时代周刊 冰泳有益身体健康

TAKING THE PLUNGE¹

冒险挑战冰泳

People are swimming in frigid² water for fun—and for health

为了娱乐和健康，人们在寒冷刺骨的水中游泳

Forget dipping your toe in the deep end.

忘记你的脚已经伸到了深水区。

In countries around the world, intrepid³ swimmers of all ages plunge into ice-cold waters for a thrill that can feel as sharp as daggers—and bragging⁴ rights that last all winter.

世界各国各个年龄段都有勇气过人的游泳者跳入冰冷的水中，感受被匕首刺中般的刺激，同时获取能够持续整个冬天的吹牛权。

Welcome to the fun and frigid world of cold-water swimming.

欢迎来到欢乐而严寒的冰水游泳世界。

The hobby is nothing new.

这个爱好并不新鲜。

It’s been around for centuries in chilly⁵ climes such as Russia and Finland,

这种爱好在俄罗斯和芬兰等寒冷地带已经有几百年的历史了，

and people have been crossing the notoriously frosty, 21-mile-long English Channel without wet suits since at least the 1800s.

至少从19世纪开始，就已经有人能不弄湿衣服就游过无比寒冷，且长达34公里的英吉利海峡了。

The Coney Island Polar Bear Club hosted its first U.S. ocean dip in 1903.

1903年，康尼岛北极熊俱乐部举办了第一届美国海泳比赛。

And while polar plunges⁶ have become relatively⁷ common, some of these swims are not for the faint of heart.

虽然极地冰泳已经很常见了，但有时候并不适合胆小的人。

Only 11 people in recorded history, for example, have completed the so-called Ice Zero:

举个例子，有史以来只有11人完成了所谓的零度冰挑战：

a mile-long swim in freezing water, held in places such as Antarctica, Russia and Northern Europe.

就是在南极洲，俄罗斯和北欧等地举行的长达1.6公里的冰泳比赛。

Communal⁸ cold-water plunges are a great way to build camaraderie—and chase better health.

集体挑战冰泳不仅非常有利于促进友谊，对促进身体健康也很有效。

Jitka Tauferova, 76, belongs to a swimming club in the Czech Republic.

76岁的Jitka Tauferova是捷克共和国某游泳俱乐部的会员。

She says she has not gotten sick since she began cold-water swimming.

她说，自从开始冰泳以来，她就再没有感冒过。

“The last time I had flu was 25 years ago,” she says.

“我上次感冒已经是25年前的事了，”她说。

“My back pain disappeared.

“我的背也不痛了。

Better blood circulation improves healing broken bones, and my heart is like a hammer.

血液循环得到了改善，之前受伤的骨头愈合得也更好了，而且，我的心脏现在跟锤子一样结实。

I feel great.”

我感觉好极了。”

She and like-minded swimmers may be onto something.

或许，她和其他志同道合的游泳爱好者大有作为。

Research has shown that swimming—the kind done in normal-temperature water, at least—is one of the best full-body workouts.

研究表明，游泳 - 即便是常温的水——是进行全身训练最好的办法之一。

It’s also ideal for older people and those with pain;

游泳也十分适合老年人，以及某天某处有疼痛的人;

swimming is not a weight-bearing activity, but it still delivers all the benefits of traditional aerobics⁹, from strengthening the heart to brightening mood.

游泳不是负重锻炼，但它仍然能够产生传统健美操的所有好处，从强化心脏到调动情绪一个不落。

Scant¹⁰ research has explored the practice of swimming in cold water,

目前，很少有人研究冰泳这种做法，

but there is some evidence that it invigorates the body in unique ways.

但有证据表明，冰泳能够以独特的方式让身体活跃起来。

In a February case report published in the BMJ,

《英国医学期刊》2月份发表的病例报告显示，

a young man desperate for relief from chronic¹¹ nerve pain went for a minute-long swim in chilly 51°Fwater.

一名极度渴望缓解慢性神经疼痛的年轻患者在寒冷的51°F水中长时间游泳之后，

His pain immediately vanished—and didn’t return.

疼痛立刻消失了 - 而且没有复发。

“When I came out of the water, I realized the neuropathic pain had gone away,”

“从水中出来的时候，我发现我的神经性疼痛消失了，”

he told researchers, who believe the shock of cold water could have somehow disrupted pain patterns in his body.

他对研究人员如是说，而研究人员认为，冷水冲击可能会以某种方式扰乱他体内的疼痛模式。

“I couldn’t believe it.”

“简直是难以置信。”

Another study, in 2008, suggested that taking cold showers could ease depression symptoms and pain,

2008年的另一项研究也表明，冷水淋浴也能缓解抑郁症状和疼痛，

possibly by raising levels of mood-regulating and painkilling¹² chemicals in the blood and brain.

可能是因为提高了血液和大脑中调节情绪和止痛的化学物质的水平。

1 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

2 frigid   

adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的

参考例句：

• The water was too frigid to allow him to remain submerged for long.水冰冷彻骨，他在下面呆不了太长时间。
• She returned his smile with a frigid glance.对他的微笑她报以冷冷的一瞥。

3 intrepid   

adj.无畏的，刚毅的

参考例句：

• He is not really satisfied with his intrepid action.他没有真正满意他的无畏行动。
• John's intrepid personality made him a good choice for team leader.约翰勇敢的个性适合作领导工作。

4 bragging   

v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的现在分词 )；大话

参考例句：

• He's always bragging about his prowess as a cricketer. 他总是吹嘘自己板球水平高超。 来自辞典例句
• Now you're bragging, darling. You know you don't need to brag. 这就是夸口，亲爱的。你明知道你不必吹。 来自辞典例句

5 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

6 plunges   

n.跳进，投入vt.使投入，使插入，使陷入vi.投入，跳进，陷入v.颠簸( plunge的第三人称单数 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• Even before he plunges into his program, he has his audience in his pocket. 他的节目甚至还没有出场，就已控制住了观众。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• 'Monseigneur, he precipitated himself over the hill-side, head first, as a person plunges into the river.' “大人，他头冲下跳下山坡去了，像往河里跳一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

7 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

8 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

9 aerobics   

n.健身操，健美操，韵律操

参考例句：

• Doing aerobics is a good way to improve one's health.做有氧健身操是改善健康状况的一个好方法。
• Aren't you going to the aerobics class this morning?今天上午你不是去上有氧运动课吗？

10 scant   

adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略

参考例句：

• Don't scant the butter when you make a cake.做糕饼时不要吝惜奶油。
• Many mothers pay scant attention to their own needs when their children are small.孩子们小的时候，许多母亲都忽视自己的需求。

11 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

12 painkilling   

[医]止痛的

参考例句：

• Painkilling drugs were not enough to relieve her suffering. 止痛药不能缓解她的痛苦。 来自互联网
• The effect of the painkilling drug didn't wear off for several hours. 止痛药的药效好几个锺头之仍未消失。 来自互联网