that physical posture and alignment can influence a person’s mood and self-esteem and also that mind can be used to shape and heal the body.

瑜伽练习者认为，精神／体质的加强最终将为生活的各方面都带来好处。 Yoga practitioners claim that the strengthening of mind/body awareness can bring eventual improvements in all facets of a person’s life .

8虽然有些姿势并不适合所有人练习，但是任何年龄段的人在任何条件下都能练习瑜伽。Yoga can be performed by those of any age and condition ,although not all poses should be attempted by everyone .练瑜伽的准备工作也很简单；只需一块可以伸展肢体的平地、一块草垫或毛巾和一个足以抬起手臂的空间就可以展开练习了。Yoga is also a very accessible form of exercise ;all that needed is a flat floor surface large enough to stretch out on, a mat or towel ,and enough overhead space to fully raise the arms .对去不了体育馆、不喜欢其他体育运动和十分忙碌的人来说，瑜伽是一项再好不过的活动了。It is a good activity for those who can’t go to gyms ,who don’t like other forms of exercise ,or have very busy schedules .

练习时应穿着宽松舒适的服装并保持空腹，瑜伽师推荐饭后三小时以上为宜。Yoga should be done an empty stomach ,and teachers recommend waiting three or more hours after meals.loose and comfortable closing should be worn.

9初学者在练习时应集中注意力，小心动作不要做得太过太快，以免受伤。一些高阶的瑜伽动作，如头倒立式和全莲花坐式，需要有很好的力量、柔韧性和日积月累的练习作准备，因此初学者应在瑜伽师的指导下做这些动作。

Beginners should exercise care and concentration when performing yoga posture ,and not try to stretch too much too quickly,as injury could result.Some advanced

29

yoga postures ,like the headstand and full lotus position ,can be difficult and require strength.flexibility ,and gradual preparation,so beginners should get help of a teacher before attempting them.

10瑜伽不是竞技体育；练瑜伽不需要和别人比，练瑜伽的目的是提高自己的觉悟和身心自律能力。Yoga is not a competitive sport;It does not matter how a person does in comparison with others ,but how aware and disciplined one becomes with one’s own body and limitations .做瑜伽必须保持姿势的正确，一旦感到疼痛、头晕或疲劳就必须停止。做瑜伽时，身体和精神一样重要，要注意集中精力去感受呼吸。Proper form and alignment should be maintained during a stretch or posture ,and the stretch and posture should be stopped when there is pain ,dizziness,or fatigue.The mental component of yoga is just as important as the physical postures .Concentration and awareness of breath should not be neglected .练习时必须心胸开阔、平和；当你伸展肢体做每一个瑜伽动作时，你就是在接受挑战去达到自己的极限。Yoga should be done with an open ,gentle ,and non-critical mind ;when one stretches into a yoga position ,It can be thought of as accepting and working on one’s limits.不耐烦、自责和与他人相比都不利于这一过程中自我认识的实现。Impatience ,self-criticism and comparing oneself will not help in this process of self-knowledge . 当练习呼吸法(调息)和冥想法(禅定)时，最好由经验丰富的瑜伽师来指导，因为一旦练习不当，这些技巧性很强的动作会使人感到头晕不适。while performing the yoga of breathing and meditation ,it is best to have an experienced teacher ,as these powerful techniques can cause dizziness and discomfort when done improperly.

30

11虽然瑜伽的发源地与现代美国文化迥异，但它却得到了认同，并很快地传播开来。许多世纪以来，瑜伽只是在极少信徒的言传身教中得以流传，而今它在美国快速普及，这使许多瑜伽师感到很惊异。Although yoga originated in a culture very different from modern America ,it has been accepted and its practice has spread relatively quickly . Many yogis are amazed at how rapidly yoga’s popularly has spread in America ,considering the legend that it was passed down secretly by handful of adherents for many centuries .

12也有一些人反对瑜伽，因为勤奋忙碌的美国人很难相信这项要他们放慢速度、集中精力进行深呼吸的运动会比举重或慢跑更有效。然而，越来越多的来自顶尖医学院的研究结果表明，瑜伽对全身健康和特殊病症都有好处，这也使越来越多的人接受这项健康的运动。There can still be found some resistance to yoga ,for active and busy Americans sometimes find it hard to believe that an exercise program that requires them to show down ,concentrate ,and breathe deeply can be more effective than lifting weights or running . However ,ongoing research in top medical schools is showing yoga’s effectiveness for overall health and specific problems ,making it an increasingly ,acceptable health practice.

Unit Eight

安全带可以避免乘客在车祸中受伤或死亡，这几乎是常识。但是，约翰．亚当斯最近所做的研究得出了更加复杂的统计数据。当司机系着安全带时，他们开车无所顾忌，更多车祸因此而发生。It’s almost a common sense that wearing

31

a seat belt can keep passengers from being injured or being killed in a car accident ,But recent research done by John Adams shows more complicated statistics ,More car accidents are cause by the reckless driver who wear seat belts

座椅安全带的隐患

大卫·布杰克里

1座椅安全带固然能降低我们在车祸中死亡的危险，但从统计数据看，情况并不是那么绝对。事实上，据一位研究者说，安全带可能会使人们在驾车时更加肆无忌惮。Seat belts still decrease our risk of dying in an accident,but the statistics are not all black and white.In fact,according to one researcher,seat belts may actually cause people to drive more recklessly.

2对于这个有危险的世界，如果有一件事我们还算了解，那就是座椅安全带可以救命。当然，它确实可以救命。但实际情况通常要更混乱、更复杂。If there’s one thing we know about our risky world,it’s that seat belts save lives .And they do ,of course.But reality ,as usual is messier and more complicated than that .伦敦大学学院的风险专家、地理学荣誉教授约翰·亚当斯早就质疑安全带能保证驾车安全的信条。亚当斯最早开始查看统计数字是早在25年前的事了。John Adams,risk expert and emeritus professor of geography at University College London ,was an early skeptic of the seat belt safety mantra .Adams first began to look at the numbers more than 25 years ago.他的发现与人们的普遍看法恰恰相反——在18个强制使用安全带的国家，要么交通事故死亡率根本没有变化，要么实际上反而导致了死亡率的净增长。What he found was that contrary to

32