环球英语 — 424：Tourette’s Syndrome

　　Voice 1
Hello, and welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Marina Santee.
Voice 2
And I'm Ruby² Jones. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
"A tic comes into my head - an uncontrolled urge to move a part of my body. And I try my best to hold it in... I get this feeling like everything inside me is moving around. I get pressure in my chest. I feel hot and cold. I have to release³ that tic. If not, these feelings will not go away."
Voice 1
A man called John said these words. John is describing the medical condition that he suffers from. It is called Tourette's Syndrome⁴. Tourette's Syndrome causes John's body to make sudden, quick movements. Our muscles make it possible for the body to move. And usually our brain controls their movements. But John suffers from tics. These are sudden movements of groups of muscles in the body. And John has no control over them! He does not know when he may move his arm and hit the person next to him. He does not know when a tic in his leg muscles may cause him to jump in the air.
Voice 2
These sudden physical movements are bad enough. But John also experiences vocal⁵ tics - tics that affect his voice. A vocal tic gives him the urge to shout out words suddenly and loudly. These could be words that somebody has just said. Or they could be words that people consider to be bad language. This may happen to him at any time - alone or in public. If John does shout out when people are around, he feels guilty and ashamed. He worries about what people may think of him. They do not know that he suffers from a medical condition. They may judge him on his behaviour. John says:
Voice 3
"In my head I have a picture of what is going to happen. People are going to look at me. They are going to hear me shout a particular thing and think, ‘What a strange person!'"
Voice 2
Or, some people do know about Tourette's Syndrome. But for them, it is a bit of a joke. John continues:
Voice 3
"You ask anyone what the funniest sickness or condition that they have heard of. Most people will say Tourette's. Why? Because it is strange. It is like being wildly insane⁶."
Voice 1
Gilles de la Tourette was a doctor from France. He lived in the 1800s. He was particularly interested in medical conditions affecting the body's nerve⁷ system. In 1884, Tourette wrote about nine different patients. Each one suffered from physical and vocal tics that they could not control. Tourette named this condition, "La maladie des tics" - French for "the sickness of tics". One of these patients was the Marquise de Dampierre. Tourette wrote about her:
Voice 4
"At the age of seven, Marquise de Dampierre experienced⁸ violent movements of the hand and arms...after each violent movement, her hand movements became more normal and better controlled. This was until another violent movement stopped her from working. People thought that she was too excited and badly behaved."
Voice 1
When she was older, the Marquise de Dampierre also suffered from vocal tics. Tourette observed:
Voice 4
"In the middle of an interesting talk, suddenly, and without being able to prevent it, she stops what she is saying or what she is listening to with horrible screams. Or she uses words that are even more unusual than her screams! This behaviour is so different from her usual good behaviour."
Voice 1
Doctor Tourette looked at all the medical evidence. And he decided⁹ that there were seven signs that showed someone was suffering from Tourette's Syndrome:
One: It usually developed when the person was between the ages of seven and ten.
Voice 2
Two: It affected¹⁰ more males than females¹¹.
Voice 1
Three: the condition was genetic¹².
Voice 2
Four: the patient's tics usually started in the face or upper body.
Voice 1
Five: the patient did not present the signs of this condition all the time. The tics came suddenly - and then they stopped.
Voice 2
Six: the tics were made worse by worry and lack of sleep.
Voice 1
Seven: this condition did not make the patient's mental state become worse.
Voice 2
Most people who suffer from Tourette's Syndrome say that the hardest thing about the condition is people's lack of understanding. This was true for a girl called Gusti Ayu. Gusti lives in Bali, an island in Indonesia. Her story is told in a film called "Movement and Madness." A man called Robert Lemelson made this film. He first went to Bali in 1996. He was part of a medical research project. Lemelson wanted to find out how people with different mental conditions survived in small, lonely communities. People there do not have the medical knowledge from hospitals or experts in large cities. They depend on local knowledge passed from generation to generation. It was during this time that Lemelson met Gusti. Gusti has Tourette's Syndrome. She struggled with managing her condition. And she struggled with people's attitude towards her. Gusti's experiences influenced Lemelson greatly. He wanted to do something about her situation.
Voice 1
So, Lemelson decided to make a film about Gusti. The whole process took eight years. The film began at the point where Lemelson identified Gusti's Tourette's Syndrome. In the local culture, there was no name for such a medical condition. So, her family treated Gusti as if she were insane. This left Gusti feeling very alone. Lemelson offered Gusti some medicine that could help her condition. The family agreed. And Gusti's state improved. However, the medicine did not stop the Tourette's Syndrome completely. This discouraged her family. So, they turned to local traditional healers for help. The film shows how Gusti learns to take control of her own life while respecting the opinions of those around her. In turn, her family and community learn to understand her condition better - and to accept her as the special human being that she is.
Voice 2
Scientists still have found no cure for Tourette's Syndrome. However, with the work of doctors and health experts today, people know much more than they once did. Increased knowledge has enabled¹³ communities to understand people with Tourette's Syndrome better. And understanding helps create a willingness to accept people with the condition. And acceptance¹⁴ is half the battle won already.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

3 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

4 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

5 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

6 insane   

adj.蠢极的，荒唐的，精神错乱的，疯狂的

参考例句：

• Insane people are sometimes dangerous.精神病人有时非常危险。
• The letter made her insane with jealousy.那封信使她妒忌得发疯。

7 nerve   

n.神经；勇气，胆量，沉着，果断

参考例句：

• Did he have the nerve to say that?他竟有脸说这话吗？
• He never got up enough nerve to meet me.他从没有足够的胆量来见我。

8 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

11 females   

n.雌性动物( female的名词复数 )；女人

参考例句：

• The male birds are more colourful than the females. 这种鸟雄性比雌性更加色彩艳丽。
• The males in the herd protect the females and the young. 兽中的雄性动物保护雌性动物和幼崽。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

13 enabled   

adj.激活的v.使能够，提供做…的权利[措施]( enable的过去式和过去分词 )；使可能

参考例句：

• His photographic memory enabled him to tuck away yards of facts. 他过目不忘的记忆力使他能记下大量事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Long practice enabled that American to speak fluent Chinese. 长期的练习使得那个美国人能讲一口流利的汉语。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 acceptance   

n.接受，接收，验收，接纳；承认，认可

参考例句：

• The new laws gained widespread acceptance.新法令受到广泛赞同。
• It took years for Einstein's theory to gain acceptance.爱因斯坦的理论经过多年才被人们接受。