人類能體驗到的最痛苦的事：英語精讀講義

Have you ever wondered how much pain you could endure? 文法

你是否曾想過自己能忍受多少疼痛？

It's not such a merry subject to muse upon, 用詞

這並非一個令人愉快的思考話題，

but you can be sure whatever kinds of physical distress you have imagined,

但你可以確定，無論你想像過哪種肉體上的痛苦，

someone somewhere on the planet at one point in time had to suffer it.

在地球上的某個地方，某個人在某個時間點一定經歷過。

When imagining such gruesome scenarios,

在想像這些可怕的場景時，

we often invoke methods of torture.

我們常常會想到酷刑。

The grim fiction of Hollywood films depicting ad hoc tooth extraction 用詞

比如好萊塢電影中描繪殘酷的拔牙場景，

or the fingernails being ripped from their rightful place.

或是生生拔去指甲的可怕虛構畫面。

We might also cast our minds back to ancient and medieval history when humans were burnt at the stake, 講解

我們可能還會回想古代和中世紀的歷史，那時人們被綁在火刑柱上燒死，

had their limbs ripped off, or their hearts ripped out.

被五馬分屍，或者被掏出心臟。

Today we will focus not so much on those macabre aspects of human nature, 文法

今天，我們不會把重點放在人性中那些令人毛骨悚然的方面，

but on pains any one of us could suffer today.

而是關注我們任何人在今天都有可能遭受的疼痛。

Join us on this excruciating tour of how much we can hurt.

和我們一起開啟這場探尋人類痛苦極限的煎熬之旅吧。

In this episode of The Infographics Show,

在本期 The Infographics Show 中，

The Most Painful Things a Human Can Experience.

探討《人類能體驗到的最痛苦的事情》。

Don't forget to subscribe and click the bell button so that you can be part of our notification squad.

別忘了訂閱並點擊小鈴鐺按鈕，這樣你就能加入我們的通知小分隊。

First of all, we should talk a little about pain itself.

首先，我們需要談談疼痛本身。

We all deal with it differently.

我們每個人應對疼痛的方式各不相同。

While some studies show men seem to tolerate it better.

雖然有些研究表明男性似乎更能忍受疼痛。

For a long time it was thought to be the opposite as women's bodies and minds are equipped to deal with childbirth. 講解

但長期以來，人們認為情況恰恰相反，因為女性的身心生來就能應對分娩的劇痛。

The outcome of the studies was also said to be the result of men tolerating more pain

也有人指出，研究結果中男性表現出更能忍受疼痛，

because of prescribed social notions of masculinity and not necessarily having a natural endowment to tolerate more pain. 用詞

是因為社會對男性氣質的既定觀念，而不一定是因為他們天生耐痛能力更強。

How do we even find subjects to test pain limits so we can quantify pain?

我們究竟如何找到測試對象來測試疼痛極限以便量化疼痛呢？

Subjects at Cornell University did just that in the 1940s

在 1940 年代，康乃爾大學的受試者就是這麼做的，

in what was called Studies On Pain,

這項研究被稱為《疼痛研究》，

A New Method for Measuring Pain Threshold.

即《一種測量痛閾的新方法》。

Childbirth was measured against burning with a pregnant woman being burned as she was giving birth. 片語搭配

分娩疼痛被用來與燒傷疼痛作比較，當時甚至讓一名孕婦在分娩時遭受燒傷。

Tech media Gizmodo writes,

科技媒體 Gizmodo 寫道，

as the heat blistered her hand,

隨著高溫在她的手上燙出水泡，

the subject helped establish a value of pain intensity in childbirth.

這名受試者幫助確立了分娩疼痛強度的數值。

The problem was, in other studies on pain,

問題在於，在其他的疼痛研究中，

people just couldn't take the level of pain further and so it couldn't be measured.

人們根本無法忍受更高程度的疼痛，因此也就無法測量。

There have been various scales to measure pain,

如今已經有各種衡量疼痛的等級標準，

but none are conclusive.

但都沒有定論。

For instance,

例如，

some people might pass out quicker than others due to excessive pain. 片語動詞

因為劇烈疼痛，有些人可能會比其他人更快暈厥。

This happens when the stress on the body affects the blood flow to the brain.

當身體承受的壓力影響到大腦的血液流動時，就會發生這種情況。

You pass out and your body gives you a well deserved break.

你會暈倒，你的身體也會給你一個應得的休息。

While you were out,

在你昏迷期間，

your brain starts releasing serotonin and endorphins,

你的大腦開始釋放血清素和腦內啡，

so you'll wake up in a better state.

這樣你醒來時狀態會更好。

Going into shock is quite common. 片語搭配

陷入休克是很常見的。

So if you've ever been unfortunate enough to see anyone lose a limb or limbs, 文法

因此，如果你曾不幸看到有人失去一條或多條肢體，

you might not see them screaming.

你可能不會看到他們尖叫。

The brain has its own painkiller system when you are in dire need of it. 片語搭配

在你迫切需要的時候，大腦有它自己的止痛系統。

While we cannot measure the most painful experience,

雖然我們無法準確測量出最痛苦的經歷，

we do tend to agree on what are the worst kinds of pain. 文法

但在什麼是最嚴重類型的疼痛上，我們的看法往往是一致的。

Perhaps being burned is one thing we all fear,

也許被燒傷是我們都害怕的一件事，

especially the specter of being engulfed in flames. 片語搭配

特別是被火焰吞噬的恐怖畫面。

There are different types or grades of burns

燒傷有不同的類型或等級，

and perhaps some good news is that the worse the burn, 文法

也許一些好消息是，燒傷得越嚴重，

the lesser pain you might have due to damage to your nerve endings.

由於神經末梢受損，你感受到的疼痛可能會越少。

So fourth degree burns that have basically barbecued you and sent you into shock

因此，幾乎把你烤熟並讓你陷入休克的四度燒傷，

may not be as painful as third or even second degree burns. 文法

可能沒有三度甚至二度燒傷那麼痛。

Most pain victims will tell you the worst part is the treatment.

多數遭受疼痛折磨的人會告訴你，最糟糕的部分是治療。

One of the worst realizations is that the pain only gets worse when the fire is out,

最令人絕望的認知之一是，火撲滅後，疼痛只會加劇，

said one man on a Reddit thread discussing burns.

一位在 Reddit 討論燒傷的貼文裡留言的男士說。

Another agreed, the really excruciating part is the treatment.

另一個人也同意，真正讓人痛不欲生的是治療過程。

Some insect stings,

某些昆蟲的螫傷，

in fact,

實際上，

are supposed to hurt as much as burns.

痛感不亞於燒傷。

Of all the stings out there,

在所有叮咬人的昆蟲中，

the bullet ant delivers the worst of the worst. 慣用語

子彈蟻帶來的痛感是最劇烈的。

Dr. Justin O. Schmidt,

賈斯汀·O·施密特博士，

who created the insect sting pain index,

創建了昆蟲叮咬疼痛指數，

put the bullet ant at the top 片語搭配

他將子彈蟻排在首位，

stating that being stung feels like fire walking over flaming charcoal with a 3-inch rusty nail in your heel. 表達脈絡

並指出，被牠螫到的感覺就像光腳走在燃燒的木炭上，同時腳後跟紮著一根 3 英寸長的生鏽釘子。

A Brazilian tribal initiation asks tribe members to put their hand into a bullet ant glove.

巴西的一個部落的成人儀式，要求部落成員把手伸進裝滿子彈蟻的手套裡。

See for yourself online how one gutsy Westerner deals with it, 片語搭配

你可以在網路上親眼看看一位膽大的西方人是如何應對的，

which is not very well.

顯然他應對得並不好。

What looks even worse is a cluster headache. 文法

看起來更糟糕的是叢發性頭痛。

Women who have experienced childbirth have said they are the worst pain imaginable.

經歷過分娩的女性說，這是可以想像到的最痛苦的事情。

They happen on one side of the head and can last up to 3 hours.

它們通常發生在頭部的一側，發作時間可長達 3 小時。

Many television shows have illustrated the absolute agony people can go through, 片語動詞

許多電視節目都展示了患者可能經歷的絕對痛苦，

filming sufferers screaming and rolling around on the floor.

拍攝了患者在地上尖叫打滾的畫面。

According to the Migraine Trust,

根據 Migraine Trust 的數據，

they only affect about one or two out of every 1,000 people, 文法

每 1,000 人中只有一兩人患病，

but the bad news is that they are thought to be incurable.

但壞消息是，這種病被認為是無法治癒的。

Victims won't die or even suffer anything other than the pain itself.

患者不會因此死亡，除了疼痛本身外甚至也不會遭受其他折磨。

Writing on one treatment forum, 文法

在一個治療論壇上，

a sufferer of these headaches said heroin, morphine,

一位這種頭痛的患者寫道，海洛因、嗎啡

or Oxycontin didn't help him at all.

或是 Oxycontin 對他一點幫助都沒有。

Some progress has been made using alternative and mostly illegal treatments

使用替代療法（多為非法手段）取得了一些進展，

such as psilocybin mushrooms and LSD.

例如賽洛西賓蘑菇和 LSD。

According to the Daily Beast,

據 Daily Beast 報導，

LSD's discoverer Albert Hofmann was actually looking for a way to treat headaches and migraines.

LSD 的發現者阿爾伯特·霍夫曼當時實際上正在尋找一種治療頭痛和偏頭痛的方法。

Britain's National Health Service has done us all a favor 片語搭配

英國國民保健署 (NHS) 幫了我們一個大忙，

and put together a list of what it says are the world's worst conditions in terms of pain. 講解

整理了一份它認為是世界上最痛疾病的清單。

You might be surprised to hear that above cluster headaches or cancer, 表達脈絡

你可能會驚訝地聽到，排在叢發性頭痛或癌症、

a heart attack,

心臟病發作、

gout,

痛風之上的，

the NHS puts shingles.

NHS 認為是帶狀皰疹。

Shingles occurs when the virus that caused the itchy nightmare of chickenpox reactivates,

帶狀皰疹發生在引起水痘這一發癢噩夢的病毒重新激活時，

like a Hollywood horror movie sequel.

就像好萊塢恐怖電影的續集。

When it comes back again,

當它再次捲土重來時，

it's worse than before.

情況會比以前更糟。

A more common painful condition is kidney stones.

一種更常見的疼痛疾病是腎結石。

A Reddit thread asked people to state what the most painful thing they had ever experienced was 文法

一個 Reddit 貼文問大家所經歷過最痛苦的事情是什麼，

and quite a few people said kidney stones.

有相當多的人說是腎結石。

The stones form when calcium and other substances in your urine build up. 片語動詞

腎結石是尿液中的鈣及其他物質堆積形成的。

They can be as big as a ping pong ball

它們可以像乒乓球一樣大，

and if they break up, 片語動詞

如果它們碎裂，

it can cause intense pain as you try to pass them through the urinary tract.

當你試圖將它們排出尿道時，會引起劇烈的疼痛。

If it's too big,

如果結石太大，

it can be blasted into smaller pieces using shockwave therapy.

可以使用震波療法將其擊碎成較小的碎塊。

It's probably better you don't get to that stage,

為了避免走到那一步，最好還是

so drink lots of water every day.

每天多喝水。

You might be too fit or young for kidney stones,

你可能很健康或者很年輕，不會得腎結石，

but that won't prevent bone breaks.

但這並不能防止骨折。

We've all seen sportsmen with flapping limbs looking more stunned than in pain. 文法

我們都見過肢體無力搖晃的運動員，他們看起來更多是震驚而非痛苦。

But what is the most painful bone to break?

但是折斷哪塊骨頭最疼呢？

A broken fibula might only hurt for a few days,

腓骨骨折可能只會疼上幾天，

but a broken rib could cause weeks of nagging pain and sleepless nights. 片語搭配

但肋骨骨折可能會導致數週的持續疼痛和徹夜難眠。

According to American football players and forums detailing the pain of broken bones,

根據美式足球運動員以及詳細描述骨折疼痛的論壇說法，

the second worst break you can have is a ruptured Achilles. 用詞

排名第二的嚴重骨折是阿基里斯腱斷裂。

Former Oakland football star Ronald Curry described the pain as instantly excruciating

前奧克蘭足球明星羅納德·庫里將這種痛描述為瞬間痛徹心扉，

with the months to follow significantly worse.

而隨後的幾個月甚至更糟。

The winner on the worst break list, though,

然而，在最痛苦骨折榜單上奪冠的，

was the femur,

是股骨，

the biggest bone in the body.

人體中最大的骨頭。

Stubbing your toe on a rusty nail could also be disastrous. 片語搭配

腳趾踢到生鏽的釘子也可能是災難性的。

There's a good reason we keep our tetanus vaccinations up to date. 片語搭配

我們不斷更新破傷風疫苗接種是有充分理由的。

The CDC reports that hardly anyone dies of tetanus due to the shots we have, 文法

CDC 報告稱，由於我們接種了疫苗，幾乎沒有人死於破傷風，

but sporadic cases do happen from time to time.

但偶爾還是會有散發病例。

It starts with lockjaw

它從牙關緊閉開始，

and then soon your whole body is suffering from spasms and locking up. 片語動詞

很快你的全身就會出現痙攣和僵硬。

According to the WHO,

根據 WHO 的數據，

hundreds of cases happen each year around the world.

全球每年發生數百起病例。

If not treated early, 文法

如果不盡早治療，

tetanus will kill between 10 and 20% of its victims.

破傷風將導致 10% 到 20% 的患者死亡。

And what doesn't kill you might not necessarily make you stronger. 慣用語

那些沒能殺死你的東西，也不一定能讓你變得更強大。

Many people on pain forums state that tooth abscesses are the worst,

疼痛論壇上的許多人表示，牙膿腫是最糟糕的，

although one condition apparently tops it. 用詞

儘管顯然還有一種病排在它之上。

This is called trigeminal neuralgia,

這就是三叉神經痛，

a disease that affects around one in every 15 to 20,000 people

一種發病率大約在 1.5 萬至 2 萬分之一的疾病，

and has been dubbed the suicide disease as that's what it will make you want to do. 用詞

它被稱為「自殺病」，因為它會讓你痛得產生自殺的念頭。

People have said it's like lightning striking you in the face, 慣用語

人們說這種感覺就像閃電擊中臉部，

describing the shock attacks when the skull's largest nerve is distressed.

他們這樣描述這種當顱骨最大的神經受損時的電擊樣發作。

A 63-year-old woman from Wales said in an interview,

威爾斯一位 63 歲的女士在接受採訪時說，

it's the worst pain known to man, 用詞

這是人類已知的最嚴重的疼痛，

stating that neither treatment nor pain drugs have done anything to help her with this lifelong disease. 文法

並表示無論是治療還是止痛藥都無法幫助她緩解這種終身疾病。

My head goes back and I can hear screaming,

我的頭向後仰，我能聽到尖叫聲，

she said,

她說，

adding it's only later that I realized that it was me that was screaming out in pain. 文法

並補充說直到後來我才意識到，那個因為疼痛而尖叫的人是我自己。

The Trigeminal Neuralgia Association in the UK called it the most painful condition in the world.

英國的三叉神經痛協會稱其為世界上最痛的疾病。

In 2013,

2013 年，

the Daily Mail reported that 27% of sufferers kill themselves.

Daily Mail 報導稱，27% 的患者會自殺。

While a few of the pains above are said to be worse than childbirth,

雖然據說上述有些疼痛比分娩更嚴重，

it comes very high on the pain scale. 片語搭配

但分娩在疼痛級別上依然名列前茅。

Thankfully, not as high as the suicide disease

謝天謝地，它沒有自殺病那麼高，

as a lot of children would be motherless.

否則很多孩子就會失去母親。

In one interview,

在一次採訪中，

a 49-year-old woman said the final push is not the worst part. 用詞

一位 49 歲的女性表示，最後的用力並不是最糟糕的部分。

The labor bit,

分娩陣痛那陣子，

she said,

她說，

is like something squeezing the crap out of your guts on a timer for what seems like eternity 講解

就像有什麼東西按時擠壓著妳的腸子，像要把排泄物擠出來一樣，彷彿永無止境，

until you're delirious with exhaustion. 片語搭配

直到妳累得神智不清。

Others have described it as similar to pooping a watermelon or bowling ball.

其他人則形容這就像拉出一個西瓜或保齡球。

The worst thing is,

最糟糕的是，

it's probably the most common and natural of intense pains.

它可能是最常見、最自然的劇痛。

So, what's the worst pain you've ever experienced?

那麼，你經歷過的最痛的疼痛是什麼？

Let us know in the comments.

請在留言區告訴我們。

Also, be sure to check out our other video called Surprisingly High Paying Jobs.

另外，一定要看看我們的另一段影片《出人意料的高薪工作》。

Thanks for watching and as always, don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.

感謝您的觀看，一如既往，別忘了按讚、分享和訂閱。

See you next time.

我們下次見。