Health & Fitness‏

Picture this: Two very fat men enter an ice cream shop. They sit down and order two giant sundaes. After enjoying their rich desserts, they go to a health club and have a good workout. They’re trying to work off all those calories they ate. Who would be so silly? Some Americans would. When it comes to health and fitness, Americans have mixed emotions. On the one hand, they are concerned about their health. On the other, they have some very unhealthy habits.
想像一下這個景象：兩個大胖子進入
一家冰淇淋店，他們坐下來點了兩客大聖
代。吃完高熱量的甜點後，再去一家健身
俱樂部好好地運動一番，想把吃進去的熱
量消耗掉。誰會這麼傻呢？有些美國人就
是這麼傻。談到健康與健美，美國人有矛
盾的情結，他們一方面關心自己的健康，
另一方面又有一些很不健康的習慣。

Americans know the benefits of having a healthy diet. In school, children learn to eat a variety of healthy foods. People grow up aware of the value of counting calories. They hear about the health dangers of chemicals added to packaged food. They realize they shouldn’t eat too many sweets or fats. Many American consumers read labels carefully for nutrition information. That way they can compare products and eat the best foods.
美國人知道健康飲食的好處。孩子們
在學校裡學著吃各種健康食物。人們從小
到大也非常注意計算食物的熱量。他們聽
說了現成食品中所添加的化學物質會損害
健康；也了解不該吃太多的甜食或富含油
脂的食物。很多美國消費者仔細地研讀標
籤上的營養成份，以便能夠比較產品而吃
到最好的食物。

Keeping fit —or maybe getting in shape—is often high on the list of New Year’s resolutions for Americans. In the past two decades, fitness has become a fad. Many Americans have joined health clubs to work out with professional equipment. Sports stores sell athletic shoes and clothing for every possible exercise situation.
People can even buy weights and equipment and set up their own exercise center at home!
保持健美——或者保持勻稱的身材——通常
是美國人新年新計劃中高居前面的一項。
過去2 0年來，健美已蔚為風尚。很多
美國人加入健身俱樂部，使用專業的設備
做運動。運動商品店裡售有各種運動項目
所需的運動鞋和服裝。人們甚至買啞鈴和
訓練的設備，在家裡設置專屬的運動中
心！

But despite this seeming emphasis on health, a large number of Americans don’t practice what the experts preach. All-American eating habits tend to be less than wholesome. Due to the fast pace of life, fast food restaurants have become quite popular. When people are in a hurry, food doesn’t have to be healthy, just fast. Even in grocery stores, junk food items commonly fill shopping carts. At parties and on holidays, people eat foods that are fun, but not always good for them.
不過儘管他們看起來似乎很重視健
康，很多美國人並不照著專家的勸導做。
所有美國人的飲食習慣都不太符合健康原
則。由於生活的步調很快，速食餐廳變得
相當受歡迎。當人們在趕時間的時候，食
物不一定要對健康有益，只要快就好。即
使在食品雜貨店裡，垃圾食物經常堆滿購
物的推車。遇宴會和度假時，人們吃些令
他們開心的食物，但不見得對他們的身體
有益處。

Modern technology has also added to the problem. Due to computers and other devices that make life easier, many Americans are not very active. Television has turned many people into couch potatoes. Statistics give health experts good reason to be disappointed. Americans exercise less than they used to. The number of
people taking part in fitness activities dropped from 41.7 million in 1991 to only 32 million in 1993.
現代科技也使問題更嚴重。由於電腦
和其他各種設備簡化了生活中許多的事
情，很多美國人不太喜歡活動。電視已經
將很多人變成那種老是喜歡窩在沙發上看
電視吃零食的「沙發馬鈴薯」了。統計資料令健康專家們感到失望，
美國人已不再像從前那麼常運動了。參
與健身活動的人數，從一九九一年的4，
1 7 0萬人到一九九三年已降為3，2 0 0萬
人。

Among high school students, only 37 percent exercise three times per week. However, 70 percent of teenagers watch at least an hour of TV every day, and 38 percent watch over three hours. As a result, the average American gained eight pounds during the 1980’s. At least one-third of Americans weigh 20 percent more than their ideal weight.
在高中生當中，只有3 7 %的學生一
星期運動三次，然而，卻有7 0 %的青少
年每天至少看一個小時的電視，有3 8 %
則看超過三個小時。結果在1 9 8 0年代，
美國人的平均體重增加了八磅，至少有
三分之一的美國人比理想體重超重
20%。

Still, by many standards, Americans enjoy good health. Medical care in the United States, while expensive, is among the best in the world. The U.S. Government requires strict food inspections to ensure that food is of the highest quality. Food producers must label products accurately. Many resources, such as magazines, TV programs and even the Internet, allow people to find out how to improve their
health. Americans know how to make themselves more healthy. They just need to do it.
不過從很多的標準來看，美國人仍
然擁有健康。美國的醫療照顧雖然昂
貴，但卻是全世界最好的。美國政府要
求嚴格的食品檢驗，以確保最佳的食物
品質。食品製造者必須在產品上貼上精
確的標籤。很多資訊來源如雜誌、電視
節目、甚至網際網路都提供人們增進健
康的方法。美國人知道如何讓自己更健
康，然而他們只需要實際行動。
?Word Banksundae(n) 冰淇淋聖代
workout (n) 做運動；健身
calorie (n) 卡路里（熱量的單位）
fitness (n) 健康；強健
nutrition (n) 營養

preach (v) 勸告；鼓吹
wholesome (adj) 健全的；有益健康的

device (n) 設備
couch potato (n phr) 愛窩在沙發上看電視吃零食的人

strict (adj) 嚴格的
ensure (v) 確保
accurately(adv) 正確地
Internet (n) 網際網路

The Day's Phrase

Dip your hands into the cool, creamy mud of these tiny natural wonders
你可以把手放進這些迷你自然奇觀涼爽又濃稠的泥巴裡!
Mark my words, if you do it your way, it will not work.記著我說的，如果你照著你的方式做，那會行不通的。Follow fashion into the next decade
追尋未來十年的時尚流行步調吧

If I don't get home in time for supper, my mom will tar and feather me.
如果我不及時趕回家吃晚餐，我媽媽會處罰我的。

I don't have anything else to do tonight, I guess it's time for me to catch a little shut eye.
我今晚沒什麼其他事，我想該是我打個盹兒的時候了。

Learn what it takes to be a great leader
學習如何當個偉大的領導者Jane says that she learns best through trial and error.
珍說她透過嘗試錯誤法來學習效果最好。

You came down on Jenna like a ton of bricks, but it wasn't her fault. 你把珍娜罵得那麼厲害，但那不是她的錯。 TV may have benefits, but are they worth the costs? 看電視或許有很多好處，但真的值得花時間在上頭嗎？ Bryan likes to consider his music ahead of the times just because he can't find anyone who likes it now. 布萊恩喜歡把他的音樂想得很前衛，只不過是因為現在他找不到喜歡他音樂的人。 Bryan likes to consider his music ahead of the times just because he can't find anyone who likes it now. 布萊恩喜歡把他的音樂想得很前衛，只不過是因為現在他找不到喜歡他音樂的人。 Instead of talking about our problems, we just skirt around them. 我們沒有談到我們的問題，只是顧左右而言他。 Instead of talking about our problems, we just skirt around them. 我們沒有談到我們的問題，只是顧左右而言他。