According to the Science Focus, numerous studies have shown that long-term partners tend to look alike.

据《科学焦点》杂志（Science Focus），有大量研究表明，长期伴侣往往看上去很像。

But is that because they look alike in the first place? Or because they became more similar looking over time? Or is it because of shared diets, lifestyles, mannerisms or some other factor?

但这是否是由于他们一开始就长得像？还是因为随着时间推移，他们变得越来越像（more similar-looking）？亦或是因为共同的饮食（shared diets）、生活方式（lifestyles）、言谈举止（mannerisms）或其他一些因素？

A team of researchers from Stanford University in the US put together a database of pictures of 517 couples, taken soon after getting married and then decades later.

为了找到答案，美国斯坦福大学的一个研究团队收集了517对夫妇的照片数据，这些照片分别是在他们婚后不久和几十年后拍摄的。

Using advanced facial recognition software and human judges, they showed that although long-term couples do tend to look alike, they don’t become more alike over time. In other words, this study supports the claim that we tend to choose partners who look like us.

通过使用先进的人脸识别软件和人工评判手段，团队发现，虽然长期伴侣往往看上去确实很像，但他们并不会随着时间推移变得越来越像。
也就是说，这项研究支持了这一说法：即我们倾向于选择与我们长得像的伴侣。

This brings facial appearance in line with other traits – such as interests, personality, intelligence, attitudes, values and wellbeing – which show initial similarity but do not converge over time.

经过研究发现，面部相貌与如兴趣、个性、智力、态度、价值观和幸福感在内的其他特征情况一致，它们起初会表现出相似性，但并不会随着时间推移而趋同。

But while we may not become more alike in appearance, our skin microbiome will certainly look more alike over the years.

不过，尽管我们在外表上可能不会变得越来越像，但多年后我们的皮肤微生物群肯定会更像。

In a study carried out a few years ago, which was published in the journal mSystems, scientists decided to analyse the skin microbiomes of cohabiting couples and they found that living together significantly influences the microbial communities on each other’s skin.
在几年前进行的一项研究中，科学家决定分析同居伴侣的皮肤微生物群。他们发现共同生活会大大影响彼此皮肤上的微生物群。

The impact of living together on their microbial community was so strong that computer algorithms could identify cohabiting couples with 86 per cent accuracy based on their skin microbiomes alone.
研究人员发现，共同生活对微生物群落的影响是十分巨大的，以至于计算机算法能够仅靠皮肤微生物群就确定同居伴侣，且准确性达到86%。

The area of the body where cohabiting couples were the most alike, microbe-wise, was the feet. This is not altogether surprising as many of us will pad around our homes barefooted.

该研究还指出，同居伴侣身体上微生物群最相似的部位是脚。这是因为很多人会光着脚在家里走来走去。

The results of this research have sparked extensive discussion. Some netizens said: "It turns out that we like another self." And other said: "The so-called ' husband-wife looks' is that the running-in of life has made the husband and wife more and more tacit."

这一研究结果引发广泛讨论，有网友留言表示：“原来我们喜欢的是另一个自己”，也有网友表示，“所谓的‘夫妻相’是生活的磨合让夫妻俩默契程度越来越高”。

英语新闻丨“夫妻相”真的存在吗？答案你可能想不到… 02:28 Share

China Daily Podcast

Shownotes Transcript

英语新闻丨“夫妻相”真的存在吗？答案你可能想不到…