世界十大左撇子名人(双语).doc

世界十大左撇子名人简介世界上的左撇子总归没有右撇子多，但是貌似世界上左撇子的质量都比右撇子高，要不怎么上至总统国王，下至科学家艺术家都是左撇子呢。No.1巴拉克奥巴马在过去的一百年中，美国的总统们越来越“左倾”，这不是指他们的政见，而是他们的用手习惯。二十世纪以来一长串左撇子总统名单中，奥巴马是最近加入的一个。在他之前，加菲尔德总统、胡佛总统、杜鲁门总统、里根总统、老布什总统和克林顿总统都是左撇子。怎么会有那么多左撇子总统当选呢？一些专家认为，左撇子人群的语言运用能力更强，这种能力或许可以使他们在组织一些政治措辞时更为游刃有余。而至于近些年左撇子总统出现更为集中的问题，有些人认为这和教师最近停止对左撇子儿童进行右手使用纠正训练有关。In the past hundred years, the U.S. presidency has veered more and more to the left not in policy, but in handedness. Barack Obama is the latest to join a long list of left-handed presidents from the 20th century: James Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Henry Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton were all southpaws.What makes lefties so electable? Some experts think left-handed people have a greater aptitude for language skills, which may help them craft the rhetoric necessary for political office. And as for the bout of recent left-handed presidents, some think its because teachers only recently stopped working to convert lefties to righties at an early age.No.2 比尔盖茨包括美国第一首富在内的这一人群，是美国左撇子最引以为豪的。事实上，这位微软巨头兼慈善家仅仅只是美国商界左撇子巨贾中的一位，如福特、洛克菲勒和前IBM总裁郭士纳都是左撇子。不过美国商界的左撇子团体似乎是一个“女士止步”的男士联谊会，研究表面，尽管男性的左撇子商人要比右撇子盈利更多，但是这条规律却不适合于女性。美国国家经济研究所指出，左撇子男士更青睐于“发散性”思维，这是一种创造性的思维方式，使大脑“从传统的知识转移到未曾探知的联想中去”。也许正是这样的一种思维方式创造了一张价值约估为570亿美元的“网络”。Claiming the nations richest man among their number is a source of considerable pride for Americas society of southpaws. In fact, the Microsoft titan and philanthropist is one of a surprising number of U.S. business moguls to be left-handed, including Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller and former IBM head Lou Gerstner. But the club seems to be a guys-only fraternity research suggests that while left-handed men tend to earn more than their right-handed colleagues, there is no similar advantage for women. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research floated the idea that left-handed men favor divergent thinking, a form of creativity in which the brain moves from conventional knowledge into unexplored association. Maybe thats what it takes to develop a net worth estimated at $57 billion.No.3 奥普拉温弗里拥有约27亿美元的身价和仅需她瞄一眼就能把书卖到脱销的神奇力量，这位脱口秀女王已无需更多特质来使她鹤立鸡群了，但是她同样也是左撇子俱乐部中的一员。由于左撇子男性本身要比女性多，这无疑使奥普拉更为引人注目。其他与她同为女性左撇子的名人也都非常出众，包括乌比戈德堡、茱莉亚罗伯茨和安吉丽娜朱莉(朱莉的同居男友布拉德皮特也是左撇子)。The talk-show queen doesnt need much more to set her apart from the rest what with her estimated $2.7 billion fortune and a magic ability to sell books just by glancing at them but she also has the distinction of being a member of the left-handed club. Since men are more likely to be left-handed than women, that makes Oprah doubly impressive. Shes in good company: Other show-biz ladies of the southpaw persuasion include Whoopi Goldberg, Julia Roberts and Angelina Jolie (live-in boyfriend Brad Pitt is also a lefty).No. 4 贝比鲁斯即使是棒球的伪球迷们（得，就算是你们的祖母），对“全垒打之王”和他的714支全垒打也不会陌生。但是很少有人知道在贝比鲁斯运动事业的初期，他也是一位棒球界出色的投手。在1915年至1919年之间，他以胜场数为ERA2.02的记录赢得了85场比赛（不包括三场世界竞标赛），而之后波士顿红袜队则决定把他放在本垒打的位置上更加合适。但是尽管鲁斯的左撇子使他的事业锦上添花，但是他却几乎是棒球名人堂中唯一的左撇子。棒球场上许多的位置对于左撇子来说是不可能完成的任务，如接球员、游击手、二垒手和三垒手，因为他们需要很怪异地把球绕过自己的身体才能打出去。但是左撇子在场上还是有他们特有的优势。Lefty Grove，Sandy Koufax，Warren Spahn 和Steve Carlton都曾经是令击球手闻风丧胆的左撇子投手。左撇子击球手在本垒打中同样表现出众，他们的本垒打比右撇子球员打的更出色，而更可贵的是，由于他们是左撇子，他们所站的位置要比普通球手更靠近第一垒，一些棒球场上的重击手，从Ty Cobb和Stan Musial到Ted Williams和Barry Bonds，都把这一优势发挥得恰到好处。Even casual baseball fans heck, even your grandma are familiar with the Sultan of Swat and his 714 home runs. But fewer people realize that early in his career, Ruth was also one of the games lite pitchers. Between 1915 and 1919, he won 85 games (plus three World Series contests) while notching an ERA of 2.02, before the Boston Red Sox decided hed be more valuable at the plate.But while Ruth is baseballs most decorated left-handed player, hes hardly the only Hall of Fame southpaw. Its almost impossible for lefties to thrive in certain positions including catcher, shortstop, second and third base because they are required to throw awkwardly across their bodies to make plays in the field. But southpaws have distinct advantages on the diamond. Lefty Grove, Sandy Koufax, Warren Spahn and Steve Carlton are among the left-handed pitchers who have frustrated hitters. Lefty batters also do better at the plate: they do better against right-handed pitchers and stand a precious step or two closer to first base, advantages that sluggers from Ty Cobb and Stan Musial to Ted Williams and Barry Bonds have clearly used to their benefit.No.5拿破仑波拿巴据传，拿破仑反对士兵站在道路的左边而右手拿着武器这一经历了时间考验的军事惯例，这项惯例让像他这样的左撇子在战术上非常不利。据传说中记载，这位法国国王(他的王后约瑟芬也是左撇子)掌权之后，命令军队士兵改变左右列队位置。所有他所征服的国家百姓也都必须这样做。据说，因此也就产生了我们现在所知的道路法规，这也解释了为什么英国人是靠马路左边开车的。(英国人和普鲁士人在滑铁卢打败了拿破仑)Legend has it that Napoleon objected to the time-honored military practice of marching on the left side of the road with weapons at the ready in the right hand: it put lefties like him at a strategic disadvantage. Once in power, the story goes, the French emperor whose queen, Josephine, was also a southpaw ordered his armies to switch sides. Civilians in countries he conquered had to do the same. Hence, supposedly, the rules of the road as we know them were born, which also explains why the British (who, along with the Prussians, defeated Napoleon at Waterloo) still drive on the left.No.6莱奥纳多达芬奇莱奥纳多达芬奇是历史上最杰出的人物之一，他可谓是将“左倾”发挥到了极致：他写字是从右往左写的。（某雨注：老美真大惊小怪，我们中国人几千年前就已经从右往左写了。）历史学家研究出许多创造性的理论来解释什么是所谓的“镜像书写”：之所以这么命名是因为你必须把它放在镜子上面来阅读。举个例子，或许他当时是想让那些窥探他笔记、窃取他妙想的人难以得逞。然而，还有另一种更实际更符合逻辑的说法：因为达芬奇是个左撇子，所以从左写到右对他来说太过麻烦。一些历史学家认为达芬奇的天才有部分归功于他的左撇子，因为这迫使他从奇特的角度来思考和观察。（如果是这样的话，他并非唯一，左撇子的美术家还包括文艺复兴的另两大美术界巨人米开朗基罗和拉斐尔。）Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most brilliant men in history, took his sinistrism to an extreme: he wrote from right to left. Historians have plenty of creative theories to explain this so-called mirror writing named because you had to hold it up to a glass to read it. For example: perhaps he was trying to make it harder for people to sneak a peek at his notes and lift his ideas. One argument, however, is less fanciful but perhaps more logical: writing in ink from left to right was too messy because Leonardo was a southpaw. Some historians have suggested that da Vincis left-handedness added to his genius, because it forced him to think and see in an extraordinary way. (If so, he wasnt alone: fellow left-handers include rival Renaissance titans Michelangelo and Raphael.)No.7居里夫人原子科学家居里夫人不仅仅自己是左撇子，她作为女家长，他们一家子都是建树斐然的左撇子科学家。局里夫人发现了放射原理，两次获得了诺贝尔奖，她嫁给了同为左撇子的科学家皮耶尔居里，他对居里夫人的原子研究给予了很大的帮助，还和他的夫人分享了一座诺贝尔奖。历史学家相信，他们的女儿伊雷娜也是左撇子。伊雷娜也和她的丈夫一起获得了她自己的诺贝尔奖，而她的丈夫嘛。你猜多了，也是个左撇子。左撇子科学家其实并不少见。除了居里夫人一家之外，爱因斯坦、牛顿和现代电脑科学的创始人阿兰图灵都是左撇子。Not only was atomic scientist Marie Curie left-handed, but she was the matriarch of a whole family of accomplished, southpaw scientists. Curie, who discovered the principles of radioactivity and won two Nobel Prizes, was married to fellow lefty Pierre Curie, who was instrumental in helping Maries atomic research and shared one of her Nobel awards. Historians believe their daughter, Irene, was also left-handed. Irene went on to win a Nobel Prize of her own with her husband who, you guessed it, was also left-handed.Lefty scientists are hardly unusual. In addition to the Curie clan, Einstein, Newton and Alan Turing founder of modern computer science all were left-handed as well.No.8亚里士多德一些西方早期的哲学和科学著作都是由一只左手写就的。亚里士多德写就了科学理论、早期物理学、天文学、气象学和伦理学等一系列巨著，为现代科学的大部分学科奠定了基础。而他在哲学方面的思想成果也影响了许多年之后的一位左撇子思想家：德国哲学家尼采。Some of the earliest works of western philosophy and science were written with a left hand. Aristotle, he of the scientific method, early physics, astrology, meteorology and ethics, penned an exhaustive list of works that laid the foundation of much of modern science. And his philosophical musings influenced a much later, left-handed thinker: German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche.No.9内德弗兰德斯内德弗兰德斯是左撇子，是虔诚的教徒，身体轮廓极其分明。哦，还有他是虚构的。在第三季中，霍默辛普森的隔壁邻居用他的全部积蓄开了一家叫Leftorium的店，专门销售供左撇子人士使用的产品。霍默辛普森把这家店搞垮了，但是又觉得于心有愧，就帮着重新把店开起来。虽然这家店只出现在了这一集当中，但是弗兰德斯在整个剧中都会不时提起这家店，所以我们知道这家店一直存在。根据斯普林菲尔德市最具虔诚宗教信仰的左撇子所言，Leftorium旁边现在有开了一家专卖左撇子商品大型商店，这下Leftorium的日子可不好过咯。Ned Flanders is left-handed, devoutly religious, and has a surprisingly chiseled physique. Oh, and hes fictional.In Season three of The Simpsons, Homer Simpsons next door neighbor uses his life savings to open the Leftorium, a store that specializes in products for left-handed people. Homer Simpson sends the store out of business but feels guilty about it and helps revive it. Although the store only appears in one episode When Flanders Failed Flanders occasionally references it throughout the series, so we know its still around. According to Springfields most religious lefty, the Leftorium is suffering now that a left-handed megastore, Left-Mart, opened up nearby.No.10 吉米亨德里克斯吉米亨德里克斯玩起吉他来，那是颠倒无常、花样频出，在那些狂热的吉米粉丝的父母听来，他的音乐大概也是这样的。这位六弦琴改革者喜欢将一把右手弹奏的芬得吉他反过来背在肩上，而完全不需要重新装弦：亨德里克斯训练自己如何反方向弹弦，产生一种奇特的声音，只要他愿意，他可以随意地进行左右手弹奏的互换。在亨德里克斯为伊斯里兄弟和小理查德的巡回演出做伴奏之前，他是在纳什维尔的蓝调俱乐部里学习演奏吉他的。他在1966年出现了音乐上的突破，但是由于吸毒过量，到了1970年末，他的事业就匆匆中断了。亨德里克斯所创造的这种声音扭曲和哇音使得音符也出现了扭曲和延伸，在这方面再无其他演奏者可以望其项背。多少年来，右手演奏的吉他手们妄图效仿他的这种声效，甚至于将左手吉他的指板移到自己的琴上。但是仍然还是有一种“技术”没有受到亨德里克斯左撇子的影响：把他的吉他付之一炬。干这个，他可是用了两只手。Jimi Hendrix played guitar upside down and backwards， and to his devout fans pare