如何正确使用药物：英语精读讲义

It's easy to have a pretty negative view of drugs. 短語搭配

我们很容易对药物（毒品）产生相当负面的看法。

The news is always going on about police raids on drug dealers, 短語動詞

新闻里总是充斥着警察突击搜查毒贩、

kids tripping dangerously at raves, 用詞

孩子们在狂欢派对上危险地产生幻觉、

overdoses and rehab.

药物过量以及戒毒所的报道。

It goes without saying, 短語搭配

不言而喻，

things can go horrifically wrong around drugs. 短語搭配

沾染上毒品会导致极其可怕的后果。

But our intense awareness of the negatives

但我们对负面影响的强烈关注，

is in danger of creating a misleadingly narrow view of the subject. 語法

可能会导致我们对这个主题产生误导性的狭隘看法。

Drugs are, at best, 短語搭配

往好了说，药物可以被看作是

serious, dignified, noble and important,

严肃、庄重、高尚且重要的，

and we need more of them in our lives.

而且我们的生活中需要更多的药物。

The real issue is, 表達脈絡

真正的问题在于，

we don't have a correct sense of what a drug is 語法

我们对药物的定义缺乏正确的认识，

and what the drugs might be that we in particular truly need.

也不清楚我们特别且真正需要的究竟是哪种药物。

Essentially, a drug is a thing, anything,

从本质上讲，药物就是一种东西，任何一种东西，

that alters your mood,

只要它能改变你的情绪，

acting via either the body or the senses 語法

通过身体或感官起作用，

to make an impact upon the mind. 短語搭配

从而对心智产生影响。

We've come to associate the impact of drugs 短語搭配

我们已经习惯于将药物的影响

with a heightening of a particular band of emotional states,

与强化特定范围的情绪状态联系起来，

the weird, the escapist,

比如怪异感、逃避现实感、

the hyperactive, and the ecstatically relaxed.

极度亢奋，或是狂喜般的放松。

But in truth,

但事实上，

there are far more interesting, fruitful and positive directions

我们应该期望自己的心智被引向

in which we should want our minds to be altered.

远比这些更有趣、更富有成效和更积极的方向。

We're only at the start 短語搭配

我们才刚刚开始

of understanding the possibility of drugs.

了解药物的可能性。

The task of a drug is simply to alter moods

药物的任务仅仅是改变情绪，

in any positive direction

将其引向任何积极的方向，

compatible with fulfilling one's highest ambitions. 短語搭配

并与实现一个人最高抱负相契合。

So, we need drugs to help us to be more self-analytical,

因此，我们需要药物来帮助我们更善于自我剖析，

more hopeful,

更充满希望，

less prone to irritability, 短語搭配

更不容易暴躁，

more politically tolerant and better at listening to other people, 語法

在政治上更宽容，也更善于倾听他人的声音，

especially partners,

尤其是伴侣的声音，

when they have legitimate complaints against us.

当他们对我们提出合理的抱怨时。

Fortunately,

幸运的是，

there are a lot more things that are drugs than we ordinarily suppose.

被算作药物的东西比我们通常想象的要多得多。

We need to move away from the idea of drugs as pills 短語動詞

我们需要摒弃这种观念：药物就是那种药丸，

that someone gives you at a party when you're 16

在你16岁参加派对时别人给你的那种，

that will make you feel high, 用詞

能让你感到极度兴奋，

sick, possibly kill you,

恶心，甚至可能要了你的命，

and make you look cool and shock your parents.

还能让你看起来很酷并让你父母大为震惊。

The word drug happens to be sitting on 講解

“药物”这个词恰好承载着

a crucially important and large idea.

一个至关重要且庞大的理念：

The generation of benign and positive states of mind

即通过使用外部物理资源

through the use of external physical resources.

来产生良性和积极的心理状态。

Any properly accurate list of drugs we have available

任何一份关于我们可用药物的准确清单

should now include the following.

现在都应包括以下内容：

Pomegranate juice.

石榴汁。

Coffee stimulates,

咖啡能提神，

but in the right dosage, 短語搭配

但只要剂量合适，

just squeezed orange juice with a touch of lemon 短語搭配

鲜榨橙汁加一点柠檬

briefly strengthens the will

就能在短时间内增强意志力，

and makes us more able to face tricky tasks.

让我们更有能力面对棘手的任务。

The much less known pomegranate juice

而鲜为人知的石榴汁

has a soothing, calming effect 短語搭配

则具有舒缓、镇静的作用，

which helps one be less prickly around perceived insults and slights. 用詞

能帮人在面对自认为受到的侮辱和怠慢时少些刺儿。

The paintings of Caspar David Friedrich.

卡斯帕·大卫·弗里德里希的画作。

This physical object titled Morning Riesengebirge

这幅名为《巨人山脉的早晨》的实体作品，

by the German 19th century Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich 文化背景

出自19世纪德国浪漫主义艺术家卡斯帕·大卫·弗里德里希之手，

is a drug that hangs on a wall

是一剂挂在墙上的药物，

and it's intended to produce an expanded state of consciousness 用詞

旨在产生一种广阔的意识状态，

in which the pain of immediate troubles is lessened

在这种状态下，眼前烦恼的痛苦会减轻，

by a euphoric recognition

因为我们会欣喜地认识到

of the immensity of nature and the cosmos.

自然与宇宙的浩瀚无垠。

Emmental cheese.

埃曼塔奶酪。

Its mild, savory taste and yielding but not crumbly texture 用詞

它温和、可口的味道以及柔软而不易碎的质地，

quickly bring on a feeling of repleteness. 短語動詞

很快就会给人带来一种饱腹感。

Emmental is a quick anxiety reducer.

埃曼塔奶酪是快速缓解焦虑的良药。

Like chocolate and hot buttered toast,

就像巧克力和热黄油吐司一样，

Emmental is an envy-suppressing drug.

埃曼塔奶酪是一种抑制嫉妒的药物。

Mozart's aria Soave sia il vento. 文化背景

莫扎特的咏叹调《愿风和煦》（Soave sia il vento）。

This musical drug

这剂音乐药物

briefly induces a heightened state of tenderness towards strangers 短語搭配

能在短暂的时间里唤起对陌生人的极度温柔，

and a mood of generosity towards one's own and others' stupidity

并在处理人际关系时，

when it comes to relationships. 短語搭配

对自己和他人的愚蠢表现出一种宽宏大量的心境。

Of course, the precise effects of these substances

当然，这些物质的确切效果

will vary from one person to the next. 短語搭配

因人而异。

So, a key task with these and all drugs

因此，对于这些以及所有药物，一项关键任务就是

is to get good at working out what we really need 講解

善于弄清楚我们真正需要什么，

to optimize our own functioning.

以优化我们自身的机能。

What might be a crucial corrective for one person 語法

对一个人来说可能是至关重要的纠正良方，

could be deeply unhelpful for another.

对另一个人却可能毫无帮助。

In wiser societies than ours,

在比我们更明智的社会里，

we would have drug advisers available in hotels,

酒店里会有药物顾问，

shopping malls and online.

购物中心和网络上也会有。

People who would do a full audit of our natures 習語

这些顾问会对我们的本性进行全面评估，

and come up with extended menus 短語動詞

然后提出详细的菜单，

for what sort of drugs might be most suitable 語法

列出哪种药物可能最适合

for our given characters

我们特定的性格，

and in what doses

以及应该服用多少剂量，

and at what times of day we should take them.

还有一天中的什么时间服用。

In the past,

在过去，

ambitious societies have looked very seriously at drugs

有进取心的社会都非常严肃地看待药物，

and the thing they did 語法

他们所做的

was to organize drug use into rituals.

就是将药物的使用组织成仪式。

A very popular drug, tea, 文化背景

一种非常受欢迎的药物——茶，

was employed in Buddhist ceremonies in Japan

被用于日本的佛教仪式中，

from the 13th century onwards. 短語搭配

这一做法始于13世纪。

The drug was used to promote focus, concentration,

这种药物被用来促进专注、集中注意力，

and a feeling of strong connection to other human beings.

以及培养与他人紧密相连的感觉。

You might have to sit in a particular way, 語法

你可能需要以特定的方式坐着，

taking your tea drug,

服用你的“茶药”，

wait patiently to be served,

耐心等待上茶，

and consume a very specific quantity

然后喝下非常具体的量，

while contemplating the branch of a pine tree in the wind. 語法

同时凝视着风中的松枝。

The ancient Greeks were also very interested in drugs.

古希腊人对药物也非常感兴趣。

Their ritual, known as the Dionysian Mysteries, 文化背景

他们的仪式，即狄俄尼索斯秘仪，

was built around the highly structured use of red wine

是建立在高度结构化地使用红酒的基础上的，

as part of a religious festival.

作为宗教节庆的一部分。

Participants would drink and dance

参与者会喝酒跳舞，

in search of a sense of collective belonging 短語搭配

寻求一种集体归属感，

as decreed by the god Dionysus. 用詞

正如酒神狄俄尼索斯所旨意的那样。

By making what might otherwise descend into binge drinking 講解

如果不这样，人们可能会沦为酗酒，而希腊人巧妙地将其变为

into a religious festival,

一场宗教节庆，

the Greeks cleverly directed the immense power of alcohol 短語搭配

从而将酒精的巨大力量引导向

towards the most beneficial states of mind.

最有益的心理状态。

Instead of being a reason 語法

这样一来，葡萄酒就不再是

for getting into an argument with one's spouse 短語動詞

与配偶争吵

or messing up a wedding speech, 短語動詞

或搞砸婚礼致辞的原因，

wine became an occasion for fostering trust and loyalty

而是成了在城邦公民之间

between citizens in the city.

培养信任与忠诚的契机。

Moods play an immense role in our lives 短語搭配

情绪在我们的生活中扮演着巨大的角色，

and yet we tend to be haphazard 語法

然而在识别和处理情绪时，

in the way we identify and deal with them.

我们的方式却往往很随意。

At present, we play around with moods 短語動詞

目前，我们在摆弄情绪时，

with hugely clumsy and dangerous instruments, 習語

借助的是极其笨拙和危险的工具，

with drugs that we hardly understand

使用的是我们几乎不了解的药物，

and that can have a devastating impact on our well-being. 短語搭配

而且这些药物可能会对我们的身心健康造成毁灭性的影响。

We need to broaden our sense

我们需要拓宽我们对

of what a drug is,

什么是药物的认识，

allow Mozart and Emmental cheese into the mix, 習語

把莫扎特和埃曼塔奶酪也纳入其中，

and then have a system that correctly directs people

然后建立一套系统，正确引导人们

to what might be the right drugs for them,

找到可能适合他们的药物，

with their flourishing being the end goal. 語法

以他们的繁荣发展为最终目标。

We're still only at the dawn 習語

我们还仅仅处于

of learning how to take drugs properly.

学习如何正确服用药物的黎明时期。

We're sure to learn 語法

我们必将在未来学会

to be far better drug takers

成为更为出色的

in the future.

药物使用者。