【英语时差8，16】痛苦的念头

 Despite the wisdom of the constitution, it is simply not true that all people are created equal. Some are faster than others. Some are better at math and some are musical geniuses. And some people have a higher threshold for pain than others. But as a one study suggests, the ability to withstand pain is something that all people can improve upon, whether or not you're born with this peculiar¹ talent.   According to recent findings, the parts of the brain that react to pain are the same ones that process anticipation² of how painful something might be. This implies that if you can convince yourself that something, say touching³ a hot stove, is not as painful as it really is, then actually touching the stove may not cause the same amount of pain as it otherwise might.

In fact, the researchers found that expecting something to be less painful than it actually is has about the same effect as morphine does on deadening pain. In other words, according to these findings, pain is largely subjective⁴. If we expect something to be extremely painful, we may very well experience it as such. That's one reason why for one person getting a shot at the doctor's office is nothing more than an annoying prick⁵, while for another it's nearly akin⁶ to torture.

None of this is to say that you should try to convince yourself that touching an open flame or some other painful stimulus⁷ is no big deal. Just because something doesn't feel painful doesn't mean that it's not harmful. But this research does suggest new, thought-powered ways to combat pain from injury and illness.  

1 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

2 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

3 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

4 subjective   

a.主观(上)的，个人的

参考例句：

• The way they interpreted their past was highly subjective. 他们解释其过去的方式太主观。
• A literary critic should not be too subjective in his approach. 文学评论家的看法不应太主观。

5 prick   

v.刺伤，刺痛，刺孔；n.刺伤，刺痛

参考例句：

• He felt a sharp prick when he stepped on an upturned nail.当他踩在一个尖朝上的钉子上时，他感到剧烈的疼痛。
• He burst the balloon with a prick of the pin.他用针一戳，气球就爆了。

6 akin   

adj.同族的，类似的

参考例句：

• She painted flowers and birds pictures akin to those of earlier feminine painters.她画一些同早期女画家类似的花鸟画。
• Listening to his life story is akin to reading a good adventure novel.听他的人生故事犹如阅读一本精彩的冒险小说。

7 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。