我們能增強免疫系統嗎？⏲️ 6分鐘英語：英語精讀講義

Six Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

來自 bbclearningenglish.com 的六分鐘英語。

Hello, this is Six Minute English from BBC Learning English.

大家好，這裡是 BBC Learning English 的六分鐘英語。

I'm Georgie.

我是 Georgie。

And I'm Neil.

我是 Neil。

In this program, we're talking about the immune system, 講解

在本期節目中，我們將討論免疫系統，

which is the body's natural defense against getting ill. 片語搭配

它是人體抵禦疾病的自然防禦機制。

Now, Georgie, is there anything you do to boost your immune system? 片語搭配

那麼，Georgie，你有什麼提升免疫力的方法嗎？

Yes, I try to eat lots of oranges,

有啊，我盡量多吃柳橙，

which apparently have lots of vitamin C.

顯然它們含有大量的維生素C。

And there are lots of things people do to try to improve their immune system and stay healthier,

人們為了提高免疫力和保持健康會嘗試很多方法，

like eating certain foods, taking vitamins,

比如吃特定的食物、服用維生素，

or even activities like swimming in cold water.

甚至參加冬泳等活動。

We'll find out how useful some of these techniques are in today's program. 片語動詞

我們將在今天的節目中了解其中一些方法到底有多大用處。

But first, Georgie, a question.

但首先，Georgie，問你個問題。

We all know the common cold.

我們都知道普通感冒。

Now, that's the illness that makes you cough and sneeze,

也就是那種會讓你咳嗽、打噴嚏，

have a sore throat and headache.

喉嚨痛、頭痛的疾病。

But how many colds does the average adult get in the UK each year? 用詞

但是，英國的普通成年人平均每年會感冒幾次？

Is it A, 2 to 3,

是 A，2到3次，

B, 4 to 5,

B，4到5次，

or C, 7 to 8?

還是 C，7到8次？

Hmm, 8 would be a lot.

嗯，8次也太多了。

I'm going to go with A, 2 to 3 colds a year. 片語動詞

我選 A，每年感冒2到3次。

Well, we'll find out at the end of the program if you're right.

好的，在節目最後我們會揭曉你是否答對了。

Now, many people can become ill over the winter with diseases like colds, flu, and COVID-19. 片語搭配

很多人在冬天會感染感冒、流感和 COVID-19 等疾病。

Host of BBC Radio 4 program Inside Health, James Gallagher,

BBC Radio 4 節目《Inside Health》的主持人 James Gallagher，

gathered some experts to talk about immune systems,

召集了一些專家來探討免疫系統，

and he started off by asking whether they'd had more illnesses than usual this winter. 片語動詞

他一開始就問大家，今年冬天是不是比平時更容易生病。

Hello.

大家好。

Hi.

嗨。

Right.

好了。

How has everyone been this winter? 文法

大家這個冬天過得怎麼樣？

Cuz I've had a rotten one, 用詞

因為我過得糟透了，

and I have felt constantly ill since about November. 文法

從大概十一月起，我就一直感覺在生病。

John?

John，你呢？

I have not had anything yet, touch wood. 慣用語

我還沒生過病呢，敲木頭（touch wood）祈求好運。

Okay, let's see what I can infect you with by the end of the show. 片語搭配

好吧，那看看節目結束前我能傳染給你什麼。

Margaret?

Margaret？

I was pretty unwell in September.

我九月份的時候病得很重。

I had what I presume to be COVID, 片語搭配

我估計是得了新冠，

but I've been allright since,

但從那以後我就沒事了，

mild snuffles aside. 用詞

除了一點輕微的抽鼻子。

Eleanor, I really need someone to back me up. 片語動詞

Eleanor，我真的需要有人來支持（back me up）我一下。

Uh, no, sorry. 語氣意圖

呃，不，抱歉。

I've been absolutely 100% tickety-boo. 慣用語

我百分百安然無恙（tickety-boo）。

Unlike James,

與 James 不同，

Professor John Tregoning hasn't been ill.

John Tregoning 教授一直沒生病。

John uses the expression touch wood,

John 使用了表達 'touch wood'，

which is an informal phrase said in order to avoid bad luck. 文法

這是一個為了避免厄運而說的非正式用語。

Doctor Margaret McCartney was unwell in September,

Margaret McCartney 醫生在九月份不太舒服，

but has only had a few sniffles since. 用詞

但從那之後只有幾次輕微的感冒（sniffles）。

Sniffles is an informal word used to describe minor illnesses that affect your nose.

'Sniffles' 是一個非正式用詞，用來描述影響鼻子的輕微疾病。

We can also say sniffles.

我們也可以說 'sniffles'。

Host James is surprised that nobody has been ill

主持人 James 對沒有人生病感到驚訝，

and says to Professor Eleanor Riley back me up.

並對 Eleanor Riley 教授說 'back me up'（支持我）。

If you ask someone to back you up,

如果你請某人 'back you up'，

you're asking for them to say something which supports your opinion.

你是在請他們說一些支持你觀點的話。

But Eleanor has had a healthy winter too.

但是 Eleanor 也度過了一個健康的冬天。

She's been tickety-boo,

她一直 'tickety-boo'，

which is an informal phrase meaning everything's fine or in good order.

這是一個非正式用語，意思是一切都好、一切正常。

Throughout the winter,

整個冬天，

many people tried different techniques,

許多人嘗試了不同的方法，

like taking supplements or eating certain foods to boost their immune system, 片語搭配

比如服用補充劑或吃特定的食物來增強免疫系統，

to improve their body's natural defenses against disease.

以提高身體對疾病的自然防禦能力。

Host of BBC Radio 4 Inside Health, James Gallagher,

BBC Radio 4 節目《Inside Health》的主持人 James Gallagher，

asks Dr. Margaret McCartney

問 Margaret McCartney 醫生

whether some of these products are successful.

這些產品中是否有一些是真的管用。

Okay, quick-fire round, Margaret. 片語搭配

好的，快問快答環節，Margaret。

Echinacea?

紫錐菊？

No.

沒用。

Turmeric?

薑黃？

No.

沒用。

Ginger shots?

生薑濃縮汁？

No.

沒用。

This is a very, very good quiz.

這是一個非常非常好的測驗。

What about the stuff you squirt up your nose when you're at the beginning of an infection? 片語搭配

那你在剛開始感染時噴進鼻子裡的東西呢？

Interesting, but not any better than normal saline spray, 講解

有點意思，但並不比普通的生理食鹽水噴霧好，

just salt water.

也就是鹽水。

In fact, according to Margaret,

事實上，根據 Margaret 的說法，

there isn't enough evidence that many popular health products can actually change the way your immune system works. 講解

沒有足夠的證據表明許多流行的保健產品能真正改變你免疫系統的工作方式。

Another popular health trend in the UK is cold water swimming. 用詞

英國另一個流行的健康趨勢是冬泳。

People who swim in cold water say it's good for their mental health, 片語搭配

在冷水中游泳的人說這對他們的心理健康有好處，

and they also believe it makes them less likely to get ill during the winter months. 文法

他們也相信這能讓他們在冬季不那麼容易生病。

But scientists aren't sure about the benefits of cold water swimming for the immune system yet, 片語搭配

但科學家們目前還不確定冬泳對免疫系統的確切益處，

as Professor John Tregoning explained to BBC Radio 4's Inside Health.

正如 John Tregoning 教授在 BBC Radio 4 的《Inside Health》節目中所解釋的那樣。

The social element actually is really important.

其實社交因素非常重要。

It probably is beneficial to do. 用詞

這很可能是有益的。

You reduce stress,

你能減輕壓力，

and cortisol dampens the immune system. 用詞

而皮質醇會削弱（dampens）免疫系統。

So actually,

所以實際上，

if you're stressed,

如果你感到壓力大，

then maybe you are more prone to infection, 片語搭配

那麼你可能更容易（prone to）感染，

and that may be why that benefit of being with people, 表達脈絡

這也許就是為什麼和人相處帶來的好處，

nice people that you like,

也就是和你喜歡的好人，

in nice places is helping.

在好的地方相處能有所幫助的原因。

But I don't think it's unique to cold water swimming. 片語搭配

但我不認為這是冬泳獨有的。

I think you can probably get it from dancing or singing or going for a run. 片語搭配

我覺得你可能從跳舞、唱歌或跑步中也能獲得這種好處。

John says that cortisol,

John 說皮質醇，

a chemical associated with stress, 片語搭配

一種與壓力相關的化學物質，

dampens the immune system.

會削弱（dampens）免疫系統。

Here, dampens means makes weaker.

這裡的 'dampens' 意思是削弱、使之減弱。

We also have a common expression dampen someone's spirits, 慣用語

我們還有一個常見的表達 'dampen someone's spirits'（掃某人的興），

which means to make them less enthusiastic about something.

意思是讓某人對某事的積極性降低。

John says that there is evidence that people who are stressed are more prone to infection. 表達脈絡

John 說有證據表明壓力大的人更容易（more prone to）感染。

If you're more prone to something,

如果你對某事 'more prone to'，

it's more likely to happen to you.

它就更有可能發生在你身上。

It could be that cold water swimming reduces stress, 文法

可能是冬泳減輕了壓力，

and so it helps people's immune systems work well.

因此它幫助人們的免疫系統良好運作。

But there are lots of other activities that could have the same effect and help people have fewer colds over winter. 片語搭配

但還有很多其他活動也能達到同樣的效果，幫助人們在冬天少感冒。

Which reminds me of my question, 表達脈絡

這讓我想起了我的問題，

Georgie.

Georgie。

I asked how many colds the average UK adult has a year.

我問英國普通成年人每年會得幾次感冒。

And I said 2 to 3.

我說了2到3次。

And that is the correct answer.

那是正確答案。

So well done.

所以答得好。

Thank you.

謝謝。

Okay, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned, 表達脈絡

好的，讓我們複習一下今天學到的詞彙，

starting with touch wood,

從 'touch wood' 開始，

which is an expression used, often in speech,

這是一個常在口語中使用的表達，

to avoid bad luck.

用來避免厄運。

Sniffles, or sniffles,

'Sniffles' 或 'sniffles'，

are minor illnesses that affect your nose.

是影響你鼻子的輕微疾病（抽鼻子）。

If you ask someone to back you up,

如果你請某人 'back you up'，

you want them to say something to support your opinion.

你希望他們說點什麼來支持你的觀點。

The expression tickety-boo means fine and in good order.

表達 'tickety-boo' 的意思是一切都好、井然有序。

If you dampen something,

如果你 'dampen' 某物，

you make it weaker.

你使它變弱。

And the expression dampen someone's spirits means you make them less enthusiastic about something.

而表達 'dampen someone's spirits' 意思是你讓他們對某事的積極性降低。

And if you're more prone to something,

如果你對某事 'more prone to'，

it's more likely to happen to you.

這件事就更有可能發生在你身上。

Once again, our 6 Minutes are up, 片語搭配

我們的6分鐘又到了，

but you can test what you've learned with the free interactive quiz on our website. 片語搭配

但你可以在我們的網站上用免費的互動測試來檢驗你學到的知識。

Bye for now.

先說再見啦。

Goodbye.

再見。

Thanks for listening to this podcast from BBC Learning English.

感謝收聽由 BBC Learning English 製作的播客。

Continue your learning on our website with courses, quizzes,

繼續在我們的網站上透過課程、測驗

and programs to improve your English.

和節目來提高你的英語。

Visit bbclearningenglish.com.

造訪 bbclearningenglish.com。

Six Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

來自 bbclearningenglish.com 的六分鐘英語。