双语有声阅读:Jet Lag: Prevention and Cure 时差综合症

The problem of Jet Lag is one every international traveller comes across at some time. But do you have to suffer? Understand what it is, and how a careful diet can minimize its worst effects, and your flights will be less stressful.

The effects of rapid travel on the body are actually far more disturbing than we realize. Jet Lag is not a psychological consequence of having to readjust to a different time zone. It is due to changes in the body's physiological¹ regulatory mechanisms², specifically the hormonal³ systems, in a different environment.

Confused? So was John Foster Dulles, the American Secretary of State, when he flew to Egypt to conduct negotiations⁴ on the Aswan Dam. He later blamed his poor judgment⁵ on Jet Lag.

The effects can be used to advantage, too. President Johnson once conducted an important meeting in Guam and kept the entire proceedings⁶ at Washington DC time. The White House working personnel were as fresh as paint, while the locals, in this case, were jet-lagged. Essentially⁷, they had been instantaneously transported to America.

Now that we understand what Jet Lag is, we can go some way to overcoming it. A great number of the body's events are scheduled to occur at a certain time of day. Naturally these have to be regulated, and there are two regulatory systems which interact.

One timing⁸ system comes from the evidence of our senses and stomachs, and the periodicity we experience when living in a particular time zone. The other belongs in our internal clocks (the major one of which may be physically⁹ located in a part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus) which, left alone, would tie the body to a 25 hour - yes, 25 - rhythm. Normally the two timers are in step, and the external cues tend to regularise the internal clocks to the more convenient 24 hour period.

If, however, you move the whole body to a time zone which is four hours different, the two clocks will be out of step, like two alarm clocks which are normally set together, but which have been reset¹⁰ a few hours apart. Whereas the two clocks would normally sound their alarms together, now they ring at different times. Similarly, the body can be set for evening while the sun is rising.

In time the physiological system will reset itself, but it does take time. One easily monitored rhythm is palm sweating. A man flown to a time zone different by 10 hours will take eight days to readjust his palm sweat. Blood pressure, which is also rhythmical¹¹, takes four days to readjust.

One reason for this discrepancy¹² is that different bodily events are controlled by different factors. The hormone¹³ cortisol, which controls salt and water excretion, is made in the morning, wherever the body is. But the growth hormone is released during sleep, whenever in the day that sleep occurs. Normally these two hormones¹⁴ are separated by seven or eight hours, but if the body arrives at a destination in the early morning (local) and goes to sleep as soon as possible, the two hormones will be released simultaneously¹⁵.

What can we do about it? It is not feasible to wait four days until the body is used to the new time zone. Fortunately there is a short cut. It relies on two things - the power of the stomach to regulate the timing of other events, and the pharmacological actions of coffee.

The basic assumptions are:

Coffee delays the body clock in the morning, and advances it at night. Coffee at mid-afternoon is neutral.

Protein in meals stimulates¹⁶ wakefulness, while carbohydrates¹⁷ promote sleep.

Putting food into an empty stomach helps synchronize¹⁸ the body clock.
 

高速飞行时因时差而引起的生理节奏的推敲是每一个跨国旅行者有时会遇到的问题。但你必须得忍受吗？如果你了解它是怎么回事，并且知道如何注意饮食才可以将其最坏影响减到最小程度，你的飞行就不会那么紧张了。

快速旅行对身体的影响实际上比我们所意识到的更加令人不安。调整的习行因时差而引起的生理节奏的破坏不是必须重新调整去适合不同时区的心理影响。它是由人体内的生理调节结构，特别是荷尔蒙系统在不同环境的变化引起的。

感到困惑了吗？美国国务卿约翰·福斯·特杜勒斯飞往埃及进行关于阿斯旺大坝的谈判时也是这样。后来，他把他的不理想的判断归咎于时差反应的不良影响。

时差的影响也可以加以利用。约翰逊总统曾经在关岛召开重要会议，其所有活动都按华盛顿时间进行。白宫工作人员个个精神焕发，而在这种情况下，当地人却受时差反应之苦。实际上，好像他们刚刚被飞机送到美国一样。

既然我们懂得了什么是高速飞行时差综合症。很自然，这些活动不得不加以调节，人体现人有两套相互影响的调节系统。

一个定时系统表现在我们的感觉和胃以及居住在一个特定时区时，我们所经历的周期。另一个定时系统在我们的人体时钟内，这些人体时钟在不受干扰时，会使人体有一个25小时，是的25小时的生理节奏。一般情况下，这两种定时器是步调一致的。外部信号常常调节人体时钟命使之达到更为便利的24小时周期。

然而，如果你将整个身体转移到相差四个小时的时区，这两个小时钟就不协调了。就像两个闹钟通常一起设置，但被重新设置时相差了好几个小时。虽然这两个时钟通常会一起闹时，但现在它们在不同时刻响起。类似的，当太阳升起时身体可能被设定为晚上。

经过一段时间以后，生理系统将会重新调整过来。但这的确需要时间。一个容易监测的节律是手掌出汗的节律。血压也是有节律的，需要四天时间才能得到重新调整。

形成这种差异的百不同的身体活动由不同因素的支配。不管身在何处，控制盐和水分排泄的皮质醇激素是早上产生的。但不论何时睡眠，生长激素是在睡眠中释放的。通常这两种激素相隔七、八个小时释放，但如果人体在一大早到达目的地，并且尽快入睡，这两种激素将同时释放。

关于这点我们能做些什么呢？等待几天直到身体适应新的时区是不可取的。幸好，有一条捷径。它依靠两点――胃调节其他活动定时的能力和咖啡的药物作用。

基本的道理是：

咖啡在早上可以延迟人体时钟，在晚间可以提早人体时钟。咖啡在下午三点左右是中性的。食物中的蛋白质使人不眠，而碳水化合物却使人易于入睡。空腹吃食物帮助人体时钟准时
 

1 physiological   

adj.生理学的，生理学上的

参考例句：

• He bought a physiological book.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• Every individual has a physiological requirement for each nutrient.每个人对每种营养成分都有一种生理上的需要。

2 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 hormonal   

adj.激素的

参考例句：

• Some viral diseases are more severe during pregnancy, probably tecause of hormonal changes. 有些病毒病在妊娠期间比较严重，可能是由于激素变化引起的。
• She underwent surgical intervention and a subsequent short period of hormonal therapy. 他接受外科手术及随后短暂荷尔蒙治疗。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

6 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

7 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

8 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

9 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

10 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

11 rhythmical   

adj.有节奏的，有韵律的

参考例句：

• His breathing became more rhythmical.他的呼吸变得更有节奏了。
• The music is strongly rhythmical.那音乐有强烈的节奏。

12 discrepancy   

n.不同；不符；差异；矛盾

参考例句：

• The discrepancy in their ages seemed not to matter.他们之间年龄的差异似乎没有多大关系。
• There was a discrepancy in the two reports of the accident.关于那次事故的两则报道有不一致之处。

13 hormone   

n.荷尔蒙，激素，内分泌

参考例句：

• Hormone implants are used as growth boosters.激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。
• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body.这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。

14 hormones   

n. 荷尔蒙，激素 名词hormone的复数形式

参考例句：

• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
• The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。

15 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

16 stimulates   

v.刺激( stimulate的第三人称单数 )；激励；使兴奋；起兴奋作用，起刺激作用，起促进作用

参考例句：

• Exercise stimulates the body. 运动促进身体健康。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Alcohol stimulates the action of the heart. 酒刺激心脏的活动。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

17 carbohydrates   

n.碳水化合物，糖类( carbohydrate的名词复数 )；淀粉质或糖类食物

参考例句：

• The plant uses the carbohydrates to make cellulose. 植物用碳水化合物制造纤维素。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All carbohydrates originate from plants. 所有的碳水化合物均来自植物。 来自辞典例句

18 synchronize   

v.使同步 [=synchronise]

参考例句：

• The sound on a film must synchronize with the action. 影片中的声音必须与动作配合一致。
• You must synchronize your Inbox before selecting additional folders. 在选择其他文件夹前，您必须同步您的收件箱。