美国国家公共电台 NPR--After celebrating the holidays, maybe it's time to try 'dry January'

After celebrating the holidays, maybe it's time to try 'dry January'

Transcript¹

The month of alcohol² abstinence known as "dry January" can have beneficial effects on participants months after completing the challenge.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

OK, we're now on the third day of dry January, for those who celebrate - or more to the point, those who don't.

ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:

The notion³ is to avoid alcohol for the month right after the excesses⁴ of the holidays. Surely, some people violated⁵ dry January at one minute after midnight on New Year's. But Richard de Visser insists you're not too late.

RICHARD DE VISSER: Anyone could start any time.

SCHMITZ: He's at England's Brighton and Sussex Medical School. He says no alcohol in January means a month without hangovers, better sleep and money saved.

DE VISSER: People also say that they feel more in control of their drinking. They have more of a sense of saying, well, actually, if I feel a bit tempted⁶ to have a drink, I know what I can do instead. I've actually found out another drink I can have instead. Or if I feel like when I'm with certain people it's difficult to refuse a drink, maybe I'll go and socialize in different ways.

INSKEEP: In studying people who practice dry January, de Visser said some people reported results six months later.

DE VISSER: We find that people are actually drinking less. So they're drinking on fewer days per week. And then on the days when they are drinking, they're drinking less.

SCHMITZ: Zack Riesland (ph) says he tried it and will try some more.

ZACK RIESLAND: Kind of started from scratch again and kind of keep it at bay.

INSKEEP: Riesland is a father of four and says, for energy and better sleep, he's made his own rules.

RIESLAND: Sometimes I put different boundaries around it. Like, I'll say, I'm not going to drink at home, you know, for this month. So if I'm out with people, I'll allow it.

SCHMITZ: Some might call this damp January. Chris Swonger calls this try January - that's with a T. He leads responsibility.org, which promotes lifelong responsible alcohol consumption⁷.

CHRIS SWONGER: Try January is really what it's all about. Try a balanced, healthy lifestyle when it comes to beverage⁸ alcohol 12 months out of the year.

SCHMITZ: And de Visser, who conducted that study, says any period of abstinence is good.

DE VISSER: So even if people try for one week and don't make it through, they've still done something which is different, which is questioning their own behavior and questioning maybe the way that society thinks about drinking as well.

INSKEEP: Let me pour you some coffee.

(SOUNDBITE OF REZIDENT'S "REFLECTION")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。

3 notion   

n.概念，意念，看法

参考例句：

• One common Chinese notion is that the elders ought to be respected.中国人共有的一种观念是长者应受到尊敬。
• He had a sudden notion to visit all his relatives.他心血来潮，突然想去拜访他所有的亲戚。

4 excesses   

n.过份荒淫的行为

参考例句：

• The enemy committed many excesses. 敌军犯下了许多暴行。
• The excesses committed by the invaders will never be forgotten. 人们永远不会忘记侵略军犯下的暴行。

5 violated   

亵渎( violate的过去式和过去分词 )； 违反； 侵犯； 强奸

参考例句：

• Note that thick, strong angles of tibia are not violated. 注意肥厚、结实的胫骨成角部分未受损坏。
• The soldiers violated the church by using it as a stable. 士兵们把教堂当马厩，亵渎了教堂。

6 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

7 consumption   

n.消费，消耗，消费额，消耗量，结核病

参考例句：

• Consumption of oil has declined in recent years.石油消耗量在最近几年下降了。
• The meat was condemned as unfit for human consumption.这种肉已被宣布不适宜人们食用。

8 beverage   

n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料

参考例句：

• The beverage is often colored with caramel.这种饮料常用焦糖染色。
• Beer is a beverage of the remotest time.啤酒是一种最古老的饮料。