返程總比去程快？這是“返程效應”

Return trip effect refers to the illusion that the return trip takes less time than the initial trip, even when the distance and actual time of both trips are the same.

“返程效應”指的是一種錯覺，總覺得返程用時間比去程的時間短，而其實路程距離和所花的時間都是一樣的。

What causes this so-called “return trip effect”? You might guess that it has something to do with knowing the route — on the way back, you see landmarks that help you better gauge when you’re close to your destination. Well, you’d be wrong! According to a study, the return trip effect is seen even when people take different routes on the outward and return trips.

那么，產生“返程效應”的原因是什么呢?你可能會覺得是因為返程時你已熟知路線，在返回的途中，你看到的一些地標物可以幫助你估計距離目的地還有多遠。可是，你錯了!有研究顯示，出行和返回時采取不同的路線時還是會有“返程效應”。

A team in Japan released a new report in the journal PLOS ONE detailing the latest effort to solve the mystery. This group’s take? That the return trip effect is created by travelers’ memories of their journeys — and those memories alone.

日本一個研究小組最近在PLOS ONE期刊上發(fā)表的研究報告為我們解開了這個謎團。他們給出的解釋是，“返程效應”是由出行者對旅程的記憶導致的，而且這是該效應產生的唯一原因。