英語閱讀：六種音樂讓生活更美好

摘要：無論你喜歡貝多芬還是殺手樂隊，有一件事我想我們都認同：音樂讓生活更美好。但這種說法不只是我們自己這麼覺得，是有科學證明依據的。

Whether you favor Beethoven or Slayer, there is one thing I think we can all agree on: music makes life better. But here is the proof as science would have it, and it’s not just in the ways we think.

1. Listening To Music Reduces Stress

A lot of us intuitively turn to relaxing music when we are feeling stressed or tired. Perhapsunsurprisingly, we’re not just imagining things. Significant research backs it up. In particular,slow, quiet classical music is suggested to have the most soothing effect.

無論你喜歡貝多芬還是殺手樂隊，有一件事我想我們都認同：音樂讓生活更美好。但這種說法不只是我們自己這麼覺得，是有科學證明依據的。

聽音樂可以減壓

當我們感到緊張或疲倦時，我們很多人都直觀地選擇聽音樂這種放鬆方式。也許這並不奇怪，我們不只是想象而已。有深入性研究表明這種說法有道理。具體而言，建議聽速度慢偏安靜風格的古典音樂，具有讓人感覺最舒緩的效果。

So if you have a hard time dealing with stress, compiling a playlist of some fitting classicalsongs could be a good idea. Or try listening to a relaxing, classical-style movie soundtrack.

所以，如果你很難排解壓力，弄一個古典歌曲的播放列表可能會是個好主意，或嘗試聽些讓人放鬆的古典風格電影配樂。

2. Listening To Music Improves Endurance

聽音樂增強耐力

Do you work out? Have you always felt like you perform better when you listen to music? Oddas it might seem, there has actually been a lot of research done on this subject. And sureenough, one study shows that music can increase endurance by 15%.

你鍛鍊身體嗎?你是不是一直覺得自己在聽音樂時的表現更好一些?聽起來可能有些怪，但其實關於這個課題已經進行了很多研究。一項研究表明，音樂可以增加15%的耐力。

One theory is that the continuity of a classical piece helps you focus, which in turn allows youto persevere longer. However, another study suggests that it’s not the type of music, butrather the speed of the music—the beats per minute (bpm)—that matter. According to thestudy, the optimal speed would be 125–140 bpm.

一種理論認爲，古典音樂的連續性有助於你集中專注力，這樣可以讓你堅持更長時間。還有另一項研究表明，不是音樂的風格類型，而是音樂速度——每分鐘節拍數在起作用。根據這項研究，最佳速度是125-140節拍。

3. It Can Make You Healthier

聽音樂可以使你更加健康

It might seem too good to be true, but some research suggests that there are measurablehealth benefits from simply listening to music. Listening to music can also release dopamine,often dubbed “the pleasure chemical”. You could perhaps substitute the pleasure achievedthrough eating your comfort foods by indulging in your favorite music, with none of thenegative health repercussions.

聽起來似乎好得令人難以置信，但據一些研究表明，只聽音樂就對健康有很大的益處。聽音樂也會釋放“快樂化學劑”多巴胺，沉浸在自己喜歡的音樂中的你獲得的樂趣，可以替代你吃慰藉食物時的快樂感覺，而且音樂對健康沒有任何負面影響作用。

4. Singing With A Group Of People Makes You Happier

和一羣人一起合唱會讓你更快樂

Ever thought people that sing in a choir look a bit…too happy? Well, as it turns out, it’s notjust your imagination. Science actually explains what makes them so happy. And the best partof it is, even less-than-great singers experienced the same positive effects.

有沒有想過合唱團的人看起來有點兒......太歡樂了?嗯，事實證明，它不只是你的想象而已。其實科學可以解釋是什麼讓他們如此高興歡樂。並且最好的部分在於：即使對不那麼出色的歌手也同樣有積極的影響效果。

What does this mean for you? Hopefully, that the next time you get the chance to have a sing-along with someone else, you take it, instead of worrying about how you will be received. It’svery likely to cheer you up! One of the studies listed also suggest that singing togetherincreases bonding. And don’t worry, if you feel like you’re just too shy, you can stick to singingin the shower. But just make sure you do it a bit more often.

這對於你而言又意味着什麼呢?如果下次有人邀請你一起唱，你要欣然接受這樣一個難得的機會，別再擔心你是否合拍的問題啦，合唱會讓你很開心!另外還有研究表明，一起唱歌可以拉近親密度。不要擔心，如果你覺得自己在大家面前羞於開口唱歌，你可以在淋浴時自己唱歌，但你要堅持做下去。

5. Learning To Play An Instrument As A Kid Makes You More Successful Later

從小學樂器會讓你日後生活更成功

Research shows a noticeable correlation between learning to play an instrument as a child,and becoming successful later in life. So if you were always upset with your parents for forcingyou to play the violin—or like me, the piano—take a minute to be grateful. I just thanked myfather. One of my biggest regrets these days is that I never actually tried to learn to play thepiano properly.

研究表明，從小學樂器與以後成功的生活之間有着明顯的相關性。所以，如果你總反感你的父母強迫你拉小提琴，或像我一樣厭煩彈鋼琴，感恩一下父母的激勵督促吧。我真的很感謝我的父親。現在我的一個最大遺憾就是我從來沒有真正地嘗試着去認真地學彈鋼琴。

6. It Improves Your Memory

音樂會提高記憶力

The interesting part about the research is that it shows music helps your brain develop inmultiple areas, one of the most significant being your memory. So if you’re troubled by a badmemory, learning to play an instrument is something you should consider.

有關研究的最有趣部分是：研究表明音樂有助於開發大腦在多個領域的智力，其中效果最明顯的是你的記憶力提高了。所以，如果你被記性不好這個問題所困擾，你應該考慮學一門樂器了。

生命是什麼?這是個見仁見智的問題。在作者的眼中，生命在四季變換中流轉演繹，一季有一季的風情。或許春有驟雨連綿，夏有驕陽似火，秋有落葉寂寥，冬有風雪凜冽……

Life ... What is it?

See it in the colors of autumn,

A gentle snowfall in winter,

A sudden shower in spring,

The radiance of a summer day.

Behold it in the laughter

Of the young and the old.

Know of it in a surge of hope,

The blessings that are bountiful(豐富的).

What is life?

It is joy, awareness,

And the music within.

生命……是什麼?

看呀，生命是絢爛的秋色，

輕盈的冬雪，

春天的驟雨，

夏日的暖陽。

瞧呀，生命是童叟的歡笑。

體味生命，

懷着滿心的希望，

帶着豐盛的祝福。

生命是什麼?

是喜樂，是領悟，

是心靈深處的音樂。