Have you ever wondered why overhearing a cellphone conversation is so annoying? American researchers think they have found the answer.

無意間聽到別人通過手機聊天，自己卻開始心煩意亂，你有沒有思考過這是為什么呢？近日美國科學家們找到了答案。

Scientists at Cornell University say that - whether in the office, on a train or in a car - only half of the conversation is overheard, and this drains more attention and concentration than when overhearing two people talking.

來自路透社的報道稱，康奈爾大學的科學家宣稱，不論是在辦公室、火車上還是小轎車上，人們聽到一方的電話交談時，需要投入的注意力以及精力要高于聽到雙方完整談話所需。

"We have less control to move away our attention from half a conversation (or halfalogue) than when listening to a dialogue," said Lauren Emberson, a co-author of the study that will be published in the journal Psychological Science. "Since halfalogues really are more distracting and you can't tune them out, this could explain why people are irritated."

“與聽到兩人交談相比，只聽到一人說話更讓我們容易分神，”這篇登上《心理科學》的研究論文的撰寫者之一勞倫-艾伯森說道。“因為一人說話更讓人分心，而人們不可能對此無動于衷，這可能就是人們心煩意亂的原因。”