【趣谈英语】英语俚语Shrink-Shrink Is Slang for Psychiatrist

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

 

shrink: short for headshrinker; slang for psychologist or psychiatrist¹

psychiatrist: a doctor with a specialization in mental health; can prescribe medication

psychologist: one who has a degree in psychology² (may do research or clinical work); usually is not licensed³ to prescribe medication

term of endearment⁴: a name that shows one’s admiration⁵ or love for someone

ego⁶: one’s sense of self importance

alleviate⁷: to remove something troubling or painful

 

Shrink Is Slang for Psychiatrist 

The word shrink is slang for psychiatrist or psychologist. Like the word shark, which is slang for lawyer, the word shrink has negative connotations. Shrink is the short form of headshrinker. Headshrinking was an ancient tribal⁸ practice observed in the Amazon rainforest. A warrior⁹ would take an enemy’s head as a trophy¹⁰ after a battle. A special technique was used to shrink the head and prevent the spirit of the dead from taking revenge. Some historians believe that the word shrink has a different origin in relation to psychotherapy. At one time, the primary role of a psychotherapist was to shrink a person’s ego. Today, mental health professionals work on shrinking their patients’ or clients’ problems and alleviating¹¹ trouble in the brain. When someone says, “I have to go and see my shrink tonight,” it could be considered a term of endearment.

1 psychiatrist   

n.精神病专家；精神病医师

参考例句：

• He went to a psychiatrist about his compulsive gambling.他去看精神科医生治疗不能自拔的赌瘾。
• The psychiatrist corrected him gently.精神病医师彬彬有礼地纠正他。

2 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

3 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

4 endearment   

n.表示亲爱的行为

参考例句：

• This endearment indicated the highest degree of delight in the old cooper.这个称呼是老箍桶匠快乐到了极点的表示。
• To every endearment and attention he continued listless.对于每一种亲爱的表示和每一种的照顾，他一直漫不在意。

5 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

6 ego   

n.自我，自己，自尊

参考例句：

• He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
• She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。

7 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

8 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

9 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

10 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

11 alleviating   

减轻，缓解，缓和( alleviate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• If it's alleviating pain,who knows what else it's doing? 如果它减轻了疼痛，天知道还影响什么？
• Measuring poverty is not the same as alleviating it, of course. 当然，衡量贫困和减轻贫困是截然不同的。