时差N小时 为什么紧张会容易口干舌燥？(上)

Here’s the scene. The audience is waiting with bated breath, you’re just about to give a speech, and suddenly you notice your mouth is dry as sawdust. You haven’t said a word yet! Why did you get cottonmouth before you even began?

以下面场景为例。观众在屏息等待，而你正准备发表演讲，突然你发现嘴巴干得像木屑一样。你一句话都还没说！为什么还没开口就口干舌燥？

Fight or Flight

战或逃反应

The dry mouth that, for many people, goes along with public speaking or performance is connected to the “fight or flight” response. When you’re nervous or afraid, the nervous system slows down all the body processes that aren’t necessary for your immediate¹ survival², and amps up the ones that just might save your life-that is, if you’re about to be attacked by a predator³ like a tiger or a bear.

对许多人来说，进行公众演讲或表演时产生的口干舌燥与“战或逃”反应有关。当你感到紧张或害怕时，神经系统会自动减慢所有不影响你当下生存问题的身体活动，加速那些可能拯救你生命的活动——也就是说，如果遇到即将被老虎或熊等捕食者攻击的这种情况。

As the “fight or flight” response kicks in, your heart rate goes up and more blood goes to your heart and major muscle groups, so you can make a quick getaway, or grab⁴ a big stick.

当“战或逃”反应激活时，你的心率会上升，更多的血液会流向心脏和主要的肌肉群，这样你就可以快速逃离，或者抓起一根棍子自卫。

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 survival   

n.留住生命，生存，残存，幸存者

参考例句：

• The doctor told my wife I had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.医生告诉我的妻子，说我活下去的可能性只有50%。
• The old man was a survival of a past age.这位老人是上一代的遗老。

3 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

4 grab   

vt./n.攫取，抓取；vi.攫取，抓住(at)

参考例句：

• It is rude to grab a seat.抢占座位是不礼貌的。
• The thief made a grab at my bag but I pushed him away.贼想抢我的手提包，但被我推开了。