Facing a tough decision? Research suggests that the best way to solve a complicated problem is to not think about it.

遇到了棘手问题？英国《每日邮报》11月1日报道称，研究发现，解决一个复杂问题的最好办法就是暂时不去想它。

According to researchers, distracting yourself for a few minutes with something else or sleeping on it overnight helps the brain come up with the ideal solution. And those who struggle with a difficult question are more likely to get the wrong answer, compared with those who put it on the mental backburner, experiments show.

研究人员称，干别的事来分散注意力几分钟，或者干脆睡一觉，大脑会随后想出理想的解决方案。而实验证明，那些揪住困境不放者更有可能得出错误的答案。

Students were asked to choose the best models from four imaginary makes of car. Each had 12 different features but two had better road holding and fuel economy. After reading about each car, one group of students was asked to make an instant choice. Another group carried out a second test which was designed to occupy their minds for five minutes before making their decision.

参加实验的学生们需从四个虚拟汽车模型中选择性能最佳的模型。每个模型都有12个不同的特征，但是其中两个在路面控制和节能方面性能更加。在阅读完毕相关材料后，一组学生需立即做出选择。而另一组学生在回答之前先做另一组测验，分散注意力五分钟后再进行选择。

Volunteers in the second group were more likely to select the best car, the results showed. Experts believe this is because their subconscious¹ minds were given the time to weigh up all the pros³ and cons².

结果显示，第二组的志愿者们选择正确答案的几率更大。专家们认为这是因为他们处在潜意识中的思维有时间衡量利弊。

Psychologist Maarten Bos, who led the research at Radboud University in the Netherlands, said: "Unconscious thought produces better decisions than when people decide immediately. It allows us to differentiate⁴ between the vital and the irrelevant⁵ aspects."

来自荷兰内梅亨大学的心理学家、该研究带头人马尔特称：“与人们立即决定相比，潜意识会催生更好的决策。它给我们机会区分事情的关键和无关紧要的方面。”