相关研究专家坚信,由于男女在史前时代的分工不同,导致了他们不同的购物方式。

Differing roles in prehistoric times have evolved into differing shopping styles, the researchers believe.

  
当女人同孩子们一起去收集食物的时候,男人则充当猎手的角色,他们常常要详细计划如何捕捉并杀死猎物。

While women spent their days gathering food often with children, men were hunters who made specific plans about how to catch and kill their prey.

  
研究认为,这两种获取食物的方式也反映出我们当下各异的购物习惯。

The two approaches to how we used to obtain food mirrors how we shop in modern times, the study believes.

  
他表示,女性之所以会花费几个小时来寻找合适的服装,赠品或其它物品,那是因为在过去他们需要长年累月地寻找质量上乘,且有益健康的食物。

He said women would spend hours trying to find the right outfit, present or object, because they had in the past spent ages trying to find the best quality and health giving foods.

  
与女人不同的是,男人在外出打猎之前,总是要事先决定好狩猎目标,之后才去寻找它们。一旦发现猎物,就会将其杀死并带回家中。

Men on the other hand, decided in advance what animal they wanted to kill and then went looking for it. Once it was found - and killed - they returned home.

  
美国密歇根大学的丹尼尔克鲁格教授表示,这项研究将有助于解释,夫妇一起购物时为何会摩擦不断。

Professor Daniel Kruger of the University of Michigan said the study could be the answer to why there was so much conflict when couples shopped together.

  
克鲁格教授说,觅食是史前时代一个日常的社会行为,小孩子常常也参与其中,就像现在女性喜欢带着小孩子逛街一样。

Foraging was a daily social activity in prehistoric times and often young children were included, much like they are today when women shop, Prof Kruger said.

  
他说,从洞穴人时代起,女性就获得了挑选优质食物的能力,这是因为,如果她们选错了食物(浆果或坚果),就会致人死亡。

Women gained the skills of how to get the best quality food in cave man times because if they chose the wrong berry or nut it could kill, he said.

  
“觅食的时候,女性善于通过颜色、气味和外形来判断某种物品是否可以食用且有益健康。”他说。

“When gathering, women must be very adept at choosing just the right colour, texture and smell to ensure food safety and quality”he said.

  
“她们还必须知道恰当的收割时机,以及某块收割的田地何时再次丰收。”

“They also must time harvests and know when a certain depleted patch will regenerate and yield good harvest again.”

“现代社会里,女人要比男人了解更多特定商品的促销信息,并会花费更多时间挑选优质的布料,颜色以及质感。”

“In modern terms, women are much more likely than men to know when a specific type of item will go on sale. Women also spend much more time choosing the perfect fabric, colour and texture.”

  
克鲁格教授在寒假期间同朋友们周游欧洲,回来之后他决定进行该项研究。

Prof Kruger decided to conduct the study after a winter holiday trip with friends across Europe.

  
克鲁格教授回忆说,在游历了一些恬静的小村庄后,我们终于抵到了布拉格,而女人们做的第一件事就是购物,这将男人们弄得一头雾水。

After exploring sleepy little villages and reaching Prague, the first thing the women wanted to do was shop, Prof Kruger said, and the men could not understand why.

  
“但如果你清楚进化赋予她们的这种搜集习惯,那么这种行为也就合情合理了,”他说。

"But that is not so unreasonable if you're thinking about a gathering strategy," he said.

  
“每一次你到达一个新的地方,你总想瞧一瞧当地的景观,并找出饲料地的位置。”

"Anytime you come into a new area you want to scope out the landscape and find out where the food patches are."

  
克鲁格教授表示,从另一角度,史前时期的男性必须确定具体的猎物,这就意味着在此过程中,他们必须保持冷静客观,就如同他们如今购物时表现的那样。

Prof Kruger said on the other hand in prehistoric times men had to hunt for specific items which meant they had to be clinical in their approach like they are now with shopping.

  
“男人往往是在决定了想要购买的东西以后,走进商场,买下商品之后转身离开,”他表示。

"Men often have a specific item in mind and want to get in, get it and get out," he said.
 
 
“因为考虑到狩猎中孩子并不安全,也可能会拖慢行程。男人希望尽快将肉类送到家里。”

"It's critical to get meat home as quickly as possible. Taking young children isn't safe in a hunt and would likely hinder progress."

  
克鲁格表示,如果男性和女性能够相互理解对方的购物习惯,就会避免购物过程中发生的争执。

Prof Kruger said if men and women understood each other's shopping strategies they could avoid arguments in the shops.

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