大自然的舒缓能力
The calming power of nature
Hello, this is 6 Minute English. I’m Neil.
大家好，这里是六分钟英语，我是尼尔。
And I’m Georgina.
我是乔治娜。
Georgina, what do you do to cheer yourself up?
乔治娜，你做什么让自己振奋起来？
Having a walk usually helps – especially if it’s in the countryside.
散步通常有帮助——尤其是在乡下散步。
Yes, being in all the green open space can certainly help us relax and de-stress
是的，置身于到处都是绿色的开阔空间当然能够帮助我们放松和减压
– getting back to nature can be a tonic when you’re feeling down.
——当你情绪低落的时候，回归自然是一剂补药。
A tonic is something that makes you feel happier and healthier. I’ll drink to that!
补药是能让你感到更快乐、更健康的事物。同意！
Me too.
我也赞同。
But connecting with the natural world is particularly beneficial to people with mental health issues such as clinical depression.
但是同自然世界建立联系对那些有心理健康问题的人尤其有益，比如临床抑郁症。
And it’s something that’s being called ’ecotherapy’.
而这就是所谓的“生态疗法”。
More on that in a moment but here’s a question for you to answer, Georgina.
更多内容就在稍后，但有一个问题要你回答，乔治娜。
OK, Neil. Fire away.
好的，尼尔，放马过来。
Well, seeing or even hugging trees is a form of therapy, but how high is the world’s tallest tree thought to be?
好吧，看树甚至抱树都是一种治疗方法，但是世界上最高的树被认为有多高呢？
Is it... a) 65.8 metres, b) 115.8 metres, or c) 185.8 metres?
它是……a) 65.8米，b) 115.8米，还是c) 185.8米？
Georgina, any ideas?
乔治娜，有什么想法吗？
Not a clue – but let’s go for the highest figure of 185.8 metres.
没头绪，我们选最高的那个数字——185.8米。
Are you sure?
你确定吗？
Well, we’ll have to wait until the end of the programme to find out.
好吧，我们得等到节目最后才能揭晓。
Now, the mental health charity, Mind,
现在，心理健康慈善机构Mind，
describes ecotherapy as a formal type of treatment which involves doing outdoor activities in nature.
将生态疗法形容为一种正式的治疗方式，它包括在大自然中进行户外活动。
However, there’s not one simple definition, it just relates to doing activities outdoors.
然而，它并没有一个简单的定义，它只是与户外活动有关。
Yes, it can involve doing many things,
是的，它可以涉及很多事情，
such as outdoor yoga or horticulture – another name for gardening.
比如户外瑜伽或园艺——园艺的另一个名字。
It doesn’t involve taking medication,
它不涉及服药，
but instead it just develops a person’s relationship with nature.
它只是建立人与自然的关系。
It’s something Patricia Hasbach knows a lot about.
这是帕特里夏·哈斯巴赫非常了解的。
She’s a clinical psychotherapist and told the BBC Radio programme Health Check how ecotherapy can help.
她是一名临床心理治疗师，她告诉BBC广播Health Check节目，生态疗法能够有所帮助。
Does she say it can help everyone?
她说它能帮助每个人吗？
I often think about ecotherapy as another tool in the therapist’s toolbox.
我经常认为生态疗法是治疗师工具箱里的另一工具。
It’s not a panacea.
它不是万能药。
It’s not going to erase somebody’s pain or grief.
它不会消除某人的痛苦或悲伤。
But it is a powerful tool, you know.
但它是一个强大的工具，你知道的。
Traditionally therapy has stopped at the urban boundary.
传统上，城市边界已经不存在治疗。
So it’s interesting that she describes ecotherapy as a tool – something that can be used to achieve something else.
有趣的是，她形容生态疗法是一种工具——可以用来实现其他的东西。
Here it can be used to help improve someone’s mental health.
在这里，它可以用来帮助改善一个人的心理健康。
Ah, but she says it’s not a panacea – so not something that will solve everything.
啊，但她说这不是万能药，所以并不是能解决一切的东西。
It won’t erase or get rid of someone’s pain.
它不会清除或消除某人的痛苦。
But going beyond what she calls the ‘urban boundary’, and into the natural world, means there is another method for helping people.
但是，越过她所说的“城市边界”，进入自然世界，意味着有另一种帮助人们的方法。
Now, as we’ve mentioned, ecotherapy can take on many forms
现在，正如我们所提到的，生态疗法可以有多种形式
– doing art in a forest or running on a beach are all therapeutic.
——在森林里搞艺术或在沙滩上跑步都是有益于健康的。
They’re things that makes you feel better or healthier.
它们是让你感觉更好或更健康的东西。
Well, I think that’s clear, but what is it about the outdoors that affects us?
嗯，我想那很明显，但是户外活动对我们有什么影响呢？
A good question, Georgina.
问得好，乔治娜。
It seems from research that our busy brains are always on guard,
从研究来看，似乎我们忙碌的大脑总是处于警戒状态，
but when we get into nature it gets a break,
但当我们进入大自然时，它会得到休息，
there’s not so much to be on the lookout for and we can relax.
那里没有那么多东西让我们提防，我们可以放松。
Well, it does seem the negative symptoms of urban life can benefit from a dose of nature – a dose is an amount of something.
嗯，似乎城市生活的负面症状确实可以受益于自然这一剂药——一剂就是一些数量的某物。
Let’s get a good explanation from an expert.
让我们听听专家更好的解释。
Environmental psychologist Birgitta Gatersleben also spoke to the BBC Health Check programme and gave two reasons
环境心理学家比吉塔·盖特斯黎本也接受了BBC广播Health Check节目的采访，并给出了两个原因
– one of them, she explained, was something called ’biophilia’.
——她解释说，其中一个原因是所谓的“热爱自然的天性”。
Biophilia, very briefly, is really an innate positive response that people have with life and life-like features.
简而言之，热爱自然的天性是人们对生命和类生命特征的一种天生的积极反应。
The idea that nature reminds us of life,
大自然让我们回想起生活，
and if we (are) exposed to the natural elements,
如果我们接触自然元素，
then our sort of negative feelings get almost immediately replaced with positive emotions.
那么我们的消极情绪几乎会马上被积极情绪所取代。
Birgitta Gatersleben there explaining biophilia – which is a passion for or empathy with the natural world and living things.
比吉塔·盖特斯黎本在那里解释了热爱自然的天性——对自然世界和生物的热爱或共情。
She said biophilia is innate, which means it’s a quality that you’re born with.
她说热爱自然的天性是天生的，那是说它是一种与生俱来的品质。
So basically, most of us were born to connect with nature
所以基本上，我们大多数人天生就与大自然有联系
– nature reminds us of life and gives us good, positive emotions.
——大自然让我们回想起生活，给予我们美好、积极的情感。
Naturally. OK. Well, Georgina, maybe getting today’s quiz question right will give you positive emotions.
天生。好的。乔治娜，也许答对今天的问题会给你带来积极情绪。
Earlier I asked you how high the world’s tallest tree is thought to be.
之前我问你世界上最高的树被认为有多高。
Is it... a) 65.8 metres, b) 115.8 metres, or c) 185.8 metres?
它是……a) 65.8米，b) 115.8米，还是c) 185.8米？
What did you say?
你说是什么？
I said c) 185.8 metres.
我说是c) 185.8米。
Oh dear, I’m afraid that’s far too high!
哦，亲爱的，恐怕那太高了！
The correct answer is 115.8 metres. Never mind.
正确答案是115.8米。别放心上。
The tree, named Hyperion, is a type of redwood and was found in California in 2006.
这棵叫做亥伯龙神的树是一种红杉，2006年在加州被发现。
Well, that’s still very tall, and would be great to see.
好吧，还是挺高的，要是能看到就太好了。
Now we’ve just got time to recap some of the vocabulary we’ve discussed,
现在我们的时间只够复习我们讨论过的一些词汇，
starting with tonic which can be a fizzy drink you mix with an alcoholic drink,
从补药开始，它可以是一种碳酸饮料，你可以把它和酒精饮料混合在一起，
but in the context of therapy it can mean something that makes you feel happier and healthier.
但在治疗的语境中，它可以指让你感觉更快乐、更健康的东西。
Horticulture is the study or activity of growing garden plants – in other words, gardening.
园艺是种植园林植物的研究或活动——也就是“gardening”。
A panacea is something believed to solve everything.
万能药是认为可以解决一切问题的东西。
If something is therapeutic, it makes you feel better or healthier.
如果某物是有益于健康的，它会让你感觉更好或更健康。
We also discussed biophilia, which is a passion for or empathy with the natural world and living things.
我们还讨论了“热爱自然的天性 ”，它是对自然世界和生物的一种热爱或共情。
And innate means a quality that you naturally have – you’re born with it.
“天生的”指的是你天生就有的一种品质——你与生俱来的。
Well, as you know I have an innate quality for presenting this programme – but now it’s time to go.
嗯，正如你所知道的，我天生就有能力主持这个节目，但现在是时候结束本期节目了。
Please join us next time,
下次再加入我们啊，
and don’t forget to check us out on your favourite social media platform, on our app,
不要忘记在你最喜欢的社交媒体平台和我们的应用程序上查找我们的内容，
and of course the website bbclearningenglish.com.
当然还有网站bbclearningenglish.com。
Goodbye.
再见。
Bye!
拜！