So why do we talk to ourselves?

那么，我们为什么要自言自语呢？

How we talk to ourselves matters, and how we talk about issues makes a difference.

我们如何与自己交谈是重要的，我们如何谈论问题也是不同的。

And we can talk to ourselves, let alone measuring that intelligence in animals.

我们可以自言自语， 更不用说测量动物的智力了。

Which is one of the ways we can talk to ourselves in toxic ways.

这是我们以有毒的方式与自己交谈的方式之一。

But Skinner doesn't literally mean that when we talk to ourselves somebody gives us food pellets.

但是斯金纳并不是字面意思是当我们自言自语时有人给我们食物颗粒。

We don't tell other people we talk to ourselves, but it's part of the thinking process I think.

我们不会告诉别人我们在自言自语，但我认为这是思考过程的一部分。

Now, in addition to having opinions in English, when we're thinking, we often talk to ourselves and we tell ourselves what to do.

现在，除了用英语发表意见，当我们思考的时候，我们经常自言自语，告诉自己该做什么。

Skinner, in his book Verbal Behavior, talks about the question of why do we do things like talk to ourselves, imitate sounds, create art, give bad news to an enemy, fantasize about pleasant situations?

Skinner 在他的《言语行为》一书中，谈到了这样一个问题：我们为什么要自言自语、模仿声音、创造艺术、向敌人传达坏消息、幻想愉快的情况？