EZCNN 易英网

Touch and Vision – Our Guides 神奇的触觉与视觉

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Our sense of touch is based on millions of tiny sensors all over our skin. These sensors are able to instantly tell our brain if we are feeling something pleasant, like fluffy cotton, or something disgusting, like hundreds of crawling maggots. In the BBC seriesHuman Senses, we are given a look into just how far our sense of touch and other senses can go.

我们的触觉以遍布在皮肤上的数百万传感器为基础。当我们感觉到舒服如松软的棉花，或恶心如数百只蠕动的蛆时，这些传感器都能立刻告诉大脑。在BBC的「人类感官」节目中，我们将能了解，触觉和其他感官有多大的能耐。

Pain is an important part of our sense of touch. It is our bodies’ way of protecting us from harm. For example, when our hands are scorched by boiling water, we feel great pain and immediately pull our hands away from the hot water. However, we can handle a lot more pain if we do not expect something to hurt. In one experiment, a doctor gave people fake painkillers and then shocked them with electricity. They were able to handle much more pain than those who did not take the “painkillers.”

痛觉是触觉很重要的一部分，乃人体的一种防护方式。例如，手被沸水烫到时，我们会感到极大的痛楚，立刻将手伸回来。然而，如果我们并未预期某种事物将带来疼痛，便能忍受更多的痛楚。在某实验中，医生给受测者假止痛剂，然后对他们施以电击。比起没有服用「止痛剂」的人，这些人能忍受更大的疼痛。

In another demonstration of withstanding pain, the host of the BBC program lay down on four sharp swords with a brick on his chest. A man with a sledgehammer smashed the brick into dust. By imaging something else entirely, such as swimming in a pool, the host felt no pain at all.

在另一场忍受疼痛的示范中，BBC节目主持人躺在四把利剑上，胸膛还放了一块砖，另一名男子拿大槌子敲碎砖头。主持人藉由彻底想象别的事情，像是在池子里游泳，一点也不觉得痛。

Vocabulary

单词发音

fluffy [ˋflʌfɪ] adj. 松软的; 毛茸茸的

disgusting [dɪsˋgʌstɪŋ] adj. 令人作呕的

experiment [ɪkˋspɛrəmənt] n. 实验；试验

withstand [wɪðˋstænd] v. 忍受; 抵挡；禁得起

smash [smæʃ] v. 击碎，粉碎

More Information

单词发音

maggot [ˋmægət] n. 蛆

crawl [krɔl] v. 爬，爬行

scorch [skɔrtʃ] v. 把……烧焦，把……烤焦

painkiller [`penˏkɪlɚ] n. 止痛药

shock [ʃɑk] v. 使电击

sledgehammer [ˋslɛdʒ͵hæmɚ] n. 大锤

课文朗读

课文讲解

Almost one-third of our brain’s activity is devoted to our sense of sight. Notice how our eyes instantly focus on something that moves. Our ancestors developed this instinct when they had to hunt animals to survive. However, what if our vision is impaired?

脑部将近三分之一的活动都与视觉有关。你可以留意一下，我们的双眼如何将焦点立即放在移动的物体上。这是我们的祖先狩猎时发展出来的本能。然而，要是我们的视力受损了怎么办？

A psychologist in Chicago created a pair of goggles that turned everything he saw upside down. In the beginning, he was as helpless as an infant. Simple things like catching a ball or eating were too difficult for him. Nevertheless, our eyes have the amazing ability to adapt to new circumstances. After two weeks, the psychologist was able to move almost normally and even ride a bike!

芝加哥一位心理学家发明了一副眼镜，能将所见之物上下颠倒。最初，他像婴儿一样无助，接球或吃东西等简单动作对他来说都太难。然而，我们的双眼有适应新环境的神奇能力。两星期之后，心理学家已几乎能正常行动，甚至还能骑单车！

Our eyes can even see into the future. In Major League Baseball, the pitched ball moves incredibly fast. It would be impossible for the batter to hit the ball by simply tracking the ball with his eyes. However, scientists have discovered that skilled baseball players’ eyes analyze the spin and speed of the ball as soon as it leaves the pitcher’s hand. Almost before the batter knows it, he is swinging in the right place.

我们的双眼甚至能预见未来。在职棒大联盟的比赛中，投手投球的速度极快，打击者光是用眼睛盯着球，是不可能打到球的。但科学家发现，一旦球飞离投手，技巧纯熟的选手就会马上以双眼分析球的旋转和速度。打击者几乎在自己意识到前，就已经以正确的角度挥棒了。

It is amazing when you think about what our bodies can do. Whether it’s feeling fluffy cotton, ignoring extreme pain or hitting baseballs traveling at 150 km/hr, our senses help us interact with and survive in our wide world.

当你想到人体所能做的事情时，一定会觉得不可思议。不论是摸着松软的棉花、无视于极度痛楚，或击中时速150公里的球，我们的感官帮助我们和广大的世界互动，并在其中生存。

−by Timothy David de Sosa

Vocabulary

单词发音

devoted [dɪˋvotɪd] adj. 专心致志的[(+to)]

instinct [ˋɪnstɪŋkt] n. 本能

psychologist [saɪˋkɑlədʒɪst] n. 心理学家

analyze [ˋæn!͵aɪz] v. 分析

interact [͵ɪntəˋrækt] v. 互动

More Information

单词发音

impair [ɪmˋpɛr] v. 损害，损伤

goggles [ˋgɑg!z] n.（复）护目镜

upside down 倒置地﹐ 颠倒地

see into 预见 to discover the true nature of

Reading Questions

1.   According to the article, why is the feeling of pain useful?

A. Because it teaches us not to touch disgusting things like worms.

B. Because it can let us know when water is suitable to drink.

C. Because it helps us tell the difference between pleasant and unpleasant things

D. Because it can prevent our bodies from getting injured.

2.   How did the BBC program host withstand the pain caused by the swords and sledgehammer?

A. By converting the pain into joy.

B. By focusing on a mental image.

C. By taking painkillers before the demonstration.

D. By facing the pain head-on.

3.   How does a skilled baseball player hit a fast ball?

A. His eyes figure out where the ball will be by the way it is thrown.

B. He relies on his hunting instinct to notice moving objects.

C. He tracks the ball closely with his eyes and hits the ball with all his strength.

D. He wears special goggles when he trains in a baseball field.

4.   What is the article mainly about?

A. The superiority of our sense of sight to our sense of touch.

B. Some incredible facts about human senses.

C. The evolutionary factors that caused human senses to develop.

D. Several ways of fooling our five senses.

Human Senses Touch and Vision

Answer