Taking a bottle of water into the exam hall could help students boost their grades, researchers claim.

　　英國研究人員聲稱，帶瓶水進考場能幫助提高考生的成績。

　　A study of university students found that those who brought drinks, especially water, with them as they sat their exams performed up to 10 per cent better than those who did not.

　　這項針對大學生的研究表明，把飲品尤其是水帶入考場考試的同學，比沒帶的考生成績要好，最高能達到10%。

　　Psychologists said it was unclear why drinking water would improve your performance but said that being better hydrated could have a helpful impact on the brain, and knowing you had a bottle with you might make you feel more reassured.

　　心理學家表示，現在並不清楚為什麼喝水能提高成績，但是多喝水確實對大腦有益，考生知道自己隨身帶瓶水可能會感覺比較安心。

　　The researchers studied hundreds of university students in their first and second years of degree courses and at pre-degree"foundation" level and observed what drinks, if any, they brought into exam halls with them.

　　研究人員針對幾百名大學生，對他們大一和大二的學位課課程考試和預科班入門級課程考試進行了研究，並觀察他們隨身帶入考場的飲品。

　　Their study, presented at the British Psychological Society annual conference in London on Wednesday, found that those who brought drinks in with them averaged five per cent better in exams.

　　這項研究在本週三倫敦英國心理協會年會上進行了介紹，研究結果表明攜帶飲品進入考場的學生平均成績要高5%。

　　The students` coursework and predicted grades were considered in the calculations to ensure it was not simply the case that more intelligent students were more likely to bring drinks with them.

　　考生的作業和估計分數在計算中考慮在內，來保證結果不會因越聰明的學生越有可能把飲品帶入考場這一可能而出現偏差。

　　For students at foundation level, grades improved by 10 per cent while there was no significant benefit for those at second year level.

　　在預科班的考生中，攜帶飲品進考場的考生比不帶飲品的考生分數要高10%，而大二考生的這一差別並不明顯。

　　Mark Gardner of Westminster University, one of the collaborating researchers, said: "If it turns out to be that the effect is indeed larger for younger students we think it could be important – those students could be more anxious and the water is having an effect on exam anxiety, perhaps through beliefs about the positive effects of water.

　　威斯敏斯特大學的老師馬克加德納參與了該項研究。他説：“如果事實證明，年齡較小的考生這一效果更加明顯，那我們認為這項研究非常重要——那些學生可能更加焦慮，水能幫他們減輕考試時的壓力，也許是因為他們堅信水會對他們有益，所以結果才會這樣。”

　　"Or it could be that the younger students might not eat as healthily, have possibly been out late the night before, and might need to drink more water to stop them being dehydrated."

　　“也有可能是年齡較小的考生飲食並不健康，考試前晚很可能熬夜，所以需要飲用一些水來防止自己脫水。”