VOA慢速英语2019 养蜂可能会减轻压力和抑郁（在线收听）

Beekeeping May Reduce Stress and Depression

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle Report.

这里是VOA慢速英语健康生活报道。 

Bees are major pollinators of fruits, vegetables and nuts.

蜜蜂是水果、蔬菜和坚果的主要传粉媒介。 

Without these helpful buzzing insects, our food supply would be in trouble.

如果没有这些发出嗡嗡声的有益昆虫的帮助，我们的食物供应就会陷入困境。 

But bees can help humans in another way.

但是蜜蜂可以用另一种方式帮助人类。 

Researchers say the act of beekeeping may help people with mental health problems such as stress, anxiety and depression.

研究人员表示，养蜂行为可能对存在压力、焦虑和抑郁等心理健康问题的人群有帮助。 

Many call it “beekeeping therapy.”

许多人称之为“养蜂疗法”。 

One group of people is especially getting help from such therapy: military veterans.

有一类人群尤其能从这种疗法得到帮助，这类人群是退伍军人。 

Many soldiers returning from military service have trouble dealing with the experiences of war.

许多从军队退役的士兵在克服战争经历方面都存在困难。 

They may also have trouble creating a productive life after the military.

他们从军队退役后可能也难以过上富有成效的生活。 

Homelessness, depression and drug abuse can affect some military veterans.

无家可归、抑郁和药物滥用可能会对一些退伍老兵产生影响。 

Vince Ylitalo is one such veteran.

文斯·伊利塔洛就是这样一位老兵。 

He served in the military for nearly 40 years, including two tours in Iraq.

他在军队服役近40年，期间两次被派驻伊拉克。 

He suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.

他患有创伤后应激障碍(PTSD)。 

To treat his PTSD, Ylitalo is part of a beekeeping program at the Manchester Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center in the state of New Hampshire.

为了治疗他的创伤后应激障碍，伊利塔洛参与了新罕布什尔州曼彻斯特退伍军人事务治疗中心的养蜂项目。

The VA has set up several such programs in the United States.

退伍军人事务部已经在美国开展了多个类似项目。 

In a recent report by the Associated Press, Ylitalo explained how beekeeping calms his mind.

在美联社最近发表的一篇报道中，伊利塔洛解释了养蜂是如何帮助他的大脑镇定下来的。 

“I’m in this program to help me get out of the thought process of all those problems that I have.

“我参加这个项目是为了让自己走出对自身所有问题的思考。 

It helps me think about something completely different ... I’m just thinking about the bees.”

这个项目让我去想完全不同的东西。现在我只考虑蜜蜂。” 

Another veteran in the beekeeping program is Wendi Zimmerman.

温迪·齐默尔曼是另一名参与养蜂项目的退伍老兵。 

She also says that beekeeping calms her mind.

她也表示，养蜂令她的大脑冷静下来。 

She calls the uncontrolled, unwanted thoughts from the past “clutter.”

她把以前那些不可控且不必要的想法称之为“杂物”。 

She said the buzzing of the bees helps to clear the clutter.

她说蜜蜂的嗡嗡声有助于清理这些杂物。 

“The buzzing – it fills that void in my head where clutter can go.

“这些嗡嗡声填补了我头脑中的空白，而这些空白之处正是杂物可能存在的地方。 

So, instead of thinking of the things that clutter my brain or the experiences that clutter my brain … I think of the bees.”

因此，我不再去想那些扰乱我头脑的事情和经历，而是只想蜜蜂。” 

Another beekeeping program based in the state of Michigan is Heroes to Hives.

密歇根州开展的另一个养蜂项目名为“从英雄到蜂箱”。 

Adam Ingrao, a military veteran and insect expert, founded that program.

退伍老兵兼昆虫专家亚当·英格劳创立了该项目。 

“All of these bees will die. These are our summer bees. And they only live 45 to 60 days.”

“所有这些蜜蜂都将死亡。这些是夏蜂。它们只能存活45到60天。” 

He runs it through Michigan State University.

他在米歇根州立大学运营这一项目。 

The free program provides a nine-month beekeeping course to veterans.

这个免费项目为退伍老兵提供为期9个月的养蜂课程。 

Ingrao explains that beekeeping serves veterans in many ways.

英格劳解释说，养蜂可以在许多方面为退伍军人提供帮助。 

“We’re focused on empowering veterans to take control … of their own lives … by being able to practice mindfulness and slow down but also by giving them the opportunity to have their own business. ...

我们专注于增加退伍老兵对自己生活的控制能力，通过让他们练习正念和放缓节奏，以及为他们提供开展自己事业的机会。

This is a place for community. This is a place for healing. It’s also a place for learning how to keep bees.”

这是一个团体之地。也是治疗的地方。还是学习如何养蜜蜂的场所。” 

Beekeeping programs aimed at helping military veterans are not a new thing.

以帮助退伍军人为目标的养蜂项目并不是新鲜事。 

In fact, the U.S. government had a program that taught beekeeping to soldiers returning from the First World War.

事实上，美国政府成立了一个教一战归来的士兵养蜂的项目。 

Other countries at that time had similar programs.

当时其他国家也开展了类似的项目。 

There is little scientific evidence that beekeeping helps with PTSD or other mental health conditions.

几乎没有科学证据可以证明养蜂有助于创伤性应激障碍或其他心理健康问题。 

But that does not seem to matter to those who find comfort in beekeeping.

但这对在养蜂中找到安慰的人来说似乎并不重要。 

Veteran and beekeeper Frank Bartel does not need a study to prove the effectiveness of beekeeping therapy.

退伍老兵、养蜂人弗兰克·巴特尔并不需要一项研究来证明养蜂疗法的有效性。 

For him, watching the bees relaxes his brain.

对他来说，观察蜜蜂可以令他的大脑放松。 

“When things get really hectic, crazy and you want to relax, you just put your chair out in front of the bee hive and watch them go in and out. And it’s so relaxing. All your cares just float away.”

“当一切变得忙乱且疯狂而你想放松时，只要把椅子搬出来放到蜂箱前面，看着蜜蜂飞进飞出。这真的令人非常放松。你所有的忧虑都烟消云散了。”

Harvard researchers appear to agree with Frank’s description.

哈佛大学研究员似乎同意弗兰克的描述。 

On the website Harvard Health Publishing from the Harvard Medical School, researchers note studies that show the brain benefits of watching nature.

在哈佛医学院的哈佛健康出版社网站上，研究人员指出，研究表明观察大自然对大脑有益。 

They write that those people who take a walk in nature, for example, would show less activity in their prefrontal cortex.

他们写道，例如，那些在大自然中漫步的人，其前额叶皮质区的活动较少。 

This area of the brain is active during repetitive thoughts that lead to bad feelings.

大脑的这一区域在进行引发不良情绪的重复性思考时非常活跃。 

And that’s the Health and Lifestyle report.

以上是本期健康生活报道全部内容。 

Words in This Story

pollinator – n. one that gives (a plant) pollen from another plant of the same kind so that seeds will be produced

veteran – n. a former member of the armed forces

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – n. a mental disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a disturbing event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape or other violent personal assault

void – n. a large empty space

comfort – n. a state or feeling of being less worried, upset, frightened, etc., during a time of trouble or emotional pain

relax – v. to become or to cause (something) to become less tense, tight, or stiff

hectic – adj. filled with excitement, activity, or confusion

float – v. to be carried along by or as if by moving water or air

benefit – n. a good or helpful result or effect

hive – n. a nest for bees