如何正確使用藥物：英語精讀講義

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

我們很容易對藥物（毒品）產生相當負面的看法。

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

新聞裡總是充斥著警察突擊搜查毒販、

kids tripping dangerously at raves, 用詞

孩子們在狂歡派對上危險地產生幻覺、

overdoses and rehab.

藥物過量以及戒毒所的報導。

It goes without saying, 片語搭配

不言而喻，

things can go horrifically wrong around drugs. 片語搭配

沾染上毒品會導致極其可怕的後果。

But our intense awareness of the negatives

但我們對負面影響的強烈關注，

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

恐怕會導致我們對這個主題產生誤導性的狹隘看法。

Drugs are, at best, 片語搭配

往好了說，藥物可以被看作是

serious, dignified, noble and important,

嚴肅、莊重、高尚且重要的，

and we need more of them in our lives.

而且我們的生活中需要更多的藥物。

The real issue is, 表達脈絡

真正的問題在於，

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

我們對藥物的定義缺乏正確的認識，

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

也不清楚我們特別且真正需要的究竟是哪種藥物。

Essentially, a drug is a thing, anything,

從本質上講，藥物就是一種東西，任何一種東西，

that alters your mood,

只要它能改變你的情緒，

acting via either the body or the senses 文法

透過身體或感官起作用，

to make an impact upon the mind. 片語搭配

從而對心智產生影響。

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

我們已經習慣於將藥物的影響

with a heightening of a particular band of emotional states,

與強化特定範圍的情緒狀態聯繫起來，

the weird, the escapist,

比如怪異感、逃避現實感、

the hyperactive, and the ecstatically relaxed.

極度亢奮，或是狂喜般的放鬆。

But in truth,

但事實上，

there are far more interesting, fruitful and positive directions

我們應該期望自己的心智被引向

in which we should want our minds to be altered.

遠比這些更有趣、更富有成效和更積極的方向。

We're only at the start 片語搭配

我們才剛剛開始

of understanding the possibility of drugs.

了解藥物的可能性。

The task of a drug is simply to alter moods

藥物的任務僅僅是改變情緒，

in any positive direction

將其引向任何積極的方向，

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

並與實現個人最高抱負相契合。

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

因此，我們需要藥物來幫助我們更善於自我剖析，

more hopeful,

更充滿希望，

less prone to irritability, 片語搭配

更不容易暴躁，

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

在政治上更寬容，也更善於傾聽他人的聲音，

especially partners,

尤其是伴侶的聲音，

when they have legitimate complaints against us.

當他們對我們提出合理的抱怨時。

Fortunately,

幸運的是，

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

被算作藥物的東西比我們通常想像的要多得多。

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

我們需要摒棄這種觀念：藥物就是那種藥丸，

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

在你16歲參加派對時別人給你的那種，

that will make you feel high, 用詞

能讓你感到極度興奮，

sick, possibly kill you,

噁心，甚至可能要了你的命，

and make you look cool and shock your parents.

還能讓你看起來很酷並讓你父母大為震驚。

The word drug happens to be sitting on 講解

「藥物」這個詞恰好承載著

a crucially important and large idea.

一個至關重要且龐大的理念：

The generation of benign and positive states of mind

即透過使用外部物理資源

through the use of external physical resources.

來產生良性和積極的心理狀態。

Any properly accurate list of drugs we have available

任何一份關於我們可用藥物的準確清單

should now include the following.

現在都應包括以下內容：

Pomegranate juice.

石榴汁。

Coffee stimulates,

咖啡能提神，

but in the right dosage, 片語搭配

但只要劑量合適，

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

鮮榨柳橙汁加一點檸檬

briefly strengthens the will

就能在短時間內增強意志力，

and makes us more able to face tricky tasks.

讓我們更有能力面對棘手的任務。

The much less known pomegranate juice

而鮮為人知的石榴汁

has a soothing, calming effect 片語搭配

則具有舒緩、鎮靜的作用，

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

能幫人在面對自認為受到的侮辱和怠慢時少些刺兒。

The paintings of Caspar David Friedrich.

卡斯帕·大衛·弗里德里希的畫作。

This physical object titled Morning Riesengebirge

這幅名為《巨人山脈的早晨》的實體作品，

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

出自19世紀德國浪漫主義藝術家卡斯帕·大衛·弗里德里希之手，

is a drug that hangs on a wall

是一劑掛在牆上的藥物，

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

旨在產生一種廣闊的意識狀態，

in which the pain of immediate troubles is lessened

在這種狀態下，眼前煩惱的痛苦會減輕，

by a euphoric recognition

因為我們會欣喜地認識到

of the immensity of nature and the cosmos.

自然與宇宙的浩瀚無垠。

Emmental cheese.

艾曼塔乳酪。

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

它溫和、可口的味道以及柔軟而不易碎的質地，

quickly bring on a feeling of repleteness. 片語動詞

很快就會給人帶來一種飽腹感。

Emmental is a quick anxiety reducer.

艾曼塔乳酪是快速緩解焦慮的良藥。

Like chocolate and hot buttered toast,

就像巧克力和熱奶油吐司一樣，

Emmental is an envy-suppressing drug.

艾曼塔乳酪是一種抑制嫉妒的藥物。

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

莫札特的詠嘆調《願風和煦》（Soave sia il vento）。

This musical drug

這劑音樂藥物

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

能在短暫的時間裡喚起對陌生人的極度溫柔，

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

並在處理人際關係時，

when it comes to relationships. 片語搭配

對自己和他人的愚蠢表現出一種寬宏大量的心境。

Of course, the precise effects of these substances

當然，這些物質的確切效果

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

因人而異。

So, a key task with these and all drugs

因此，對於這些以及所有藥物，一項關鍵任務就是

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

善於弄清楚我們真正需要什麼，

to optimize our own functioning.

以優化我們自身的機能。

What might be a crucial corrective for one person 文法

對一個人來說可能是至關重要的糾正良方，

could be deeply unhelpful for another.

對另一個人卻可能毫無幫助。

In wiser societies than ours,

在比我們更明智的社會裡，

we would have drug advisers available in hotels,

飯店裡會有藥物顧問，

shopping malls and online.

購物中心和網路上也會有。

People who would do a full audit of our natures 慣用語

這些顧問會對我們的本性進行全面評估，

and come up with extended menus 片語動詞

然後提出詳細的菜單，

for what sort of drugs might be most suitable 文法

列出哪種藥物可能最適合

for our given characters

我們特定的性格，

and in what doses

以及應該服用多少劑量，

and at what times of day we should take them.

還有一天中的什麼時間服用。

In the past,

在過去，

ambitious societies have looked very seriously at drugs

有進取心的社會都非常嚴肅地看待藥物，

and the thing they did 文法

他們所做的

was to organize drug use into rituals.

就是將藥物的使用組織成儀式。

A very popular drug, tea, 文化背景

一種非常受歡迎的藥物——茶，

was employed in Buddhist ceremonies in Japan

被用於日本的佛教儀式中，

from the 13th century onwards. 片語搭配

這一做法始於13世紀。

The drug was used to promote focus, concentration,

這種藥物被用來促進專注、集中注意力，

and a feeling of strong connection to other human beings.

以及培養與他人緊密相連的感覺。

You might have to sit in a particular way, 文法

你可能需要以特定的方式坐著，

taking your tea drug,

服用你的「茶藥」，

wait patiently to be served,

耐心等待上茶，

and consume a very specific quantity

然後喝下非常具體的量，

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

同時凝視著風中的松枝。

The ancient Greeks were also very interested in drugs.

古希臘人對藥物也非常感興趣。

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

他們的儀式，即戴歐尼修斯秘儀，

was built around the highly structured use of red wine

是建立在高度結構化地使用紅酒的基礎上的，

as part of a religious festival.

作為宗教節慶的一部分。

Participants would drink and dance

參與者會喝酒跳舞，

in search of a sense of collective belonging 片語搭配

尋求一種集體歸屬感，

as decreed by the god Dionysus. 用詞

正如酒神戴歐尼修斯所旨意的那樣。

By making what might otherwise descend into binge drinking 講解

如果不這樣，人們可能會淪為酗酒，而希臘人巧妙地將其變為

into a religious festival,

一場宗教節慶，

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

從而將酒精的巨大力量引導向

towards the most beneficial states of mind.

最有益的心理狀態。

Instead of being a reason 文法

這樣一來，葡萄酒就不再是

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

與配偶爭吵

or messing up a wedding speech, 片語動詞

或搞砸婚禮致辭的原因，

wine became an occasion for fostering trust and loyalty

而是成了在城邦公民之間

between citizens in the city.

培養信任與忠誠的契機。

Moods play an immense role in our lives 片語搭配

情緒在我們的生活中扮演著巨大的角色，

and yet we tend to be haphazard 文法

然而在識別和處理情緒時，

in the way we identify and deal with them.

我們的方式卻往往很隨意。

At present, we play around with moods 片語動詞

目前，我們在擺弄情緒時，

with hugely clumsy and dangerous instruments, 慣用語

藉助的是極其笨拙和危險的工具，

with drugs that we hardly understand

使用的是我們幾乎不了解的藥物，

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

而且這些藥物可能會對我們的身心健康造成毀滅性的影響。

We need to broaden our sense

我們需要拓寬我們對

of what a drug is,

什麼是藥物的認識，

allow Mozart and Emmental cheese into the mix, 慣用語

把莫札特和艾曼塔乳酪也納入其中，

and then have a system that correctly directs people

然後建立一套系統，正確引導人們

to what might be the right drugs for them,

找到可能適合他們的藥物，

with their flourishing being the end goal. 文法

以他們的繁榮發展為最終目標。

We're still only at the dawn 慣用語

我們還僅僅處於

of learning how to take drugs properly.

學習如何正確服用藥物的黎明時期。

We're sure to learn 文法

我們必將在未來學會

to be far better drug takers

成為更為出色的

in the future.

藥物使用者。