Do IQ tests really measure how smart you are?

　　智力测验真的能测出你有多聪明吗？

　　George has an IQ of 134. His wife, Elizabeth is even smarter, with an IQ of 142. With a combined IQ of nearly 280, they figure it stands to reason that their children will be pretty bright, too.

　　乔治的智商为134。他的太太伊丽莎白甚至更聪明，智商为142。两人的智商加起来将近280，他们认为他们的小孩想必也很聪明。

　　Since they were first invented in 1908, IQ (Intelligence Quotient) tests have been telling people how smart they are. Designed to assess problem-solving skills, the tests are used by schools, governments and companies around the world to measure intellectual potential.

　　自从智商﹙智力商数﹚测验于1908年被发明以来，它们一直在告诉人们他们有多聪明。设计这个测验是为评估解决问题的技巧，它被世界各地的学校、政府和公司用来测量智能潜力。

　　The average score on an IQ test is 100 and, on most tests, a score between 85 and 115 indicates average intelligence. A score above 130 shows exceptional intelligence, while a score under 70 may indicate mental retardation.

　　智商测验的平均分数是100，在多数测验中，分数在85和115之间表示智力普通，超过130分表示智力超群，分数低于70则有可能为智力低下。

　　There’s no denying that many people who are generally considered to be geniuses also have high IQs. Albert Einstein had an IQ of 160, while Bobby Fischer, a champion chess player, is estimated to have an IQ of 187. Mensa, a “genius club” founded in 1948, is open to anyone whose IQ is in the top 2% of the general population.

　　不可否认，一般被认定为天才的很多人也拥有高智商。艾尔伯特·爱因斯坦的智商为160，国际象棋冠军鲍比·菲舍尔的智商估计有187。创立于1948年的“天才俱乐部”，国际高智商协会(Mensa)，欢迎任何智商高居常人前2%的人参加。

　　But does having a high IQ really mean you’re that much smarter than everybody else? It depends on what you mean by smart. Because the tests can’t say much about how creative you are or how much general knowledge you have, some feel that IQ tests shouldn’t be used to measure intelligence. In fact, some people say the only thing a high IQ indicates is that you’re good at taking IQ tests.

　　但是拥有高智商真的意味着你比其他人聪明很多吗？这要看你认为智商是什么。因为这些测验没办法判定你有多少创造力，或者你有多少常识。有些人觉得智商测验不应该用来测量智力。事实上，有些人说高智商只表明一件事，就是你对智力测验很在行。

　　Einstein himself was a little dismissive of his own high IQ. “It’s not that I’m so smart,” he once said. “It’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

　　爱因斯坦本人对自己的高智商有一点不屑。“我并不特别聪明。”他曾经这样说，“我只是在问题上坚持的时间比较长罢了。”