The researchers, most of them affiliated with VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, focused on the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The first responds to stress by triggering a fight-or-flight reaction, raising heart rates and putting us generally on edge;the second counters those responses,bringing physiological calm. For this study, nearly four dozen university students were outfitted with sensors to monitor electrical activity in the heart and then shown photos on a computer screen. Half the pictures displayed urban spaces full of buildings and parked cars; the rest were green places— but homely ones,like empty pathways flanked by trees, not majestic wilderness.

該研究的研究人員大多來自阿姆斯特丹自由大學(xué)醫(yī)學(xué)中心(VU University Medical Center)，他們關(guān)注的重點(diǎn)是交感和副交感神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)。交感神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)通過激發(fā)戰(zhàn)斗或逃跑反應(yīng)、加速心跳和保持身體緊張來應(yīng)對壓力;而副交感神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)壓制這些反應(yīng)，保持生理上的平靜。為了這個(gè)研究，他們找到近50名大學(xué)生，給他們裝上感應(yīng)器，以監(jiān)測心電活動(dòng)，然后讓他們觀看電腦屏幕上的照片。其中一半的照片展示了全是建筑物和靜止汽車的城市空間，另一半是綠色空間，不過大多是常見的場景，比如兩側(cè)是綠樹的無人小徑，而不是壯觀的野外景色。

【經(jīng)典句式】

affiliated with 附屬于

nervous system 神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)

respond to應(yīng)對

stress壓力

trigger激發(fā)

fight-or-flight reaction戰(zhàn)斗或逃跑反應(yīng)

heart rate心率

put… on edge讓……緊張

counter對抗

response反應(yīng)

physiological生理的

sensor感應(yīng)器

monitor監(jiān)測

electrical activity in the heart心電活動(dòng)

computer screen電腦屏幕

display顯示

urban space城市空間

the rest剩下的

homely平凡的

pathway路

majestic壯觀的

wilderness荒野

Having viewed the photos, the students tackled a series of increasingly difficult computerized math problems while an on-screen assessment compared their results with the average performance and, whether accurately or not, showed them to be subpar. This test has proved to be a robust means of raising stress levels. Afterward,the subjects reviewed the pictures, retook the math test, then looked at more photos.

看完照片后，這些學(xué)生要在電腦上解答一系列難度逐步加大的數(shù)學(xué)題，而屏幕上的評估器把他們的答案與平均成績相比較。結(jié)果顯示，他們成績低于平均水平，雖然不確定準(zhǔn)確與否。這證明了這項(xiàng)測試能迅速提高壓力水平。之后，研究對象們再看照片，再做數(shù)學(xué)題，然后再看更多照片。

【經(jīng)典句式】

tackle解決

a series of 一系列的

computerize用計(jì)算機(jī)處理

math problem數(shù)學(xué)題

assessment評估

average平均的

performance表現(xiàn)

accurately準(zhǔn)確地

robust強(qiáng)健的

means途徑

stress level壓力水平

subject實(shí)驗(yàn)對象

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