2012四级阅读-美丽的画面可减轻病痛

 　美丽的画面可减轻病痛   

The research carried out by the University of Bari in Italy could help vindicate¹ hospitals who are accused of wasting money on art and decor as it suggests a pleasant environment helps patients overcomediscomfort and pain.

推荐信息   英语四级阅读冲刺必备八种态度词   抑郁症是如何引起的   庆祝英国高端商业区的没落   四种方法攻克英语四级快速阅读意大利巴里大学日前开展的一项研究表明，舒适愉悦的环境有助于减轻病人的痛苦。这一发现有力驳斥了认为医院不应该把钱浪费在艺术品装饰上的说法。

　　A team headed by Professor Marina de Tommaso at the Neurophysiopathology Pain Unit asked a group of men and women to pick the 20 paintings they considered most ugly and most beautiful from a selection of 300 works by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli.

　　该研究由巴里大学“病理生理学病痛研究中心”的马莲娜·德·托马索教授领导的研究小组开展。研究人员让一组研究对象从达·芬奇和桑德罗·波提切利等著名画家的300幅画作中选出20幅他们认为最美丽或最难看的作品。

　　They were then asked to contemplate² either the beautiful paintings， or the ugly painting， or a blank panel while the team zapped a short laser pulse at their hand， creating a sensationas if they had been pricked³ by a pin.

　　之后，研究人员让他们注视着这些最美丽或最难看的画作，或者一个空白的画板，而此时研究人员则用短激光脉冲照射他们的手，让他们有种刺痛感。

　　The subjects rated the pain as being a third less intense while they were viewing the beautiful paintings， compared with when contemplating⁴ the ugly paintings or the blank panel.

　　结果发现，与注视着难看的画作或空白画板的人相比，看着美丽画作的人疼痛感减少了三分之一。  Electrodes measuring the brain's electrical activity also confirmed a reduced response to the pain when the subject looked at beautiful paintings.

　　此外，脑电波检测结果也表明，看着美丽画作的人对疼痛的反应会减慢。

　　While distractions⁶， such as music， are known to reduce pain in hospital patients， Prof de Tommaso says this is the first result to show that beauty plays a part.

　　众所周知，采用分散注意力的方法可以减轻病人的痛苦，比如音乐，而托马索教授称，这项研究首次证实了美丽的画面也具有同样功效。

　　The findings， reported in New Scientist， also go a long way to show that beautiful surroundings could aid the healing process.

　　此外，这项在《新科学家》上发表的研究进一步证实：优美的外界环境有助于缓解病痛。

　　"Hospitals have been designed to be functional⁷， but we think that their aesthetic⁸ aspects should be taken into account too，" said the neurologist.

　　这位神经学专家称：“医院的设计主要以功能性为主，但我们认为也要考虑美观这一因素。”

　　"Beauty obviously offers a distraction⁵ that ugly paintings do not. But at least there is no suggestion that ugly surroundings make the pain worse. "“很显然，美丽的画作能够分散病人的注意力，而难看的作品则不具备这一功效，不过现在还没有研究表明丑陋的外界环境会加重病人的痛苦。

　　"I think these results show that more research is needed into the how a beautifulenvironment can alleviate⁹ suffering." “这些发现表明我们还需开展更多的研究，来探究美丽的环境是如何减轻病痛的。”

　　Pictures they liked included Starry¹⁰ Night by Vincent Van Gogh and Botticellis Birth of Venus. Pictures they found ugly included works by Pablo Picasso， the Italian 20th century artist Anonio Bueno and Columbian Fernando Botero.

　　受访者最喜爱的画作包括：文森特·凡高的《星夜》和波特切利的《维纳斯的诞生》，而他们认为难看的画作则出自保罗·毕加索、20世纪意大利画家阿诺尼奥·布尔诺和哥伦比亚画家费尔南多·布特罗之手。

　　"These people were not art experts so some of the pictures they found ugly would be considered masterpieces by the art world，" said Prof de Tommaso.

　　托马索教授说：“这些人不是艺术家，所以一些他们认为难看的作品其实都是世界名作。”

1 vindicate   

v.为…辩护或辩解，辩明；证明…正确

参考例句：

• He tried hard to vindicate his honor.他拼命维护自己的名誉。
• How can you vindicate your behavior to the teacher?你怎样才能向老师证明你的行为是对的呢？

2 contemplate   

vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视

参考例句：

• The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate.战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。
• The consequences would be too ghastly to contemplate.后果不堪设想。

3 pricked   

刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛

参考例句：

• The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry. 厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
• He was pricked by his conscience. 他受到良心的谴责。

4 contemplating   

深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想

参考例句：

• You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
• She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。

5 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

6 distractions   

n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱

参考例句：

• I find it hard to work at home because there are too many distractions. 我发觉在家里工作很难，因为使人分心的事太多。
• There are too many distractions here to work properly. 这里叫人分心的事太多，使人无法好好工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 functional   

adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的

参考例句：

• The telephone was out of order,but is functional now.电话刚才坏了，但现在可以用了。
• The furniture is not fancy,just functional.这些家具不是摆着好看的，只是为了实用。

8 aesthetic   

adj.美学的，审美的，有美感

参考例句：

• My aesthetic standards are quite different from his.我的审美标准与他的大不相同。
• The professor advanced a new aesthetic theory.那位教授提出了新的美学理论。

9 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。

10 starry   

adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的

参考例句：

• He looked at the starry heavens.他瞧着布满星星的天空。
• I like the starry winter sky.我喜欢这满天星斗的冬夜。