，请继续问为什么！