壓力真的會致命嗎？：英語精讀講義

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

在這個忙碌的世界裡，工作永無止境，責任也愈積愈多，

stress can get to the best of us. 慣用語

再堅強的人也可能被壓力擊垮。

But how bad is it for you, really?

但說真的，它究竟對你有多大危害？

Can stress actually kill you? 表達脈絡

壓力真的會致命嗎？

From a biological perspective, 片語搭配

從生物學角度來看，

stress makes perfect sense.

壓力反應完全合情合理。

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

如果你眼看就要被熊一口咬住，

your stress hormones better kick your butt into gear. 講解

你的壓力荷爾蒙最好趕緊讓你動起來。

But it turns out that your mortgage, 表達脈絡

但事實證明，無論是房貸，

unemployment, and looming exam

失業，還是迫在眉睫的考試，

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

都會在你體內引發同樣的壓力反應。

And unlike most animals,

但大多數動物卻不一樣，

which eventually experience a major decrease in these hormones,

牠們體內的這些荷爾蒙最終會大幅下降，

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

人類似乎就是找不到關掉壓力反應的開關。

Even though it's not life and death, 慣用語

即使這些煩惱並非生死攸關，

our psychological woes consistently bathe our bodies in these hormones, 慣用語

我們的心理困擾仍不斷讓身體浸泡在這些荷爾蒙中，

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

導致心跳加速、肌肉緊繃、胃裡翻騰。

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

在日本，有個詞叫「過勞死」（karoshi），

which literally translates to death from overwork.

字面意思就是「因工作過度而死」。

In what is now deemed an overworking epidemic, 用詞

如今，過度工作已被視為一種流行病，

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

這些看似健康、正值壯年的人卻會突然死亡。

After being officially recognized and documented in Japan,

日本正式承認並記錄這個現象後，

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

人們很快就把這些突發心臟病和中風與壓力連結起來。

But how does stress cause this?

但壓力究竟是如何造成這些後果的呢？

Cortisol is one of the main stress hormones,

皮質醇是主要的壓力荷爾蒙之一，

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

它能將能量調往需要的地方，同時減少身體非必要功能的能量供應。

But with chronic stress exposure, 片語搭配

但長期承受壓力時，

problems arise.

問題就出現了。

The immune system shuts down, 片語動詞

免疫系統會停止運作，

inflammation is inhibited,

發炎反應會受到抑制，

white blood cells are reduced,

白血球數量會減少，

and susceptibility to disease increases. 片語搭配

罹病風險則會上升。

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

有些證據也顯示，長期壓力可能參與癌症的發生與發展。

When looking at the arteries of macaque monkeys,

觀察獼猴的動脈時，

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

會發現承受巨大壓力的獼猴，動脈阻塞得更嚴重。

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

這會導致壓力來臨時，血液無法迅速流向心臟，

and can ultimately lead to heart attacks. 片語搭配

最終可能引發心臟病發作。

The brain also takes a toll.

大腦也會因此受損。

When looking at mice exposed to stress, 文法

觀察承受壓力的小鼠時，

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

我們會看到，牠們的腦細胞比正常小鼠小得多，分支突起也更少。

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

這種情況在與記憶和學習相關的腦區尤其常見，

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

這或許會讓你想起那些「美妙」的通宵苦讀經驗。

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

急性壓力和睡眠不足，會讓我們愈來愈難記住想記的事。

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

也許最能說明問題的線索，就藏在我們的 DNA 裡。

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

我們的染色體末端有一種叫做端粒的構造，

which decrease in size with our age.

它會隨著年齡增長而縮短。

Our video on aging here explains this process.

我們這支關於老化的影片解釋了這個過程。

Eventually, the telomeres run out, 片語動詞

最後，端粒會消耗殆盡，

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

此時細胞會停止複製並死亡。

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

所以，端粒與老化和壽命直接相關。

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

而事實證明，壓力可能真的會加速端粒縮短。

But not all hope is lost for the perpetually stressed. 慣用語

不過，對長期受壓力纏身的人來說，希望並未完全破滅。

Another hormone, oxytocin,

另一種荷爾蒙——催產素，

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

已證實能減弱這種壓力反應。

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

它能幫助血管放鬆，甚至能修復因壓力而受損的心臟。

So, how do we get more oxytocin? 表達脈絡

那麼，怎樣才能獲得更多催產素呢？

It's sometimes dubbed the cuddle hormone 用詞

它有時也被稱為「擁抱荷爾蒙」，

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

因為在正向人際互動以及照顧他人時，人體都會釋放它。

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

花更多時間與他人相處的人，面對壓力時會多一層緩衝，也更有韌性。

So, when life gets the best of you, 慣用語

所以，當生活壓得你喘不過氣時，

just remember,

請記住，

you don't have to go it alone. 講解

你不必獨自面對。

Spend some time with those you love.

花點時間陪伴你愛的人吧。

It may just save your life.

這或許能救你一命。

Got a burning question you want answered? 慣用語

有沒有什麼問題讓你特別想知道答案？

Ask it in the comments or on Facebook and Twitter.

歡迎在留言區、Facebook 或 Twitter 上提問。

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

如果你想搶先得知即將推出的主題和幕後花絮，

check out our personal Instagram and Twitter handles. 用詞

歡迎追蹤我們個人的 Instagram 和 Twitter 帳號。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

也別忘了訂閱，每週收看更多科學影片。