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 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

29

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.

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.

30

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 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

31

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 conventional wisdom ,mandating the use of seat belts in 18 countries resulted in either no change or actually a net increase in road accident death.

3怎么会这样?亚当斯用风险补偿的概念来解释这些数据资料，这个概念就是：人们往往会根据他们意识到的风险程度的改变来相应地调整自己的行为。How can that be? Adams’ interpretation of the data rests on the notion of risk compensation , the idea that individuals tend to adjust their behavior in response to what they perceive as changes in the level of risk .亚当斯解释说，假设一位司机驾车途中要过一个窄弯道，这名司机是个男青年，那么他会受到自己对以下两方面认知的影响：驾车的风险和驾车的回报。Imagine ,explains Adams ,a driver negotiating a curve in the road.Let’s make him a young male .He is going to be influenced by his perceptions of both the risks and rewards of driving a car.他所考虑的东西可能包括：能够准时上班或准时赶赴朋友的饭局、让同伴对他的驾车技术留下深刻印象、使自己作为熟练驾车手的形象更加巩固。The considerations could include getting to work or meeting a friends for dinner on time ,impressing a companion with his driving skills ,bolstering his image of himself as an accomplished driver.他还可能考虑到自身的安全问题、长命百岁的愿望、对车上年幼乘客的责任感、撞毁自己的漂亮新车或驾驶证被没收的代价。They could also include his concern for his own safety and desire to live to a ripe old age,his feelings of

32