读《哈利波特》能让你变得更好!

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The “Harry Potter” series left a spellbinding mark on pop culture since the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, hit the shelves 20 years ago. But that isn’t the only area where the stories left a legacy: “Harry Potter” can have an effect on who you are as person.

二十年前，自《哈利波特与魔法石》问世以来，便掀起了一波通俗文化热潮。如今，一些科学研究表明，这系列读物会对读者产生深远影响，使他们成为更好的人。

The books help reduce prejudice in the reader.A 2014 study found that kids who read “Harry Potter” are more likely to reduce prejudices toward minority groups and display greater levels of empathy. The theory is this is likely due to the fact that Harry often aligns himself with “stigmatized” groups in the book, from house elves to wizards with non-magical parents who are derogatorily called “Mudbloods.”

2014年，一项研究表明：阅读《哈利波特》的孩子更容易减少对少数群体的偏见，展现出更多共情心。研究人员认为，这可能是由于哈利波特常常和“蒙受污名”的角色结盟，如家养小精灵、麻瓜家庭出身的巫师。

Coincidentally enough, a separate, 2016 study found that reading “Harry Potter” also lowers Americans’ opinions of Donald Trump. The more people in the study read the books, the less likely they were to agree with his political views, like the proposed ban on travel from Muslim-majority countries. Take that for what you will.

2016年，另一项研究发现：阅读《哈利波特》会拉低美国人对川普的评价。人们读得越多，就越不赞成其政治观点，如禁止穆斯林国家的游客入境。

Do you think you’re a Hufflepuff or a Gryffindor? The Hogwarts house you identify with may offer some insight into your real personality, according to a 2015 study.

你认为自己属于格兰芬多还是赫奇帕奇?2015年，一项研究表明，你的选择可能会反映出你的某些真实性格。

The study volunteers were then given an assessment that measured aspects of their personalities, including traits like agreeableness, a need for cognition and narcissism. For the most part, people’s personality traits matched up with the stereotypes of each Hogwarts house. Those who were sorted into Ravenclaw, for example, had a more positive association with a need for cognition.

随后，他们又评估了志愿者的各种性格特质，如随和程度、对认知事物的渴望程度、自恋程度等。结果发现，在极大程度上，人们的性格特质与其学院品质相符。举例而言，被分到拉文克劳的人更渴望认知事物。这挺有趣的，不是吗?

Reading in general can sharpen your mind and ease stress.If all of that wasn’t enough to convince you, there’s always the benefit of reading in general.

不管怎样，阅读总是有益处的。

Research suggests reading can help reduce stress by serving as a form of escapism. Not only that, it has the ability to sharpen your mind and slow down memory decline later in life. It could even lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

研究表明，作为一种逃避方式，阅读有助于缓解压力。不仅如此，它还能使思维变得更加敏锐;上了年纪后，阅读还能够减缓记忆衰退。它甚至能够降低你患阿尔兹海默症的概率。