Lesson 31 Non-auditory Effects of Noise 噪音的非听觉效应

Many people in industry and the Services, who have practical experience of noise, regard any investigation of this question as a waste of time; they are not prepared even to admit the possibility that noise affects people. On the other hand, those who dislike noise will sometimes use most inadequate evidence to support their pleas for a quieter society. This is a pity, because noise abatement really is a good cause. and it is likely to be discredited if it gets to be associated with bad

science.

One allegation often made is that noise produces mental illness. A recent article in a weekly newspaper, for instance, was headed with a striking illustration of a lady in a state of considerable distress, with the caption 'She was yet another victim, reduced to a screaming wreck '. On turning eagerly to the text, one learns that the lady was a typist who found the sound of office typewriters worried her more and more until eventually she had to go into a mental hospital. Now the snag in

this sort of anecdote is of course that one cannot distinguish cause and effect. Was the noise a cause of the illness, or were the complaints about noise merely a symptom? Another patient might equally well complain that her neighbours were combining to slander her and persecute her, and yet one might be cautious about believing this statement.

What is needed in the case of noise is a study of large numbers of people living under noisy conditions, to discover whether they are mentally ill more often than other people are. The United States Navy, for instance, recently examined a very large number of men working on aircraft carriers: the study was known as Project Anehin. It can be unpleasant to live even several miles from an aerodrome; if you think what it must be like to share the deck of a ship with several squadrons of jet aircraft, you will realize that a modern navy is a good place to study noise. But neither psychiatric interviews nor objective tests were able to show any effects upon these American sailors. This result merely confirms earlier American and British studies: if there is any effect of noise upon mental health it must be so small that present methods of psychiatric diagnosis cannot find it. That does not prove that it does not exist; but it does mean that noise is less dangerous than, say, being brought up in an orphanages--which really is a mental health hazard.

New words and expressions 生词短语

likely=possibly

deposited=saved=piled up 堆积

mud (from the seashore)

the man and the like: 就他那样的人(否定意义)

cover over: 全部覆盖

第一段：强调句

1. 加原因状语

2. 加地点状语

favourable=good=ideal

small fraction 小部分

that die 已死的或将要死的

feed on: 靠……为生 I feed on rice./I feed rice. (F) I feed the baby.

live by: 通过 live by the hands 自力更生 live by the mountains

live on=feed on

dead or alive 连缀形容词要做后置定语

ecological chain: 生物链 the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest

chance=accidental 偶尔 chance meeting 邂逅 chance company 萍水相逢

on land 陆路

seldom=hardly

innumerable=numerous

see sb doing sth.

fly about: 四外飞翔 go about: 转一转

not to mention: 更不用说 = let alone= not to speak of

it is very rarely…(强调句，强调状语)

come across=run into新概念培训

带 other，一般用单数词，any(some)other: 任何一个

traces=remains

as…as…

when: 时间状语(接 by falling into inaccessible caves, or into an ice crevasse…)

refrigerator: refrige

preserved: 做主语的宾语补足语

in good condition: 完好状态

tar pits: 焦油坑

collected=assembled 汇集

the carnivores: 肉食动物

Notes on the text 课文注释

industry 工业方面，工业界

Services: in America means army;

serviceman: 军人 ex-serviceman 退伍军人

总统

ex-wife 前妻 My ex-job is a secretary.

ex-president 前总统

present president 现任

on the one hand.. on the other hand 一方面……，另一方面……

most 前不加定冠词相当于 very

good cause=good thing

and 在这儿表转折

mental illness 精神病

weekly newspaper 周刊报纸

head with 头版头条 carry the news on the front page

considerable 极度的

reduce(在这)=made (reduce to tears; reduce to laughter; reduce to a skeleton)

text 文字说明;turning to 转向;on: as soon as

anecdote 轶闻(大多数情况下 unreal)

might well 或许可以

symptom=sign

cautious=careful

statement 这桩事

equally 同样地

might well/may well=have reason to do sth. or be reasonable

She may well be proud of her son. 她有理由为她的儿子骄傲。

You may well refuse him. 你有理由拒绝他。

the United States Navy 美国海军

aerodrome 机场 motordrome 赛车道 parking lot 停车场

share with 与……共住，与……一起

psychiatric interviews 精神病的采访

objective test 问卷调查，客观题

say=for example

hazard=danger

本文是一个 sophistry(诡辨术) critical eye; eagle eye 辨析力

aero- 航空 drome 场所