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The Nightmare of Sleep Paralysis 揭开鬼压床之谜

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You are lying in bed, somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, when suddenly, you are gripped by the terrifying sensation that you can’t move it. It’s as though your mind and body have become completely disconnected from one another. This phenomenon has been called many names over the centuries, but today we know it as sleep paralysis.

当你正躺在床上半睡半醒之际，突然被某种无法动弹的恐怖感觉控制住。这种感觉就像你的心灵完全脱离肉体，两者间毫无关连。此病征在许多世纪被冠以多种称呼。今日，我们则称它为睡眠瘫痪。

As many as four in ten people suffer from sleep paralysis which, though frightening, is not considered a dangerous health problem. Rather, sleep paralysis merely indicates that the brain and body are unsynchronized at the beginning or end of REM sleep. During instances of sleep paralysis, one may be unable to move for a few seconds up to a few minutes. It might happen when you are falling asleep or when you are waking up. Causes include lack of sleep, an inconsistent sleep schedule, certain mental conditions such as bipolar disorder, or even simply sleeping on your back.

每十人之中就有四个人为睡眠瘫痪所苦。睡眠瘫痪的经历虽吓人，却不被视为危及健康的问题。更准确地说，它仅仅是种大脑与身体在快速动眼期开始或结束之际的不协调情况。在睡眠瘫痪的例子中，一个人可能有几秒或甚至数分钟的时间无法动弹。睡眠瘫痪可能发生于正要进入梦乡或快要醒来时，其原因包含睡眠不足、不规律的入睡时间、某些如双极性情感疾病（或译狂躁躁郁症）的心理因素，或只不过是以仰卧之姿入睡。

Different cultures have had their own terms for sleep paralysis. In Newfoundland, people called it the “old hag.” This was their name for an old witch who was thought to sit on the chest of the sleeper, which explained why people sometimes felt as though they were suffocating during spells of sleep paralysis. People in the West Indies called it “kokma” – a ghost baby who would jump on the sleeper’s chest and attack the throat.

不同的文化有着各自对睡眠瘫痪的称呼。在纽芬兰，人们称它为「old hag」，该词用以指称老巫婆，意谓发生睡眠瘫痪就像有个老巫婆坐在睡眠者的胸膛上，而这也解释了为何人们发生睡眠瘫痪时有窒息之感。在西印度群岛，人们称睡眠瘫痪为「kokma」,意指一个鬼娃儿跳到睡眠者的胸膛并掐住其咽喉。

Luckily, there are some easy ways to combat sleep paralysis. Improving your sleep habits, using antidepressant medication to regulate sleep cycles, and treating any other sleep disorders are all ways to keep the old hag at bay.

幸运的是，有些简单的方法可以克服睡眠瘫痪。改善你的睡眠习惯、使用抗忧郁药物以调整你的睡眠周期，并治疗任何其他的睡眠失调，都是所有赶走「老巫婆」的方法。

－by Joe Henley

Vocabulary

单词发音

grip [grɪp] v. 握（或咬，夹）牢

terrifying [`tɛrəˏfaɪɪŋ] adj. 极其可怕的

sensation [sɛnˋseʃən]  n. 感觉; 知觉

phenomenon [fəˋnɑmə͵nɑn] n. 现象

sleep paralysis [pəˋræləsɪs] n. 睡眠麻痹（入睡后全身瘫痪，有意识存在，入睡麻痹的一种现象）

frightening adj. 吓人的; 可怕的

unsynchronized [ʌn'sɪŋkrənaɪzd] adj. 不协调的；不同步的

instance [ˋɪnstəns] n. 例子，实例

inconsistent [͵ɪnkənˋsɪstənt] adj. 易变的，反复无常的

bipolar disorder 双极人格失常；双相情感障碍

hag [hæg] n.（凶恶的）丑老太婆，母夜叉

suffocate [ˋsʌfə͵ket] v. 窒息，呼吸困难

spell [spɛl] n.（疾病等的）一阵发作

antidepressant [͵æntɪdɪˋprɛsənt] n. 抗抑郁剂

treat [trit] v. 医疗，治疗 to give medical aid to

More Information

片语发音

keep something or someone at bay 不使...迫近  to prevent something or someone unpleasant from coming too near you or harming you

Reading Questions

1.  Why do people from Newfoundland call sleep paralysis the “old hag”?

(A)  It’s a disease that makes you feel old.

(B)  The first person to suffer from it was an evil witch.

(C)  Because it is one of the coldest conditions on the planet.

(D)  It was given that nickname due to an old fable.

2.  Which of the following does NOT occur during sleep paralysis?

(A)  People are often unable to move for a short time.

(B)  The person will immediately jump out of their bed.

(C)  People often have some trouble breathing.

(D)  The person with it experiences an unpleasant feeling.

3.   Where would you most likely find this passage?

(A)  In a journal that discusses cures for deadly diseases.

(B)  In a textbook that mentions doctors who study mental disorders.

(C)  In a health magazine that gives tips to avoid sleeping too much.

(D)  On a website that mentions how to combat sleep paralysis.

world deception pt18

Sleep Paralysis

Answer