為什麼笑是最好的良藥 - 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. 語氣意圖

大家好，這是 BBC Learning English 的六分鐘英語。

I'm Sam.

我是 Sam。

And I'm Neil.

我是 Neil。

Have you heard this joke, Neil? 語氣意圖

聽過這個笑話嗎，Neil？

Question:

提問：

what's a rat's favorite game?

老鼠最喜歡的遊戲是什麼？

I don't know, Sam.

我不知道，Sam。

What is a rat's favorite game?

老鼠最喜歡的遊戲是什麼？

Hide and squeak. 慣用語

Hide and squeak（躲貓貓和吱吱叫）。

Very funny.

很好笑。

Well, I'm glad you're laughing because, 表達脈絡

嗯，很高興你笑了，因為，

as we'll be finding out in this program, 表達脈絡

正如我們將在本期節目中發現的那樣，

laughter is good for you. 片語搭配

笑對你有好處。

In fact,

事實上，

laughter is often called the best medicine. 慣用語

笑常被稱為最好的良藥。

And it seems that's really true,

而且這似乎確實是真的，

medically speaking. 片語搭配

從醫學上講。

Laughing releases anti-stress endorphins into the body, 片語搭配

笑會在體內釋放抗壓的內啡肽，

and there's evidence that people who laugh recover more quickly from illness, 講解

而且有證據表明，愛笑的人從疾病中恢復得更快，

including COVID.

包括新冠肺炎。

Laughing is an essential part of what makes us human. 片語搭配

笑是讓我們成為人類的重要部分。

Babies cry straight from birth, 片語搭配

嬰兒一出生就會哭，

but the next sound they make,

但他們發出的下一個聲音，

often as young as 2 or 3 months, 文法

通常在只有兩三個月大的時候，

is laughter.

就是笑聲。

And who can hear a baby laugh without laughing themselves? 文法

誰聽到嬰兒笑會不跟著笑呢？

Laughter is catching. 用詞

笑是會傳染的。

But before we start tickling our funny bones, 慣用語

但在我們開始戳中笑點之前，

I have a quiz question for you, Neil,

我有個小測驗給你，Neil，

and it's no laughing matter. 慣用語

這可不是開玩笑的事。

Laughter can be a serious business. 片語搭配

笑聲可以是一件嚴肅的事。

In fact,

事實上，

there's a scientific field of study into laughter 片語搭配

有一門關於笑的科學研究領域

and its effects on the human body.

及其對人體的影響。

But what is this study called?

但是這個研究叫什麼呢？

Is it

是

A, gigglology?

A，gigglology（咯咯笑學）？

B, gelotology, 用詞

B，gelotology（笑學），

or C, guffology?

還是 C，guffology（狂笑學）？

Did you make those words up, Sam? 片語動詞

這些詞是你編的嗎，Sam？

They sound a bit funny to me. 語氣意圖

它們聽起來有點好笑。

I'll say the study of laughter is called 語氣意圖

我猜關於笑的研究被稱為

B, gelotology.

B，gelotology。

Okay, Neil,

好的，Neil，

but you'll be laughing on the other side of your face if you're wrong. 慣用語

但如果你錯了，你就會笑不出來了。

Anyway, we'll find out the correct answer later in the program. 片語動詞

無論如何，我們稍後在節目中揭曉正確答案。

Someone who's an expert in the study of laughing,

有一位研究笑的專家，

whatever it's called,

不管這門學科叫什麼，

is cognitive neuroscientist Professor Sophie Scott. 用詞

她是認知神經科學家 Sophie Scott 教授。

Here she explains to David Edmonds,

在這裡，她向 David Edmonds 解釋，

presenter of BBC World Service program The Big Idea,

BBC 世界台節目《The Big Idea》的主持人，

exactly how a laugh is produced. 文法

笑到底是如何產生的。

Laughing is a variation of breathing. 片語搭配

笑是呼吸的一種變化。

Like breathing,

像呼吸一樣，

it involves the rib cage. 用詞

它涉及肋骨籠（胸腔）。

When you laugh,

當你笑的時候，

you get these very, very large, 片語搭配

你的肋骨籠會產生非常非常大的，

very fast contractions of the rib cage.

非常快速的收縮。

And it's a very primitive way of making a sound. 用詞

這是一種非常原始的發聲方式。

So you're really just squeezing air out in big bouts. 講解

所以你實際上只是大口地把空氣擠出來。

Each of those individual squeezes gives you a ha sound. 片語搭配

每一次單獨的擠壓都會發出「哈」的聲音。

The ha ha sound you make when you laugh

你笑時發出的「哈哈」聲

comes from your rib cage,

來源於你的肋骨籠，

a structure made of bones called ribs 文法

一個由叫做肋骨的骨頭組成的結構

in your chest,

位於你的胸部，

which protects the heart and lungs. 文法

它保護著心臟和肺部。

The rib cage works like a drum 慣用語

肋骨籠就像一面鼓

to amplify a laugh.

用來放大笑聲。

It's the reason why jokes are sometimes called rib ticklers. 慣用語

這也是為什麼笑話有時被稱為 rib ticklers（令人捧腹的事）。

Professor Scott calls this a very primitive way of making sounds

Scott 教授稱這是一種非常原始的發聲方式，

because it's simple, natural, and essentially human.

因為它簡單、自然，而且是人類本能。

The word primitive can be used to describe 片語搭配

primitive（原始的）這個詞可以用來形容

anything relating to the basic way humans lived

與人類基本生活方式相關的任何事物，

at their early stages of development, 片語搭配

在他們早期的發展階段，

before money, machines, or writing were invented.

在貨幣、機器或文字發明之前。

Primitive human noises,

原始的人類聲音，

like crying and laughing,

比如哭聲和笑聲，

link to a universal human experience. 片語搭配

與普遍的人類體驗聯繫在一起。

And this can be seen in the large number of words 文法

這從大量的詞彙中可以看出，

we use to talk about them.

我們用來談論它們的詞。

In English,

在英語中，

chuckle, giggle, chortle, cackle, and guffaw 用詞

chuckle, giggle, chortle, cackle 和 guffaw

all describe different types of laughter.

都描述了不同類型的笑。

Right.

對。

So how would you describe a giggle, Sam? 語氣意圖

那麼你會如何描述 giggle 呢，Sam？

I'd say a giggle is laughing in a quiet, 講解

我會說 giggle 是一種安靜地笑，

but uncontrolled way,

但無法控制的方式，

like a child who finds something very funny 片語搭配

就像一個覺得某事很好笑的孩子，

or feels embarrassed.

或者感到尷尬。

Unlike a guffaw, 表達脈絡

不像 guffaw，

which is when you blast out a very loud laugh, 片語動詞

它指的是你爆發出非常響亮的笑聲，

often at something stupid or rude someone has said.

通常是因為某人說了愚蠢或粗魯的話。

But humans aren't the only animals to laugh. 文法

但人類並不是唯一會笑的動物。

We belong to the same family as other primates, 片語搭配

我們和其他靈長類動物屬於同一科，

like chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans,

比如黑猩猩、大猩猩和紅毛猩猩，

all of whom laugh. 文法

它們都會笑。

Even rats tickle each other and make squeaky noises like laughter 講解

甚至老鼠互相搔癢癢時也會發出像笑聲一樣的吱吱聲，

when they play.

當它們玩耍時。

Here's Professor Scott again to take up the story 片語動詞

接下來再次請出 Scott 教授講述這個故事，

for BBC World Service program The Big Idea.

在 BBC 世界台節目《The Big Idea》中。

Play is a very important behavior for mammals.

玩耍對哺乳動物來說是一種非常重要的行為。

All mammals play when they're juveniles, 用詞

所有的哺乳動物在幼年時期都會玩耍，

and some mammals play their whole lives.

有些哺乳動物一生都在玩耍。

And laughter is a sort of an invitation to play, 片語搭配

笑聲是一種玩耍的邀請，

it's a sign that you're playing. 片語搭配

這是你在玩耍的一個標誌。

Professor Scott says laughter is an important social tool for all mammals, 慣用語

Scott 教授說，笑是所有哺乳動物的重要社交工具，

animals, including humans,

動物，包括人類，

dogs, and whales,

狗和鯨魚，

which give birth to live young, 用詞

它們胎生幼崽，

rather than laying eggs, 文法

而不是產卵，

and who feed their young with milk.

並用母乳餵養幼崽。

By laughing, young mammals, 文法

通過笑聲，年輕的哺乳動物，

sometimes called juveniles,

有時被稱為 juveniles（幼體），

signal that they want to play. 用詞

發出它們想玩的信號。

And young rats who don't laugh back 片語動詞

沒有笑聲回應的小老鼠

are more likely to get a bite than a giggle. 文法

更有可能被咬一口，而不是得到一個咯咯笑。

And a rat bite is nothing to laugh about. 慣用語

另外，被老鼠咬可沒什麼好笑的。

What a lot of facts we've learned about laughter, Neil. 文法

我們了解了好多關於笑的事實，Neil。

Yes, we could almost be experts on laughter.

是的，我們簡直可以成為笑的專家了。

'Guffologists', isn't that what you called them, Sam? 語氣意圖

「Guffologists（狂笑學家）」，你是不是這麼叫他們的，Sam？

Ah, yes.

啊，是的。

In my quiz question,

在我的測驗問題中，

I asked you to name the scientific study of laughter

我讓你說出研究笑的科學名稱

and its effects on the body.

及其對身體的影響。

I'm almost certain it's not 'gigglology' or 'guffology'! 語氣意圖

我幾乎可以肯定它不是 'gigglology' 或者 'guffology'！

So the answer must be Gelotology. 文法

所以答案肯定就是 Gelotology。

The correct answer.

正確答案。

Well done, Neil.

幹得好，Neil。

I knew you were good for a laugh. 慣用語

我就知道你很懂幽默。

Okay.

好的。

Let's recap the vocabulary from the program 表達脈絡

讓我們回顧一下本期節目的詞彙，

before you think up any more terrible jokes. 片語動詞

在你想出更多糟糕的笑話之前。

First, we had rib cage,

首先，我們有 rib cage（肋骨籠），

the structure in your chest,

位於你胸部的結構，

which is made of ribs,

它由肋骨組成，

and produces the sound of a laughter.

並產生笑的聲音。

The adjective primitive relates to the simple,

形容詞 primitive（原始的）涉及簡單、

natural way humans lived

自然的人類生活方式

in their early stages of development.

在他們早期的發展階段。

There are different types of laughter,

有各種不同類型的笑，

including giggles,

包括 giggles（咯咯笑），

childlike laughter in a quiet,

安靜的孩童般的笑聲，

but uncontrolled way.

但無法控制。

And guffaws,

還有 guffaws（狂笑），

when you laugh out loud, 片語搭配

當你大笑出聲的時候，

often at something someone has said.

通常是因為有人說了什麼。

Mammals are animals, including humans,

Mammals（哺乳動物）是包括人類在內的動物，

which give birth to live young

它們胎生幼崽

and feed them with milk.

並用乳汁餵養它們。

And finally,

最後，

a young animal,

年幼的動物，

which is not fully grown, 片語搭配

還沒有完全長大，

can be called a juvenile.

可以被稱為 juvenile（幼體）。

Well, it's been a laugh for minute, 慣用語

好了，這一分鐘笑得真開心，

Sam, but unfortunately, our 6 minutes are up. 片語搭配

Sam，但遺憾的是，我們的六分鐘時間到了。

Join us again soon for more trending topics, 用詞

請很快再次加入我們，了解更多熱門話題、

useful vocabulary,

實用詞彙，

and who knows, 語氣意圖

還有誰知道呢，

maybe some terrible jokes

也許還有一些糟糕的笑話，

here at Six Minute English.

就在六分鐘英語。

Bye for now.

先說到這裡了。

Goodbye.

再見。

Six Minute English from the BBC.

來自 BBC 的六分鐘英語。