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Headlines on a Diet 健康新闻玄机多

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Recently, headlines across the media informed us that reducing fat in our diets had no major benefits. For those who had been trying to eat properly, this certainly seemed to be bittersweet news. For many years, science said that cutting fat was beneficial for a wide range of reasons. The health-conscious people accordingly stopped eating their favorite foods in favor of good health. Now, it appears that those were years wasted and we are allowed to enjoy the fattiest delights.

近来所有媒体的新闻标题告诉我们，减少摄取饮食中的脂肪并无明显益处。对重视正确饮食的人而言，此讯息似乎必然让他们苦乐参半。多年来科学界一向表示，降低脂肪的摄取对人体有许多好处。注重健康的人因而不再食用喜爱的食物，以换得健康的身体。如今看来，这些年都平白浪费了，高脂美食是可以欣然享用的。

This is not the first time that science has reversed its stance on dietary health. First eggs would put your health at risk, but now they are considered relatively good. The same situation has happened to everything from nuts to wine. Even chocolate is said to have hidden health benefits that were previously poorly understood.

这已不是科学界首度扭转对饮食健康的立场。先前鸡蛋有害健康，如今却认为它们还算是好的食物。从坚果到葡萄酒等各类食品，同样戏码一再上演；连巧克力据说也藏有过去鲜为人知的好处。

The scientific community’s apparent inconsistency on issues of health is leaving many frustrated and confused. It seems that health advice is rather arbitrary and often contradictory. However, the reality is complex and answers are not always clear.

科学界对健康议题的举棋不定，让许多人感到挫折与困惑。他们提出的健康建言似乎相当武断，常前后矛盾。然而事实却颇为复杂，且并非都能得到明确解答。

Much of the problem stems from the public’s desire for instant information. We like to have our information condensed into an efficient bundle that is easy to absorb. Media agencies working to satisfy this desire publish results of studies as they come out. Details that lack excitement are sifted out in order to get the main point of the information across. Therein lies the difficulty.

问题的根源主要是因为一般大众喜好实时信息，希望讯息能被压缩为有效率、易吸收的少量信息。媒体机构为努力满足此一需求，于是在研究结果刚出炉时便刊出，剔除不够刺激的细节，只求读者看到重点。问题就出在这里。

Vocabulary

单词发音

beneficial [͵bɛnəˋfɪʃəl] adj. 有益的

reverse [rɪˋvɝs] v. 彻底改变

relatively [ˋrɛlətɪvlɪ] adv. 相对地

arbitrary [ˋɑrbə͵trɛrɪ] adj. 武断的

contradictory [͵kɑntrəˋdɪktərɪ] adj. 矛盾的

stem from  起源于 originate

condense [kənˋdɛns] v. 压缩；浓缩; 减缩（文章等）

absorb [əbˋsɔrb] v. 汲取，理解（知识等）

sift out  挑选出; 筛选

get something across  将〔想法﹑信息〕传达给某人  to successfully communicate something

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单词发音

bittersweet [ˋbɪtɚ͵swit] adj. 苦乐参半的

accordingly [əˋkɔrdɪŋlɪ] adv. 因此；于是

in favor of  支持……；有利于…… because you prefer something

delight [dɪˋlaɪt] n. 乐事，乐趣  something that gives great pleasure or enjoyment

stance [stæns] n. 立场；态度

inconsistency [͵ɪnkənˋsɪstənsɪ] n. 不一致

课文讲解 

In science, the details are important and small changes vital. Science is a strict process. Studies are carefully performed and critically evaluated by the scientific community. In the past, studies were rarely a cause for headlines. Instead, advice on health was based on trustworthy research.

在科学领域中，细节及微小的变化都不可轻忽。科学讲究严格的程序，科学研究都经过细心操作及严苛评估。过去，研究成果鲜少被大幅报导，相反地，健康方面的建言全都有可信的研究做为基础。

Nowadays, though, in the rush to get information to the public, the media more often than not reports rashly. Uncertain findings are presented in the headlines, with problematic details buried in the text, if they are mentioned at all.

但如今为抢先报导，媒体往往草率刊出，尚未确定的发现被当成新闻标题，报导中不是根本不谈细节，就是埋藏着仍有问题的细节。

Here is a case in point. Not long ago researchers said that chocolate reduced cholesterol by four percent. Chocolate lovers might have felt compelled to celebrate, until they noticed the details. There were only 23 test subjects, and it was funded by a PR group for chocolate companies.

以下是一个典型案例。不久前研究人员表示，巧克力可降低百分之四的胆固醇，在注意到细节前，热爱巧克力的人可能忍不住想庆贺一番；然而，此实验只有23名受测对象，且经费还是由巧克力公司的公关团体所提供。

As for the study about fat, the details make the headlines look absurd. It involved a subject group of women aged 50 to 79. The focus of the study was the effect of fat on breast cancer. The test also proceeded on the assumption that the women followed a proper diet for up to eight years. This renders the results particularly doubtful.

至于前述的脂肪研究，其细节使新闻标题更显荒谬。该实验以一群50到79岁的妇女为对象，研究脂肪对乳癌的影响；实验还假设这群妇女在长达八年的期间内完全遵照适当饮食。这使研究结果格外令人怀疑。

Consequently, articles on the newest health findings should be taken with a grain of salt. Pay attention to the details, and decide for yourself if the study sounds reliable. And before you make any drastic decisions, consult your doctor.

因此，对于最新健康发现的文章皆须存疑。先注意细节，再自行判断研究结果听来是否可靠。而做出重大决定前，仍需征询医师的意见。

−by Alan Campana

Vocabulary

单词发音

evaluate [ɪˋvæljʊ͵et] v. 评估﹐评价

more often than not 多半; 大多数时候 usually

rashly [ˋræʃlɪ] adv. 鲁莽地，轻率地，仓促地

a case in point 恰当的例子, 佐证

absurd [əbˋsɝd] adj. 荒谬的

assumption [əˋsʌmpʃən] n. 假定，设想

render [ˋrɛndɚ] v. 造成; 致使

take with a grain of salt  对…半信半疑；对…持保留态度; 不完全相信 if you take what someone says with a grain of salt, you do not completely believe it

drastic [ˋdræstɪk] adj. 激烈的; 突然的

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单词发音

vital [ˋvaɪt!] adj. 极其重要的，必不可少的

trustworthy [ˋtrʌst͵wɝðɪ] adj. 值得信赖的，可信的

problematic [͵prɑbləˋmætɪk] adj. 有问题的; 不确定的

cholesterol [kəˋlɛstə͵rol] n.【生化】胆固醇

compel [kəmˋpɛl] v. 使不得不; 强迫

PR group 公关团体

PR public relations 公共关系

as for 至于  with regard to

proceed [prəˋsid] v. 继续进行﹐继续做

consequently [ˋkɑnsə͵kwɛntlɪ] adv. 因此

Reading Questions

1. Which best describes the scientific community’s performance on issues of health?

A. Their studies are always consistent and informative.

B. Once they make their minds up about something, they stick to it permanently.

C. The information they present is often just plain false.

D. The advice they offer sometimes seems to go against previous advice.

2. What is a major cause of the problems related to health advice?

A. People don’t like to read through dense reports and lengthy stories.

B. Consumers will always want to eat fatty foods no matter what experts say.

C. People no longer trust so-called health experts.

D. Proper diet is no longer considered as important as it once was.

3. How has the media contributed to bad health advice?

A. They only report studies issued by PR groups.

B. They publish studies long after they have been completed.

C. They report findings that have not been proven yet.

D. They always present false information to the public.

4. What can we infer from this article?

A. We should always believe health advice we get from the media.

B. When we see or hear health stories in the news, we should be cautious.

C. There is no reason to pay any attention to health advice in the media.

D. Soon there will be a perfect way to present health studies in the media.

Answer