So the next time your son or daughter denies having touched the chocolate biscuits despite the suspicious brown smears around their mouth, there is no need to worry, according to researchers.

　　因此下次当你的女儿或者儿子挂着满嘴饼干渣对你说他并没有偷吃饼干的时候，你大可不必担心。

　　A study of 1,200 children found that a fifth of two-year-olds are likely to tell lies, rising to 90 per cent from the age of four. This figure increases further until children reach their lying peak at 12.

　　一个对1200个孩童调查报告指出，2岁到4岁之间的说谎率从20%到90%。这个数据持续增长直到孩子长到12岁。

　　But no link was found between telling porkies and a tendency to cheat in exams or commit fraud in later life.

　　但是在他们之后的人生中的作弊或者诈骗犯罪行为和说小谎可是没有什么关系。

　　Dr Kang Lee, director of the Institute of Child Study at Toronto University, examined children aged two to 17. He said: 'Parents should not be alarmed if their child tells a fib.

　　多伦多大学幼儿研究中心的李康（音）博士观察了从2岁到17岁的孩子。他说，如果孩子只是说个小谎的话，大人是无需担心的。

　　'Their children are not going to turn out to be pathological liars. Almost all children lie. It is a sign that they have reached a new developmental milestone.

　　孩子不会转变成病理学意义上的“撒谎成性”，几乎所有孩子都说谎，但这也是孩子达到一个新层次发展的里程碑。

　　'Those who have better cognitive development lie better because they can cover up their tracks.

　　说谎说的好的孩子有着更好的认知发展，因为他们可以掩盖自己的缺点。

'They may make bankers in later life.' Lying shows that children have developed 'executive functioning' - a complex juggling act which involves manipulating several brain processes to keep the truth at the back of their mind, Dr Lee said.

　　李教授说，说谎时大脑正在复杂的运作，包括要把真相隐藏起来，这个过程表明孩子有着较好的管理才能，长大后可能会进入金融业。