Beating the Blues with Greenery 绿色治疗
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2003年9月03日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2011年6月06日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：484
课文朗读
课文讲解
Bud, a journalist, is perusing the Taipei Flower Market when he bumps into his friend and colleague, Flora: 新闻工作者巴德正在台北花市里仔细捡选着，他碰见了既是同事又是朋友的芙劳拉：
B: Flora! I didn’t know you were the garden type!
芙劳拉！我不知道妳也喜欢园艺！
F: Hey, Bud. I’m just browsing. Buying something for your wife?
嗨，巴德，我只是随便看看。你来替太太买东西啊？
B: No, for my stressed-out son actually. I’ve just finished putting together an article about how greeneryand live plants help to calm children, and it really hit home.
不，老实说，是替我那消沈忧郁的儿子买。我才刚写完一篇有关绿色植物能协助让小孩放松下来的文章，它真的让我有新的体悟。
F: That piece about the Cornell psychologists’ findings? I was under the impression that study dealt with natural settings, not indoor plants.
是那篇有关康乃尔大学心理学家的发现吗？我记得那篇研究探讨的是大自然景观，而不是室内植物。
B: No, the study took into account both the external and internal environment. Apparently, having live plants in and around the home is really beneficial to kids’ psychological well-being.
不是，那篇研究同时包含室内与户外的环境。很明显地，在居家环境内外多摆些活的植物确实对小孩心理健康有益处。
F: Maybe a touch of nature might help my daughter: she gets pretty stressed sometimes by her heavy workload at school. However, moving to the country isn’t feasible for us.
或许来点大自然的味道会对我女儿有帮助：有时她因为学校的功课重，感到压力很大。不过我们没有办法搬到乡下去住。
B: No need to relocate. Just a few plants around your home can have the desired effect. The Cornell research suggests that keeping green plants helps kids to focus more clearly, allowing their cognitive resources more rest.
不必搬家，只要住家里里外外摆些植物，就能达到想要的效果。那篇康乃尔大学的研究指出，绿色植物能让孩子更集中专注，让他们认知资源休息得更彻底。
F: And the rest gives them the strength to cope with stress. In that case, I should get some greenery for my cubicle at work!
嗯，彻底休息才能再产生精力来对抗压力。既然如此，我应该替我自己办公室的小隔间买些绿色植物。
Vocabulary
单词发音
greenery [ˋgrinərɪ] n. 绿色植物；绿叶
peruse [pəˋruz] v. 仔细观察；仔细研究; 随便翻阅；浏览
bump into【口】碰见某人; 偶遇; 巧遇
browse [braʊz] v. 浏览，随便翻阅
stressed-out【非正式】极度焦虑的; 非常紧张的﹐压力大的
hit home (指言语等)产生预期的(常为令人痛苦的)效果, 击中要害(指言语等) if something that someone says hits home, it has a strong effect on you because it forces you to understand something unpleasant; have an emotional or cognitive impact upon
psychologist [saɪˋkɑlədʒɪst] n. 心理学家
well-being [ˋwɛlˋbiɪŋ] n. 舒适; 健康; 幸福
feasible [ˋfizəb!] adj. 可行的；可实行的
cognitive [ˋkɑgnətɪv] adj.【正式或术语】认知的﹐认知过程的
cubicle [ˋkjubɪk!] n. 小室﹐ 小房间; 小隔间
Sentence of the Day
He's developing a green thumb.
他的园艺功夫日渐精湛。
green thumb 栽培植物的特殊才能（精于园艺）
课文讲解
Bud and Flora amble, stopping at the occasional flower stall: 巴德和芙劳拉轻松地散着步，偶而驻足在一间花铺前：
F: Our family had a fair-sized garden back home in the States, and I always found gardening to be a real stress-buster.
我们家在美国时有个满大的花园，我始终就觉得做园艺很能舒解压力。
B: Just the thought of turning over soil beds sends my stress levels up!
一想到替花床翻泥土，我的压力指数就往上升！
F: Digging is hard work for sure, but otherwise, garden chore can have a real calming influence.
掘土确实是辛苦，不过园艺的细节工作却很有镇静效果。
B: Do all gardens have an equal relaxing effect?
所有的花园都有相同的放松效果吗？
F: Well, some garden designs are preferable. For example, soft, sweeping garden borders relax people more than hard edges.
有些花园设计的效果较佳。譬如，柔和而弯曲连续的花园边线比线条硬的更能令人放松。
B: I’d bet that a visually engaging array of flora with a mix of stimulating colors could really reduce stress.
我敢打赌，悦人眼目的一簇簇花草，混合了动人的缤纷色彩，绝对能消除压力。
F: You got it. Fragrant plants like lavender and basil can also have a calming effect. What’s more, their strong odors seem to invoke memories. And to have the kids there with you – seeing the garden through their eyes as they discover nature – that’s the real joy.
你说对了，像熏衣草与罗勒这类芳香植物也有镇静效果。而且它们的强烈香味似乎可以唤醒记忆。再说，让孩子跟着你──让他们从欣赏花园当中发现大自然──这是种真正的喜悦。
B: If I close my eyes, I can imagine being there right now …. I can even smell the fragrances!
如果闭起眼睛，我能想象我现在就在那儿…我还能闻到香味呢！
F: Don’t get too carried away; if you can smell a flora perfume it’s because we’re standing next to the roses!
别想得太远了，你如果能闻到花香，是因为我们正站在玫瑰花旁边！
－by Sean McCormack
Vocabulary
单词发音
amble [ˋæmb!] v. 轻松地走，从容漫步
stall [stɔl] n. 货摊，摊位
fair-sized adj. 相当大的 quite big
gardening [ˋgɑrdnɪŋ] n. 园艺
stress-buster 减压方式
otherwise [ˋʌðɚ͵waɪz] adv. 在其他方面；除此以外
chore [tʃor] n. 打杂；讨厌的工作
preferable [ˋprɛfərəb!] adj. 更好的，更可取的，更合意的
sweeping [ˋswipɪŋ] adj. 连绵的，呈弯曲状的
engaging [ɪnˋgedʒɪŋ] adj. 迷人的；可爱的；有魅力的
fragrant [ˋfregrənt] adj. 香的，芳香的
lavender [ˋlævəndɚ] n.【植】熏衣草
basil [ˋbæzɪl] n.【植】罗勒（香料，药用的高度香味的植物）；九层塔
invoke [ɪnˋvok] v. 唤起；引起
carry away 使激动而失去自制力 to move or excite greatly
Sentence of the Day
They're stopping to smell the roses.
他们放慢生活脚步思索人生的真谛。
smell the roses（北美，非正式）享受（或欣赏）常被忽略的事物