WHEN caught in pouring rain without an umbrella, most people pick up their pace. But an old tale advises that a person who runs in the rain gets wetter than one who walks.

　　没带雨伞却遭遇瓢泼大雨，多数人会加快脚步。但有句古话说的却是，在雨里跑比走会淋得更湿。

　　It sounds reasonable that when someone runs up and down, the body is exposed to more drops of water. 　　
　　这听起来似乎不无道理，因为人们在跑动时，身体暴露得多，淋到的雨也多。

　　But several studies have put this saying to the test and found it not to be true. One such test was carried out in 1987 and was published in European Journal of Physics magazine. The Italian physicist who did the experiment said that if the distance is short enough, running gets a person less wet than walking. But running only keeps you about 10 per cent drier. That is to say, running isn't worth the effort.

　　可是，有几项研究对这种说法进行了验证，却发现事实并非如此。其中的一项研究就是1987年的一个试验，发表在欧洲物理杂志期刊上。做这项实验的意大利物理学家说如果距离足够短的话，人们跑比走会少受雨淋。但是，跑比走使人们仅仅少淋10％的雨。这就是说，并不值得跑步躲雨。

　　Another study, published in 1995 by a British researcher, found that it made no difference whether a person walked or ran. 　　

　　一名英国研究者在1995年发布的另外一项研究指出，在雨中不管走还是跑都没有什么差别。

　　Perhaps the final word came from two American scientists at the National Climatic Data Centre in North Carolina recently. They thought that earlier studies overestimated the average walking pace. So, they did a much more careful experiment than any of the previous ones. 　　

　　或许，北卡罗来纳州国家气候数据中心的两名美国科学家最近的研究可以一锤定音。他们认为早期研究过高估算了走路的步速。因此，他们做的试验比以前更为细致。

　　They noticed that the direction of the wind really matters to the results of the experiment. They also found that runners like to lean forward, hiding the front of their bodies from rain, but exposing the back. 　　

　　他们发现，实际上风向影响着实验结果。他们还发现跑着的人习惯向前倾，把身体前面挡起来，可是后面却暴露在外。

　　The researchers used themselves as guinea pigs in the test. Over a distance of 100 metres, they found that running in heavy rain kept them drier by as much as 40 per cent. 　　

　　研究者把自己当作豚鼠亲自进行实验。他们发现，在大雨中跑100米能使他们少淋40％的雨。

　　The bottom line is running in the rain probably keeps you drier than walking. But do remember to take an umbrella with you! For long distances, without an umbrella, the results are the same, no matter you run or walk. 　　

　　在雨里跑可能至少比走要少淋雨，但切记还是要带把雨伞！如果路途长，不管是走还是跑，没有伞淋雨的结果都是一样的。