彭蒙惠英语：Hire Your Cat as Your Personal Trainer

Hire Your Cat as Your Personal Trainer

 

By Jean Anne Forsythe /

© Cat Fancy, September 2004

 

Why pay for a personal trainer? Just copy your cat’s movements.

 

If you want to be in shape, learn from your cat. Cats instinctively¹ exercise to stay fit: They run, leap, stretch, climb, balance and relax. Consistently practice some of these simple exercises and you may find yourself feeling more supple², graceful³ and fit.

 

Cat pose. Cats stretch every day to keep themselves limber and flexible. Get on your hands and knees. Slowly exhale⁴ and pull your stomach as far into your spine⁵ as you can, raising your back up and dropping your head down to make an arch. Then inhale⁶, lowering your back, pushing your ribs⁷ and stomach toward the floor, and raising your tailbone and head. Repeat five or six times. This stretch will help reduce tightness in your back and shoulders.

 

“Cat walk” balance. Find a place where you can walk in a straight line. Slowly place one foot directly in front of the other. Hold your arms up for balance, if needed. Stop occasionally, raise one foot off the ground, and balance on the other foot.

 

Kitty kickboxing. Plant your feet firmly. Make your hands into fists and push your arms out, one at a time, in quick jabs. Do several with each arm, or alternate arms. Try moving around as you jab, eventually adding front, side and back kicks. Initially⁸ keep your kicks low, and raise them as you become more fit.

 

Relaxation⁹. After performing the previous exercises, walk around slowly until your breathing returns to normal. Then, curl up in your favorite spot. If your cat jumps onto your lap, focus on it, feeling the softness of its fur and listening to its purr. If you drift off, that’s fine. What better way to relax than a catnap!

 

 

Vocabulary

instinctively (adv) [in5stiNktivli] relating to the way people or animals naturally react or behave, without having to think or learn about it

supple (adj) [5sQpl] bending or able to be bent¹⁰ easily; not stiff

alternate (v) [C:l5tE:nit] to happen or exist one after the other repeatedly

drift off (v phr) to gradually start to sleep

 

Specialized¹¹ Terms

kickboxing (n) 跆拳道 a sport and martial¹² art in which competitors hit and punch each other, like in boxing, and kick each other with their feet, like in karate¹³; adapted as an exercise routine of hitting and kicking

catnap (n) 小睡片刻，打盹 a short sleep

 

请猫来做你的个人健身教练

 

为什么花钱请个人健身教练？只要模仿你家猫的动作即可

 

蔡明颖 译

 

若想有良好体能，拜你的猫为师吧。猫天生就会运动来保持最佳体能状态：它们跑、跳、伸展、攀爬、平衡及放松。持续不断地练习这些简易的动作，或许你就会发现自己变得更柔软、优雅，体能也更好。

 

摆出猫的姿式。猫每天都做伸展动作，让自己灵活且充满弹性。跪下来，双手撑地。慢慢地吐气，将你的腹部尽可能地推向脊椎，抬高背、低下头以做出弧形。然后吸气，放低你的背，将你的肋骨与腹部推向地板，再抬起你的尾椎和头。反复五六次。这个伸展动作有助减缓你肩与背的紧绷状况。

 

走猫式平衡。找到一个你能走直线的地方。慢慢地将你的一只脚笔直地置于另一只脚之前。如果需要的话，把你的双臂举起来以维持平衡。偶尔停下来，将一只脚抬离地面，用另一只脚平衡。

 

练习猫式跆拳道。站稳脚步，双手握拳，然后一次一只手臂，快速地往前出拳。左右手各做数次，或轮流交替。试着在出拳的时候四处移动，最后再加上前踢、侧踢和后踢。一开始不用踢得很高，当你体能较好时，再将腿慢慢抬高。

 

放松。做完上述的动作后，慢慢地走一圈，直到你的呼吸恢复正常。接着，蜷缩在你最喜欢的地方。如果你的猫跳到你的膝上，就专注地与它玩耍，感觉猫毛的柔软，聆听它低沉的呼噜声。若你不小心坠入梦乡，无须担心。再也没有比小睡片刻更棒的放松方式了！

1 instinctively   

adv.本能地

参考例句：

• As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近，她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 supple   

adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺

参考例句：

• She gets along well with people because of her supple nature.她与大家相处很好，因为她的天性柔和。
• He admired the graceful and supple movements of the dancers.他赞扬了舞蹈演员优雅灵巧的舞姿。

3 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

4 exhale   

v.呼气，散出，吐出，蒸发

参考例句：

• Sweet odours exhale from flowers.花儿散发出花香。
• Wade exhaled a cloud of smoke and coughed.韦德吐出一口烟，然后咳嗽起来。

5 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

6 inhale   

v.吸入(气体等)，吸(烟)

参考例句：

• Don't inhale dust into your lung.别把灰尘吸进肺里。
• They are pleased to not inhale second hand smoke.他们很高兴他们再也不会吸到二手烟了。

7 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

8 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

9 relaxation   

n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐

参考例句：

• The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law.部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。
• She listens to classical music for relaxation.她听古典音乐放松。

10 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

11 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

12 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

13 karate   

n.空手道(日本的一种徒手武术)

参考例句：

• Alice's boyfriend knew a little karate.艾丽斯的男朋友懂一点儿空手道。
• The black belt is the highest level in karate.黑腰带级是空手道的最高级别。