英语流利阅读 带在水边的快乐秘诀

2024年2月13日发(作者：买路钱)

2020,2,10 流利阅读

今日导读

不管是度假还是享受蜜月，许多人的第一选择都是去海岛。阳光、沙滩、海浪、椰林、日落、比基尼、热带水果......一片简简单单的海滩仿佛充满了无数令人快乐的元素。冲浪和潜水等各种水上活动让我们紧张的身心得到释放，即使只是躺在沙滩上听听海浪声也足以让人感到惬意。你有没有思考过这是为什么？为什么大海总能带给我们愉悦的感受？为什么泡在水里，你就可以忘记一切烦恼？今天的文章就从科学的角度带我们来理解这种由水带来的简单快乐。

正文 Blue spaces: why time spent near water is the cret of happiness

In recent years, stresd-out urbanites have been eking refuge in green spaces for the proven

positive impacts on physical and mental health, but the benefits of “blue space” — the a and

coastline, but also rivers, lakes, canals, waterfalls, even fountains — are less well publicized, yet

the science has been consistent for at least a decade: being by water is good for body and mind.

“Many of the process are exactly the same as with greenspace — with some added benefits,”

says Dr Mathew White, a nior lecturer at the University of Exeter（埃克塞特大学）.

White says there are three established pathways by which the prence of water is positively

related to health and happiness. First, there are the beneficial environmental factors, such as less

polluted air and more sunlight. Second, people who live by water tend to be more physically

active.

Third — and this is where blue space ems to have an edge over other natural environments —

water has a psychologically restorative effect.

When you are sailing, surfing or swimming, says White, “you’re really in tune with natural forces

there.” By being forced to concentrate on the qualities of the environment, we access a cognitive

state honed over millennia（打磨了数千年的认知状态）. Water is, quite literally, immersive.

Catherine Kelly is a wellness practitioner（健康专家） who teaches class in “mindfulness by the

a”. She says the a has a meditative quality.

“To go to the a is synonymous with letting go,” says Kelly. “It could be lying on a beach or

somebody handing you a cocktail. For somebody el, it could be a wild, empty coast. But there is

this really human n of: ‘Oh, look, there’s the a’ — and the shoulders drop.”

全文翻译： 蓝色空间：为什么说待在水边是快乐的秘诀

近年来，因为绿色空间已被证实对身心健康有积极影响，“压力山大”的都市人一直在逃往绿色空间，但“蓝色空间”（包括海洋和海岸线、以及河流、湖泊、运河、瀑布，甚至喷泉）的好处却没有得到很好的宣传，然而科学界其实有着长达至少十年的共识：待在水边对人的身心也有好处。

埃克塞特大学的高级讲师马修·怀特博士说：“蓝色空间和身心健康相关联的过程与绿色空间完全一致，甚至还有一些额外的好处。”

怀特说，水的存在与人的健康和幸福感呈正相关，目前有三种已被确认的相关性。第一，有利的环境因素，比如较少的空气污染和较多的阳光；第二，靠水生活的人往往会进行更多的运动。

第三，水有调节心态的作用，这也是蓝色空间似乎比其他自然环境更具优势的地方。

怀特说，当你在航海、冲浪或游泳时，“你会真实地感到与大自然的力量融为一体。”当我们被迫将注意力集中到环境的特点上时，我们会进入一种被打磨了数千年的认知状态。水使人沉浸其中，不论身体还是心灵。

凯瑟琳·凯莉是一名健康专家，她教授一门叫“海边正念”的课程。她说大海有一种适合冥想的特质。

“去海边就等同于忘掉烦心事，”凯莉说。“去海边可能等同于躺在沙滩上，或是有人递给你一杯鸡尾酒。而对于另一些人来说，去海边可能等同于探索荒无人烟的海岸。但这些人都会不约而同地感叹：‘啊，你看，是大海！’然后紧张的肩膀瞬间就放松了。这种人性深处的共鸣是一样的。”

重点词汇

stresd-out adj. 紧张的，焦虑的，担心的 同义词：stresd

urbanite/ˈɝː.bən.aɪt/ n. 都市人；城市居民；喜欢城市生活的人 urban（adj. 都市的）

refuge/ˈːdʒ/ n. 避难所；庇护所 refugee（n. 难民）

英文释义：A refugee is someone who has taken refuge.

have an edge over ...比...更占优势 相关词汇：edge（n. 刀刃；优势）

restorative/rɪˈstɔːr.ə.t̬ɪv/ adj. 促进精力复元的；促进健康恢复的

n. 使健康或精力恢复的东西

restore（v. 恢复）having the ability to restore health, strength, or a feeling of well-being

搭配短语：restore order

例句：After a hard day at the office, a hot bath is a welcome restorative.

in tune with与…协调，与…相契合 in tune with times（顺应时势）

cognitive/ˈkɑːɡ.nə.t̬ɪv/adj. 感知的；认知的

搭配短语：cognitive ability/development

hone/hoʊn/ v. 磨砺； v. 把...磨快，训练 n. 磨石

英文释义：to make an object sharp /to sharpen skills

例句：She honed her debating skills at college.

millennium/mɪˈlen.i.əm/ n. 一千年 复数变换：millennia/millenniums

immersive/ɪˈmɝː.sɪv/ adj. 带来沉浸感的；身临其境的

immer v. 浸泡；专心做... immer onelf in sth.

例句：She would immer herlf in books whenever she can.

practitioner/prækˈtɪʃ.ən.ɚ/ n. 从业人员 a medical practitioner (= a doctor)

mindfulness/ˈmaɪnd.fəl.nəs/ n. 正念

英文释义：a mental state achieved by concentrating on the prent moment, while calmly

accepting the feelings and thoughts that come to you, ud as a technique to help you relax

例句：I have been practicing mindfulness for 6 months.

meditative/ˈmed.ə.teɪ.t̬ɪv/ adj. 冥想的 meditate v. 冥想 meditation n. 冥想

synonymous/sɪˈnɑː.nə.məs/ adj. 同义的，等同的 synonym n. 同义词

搭配短语：be synonymous with

human/ˈhjuː.mən/ adj. 人本性的；通人情的

英文释义：showing the weakness that are typical of people, which means that other people

should not criticize the person too much

搭配短语：human weakness/failings

英文释义：having the same feelings and emotions as most ordinary people

例句：The public is always attracted to politicians who have the human touch.

拓展阅读

文化补充：奥斯卡王尔德（Oscar Wilde）

1854 年 10 月 16 日，奥斯卡·王尔德生于都柏林，是一位风格浮夸、炫耀、机智的剧作家、诗人和评论家。他的创作生涯始于十九世纪的最后十年，并发表小说《道林·格雷的画像》，以及随后三部获得高度关注和巨大成功的喜剧：《温夫人的扇子》、《理想丈夫》和《不可儿戏》。1895 年，在他声望的顶峰，王尔德因同性恋行为而入狱，后为此经历发表作品《雷丁监狱之歌》。以下节选部分奥斯卡·王尔德语录:

The only thing wor than being talked about is not being talked about.

世上只有一件事比被人议论更糟糕，那就是没有人议论你。

Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative

谈论天气是无趣人类最后的避难所。

Men marry becau they are tired; women becau they are curious; both are disappointed.

男人因疲倦而结婚，女人因好奇而结婚；最终他们都会失望。

The happiness of a married man depends on the people he has not married.

已婚者的快乐来自那些他没有娶的人。

Men become old, but they never become good.

人们越长越老，但绝不会越变越好。