新奇事件簿 咒骂可以让身体更强壮

Researchers have discovered that swearing and using bad or profane¹ language can increase one's physical strength. The researchers are from Keele University in England. They conducted tests on 81 people to see the effect swearing had on their physical performance. In one test, participants did a short, intense workout on an exercise bike. Some people were asked to swear as much as they could before they started their workout, while others were told to be quiet. In another test, participants were told to grip the bike's handlebars as tightly as they could. The researchers found that the groups who swore a lot, cycled or gripped three to four per cent more powerfully than the tight-lipped group.

研究人员发现，咒骂和说脏话可以促进身体健康。这些研究人员来自英格兰基尔大学。他们对81人做了测试，查看咒骂对身体健康的影响。在一份测试中，参加者骑室内健身自行车进行了简短集中的训练。一些人锻炼之前先骂人，其他人则保持安静。在另外一起测试中，参加者尽可能紧紧地抓住把手。研究人员发现，拼命骂人的参加者骑自行车或握把手的力度比禁闭嘴巴的参加者力度大4%。

Past research also shows that swearing helps to increase our tolerance³ to pain. A 2009 study discovered that swearing led to an increased heart rate and higher levels of adrenaline - these help to numb⁴ pain. This perhaps explains why so many of us swear when we hurt ourselves. Another study found that swearing was a sign of honesty because people who swear frequently are believed to be better at self-expression. Dr. Richard Stephens, lead researcher of the Keele study, said he was at a loss to explain why swearing affects the body. He said: "Quite why it is that swearing has these effects on strength and pain tolerance remains⁵ to be discovered. We have yet to understand the power of swearing fully²."

过去的研究还显示，咒骂可以增加我们对疼痛的忍耐力。2009年一项研究发现，咒骂可以使心律增加，肾上腺素水平增加——这些都会让大脑麻痹。这或许能够解释为什么我们很多人受伤时会骂人。另外一项研究发现，咒骂是诚实的标志，因为经常骂人的人更善于自我表达。基尔大学这项研究的首席研究人员Richard Stephens表示，他也不知道如何解释为什么咒骂会影响身体。他说：“关于咒骂影响力量和疼痛忍耐力的原因仍然有待研究。我们还未能充分了解咒骂的作用。”

1 profane   

adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污

参考例句：

• He doesn't dare to profane the name of God.他不敢亵渎上帝之名。
• His profane language annoyed us.他亵渎的言语激怒了我们。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

4 numb   

adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木

参考例句：

• His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
• Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。