1.Biological rhythms make us a different person at 9 a. m. than we are at 3 p. m. Here's a guide to when you work better, feel better, think better.
1、生物節(jié)奏使我們?cè)谠缟暇劈c(diǎn)和下午三點(diǎn)判若兩人。本文指導(dǎo)你何時(shí)工作效率較高，何時(shí)自我感覺較好，何時(shí)思維活動(dòng)較佳。
2.Every fall, Jane, a young mother and part-time librarian, begins to eat more and often feels sleepy. Her mood is also darker, especially when she awakens in the morning; it takes all her energy just to drag herself out of bed. These symptoms persist until April, when warmer weather and longer days seem to lighten her mood and alleviate her cravings for food and sleep.
2、簡(jiǎn)是一位年輕的媽媽和兼職的圖書館管理員。每年一到秋天，她就開始食欲增強(qiáng)，而且常�；杌栌�。她的情緒也比較消沉，尤其是早上一覺醒來之際，幾乎要鼓起全身精力才能勉強(qiáng)掙扎下床。這些癥狀要持續(xù)到翌年四月，那時(shí)候，較暖的氣候和較長的白晝仿佛使她的心情輕松起來，也不那么嘴饞和嗜睡了。
3.Joseph, a 48-year-old engineer for a Midwestern computer company, feels cranky early in the morning. But as the day progresses, he becomes friendlier and more accommodating.
3、48歲的約瑟夫是中西部一家計(jì)算機(jī)公司的工程師。每天清晨覺得愛發(fā)脾氣，但到了白天，他卻變得較為友善，容易和人相處了。
4.All living organisms, from mollusks to men and women, exhibit biological rhythms. Some are short and can be measured in minutes of hours. Others last days or months.. The peaking of body temperature, which occurs in most people every evening, is a daily rhythm. The menstrual cycle is a monthly rhythm. The increase in sexual drive in the autumn—not in the spring, as poets would have us believe—is a seasonal, or yearly rhythm.
4、一切生物體，從軟體動(dòng)物到人類的男男女女，無不表現(xiàn)出生物節(jié)奏。有些節(jié)奏為時(shí)甚短，可以用分鐘或小時(shí)計(jì)量。另一些節(jié)奏要持續(xù)若干天，甚至幾個(gè)月。多數(shù)人的體溫每天傍晚達(dá)到高點(diǎn)。這是一種每日的節(jié)奏。 月經(jīng)周期是每月的節(jié)奏。性欲沖動(dòng)在秋季轉(zhuǎn)旺一一并非像詩人要我們相信的那樣出現(xiàn)在春天——它是一種季節(jié)性的或每年一度的節(jié)奏。
5.The idea that our bodies are in constant flux is fairly new—and goes against traditional medical training. In the past, many doctors were taught to believe the body has a relatively stable, or homeostatic, internal environment. Any fluctuations were considered random and not meaningful enough to be studied.
5、認(rèn)為我們的軀體經(jīng)常處于不斷變動(dòng)的狀態(tài)，這種想法是相當(dāng)新穎的一一它與傳統(tǒng)的醫(yī)學(xué)訓(xùn)練的觀點(diǎn)相反。過去，許多醫(yī)生所受的教育使他們相信人體有一種比較穩(wěn)定的或者說是體內(nèi)平衡的內(nèi)在環(huán)境。任何波動(dòng)都被視為事出偶然，沒有值得研究的充分意義。
6. As early as the 1940s, however, some scientists questioned the homeostatic view of the body. Franz Halberg, a young European scientist working in the United States, noticed that the number of white blood cells in laboratory mice was dramatically higher and lower at different times of day. Gradually, such research spread to the study of other rhythms in other life forms, and the findings were sometimes startling. For example, the time of day when a person receives X-ray or drug treatment for cancer can affect treatment benefits and ultimately mean the difference between life and death.
6、然而，早在40年代，有些科學(xué)家就對(duì)體內(nèi)平衡的觀點(diǎn)提出質(zhì)疑。一位在美國工作的年輕的歐洲科學(xué)家弗蘭茨*哈爾伯格，曾注意到實(shí)驗(yàn)室里小白鼠的白血球數(shù)目的多寡在每天不同的時(shí)間里有顯著的差別。這種研宄逐漸擴(kuò)大到對(duì)其他生命形式的其他節(jié)奏的探討，其結(jié)果有時(shí)是令人吃驚的。例如，癌癥患者每天接受X線治療或藥物治療的時(shí)間會(huì)影響治療的效果，并終意味著生和死的差別。
7.This new science is called chronobiology, and the evidence supporting it has become increasingly persuasive. Along the way, the scientific and medical communities are beginning to rethink their ideas about how the human body works, and gradually what had been considered a minor science just a few years ago is being studied in major universities and medical centers around the world. There are even chronobiologists working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as well as for the National Institutes of Health and other government laboratories.
7、這門新興的學(xué)科叫做計(jì)時(shí)生物學(xué)，支持它的證據(jù)已經(jīng)變得越來越有說服力。沿著這條思路，科學(xué)界和醫(yī)學(xué)界人士正在開始重新考慮他們關(guān)于人體如何運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)的觀點(diǎn)。這一學(xué)科僅僅在幾年前還被認(rèn)為是微不足道的，如今在全世界一些主要的大學(xué)和醫(yī)學(xué)中心，都己逐漸地有人在進(jìn)行研究。甚至連國家航空和宇宙航行局，以及國立衛(wèi)生研究所和其他的政府實(shí)驗(yàn)室，也有一些計(jì)時(shí)生物學(xué)家在工作著。
8.With their new findings, they are teaching us things that can literally change our lives—by helping us organize ourselves so we can work with our natural rhythms rather than against them. This can enhance our outlook on life as well as our performance at work and play.
8、這些計(jì)時(shí)生物學(xué)家利用他們新的研究成果，正在給我們傳授一些能夠切實(shí)改變我們生活的知識(shí)——幫助我們安排自己的生活，使我們能符合，而不是違背我們天然的節(jié)奏進(jìn)行活動(dòng)。這樣做，不僅能夠提髙我們工作和娛樂的質(zhì)量，而且能夠提高我們的人生觀。
9.Because they are easy to detect and measure, more is known of daily—or circadian (Latin for "about a day")—rhythms than other types. The most obvious daily rhythm is the sleep/wake cycle. But there are other daily cycles as well: temperature, blood pressure, hormone levels. Amid these and the body's other changing rhythms, you are simply a different person at 9 a. m. than you are at 3 p. m. How you feel, how well you work, your level of alertness, your sensitivity to taste and smell, the degree with which you enjoy food or take pleasure in music—all are changing throughout the day.
9、由于每天的或circadian (拉丁語意為“大約一天的”)節(jié)奏比較容易被發(fā)現(xiàn)和測(cè)定，人們對(duì)這種節(jié)奏的了解多于其他類型的節(jié)奏。睡和醒的周期是明顯的每日節(jié)奏。不過還有其他的每日節(jié)奏，如體溫、血壓、激素水平等。當(dāng)你處在人體的這些和其他不斷改變的節(jié)奏中時(shí)，你在早上九點(diǎn)和下午三點(diǎn)簡(jiǎn)直是判若兩人。你的自我感覺、你的工作好壞、你的機(jī)警程度、你的味覺和嗅覺的敏感性、你享受食物或欣賞音樂的快感——凡此種種在一天之內(nèi)都不斷地變化著。
10.Most of us seem to reach our peak of alertness around noon. Soon after that, alertness declines, and sleepiness may set in by midafternoon.
10、我們大多數(shù)人為機(jī)警的時(shí)間似乎是在中午前后;其后不久就開始遲 鈍，等到下午三時(shí)左右就昏昏欲睡了。
11.Your short-term memory is best during the morning—in fact, about 15 percent more efficient than at any other time of day. So, students, take heed: when faced with a morning exam, it really does pay to review your notes right before the test is given.
11、你的短期記憶在早上這段時(shí)間佳——其效率實(shí)際上比一天里的其他時(shí)間大約髙出15%。所以，學(xué)生們請(qǐng)注意：當(dāng)遇到早上的考試時(shí)，你在快考試前不久溫習(xí)一下你的筆記確實(shí)是有好處的。
12.Long-term memory is different. Afternoon is the best time for learning material that you want to recall days, weeks or months later. Politicians, business executives or others who must learn speeches would be smart to do their memorizing during that time of day. If you are a student, you would be wise to schedule your more difficult classes in the afternoon, rather than in the morning. You should also try to do most of your studying in the afternoon, rather than late at night. Many students believe they memorize better while burning the midnight oil because their short-term recall is better during the wee hours of the morning than in the afternoon. But short-term memory won't help them much several days later, when they face the exam.
12、長期記憶就不同了。對(duì)那些你想要在以后幾天、幾周或幾個(gè)月回想起來的材料，佳的學(xué)習(xí)時(shí)間是下午。政治活動(dòng)家、工商企業(yè)經(jīng)理或其他必須牢記演講詞的人們，在下午這段時(shí)間進(jìn)行記憶將是明智之舉。如果你是學(xué)生，那么，一個(gè)聰明的辦法是你把較難的課程安排在下午，而不是安排在上午去做。你還應(yīng)當(dāng)力圖把研讀大部分功課的時(shí)間放在下午，而不是放在深更半夜。許多學(xué)生因?yàn)槎唐谟洃浀男Ч诹璩勘仍谙挛绾�，就以為挑燈夜讀能記得更牢。但短期記憶在他們幾天以后面對(duì)考試時(shí)幫不了多大的忙。
13.By contrast, we tend to do best on cognitive tasks—things that require the juggling of words and figures in one's head—during the morning hours. This might be a good time, say, to balance a checkbook.
13、反之，我們?cè)谠缟蠋讉�(gè)鐘頭里往往能夠有效地從事那些腦力工作，即那些需要?jiǎng)幽X筋仔細(xì)推敲文字和認(rèn)真思考數(shù)字的事情。比如說，這個(gè)時(shí)候也許適宜于核對(duì)支票簿。
14.Your manual dexterity—the speed and coordination with which you perform complicated tasks with your hands—peaks during the afternoon hours. Such work as carpentry, typing or sewing will be a little easier at this time of day.
14、在下午的幾個(gè)小時(shí)，你的雙手為靈巧，表現(xiàn)在你的雙手完成復(fù)雜工作的速度和協(xié)調(diào)能力。在一天的這段時(shí)間里干木工活、打字或縫紉更為得心應(yīng)手。
15.What about sports? During afternoon and early evening, your coordination is at its peak, and you're able to react the quickest to an outside stimulus—like a baseball speeding toward you at home plate. Studies have also shown that late in the day, when your body temperature is peaking, you will perceive a physical workout to be easier and less fatiguing—whether it actually is or not. That means you are more likely to work harder during a late afternoon or early-evening workout, and therefore benefit more from it. Studies involving swimmers, runners, shotputters and rowing crews have shown consistently that performance is better in the evening than in the morning.
15、體育運(yùn)動(dòng)方面的情況如何呢?在下午和黃昏初降時(shí)，你的協(xié)調(diào)能力處于頂峰狀態(tài)，你能夠以快的速度對(duì)付外界的刺激，例如對(duì)朝你本壘飛來的棒球作出反應(yīng)。多項(xiàng)研究也已經(jīng)證明，傍晚當(dāng)你的體溫升到高時(shí)，不論實(shí)際情況是否如此，你都會(huì)覺得體育鍛煉比較輕松，不那么令人感到疲倦。這意味著你在下午稍晚時(shí)或傍晚剛開始時(shí)鍛煉起來比較有可能多加一把勁，因此收獲更大。對(duì)游泳、賽跑、推鉛球和劃船等運(yùn)動(dòng)員的有關(guān)研究一致表明，這樣一些運(yùn)動(dòng)下午比上午易出成績。
16.In feet, all of your senses—taste, sight, hearing, touch and smell—may be at their keenest during late afternoon and early evening. That could be why dinner usually tastes better to us than breakfast and why night lights irritate us.
16、事實(shí)上，你的一切官能——味覺、視覺、聽覺、觸覺和嗅覺——都會(huì)在下午稍晚時(shí)和傍晚剛開始時(shí)為敏銳。這也許可以說明為什么我們通常覺得晚餐比早餐香，為什么夜間的燈光剌眼吧。
17.Even our perception of time changes from hour to hour. Not only does time seem to fly when you're having fun, but it also seems to fly even fester if you are having that fun in the late afternoon of early evening, when your body temperature is also peaking.
17、連我們對(duì)時(shí)間的感受也是因時(shí)而異的。時(shí)光似乎過得飛快，這種感覺不僅出現(xiàn)在你正玩得興高釆烈時(shí)，而且，這同樣的歡樂如果是發(fā)生在下午稍晚和傍晚剛開始時(shí)，即你的體溫正朝高點(diǎn)上升時(shí)，你就會(huì)感到時(shí)間過得甚至更快。
18.While all of us follow the same general pattern of ups and downs, the exact timing varies from person to person. It all depends on how your "biological" day is structured—how much of a morning or night person you are. The earlier your biological day gets going, the earlier you are likely to enter—and exit—the peak times for performing various tasks. An extreme morning person and an extreme night person may have circadian cycles that are a few hours apart.
18、盡管我們的生物節(jié)奏上下起落的總模式相同，但確切的定時(shí)卻因人而異。它完全取決于你的“生物節(jié)奏”日的結(jié)構(gòu)如何——你是早晨活動(dòng)得多還是夜里活動(dòng)得多。你的生物節(jié)奏日開始得愈早，你就可能愈早地進(jìn)入和退出完成各種工作的頂峰期。一個(gè)完全在上午活動(dòng)的人和一個(gè)完全在夜晚活動(dòng)的人，其每日生物節(jié)奏的周期可能相隔幾個(gè)小時(shí)。
19.Each of us can increase our knowledge about our individual rhythms. Learn how to listen to the inner beats of your body; let them set the pace of your day. You will live a healthier—and happier—life.
19、我們?nèi)巳硕寄茉鲞M(jìn)自己對(duì)自己的生物節(jié)奏的了解。要學(xué)會(huì)如何傾聽你體內(nèi)的節(jié)拍;根據(jù)它們來設(shè)定你的每日生活。這樣，你將過一種更加健康、更加幸�？鞓返纳�。
