VOA常速英语2015--孩子们通过僵尸游戏缓解压力

Kids Save the World from Zombies, Once a Week After School 孩子们通过僵尸游戏缓解压力

BOULDER¹, COLORADO—

Even before George Romero put out "Night of the Living Dead" in 1968, zombies were a thing. But ever since, Zombies have been a constant presence in our cultural landscape. The unreality of the undead gives the horror of a Zombie Apocalypse a humorous edge. Students at Maryland’s Goucher College wanted to get into the fun and started playing a version of Humans versus² Zombies a decade ago. It caught on and fans play the game all over the world, including at Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado.

Saving the world

Many of these Fairview High school students plan to be scientists and engineers. But on Wednesdays, they gather in a classroom after school, and prepare to save the world from zombies. 

Fairview高中许多学生计划成为科学家或工程师。但是每周三，他们放学后都会聚集在这间教室，准备从僵尸手中拯救世界。

“So right now the kids are arming themselves.They’ve got their blasters and whatever melee³ weapons they’re going to use,” said Social Studies teacher, Scott Peoples, an advisor⁴ to the “Humans versus Zombies” club.

“现在，孩子们正在武装自己。他们将获得爆破器或者任何混战武器，”社会学系教师Scott Peoples表示。他是“人类大战僵尸”俱乐部顾问。

“Because we’re doing this in a school, we can’t use terms like guns and shoot. So, they have to use terms like blaster and blast,” Peoples explained. “The penalty for using the wrong word is 10 pushups.”

“因为我们是在学校里进行，所以我们不能使用枪支和射击等词汇。所以，他们只能使用爆破器和爆炸等词汇。”人们解释说。“使用错误的词汇的惩罚是10个俯卧撑。”

In preparation for their mission to save the world, most students tie a bandana on an arm. They’re human. But watch out for the ones with bandanas around their heads - they’re zombies!

在拯救世界任务的准备工作中，大部分学生在手臂上绑一条手帕。他们是人类。但是也有一些学生把手帕绑在头上。

Once everyone is armed with foam⁵ darts⁶ and identified by bandanas, the Zombies versus Humans game of tag begins!

人类大战僵尸游戏开始！

Through high school hallways! Down the stairs!

在学校的大厅里！在楼梯上！

"If I do say myself, you get a really great workout, running up and down the ramps,” said Nicolena, as she took a break from chasing humans. “Running, endorphins, endorphins make people happy.”

“如果要我说的话，你会得到非常好的锻炼，不断在斜坡上跑上跑下。”Nicolena刚刚追逐了人类，短暂地休息一下。“不断地跑，内啡肽会让人感到快乐。”

Surviving the transformation⁷

In his first game, World Language teacher Jonathan Yonk didn't do so well.

在第一场游戏中，世界语言教师Jonathan Yonk做的不够好。

“My first interaction with a zombie today resulted in my transformation into a zombie. So I think I have a lot to learn from the kids as far as surviving,” he said.

“我今天第一次与僵尸交手的结果是我变成僵尸。所以，在求生方面，我要好好跟学生们学习一下。。”

But the students appreciate his being there. "I think of him more as a friendly person than I do as a teacher,” Hayden said. “Um, I still respect him of course.”

但是学生们非常喜欢他在这里。“我觉得他不像一个老师，更像一个非常友好的人。当然，我仍然非常尊敬他。”Hayden说。

Yonk said it's good for the students to blow off some steam.

Yonk说，这个游戏对于学生释放压力非常有好处。

“Oh, yeah! They’re under a lot of pressure that they put on themselves to get good grades and study hard, so this is a good release,” he added.

“是的。他们给了自己很大的压力，努力学习获得好的成绩。所以，这个游戏是很好的放松方式。”

But Hayden said it’s more than that - the club has a multitude of educational benefits. “Creativity and leadership skills and especially in keeping people organized,” he said.

但是Hayden说，这个游戏的益处远远不止如此——该俱乐部还有许多教育意义。“可以培养创意和领导能力，尤其是保持人们的组织性。”他说。

And there's an immediate⁸ benefit.

此外还有一种立竿见影的效果。

“I know that after human versus zombies I know that I go home and I’m like, 'Man, I can do my homework now!'” he said.

“我知道，人类大战僵尸游戏之后我就要回家。就好像，现在我可以做作业了。”

Even if, as usual, the humans fail to win.

即使像平时一样，人类没有获得胜利。

“The final human was zombified. That means every human has been zombified and the world has descended⁹ into a zombie apocalypse,” proclaimed Hayden. 

“最后一个人也变成了僵尸。这意味着所有人都变成僵尸了，整个世界沦落为满是僵尸的世界末日。”

Until next week, when students at Fairview High will get another chance to save the world from zombies. 

直到下周同一时间，Fairview高中的学生再次获得从僵尸手中拯救世界的机会。

1 boulder   

n.巨砾；卵石，圆石

参考例句：

• We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲，把大石头搬开了。
• He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。

2 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

3 melee   

n.混战；混战的人群

参考例句：

• There was a scuffle and I lost my hat in the melee.因发生一场斗殴，我的帽子也在混乱中丢失了。
• In the melee that followed they trampled their mother a couple of times.他们打在一团，七手八脚的又踩了他们的母亲几下。

4 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

5 foam   

v./n.泡沫，起泡沫

参考例句：

• The glass of beer was mostly foam.这杯啤酒大部分是泡沫。
• The surface of the water is full of foam.水面都是泡沫。

6 darts   

n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• His darts trophy takes pride of place on the mantelpiece. 他将掷镖奖杯放在壁炉顶上最显著的地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I never saw so many darts in a bodice! 我从没见过紧身胸衣上纳了这么多的缝褶！ 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

8 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。

9 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。