Yoga for World Suicide Prevention Day

Vocabulary: Chinese/English (Quizlet)

1. commit suicide 自殺
2. attempt 企圖
3. prevent (v.) 阻止, 妨礙, 預防
4. mental health 精神健康狀態
5. raise (v.) 增加；提高；改善
6. awareness (n.)意識
7. preventable (adj.) 可防止的，可預防的，可阻止的
8. factor (n.) 因素；要素
9. downturn (n.) 衰退，漸入低迷
10. bully (n./v.)恃強淩弱者，以大欺小者/ 傷害；脅迫；欺負，欺淩
11. assist (v.) 幫助；協助；援助
12. assisted suicide 協助自殺，輔助自殺

III. The Reading: (Handout)

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is a day we should all put on our calendars. It highlights (強調) a huge but often ignored(忽視) problem in our society (社會). Every year thousands of people take their own lives. Around 3,000 people a day commit suicide. Another 60,000 a day attempt suicide. WSPD promotes (促進) ways to identify (確定) possible suicide cases and to prevent suicide. The day is organized (安排有序的) by the International Association for Suicide Prevention. This important group acts as a forum(論壇) for academics(學者), mental health professionals (職業的), and suicide survivors(倖存者) to work together to understand suicide better. They raise awareness that suicide is a preventable cause of hundreds of thousands of deaths around the world.

The word suicide comes from Latin, meaning to kill oneself. There are many factors that lead to someone taking their own life. These include depression(憂鬱症), shame (羞恥), physical pain, anxiety (焦慮), and relationship problems. A growing reason nowadays is financial ($) difficulties. There is a sudden increase in suicide in rich nations(countries) when there is a downturn in the economy (經濟). Another worrying trend (趨向) is the number of young people who resort to suicide because of bullying. Suicide is in fact, one of the leading causes of death among teenagers and young adults. In Japan, there are Internet suicide clubs so you can end your life with others who are equally desperate (拼命的). A hot topic(話題) today is assisted suicide – helping another person end his or her life.

Comprehension:

1. What problem is ignored by society?

2. Who organized World Suicide Prevention Day?

3. Which groups attend the forum?

4. Is suicide preventable? Explain.

5. Why do young people commit or attempt to commit suicide?

6. What is assisted suicide?

7. Why is bullying such a serious problem?

Tai chi may help reduce depression symptoms 太極拳可能有助減緩憂鬱症狀

新聞辭典

1. sustained：形容詞，持續的，持久的。例句：We must make a sustained effort to get this task finished this week.（我們必須持續努力，讓工作在本週內完成。）

2. follow-up assessment：學術名詞：跟進評估，追蹤評估。例句：Follow-up assessment is usually considered necessary.（追蹤評估總被視為必要。）

3. migraine：名詞，偏頭痛。例句：I suffer a lot from migraines.（我深受偏頭痛之苦。）

Practicing Tai Chi - an ancient Chinese martial art - can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and may be useful for people who tend to avoid conventional psychiatric treatments, a new study has found. 一項新研究發現，練習太極拳─一項中國古代武術─可以大幅減緩憂鬱症狀，而且可能有益於傾向避免傳統精神病治療的人們。

Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital enrolled 50 Chinese-American participants for the study. All of the volunteers had mild to moderate depression and were not receiving any other forms of treatment. They were placed at random in three groups. The first took part in Tai Chi, the second received educational therapy and the third was a control group. 麻省總醫院的研究人員徵集50名美籍華人參與研究。所有自願者都有輕微至中等的憂鬱，且未接受任何其他形式的治療。他們被隨機分成3組。第一組參與太極拳練習，第二組接受教育療法，第三組則為控制組。

The 12-week assessments showed that all 17 volunteers in the martial art had significantly greater improvement in depression symptoms than the other two groups. Follow-up assessment after six months showed sustained improvement, the report said.

為期12週的評量顯示，參與這項武術的17名自願者，憂鬱症狀都有顯著的改善，遠勝於其他兩組。報告指出，6個月後的追蹤評估顯示症狀持續獲得改善。

Previous studies have found that Tai Chi could better help patients suffering from five painful conditions - back pain, osteoarthritis, neck pain, fibromyalgia, and severe headaches and migraine. 先前的研究發現，太極拳可能幫助受5種疼痛症狀所苦的病患─背痛、骨性關節炎、頸部疼痛、纖維肌痛，以及嚴重的頭痛和偏頭痛。

Smart people are more likely to suffer from mental illness 聰明人更可能苦於精神疾病

新聞辭典

1. woe：名詞，痛苦，悲哀。例句：Mary’s life was full of woe.（瑪麗的生活充滿痛苦。）
2. susceptible：形容詞，易感染的，易罹患的。例句：Older patients are more susceptible to infections.（年老病患更易受到感染。）
3. jumpy：形容詞，神經質的，神經過敏的。例句：My mother gets very jumpy when she’s alone in the house.（當我母親一人在家時，她變得非常神經質。）

Intelligent people have double the risk of mental illness compared to their lesser-intelligent peers - and more often suffer anxiety-related physical woes, a new study has found.一項新研究發現，聰明人罹患精神疾病的風險高出兩倍，且更常受苦於焦慮相關的身體痛苦，相對於較不聰明的同輩而言。

Researchers surveyed 3,715 members of MENSA, where having a IQ of above 130 is a requirement. They were asked to report whether they had been diagnoses with mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression and other disorders. 研究人員對3715名智力評鑑機構「門薩國際」會員進行調查，其入會條件是智商130以上。他們被要求報告是否曾被診斷出精神疾病，包括焦慮、憂鬱或其他疾患。

The study found 20 percent of the intelligent group suffered anxiety and depression, compared to 10 percent of the general population. Intriguingly, the participants also seemed more susceptible to asthma, allergies and poor immunity. 研究發現，這個聰明團體中有20%的人受苦於焦慮與憂鬱，相較一般大眾的10%。有趣的是，這些受試者似乎也更易罹患氣喘、過敏且免疫力差。

The study showed that more intelligent people often have what is called a "hyperexcitable brain." This means that a higher IQ leads to a greater awareness of their surroundings and what is going on. This causes the central nervous system to be more reactive, making intelligent people more ’jumpy’. 研究顯示，較聰明的人通常擁有所謂「過度興奮的大腦」。這意味高智商導致他們更留意周遭和正在發生之事物。這造成中樞神經系統更有反應，使得聰明人更為「神經過敏」。

Prince Harry sought counseling over mother’s death 英國哈利王子自述曾因喪母求助心理諮商

TODAY’S WORDS 今日單字

1. counseling n.諮商 (

2. breakdown n.崩潰 

3. grief n.悲痛 

4. cope with v. phr.處理 

5. stick/bury one’s head in the sand v. phr.逃避現實 

Prince Harry has said in a new interview that he suffered for years after the death of his mother, Princess Diana, before finally getting help about three years ago at the urging of his elder brother, Prince William.

The candid statement by the prince, in a podcast released on April 17 by The Daily Telegraph, is the latest indication of a shift within the British monarchy toward greater openness, led by a younger generation. The two princes, along with Prince William’s wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, are leading a campaign called Heads Together to end stigma around mental illness.

Prince Harry, 32, said that not dealing with the trauma had contributed to years of “total chaos” in his late 20s.

“I can safely say that losing my mum at the age of 12, and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years, has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well,” he said.

He added: “I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief and all sorts of lies and misconceptions and everything are coming to you from every angle.”

Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997, at age 36; she and Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, had divorced the previous year.

In the podcast, Prince Harry said he had tried to cope with the tragedy by not talking about it. “My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help?” he said. He recalled thinking: “‘It’s only going to make you sad; it’s not going to bring her back.’ So from an emotional side, I was like, ‘Right, don’t ever let your emotions be part of anything.’”

The prince also praised the virtues of getting professional help and speaking out about grief.Prince Harry, who spent 10 years in the British armed forces and served two tours in Afghanistan, said in the interview that his struggles had consumed much of his 20s. (He was 27 in 2012, when tabloids published images of him naked while partying in Las Vegas, which prompted him to apologize for having “let my family down.”)

He added that staying quiet about emotional suffering in distress was “only ever going to make it worse,” and he urged people in such situations to seek help. “You will be surprised, firstly, how much support you get,” he said.

This article is an edited version of a piece that originally appeared in the New York Times.

(New York Times, Hannah Olivennes)

哈利王子在最近一項訪談中說道，在其母黛安娜王妃過世後他痛苦了很多年，直到約三年前在其兄威廉王子敦促下終於尋求心理諮商，才逐漸走出來。

哈利王子坦率的自述，出自四月十七日每日電訊報播客節目中播出的訪談，這顯示近來由年輕一代英國皇室成員所引領的更開放的皇室作風。兩位王子以及威廉王子之妻，劍橋公爵夫人（凱特王妃）所設立的慈善基金會，現正倡導一個名為「同心協力」（Heads Together）的慈善運動，該運動旨在終結對心理疾病之污名化。

現年三十二歲的哈利王子說，對創傷未加處理使得他二十多歲時經歷了好幾年的「全然混亂」。

「我可以很肯定地說，我十二歲時喪母，因而在過去二十年裡，我封閉自己所有的情感，這不但對我的私生活，也對我的工作造成很嚴重的影響，」哈利王子說。

他補充道，「當各種傷痛、謊言、誤解和所有事情由四面八方向你襲來，有無數次我接近徹底崩潰。」

黛安娜王妃於一九九七年八月三十一日因車禍死於法國巴黎，得年三十六歲。她與英國王儲查爾斯王子在前一年離婚。

在這播客訪談中，哈利王子說他曾試圖藉由不去談論它，來處理這個悲劇。「我處理這件事的方式是把頭埋進沙裡，是逃避現實的鴕鳥心態，對於我母親我連想都拒絕去想，因為這樣會有用嗎？」他說道，並回憶那時自己曾想說：「『這只會讓你難過；並不會讓她起死回生。』所以在情感方面，我就像是說，『好，你絕對不能讓任何事有情感成分。』」

哈利王子曾服役英軍十年，並有兩次外派阿富汗服役。他在訪談中說，他的掙扎消耗掉他二十多歲的大半時光。（在二○一二年他二十七歲時，八卦小報公開他在美國拉斯維加斯裸體跑趴的照片，使得他得公開道歉說自己「令家族失望。」）

哈利王子也稱許尋求專業協助，以及將悲傷說出口的益處。

他補充說，對痛苦的情緒避而不談，「只會讓情況變得更糟，」且呼籲人們若遭逢此種情況應尋求幫助。「首先你將會對得到這麼多扶持而感到驚訝」，他說。

本文為編輯後的版本，原文已於紐約時報刊登。

（台北時報編譯林俐凱譯）

Resources:

HEALING: 5 YOGA CLASSES TO GET THROUGH GRIEF

Study: Vitamin D could prevent common cold 研究：維生素D可預防感冒

A study announced on Feb. 16 indicates that taking Vitamin D supplements can prevent respiratory tract infections such as colds and influenza, reigniting the debate on the effectiveness of non-prescription dietary supplements.

The study, in the British medical publication BMJ, claims to have discovered, for the first time, “clear evidence” of a link between Vitamin D and influenza, after evaluating the different results from a total of 25 clinical trials in 14 countries.

This is especially apparent for people suffering from Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D can be absorbed through a number of foods. The human body is also able to synthesize Vitamin D endogenously when ultraviolet rays from sunlight make contact with the skin.

Many people have Vitamin D deficiency, especially residents of areas of climates of low levels of sunlight.

For many years, scientific studies have come up with mixed conclusions about Vitamin D, with some finding that low levels of Vitamin D can increase the risk of bone fracture, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, diabetes, depression, Alzheimer’s disease and death. Other studies, however, showed that it was impossible to prove a link between Vitamin D and risk of disease.

(CNA, translated by Paul Cooper)

二月十六日公布的研究指出，攝取維生素D補給品可預防感冒、流感等呼吸道感染，再度掀起了非處方營養補給品是否有效的論辯。

刊登在英國醫學期刊的研究宣稱，評估十四個國家共二十五份不同的臨床試驗後，「首度發現 」維生素D和流感相關的「明確證據」。

這對維生素D含量不足的人影響特別明顯。維生素D可透過一些食物攝取，皮膚接觸到紫外線時，人體也會自行合成。

許多人維生素D含量不足，特別是灰暗陰霾氣候區的居民。

科學研究多年來對維生素D結論不一，有些結論認為維生素D偏低會增加骨折、心臟疾病、大腸直腸癌、糖尿病、憂鬱症、阿茲海默症和死亡風險，但也有研究顯示，無法證明維生素D和疾病風險有關。

（中央社）

True or False 是非題

A) For some time, sporadic studies have demonstrated evidence of a link between Vitamin D and certain diseases.

TODAY’S WORDS 今日單字

1. clinical adj. 臨床 

2. deficiency n.含量不足 

3. diabetes n.糖尿病

4. depression n. 憂鬱症

B) The recent BMJ study has shown for the first time clear evidence of a link between Vitamin D and diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s.

C) As a result of this study, the medical establishment now believes that dietary supplements can cure the common cold.

D) Vitamin D can be found in some foods, but can also be produced by the human body.

Answers: A) T, B) F, C) F, D) T

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Yoga for the Winter Blues 冬季 瑜伽課 給 沮喪

The waiting’s finally over. Snow descends on Taiping Mountain
終於等到了！太平山降下瑞雪

Tourists play in the snow on Taiping Mountain in Yilan County on Friday last week.
二月六日在宜蘭縣太平山上看到雪，遊客開心地玩起來。

Photo COURTESY OF THE Luodong Forest District Office
照片：羅東林管處提供

As a cold wave brought low-enough temperatures and sufficient moisture, at 7:30am on the morning of Friday last week snow finally fell on Taiping Mountain for the first time this winter. Delighted tourists danced with joy, shouting “The waiting’s finally over.” The Taiping Mountain Villa Hotel said that snow mixed with soft hail fell for about one hour. It then stopped snowing and the ground was covered with an approximately 0.5cm layer of snow.

From November last year until last week, the temperature at Taiping Mountain had fallen below zero many times, but due to insufficient moisture the most that formed was rime ice, with no snow falling. After nightfall on Thursday the temperature dropped below zero and there was sufficient moisture. By early morning, as Taiping Mountain’s plants and roadways started to ice over, an employee at the Taiping Mountain Villa Hotel predicted that there would be a chance of snow, and sure enough the auspicious snowfall came to pass.

(Liberty Times, translated by Edward Jones)

寒流來襲，這次冬天還未下雪的太平山，在溫度低濕度足的情況下，上周五早上七點半，終於降下瑞雪，遊客開心地手舞足蹈，直呼「終於等到了！」太平山莊表示，降雪時間約一個小時，中間夾雜冰霰，然後停止下雪，而地上有約量零點五公分厚的積雪。

太平山從去年十一月至上周，多次溫度在零下，但都因濕度不足，頂多結霧淞，沒有下雪。周四入夜後，溫度下降至零下，濕度也足夠，清晨時，太平山上的植物、道路，開始出現結冰情況，太平山莊人員評估有降雪機會，果真降下瑞雪。

〔自由時報記者朱則瑋〕

TODAY’S WORDS
今日單字

1. dance with joy v. phr. 手舞足蹈 

例: Viola danced with joy when she found out she had won first price.

(知道贏得頭獎，費歐拉手舞足蹈起來了。)

2. sure enough adj. phr. 果真 

例: The room was searched by the police and, sure enough, the gun was found.

(警察搜索房間，果真找到槍了。)

3. ice over v. phr. 結冰 

例: Once the road had iced over, driving conditions become extremely hazardous.

(道路一旦結冰，路況就變得十分危險。)