EZCNN 易英网

Yuck! Who’s Afraid of Creepy –Crawlies? 怕虫在心口难开

課文朗讀

課文中英文講解

繁體中文譯本

In 2004, people in English were surveyed to find out what they’re scare of. Of course, well-known fears such as snakes, heights, and death were on the top-ten list, but the biggest scare of all was spiders. Lately, Hollywood has capitalized on this fear with successful films like Arachnophobia (1990), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), and The Return of the King (2003).

2004年，有一份民意调查，试图找出英国人怕什么东西。当然，像蛇、高度和死亡等众所皆知的恐惧，都登上了排行榜的前十名，但其中最令英国人丧胆的是蜘蛛。最近，好莱坞利用这种恐惧成功拍出像《小魔星》(1990年)、《哈利波特:消失的密室》(2002年)以及《魔戒III:王者再临》(2003年)等电影。

For somebody who has a fear of spiders, known formally as “arachnophobia,” it wouldn’t take a giant spider to cause panic. For these unfortunates, a single spider can cause uncontrollable shaking, anxiety, and shortness of breath. Sometimes, even a picture or the thought of a spider – let alone a Hollywood movie – can cause panic. As with any phobia, sufferers know that their fear is irrational, but feel powerless to control it.

害怕蜘蛛学名上称为「蜘蛛恐惧症」，对于患有此恐惧症的人而言，不需要看到一只大蜘蛛就能引起他的恐慌。对于这群不幸的人而言，光是一只蜘蛛就可以造成无法控制地颤抖、焦虑和呼吸急促。有时候，即使只是一张蜘蛛的图片或是光想到蜘蛛(更别提是一部好莱坞蜘蛛电影)就可能造成恐慌。如同其他恐惧症的患者，蜘蛛恐惧症的患者知道他们的害怕是无来由的，但就是没有办法控制。

The easiest method for treating phobias is with anti-anxiety drugs. However, therapists are increasingly in favor of treatments that do not involve medications. Rather than masking a phobia, the medical community usually prefers to directly address the root causes of such problems. Most, though not all, phobias arise from a traumatic childhood event. Such an event can cause an association between spiders and emotional trauma. For example, if a young child is punished for playing in a dark space full of spiders, he or she may associate pain, fear, and humiliation with spiders from then on. By revealing and confronting these associations, therapists can begin to eliminate a phobia.

治疗恐惧症最简便的方法是使用抗焦虑药。然而，治疗师越来越赞同使用不必用药物的治疗方法。与其掩饰恐惧症，医学界宁可直接针对这类问题的病根直接下手。绝大多数的恐惧症(虽然不是全部)是由童年所受的精神创伤所引起。这种童年经验可能引起蜘蛛和感情创伤之间的联想。举个例子来说，如果一名幼童因为在一个充满蜘蛛的暗处玩耍而遭到处罚，那么他就可能从此将痛苦、害怕和耻辱与蜘蛛联想在一起。借着揭露和面对这些联想，治疗师便可以开始消除恐惧症。

While successful treatment may make it possible for those with arachnophobia to watch Arachnophobia, more importantly, it allows them the opportunity of a better life.

虽然成功的治疗可能可以让患有蜘蛛恐惧症的人开始看《小魔星》，但更重要的是，它能使这些患者有机会过更好的生活。

Vocabulary

anxiety [æŋˋzaɪətɪ] n. 焦虑

irrational [ɪˋræʃən!] adj. 无理性的

therapist [ˋθɛrəpɪst] n. 治疗专家﹐理疗师

address [əˋdrɛs] v. 对付; 专心致力于

humiliation [hju͵mɪlɪˋeʃən] n. 羞辱；蒙羞

confront [kənˋfrʌnt] v. 面对；遭遇

More Information

creepy [ˋkripɪ] adj. 令人毛骨悚然的

crawly [ˋkrɔlɪ] n.【口﹐尤英】令人讨厌的昆虫

capitalize [ˋkæpət!͵aɪz] v. 利用

arachnophobia [əˌræknə'fobɪə] n.蜘蛛恐惧症

phobia [ˋfobɪə] n. 恐惧症；惧怕

mask [mæsk] v. 掩饰；伪装

traumatic [trɔˋmætɪk] adj.〔经历〕痛苦难忘的﹐造成精神创伤的

reveal [rɪˋvil] v. 暴露

Reading Questions

1. Which of the following statements is true about people with arachnophobia?

A. They are able to control their anxiety for spiders.

B. At the thought of a spider, they feel excited and delighted.

C. The sufferers are usually aware of their irrational fear.

D. Only when they see a giant spider do they panic.

2. What does the phrase “capitalize on ” in paragraph one mean?

A. take advantage of

B. give in to

C. show concern for

D. pay attention to

3. To treat the fear of spiders, therapists nowadays prefer to …

A. let the patients only take anti-anxiety drugs

B. deal with the causes of the fear

C. put the sufferers in dark spaces full of spiders

D. make them recall their childhood and strengthen the trauma

4. What is the main idea of the article?

A. British people fear things that people in other places doesn’t.

B. It is next to impossible to treat those with arachnophobia, for they often humiliation.

C. People’s fears of spiders often come from childhood events, and by dealing with the event, treatment is possible.

D. The Hollywood movies, like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, are used to cure the fear of spiders.

課文中英文講解 
 

Along with spiders, people often fear insects in general. However, this fear isn’t entirely justified by their ___1___to us. Indeed, in countries like Thailand and Mexico, insects are a popular snack food.

一般来说，人们通常怕蜘蛛也怕昆虫。然而，并不全然因为昆虫对人类有威胁，我们就要怕他们。事实上，在某些国家，像是泰国和墨西哥，昆虫还是很受欢迎的点心呢。

Of course, it’s not true insects cause humans no harm. Insects spread diseases which kill millions each year. The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that malaria alone kills at least one million people yearly. And every few years, Africa and the Middle East suffer from ___2___ when locusts consume the crops there.

当然，也不能说昆虫对人类完全无害，牠们传播的疾病每年会造成数百万人死亡。美国疾病管制局中心估计，单单是疟疾，每年就至少夺走了一百万条生命。而且非洲和中东地区每隔几年，到了蝗虫过境吃掉农作物的时候，便会饱受饥荒之苦。

But these third-world problems ___3___ get much media attention in the first world. Instead, first-world media tends to focus on sensational stories of insects like killer bees. Killer bees are more aggressive than regular bees. Despite the hype, killer bees have only been responsible for around seven deaths in the U.S. ___4___arriving there in 1990.

但是这些第三国家的问题，很少受到先进国家注意。先进国家的新闻媒体反而倾向把焦点放在像杀人蜂这类昆虫的耸动报导。杀人蜂比普通蜜蜂更具侵略性。尽管媒体夸大宣传渲染，但其实自1900年杀人蜂登陆美国以来，美国只有七起由杀人蜂造成的死亡案例。

___5___this natural fear of insects, it’s ironic that everybody – not just Thais and Mexicans – eats them every day. Most governments have standards for the number of insect parts allowed in different foods. ___6___, in America, up to 56 insect parts are allowed in each peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

尽管对虫虫有这种天生的恐惧感，讽刺的是，不只是泰国人和墨西哥人，一般人每天都会吃到虫。大部分的政府对于不同食物中可容许含有的昆虫身体部位数量都有设定标准。举例来说，美国就允许每份花生酱三明治最多可包含五十六个昆虫的身体部位。

These phobias show that we’re naturally ___7___what appears strange. But the next time you see a spider or insect, remember the saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” ___8___, they’re not all nasty.

这些恐惧显示我们天生就会怕外表怪异的东西。但下次你看到蜘蛛或昆虫时，记住这句话:「不要以貌取人。」毕竟不是所有的昆虫都那么令人讨厌。

－By Charles Yonts & Iain Ferguson

Vocabulary

justify [ˋdʒʌstə͵faɪ] v. 证明…是正当的

consume [kənˋsjum] v. 消耗；耗尽；吃完

sensational [sɛnˋseʃənəl] adj. 引起轰动的；轰动社会的

aggressive [əˋgrɛsɪv] adj. 好斗的，挑衅的

nasty [ˋnæstɪ] adj. 令人作呕的

threat [θrɛt] n. 威胁，恐吓

famine [ˋfæmɪn] n. 饥荒

More Information

malaria [məˋlɛrɪə] n. 疟疾

locust [ˋlokəst] n. 蝗虫

hype [haɪp] n. 天花乱坠的公开宣传

you can’t judge a book by its cover: 勿以貌取人  something that you say which means you cannot judge the quality or character of someone or something just by looking at them

Answer