生活英语|placebo button 安慰按钮

A placebo^{1 button is a push-button with apparent functionality that actually has no effect when pressed. Such buttons can be psychologically rewarding to pressers by giving an illusion of control.}

安慰按钮指的是表面上看拥有某种功能，但实质按下去却效果不好的按钮。这种按钮能给用户带来心理上的收成，叫人产生控制感。

They are commonly placed in situations where it would have once been useful to have such a button but the system now proceeds automatically.

安慰按钮常出目前过去有用，但后来系统达成了智能化的地方。

In some cases the button may have been functional^{2, but may have failed or been disabled during installation or maintenance or was, in a relatively3 small number of cases, installed to keep people contented4, much in the same way as placebos5.}

在一些例子中，这个按钮可能一直在用中，但可能已经失效，或在安装修理中失去了功能；在少数例子中，安装这种按钮是为了叫人们认可，像安慰剂。