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A Chronic Case of the Baby Blues 产后忧郁症

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

The arrival of a new baby is, for most of people, a truly joyous event. But for nearly one in four women, sentiments towards their newborns are marked by a great deal of ambivalence and confusion. Some feel lonely and depressed, while others may become irrationally anxious or guilty. Despite the severity of their feelings, such women are not had mothers. They are actually suffering from a disease called Postpartum Depression, or PPD.

新生命的到来对大部分人而言，是件令人雀跃的事。然而有将近四分之一的妇女对新生儿的情感满是矛盾与困惑。有些人感到寂寞和沮丧，有些人可能会莫名地觉得焦虑或有罪恶感。虽然她们被这种剧烈的情绪所扰，这些妇女可不是坏母亲。事实上，她们正在为一种名为「产后忧郁症」（简称PPD）的疾病所苦。

As an illness, PPD does not discriminate by age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, or the number of children a woman has already had: it affects women from all walks of life equally. No one knows exactly what causes PPD, though it is generally believed to be a combination of mental and physical factors.

「产后忧郁症」不会因为年纪、社经地位、种族的差异，或是有过多少个小孩而对妇女另眼看待。也就是说，患这种病的妇女平均分布于社会各阶层。虽然一般相信造成「产后忧郁症」的原因包含了心理和生理层面的因素，真正的病因没有人知道。

Having a baby can be emotionally overwhelming, as mothers cope with the loss of individual identity and changes to their routine. In addition to the stress of these mental factors, women’s bodies undergo huge physical changes after giving birth. In particular, a marked drop in hormone levels after pregnancy is believed to contribute to PPD. Nevertheless, women who are afflicted with PPD need not give up hope. With medication, counseling and support, this widespread disease is easily treatable.

生小孩对母亲的情绪有极大的影响，因为她们得应付自我认同的失落和例行事务的改变。除了这些心理层面的因素之外，妇女的身体在产后经历剧烈的生理变化。尤其是，贺尔蒙在怀孕后显着的下降是造成「产后忧郁症」的原因。然而，患有「产后忧郁症」的妇女不用放弃希望。借着药物治疗、咨询、和支持，这种普遍的疾病是可以治疗的。

Vocabulary

单词发音

sentiment [ˋsɛntəmənt] n. 多愁善感; 情绪[C][U][（+for/towards）]

newborn [ˋnju͵bɔrn] n. 婴儿

ambivalence [æmˋbɪvələns] n.【心】矛盾心理（或情绪、态度等）

anxious [ˋæŋkʃəs] adj. 焦虑的，挂念的

postpartum [͵postˋpɑrtəm] adj. 产后的

discriminate [dɪˋskrɪmə͵net] v. 有差别地对待

socioeconomic [͵sosɪoikəˋnɑmɪk] adj. 社会经济的；社会经济性的

ethnicity [ɛθˋnɪsɪtɪ] n. 种族地位；种族特点；种族渊源

walk of life 行业; 身份; 阶层 an occupation, profession, or social class

overwhelming [͵ovɚˋhwɛlmɪŋ] adj. 令人迷惘而不知所措的

cope [kop] v. 对付，妥善处理[（+with）]

hormone [ˋhɔrmon] n.【生】荷尔蒙

afflict [əˋflɪkt] v. 使痛苦，使苦恼，折磨

counseling [ˋkaʊns!ɪŋ] n. 咨询服务

Sentence of the Day

They're down in the dumps.

他们很沮丧。

down in the dumps【口】沮丧的; 抑郁的

dumps [dʌmps] n.【口】忧郁

课文讲解

Viola and Jim are at a support group meeting for parents affected by Postpartum Depression:  薇欧拉和吉姆在「产后忧郁症」父母互助团体的会议上：

V: I thought I was prepared for motherhood. I’d read all the books, bought all the gear – but I had no clue what I was in for!

我以为我已经准备好要当妈妈了。我读遍所有的书、买齐了所有的装备，还是对发生的情况一无所知。

J: My wife said the same thing. When Hal was born, she wasn’t expecting to feel so detached.

我太太也这样说。霍尔出生的时候，她没想过会有这么深的疏离感。

V: The worst were the looks I got from my family and friends; they couldn’t fathom how a new mother could be so depressed.

最糟的是家人和朋友看我的眼神，他们不能了解为什么一个刚做妈妈的人会那么沮丧。

J: I didn’t understand it either. I thought my wife was losing her mind.

我也不能了解。我以为我太太疯了。

V: Like me, she probably convinced herself that she was the worst mother in the world.

跟我一样，她大概认为自己是世界上最糟的妈妈。

J: Well, I knew we had a serious problem on our hands when she refused to go outside with Hal anymore.

嗯，当她再也不带霍尔出去的时候，我就知道我们面对的是个严重的问题。

V: Because she was so anxious that some terrible accident would befall him?

因为她很担心他会发生什么可怕的意外吗？

J: Exactly! I realized that she wasn’t behaving rationally and took her to the doctor.

没错！我了解她的行为不合常理，就带她去看医生。

V: For me, the diagnosis of PPD was incredibly liberating – knowing that I wasn’t a bad person, that I just had a medical problem.

对我而言，被诊断出得了「产后忧郁症」后，让我大大地松了一口气。我知道我不是坏人，只是生病了。

J: You seem well now. Are you still taking antidepressants?

你现在看来已康复了。你现在还在服用抗忧郁药吗？

V: I’m weaning myself off them. But, quite frankly, I think this support group was the key to my success!

我正在摆脱那些药物。但是坦白说，我认为这个互助团体才是我成功的秘诀！

－by Francoise Raunet

Vocabulary

单词发音

motherhood [ˋmʌðɚhʊd] n. 母亲的身分

gear [gɪr] n. 设备，装置

in for 保证得到或拥有 guaranteed to get or have

detached [dɪˋtætʃt] adj. 冷漠的; 分离的

fathom [ˋfæðəm] v. 看穿，理解

convince [kənˋvɪns] v. 使确信; 使信服

liberate [ˋlɪbə͵ret] v. 解放，使获自由

antidepressant [͵æntɪdɪˋprɛsənt] n. 抗抑郁药

wean [win] v. 使〔某人〕逐渐戒除〔做你不赞成的事〕[+off]

Sentence of the Day

She's taking baby steps.

她才刚起步。

baby step: A tentative act or measure which is the first stage in a long or challenging process.