压力真的会致命吗？：英语精读讲义

In a busy world with unending work and responsibilities piling up, 短語動詞

在这个忙碌的世界里，工作永无止境，责任也越积越多，

stress can get to the best of us. 習語

再坚强的人也可能被压力击垮。

But how bad is it for you, really?

但说真的，它究竟对你有多大危害？

Can stress actually kill you? 表達脈絡

压力真的会致命吗？

From a biological perspective, 短語搭配

从生物学角度来看，

stress makes perfect sense.

压力反应完全合乎情理。

If you're about to get chomped on by a bear, 語法

如果你眼看就要被熊一口咬住，

your stress hormones better kick your butt into gear. 講解

你的压力激素最好赶紧让你行动起来。

But it turns out that your mortgage, 表達脈絡

但事实证明，无论是房贷，

unemployment, and looming exam

失业，还是迫在眉睫的考试，

all trigger the same stress response in your body. 短語搭配

都会在你体内触发同样的压力反应。

And unlike most animals,

但大多数动物却不一样，

which eventually experience a major decrease in these hormones,

它们体内的这些激素最终会大幅下降，

humans can't seem to find the off switch. 講解

人类似乎就是找不到关掉压力反应的开关。

Even though it's not life and death, 習語

尽管这些烦恼并非生死攸关，

our psychological woes consistently bathe our bodies in these hormones, 習語

我们的心理困扰却不断让身体浸泡在这些激素之中，

making our heart pound, muscles tense, and stomach turn. 語法

导致心跳加速、肌肉紧绷、胃里翻腾。

In Japan, they have the term karoshi, 文化背景

在日本，有一个词叫“过劳死”（karoshi），

which literally translates to death from overwork.

字面意思就是“因过度工作而死”。

In what is now deemed an overworking epidemic, 用詞

如今，过度工作已被视为一种流行病，

these individuals who are seemingly healthy and in their prime suddenly die. 習語

这些看似健康、正值壮年的人却会突然死亡。

After being officially recognized and documented in Japan,

在日本正式承认并记录这一现象后，

these sudden heart attacks and strokes were quickly linked to stress. 短語搭配

人们很快便将这些突发心脏病和中风与压力联系起来。

But how does stress cause this?

但压力究竟是如何造成这些后果的呢？

Cortisol is one of the main stress hormones,

皮质醇是主要的压力激素之一，

which helps divert energy to where you need it and away from non-essential functions of the body. 短語搭配

它能将能量调往需要的地方，同时减少身体非必要功能的能量供应。

But with chronic stress exposure, 短語搭配

但长期承受压力时，

problems arise.

问题就出现了。

The immune system shuts down, 短語動詞

免疫系统会停止运作，

inflammation is inhibited,

炎症反应会受到抑制，

white blood cells are reduced,

白细胞数量会减少，

and susceptibility to disease increases. 短語搭配

患病风险则会上升。

Some evidence also suggests that prolonged stress may be involved in the development of cancer. 講解

还有一些证据表明，长期压力可能参与癌症的发生发展。

When looking at the arteries of macaque monkeys,

观察猕猴的动脉时，

those under significant stress have more clogged arteries. 短語搭配

会发现承受巨大压力的猕猴动脉堵塞得更严重。

This prevents blood from getting to the heart quickly during stress 語法

这会导致压力来临时，血液无法迅速流向心脏，

and can ultimately lead to heart attacks. 短語搭配

最终可能引发心脏病发作。

The brain also takes a toll.

大脑也会因此受损。

When looking at mice exposed to stress, 語法

观察承受压力的小鼠时，

we see dramatically smaller brain cells with fewer branch extensions than normal mice.

我们会看到，与正常小鼠相比，它们的脑细胞小得多，分支突起也更少。

This is particularly prevalent in the areas associated with memory and learning,

这种情况在与记忆和学习有关的脑区尤其常见，

which may stir up some memories for you of those wonderful all-night study sessions. 講解

这或许会让你想起那些“美妙”的通宵苦读经历。

The acute stress and sleep deprivation can make it increasingly difficult to remember the things we want to. 語法

急性压力和睡眠不足，会让我们越来越难记住想记的东西。

Perhaps the most telling story is in our DNA. 表達脈絡

也许最能说明问题的线索，就藏在我们的 DNA 里。

We contain something called telomeres at the end of our chromosomes, 用詞

我们的染色体末端有一种叫作端粒的结构，

which decrease in size with our age.

它会随着年龄增长而缩短。

Our video on aging here explains this process.

我们这期关于衰老的视频解释了这一过程。

Eventually, the telomeres run out, 短語動詞

最终，端粒会耗尽，

at which point the cell stops duplicating and dies. 表達脈絡

此时细胞会停止复制并死亡。

So, telomeres are directly related to aging and length of life.

因此，端粒与衰老和寿命直接相关。

And it turns out stress may actually accelerate the shortening of these telomeres. 短語搭配

而事实证明，压力可能真的会加速端粒缩短。

But not all hope is lost for the perpetually stressed. 習語

不过，对于长期压力缠身的人来说，希望并未完全破灭。

Another hormone, oxytocin,

另一种激素——催产素，

has been shown to reduce this stress response. 短語搭配

已被证实能减弱这种压力反应。

It helps your blood vessels relax and even regenerates the heart from stress-related damage.

它能帮助血管放松，甚至能修复因压力而受损的心脏。

So, how do we get more oxytocin? 表達脈絡

那么，怎样才能获得更多催产素呢？

It's sometimes dubbed the cuddle hormone 用詞

它有时也被称为“拥抱激素”，

because it's released during positive social interactions and while caring for others.

因为在进行积极的社交互动和照顾他人时，人体都会释放它。

People who spend more time with others create a buffer or resilience to stress. 短語搭配

花更多时间与他人相处的人，面对压力时会多一层缓冲，也更有韧性。

So, when life gets the best of you, 習語

所以，当生活压得你喘不过气时，

just remember,

请记住，

you don't have to go it alone. 講解

你不必独自面对。

Spend some time with those you love.

花些时间陪伴你爱的人吧。

It may just save your life.

这也许能救你一命。

Got a burning question you want answered? 習語

有没有什么问题让你特别想知道答案？

Ask it in the comments or on Facebook and Twitter.

欢迎在评论区或 Facebook 和 Twitter 上提问。

And if you want the inside scoop on upcoming episode ideas and behind-the-scenes, 習語

如果你想提前了解即将推出的选题和幕后花絮，

check out our personal Instagram and Twitter handles. 用詞

请关注我们个人的 Instagram 和 Twitter 账号。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

还请订阅我们的频道，每周观看更多科学视频。