晚餐吃得少，健康好处多？

晚餐要少吗？

今天你练听力了吗？

🤔️小作业：

1. What might the author be suggesting about the best time to eat a large meal?

A. Eating a large meal should be done in the evening to align with the body's natural rhythm.

B. Breakfast is the most appropriate time for a large meal to maximize the body's efficiency.

C. Lunch should always be the largest meal, according to traditional advice.

D. There is no significant difference in meal timing when it comes to health.

无注释原文：

Should Dinner Be the Smallest Meal of the Day?

From: The New York Times

The maxim has been around for decades: “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” It's not bad advice, experts say. It's also the opposite of how most people in the United States eat, with dinner often being the largest meal of the day.

Marta Garaulet, a professor of physiology at the University of Murcia in Spain, spends several months a year in the United States. She has noticed that many Americans are often so busy that they don't have time to eat a substantial meal until the evening. It's a striking contrast to eating habits in Spain (and other European countries), where lunch is typically the largest meal. A traditional dinner is light, consisting of something like vegetable or fish soup, a slice of bread with cheese, and a salad.

Scientists are still untangling how meal size and timing might affect health. But they do know one thing: It's probably best to avoid making dinner your largest meal, Dr. Garaulet said.

Why Meal Size and Timing Matter

For decades, nutrition researchers have focused on what — not when — people eat, so we don't have many large or long-term studies on the influence of meal timing on health, said Nour Makarem, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

But, she said, the studies that do exist show some consistent links. People who consume a greater percentage of calories in the evening tend to be at higher risk for obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and higher levels of inflammation.

Your body's internal clock, which regulates how your cells function, may be at least partly to blame, said Frank A.J.L. Scheer, the director of the medical chronobiology program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

In the morning, he said, your body is primed to handle a big meal. It is ready to absorb nutrients and distribute them to your cells to fuel the day's activities. But gradually, as the day wears on, the organs that help you metabolize nutrients, like your liver and pancreas, start to respond more sluggishly.

Researchers see these effects most clearly in blood sugar levels. If you consume two identical meals, one in the morning and one in the evening, your blood sugar spike will be larger and will stay elevated for longer after the evening meal, Dr. Scheer said.

And when your levels of melatonin — a hormone that signals it's time to sleep — rise an hour or two before bedtime, that suppresses insulin secretion from the pancreas, Dr. Garaulet said, making it harder for your body to regulate your blood sugar.

If your blood sugar is frequently elevated from large evening meals, Dr. Garaulet said, your risk of developing high blood pressure, chronic inflammation, obesity and Type 2 diabetes may rise.

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为纽约时报官方译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Should Dinner Be the Smallest Meal of the Day?

From: The New York Times

The maxim has been around for decades: “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” It's not bad advice, experts say. It's also the opposite of how most people in the United States eat, with dinner often being the largest meal of the day.

有句格言流传了几十年：“早餐吃得像国王，午餐吃得像王子，晚餐吃得像乞丐。”专家说，这是个不错的建议。但与大多数美国人的饮食方式相反，对于美国人来说，晚餐通常是一天中最丰盛的一餐。

maxim /ˈmæksɪm/ 表示“格言；箴言；座右铭”，英文解释为“A maxim is a rule for good or sensible behaviour, especially one in the form of a saying.”举个🌰：I like the maxim "Talk is cheap. Show me the action." 我喜欢这句座右铭：空谈无用，行动为证。

prince /prɪns/ 表示“王子；亲王；王孙”，英文解释为“an important male member of a royal family, especially a son or grandson of the king or queen”如：Prince Edward 爱德华王子。

pauper /ˈpɔː.pər/ 表示“穷人，贫民”，英文解释为“a very poor person”

Marta Garaulet, a professor of physiology at the University of Murcia in Spain, spends several months a year in the United States. She has noticed that many Americans are often so busy that they don't have time to eat a substantial meal until the evening. It's a striking contrast to eating habits in Spain (and other European countries), where lunch is typically the largest meal. A traditional dinner is light, consisting of something like vegetable or fish soup, a slice of bread with cheese, and a salad.

西班牙穆尔西亚大学的生理学教授玛尔塔·加劳莱特每年在美国生活几个月。她注意到，许多美国人经常很忙，直到晚上才有时间吃一顿丰盛大餐。这与西班牙乃至其他欧洲国家的饮食习惯形成鲜明对比，在西班牙，午餐通常是最丰盛的一餐。传统的晚餐是很清淡的，包括蔬菜或鱼汤，一片奶酪面包和沙拉。

physiology /ˌfɪzɪˈɒlədʒɪ/ 表示“生理学”，英文解释为“(the scientific study of) the way in which the bodies of living things work”

substantial /səbˈstæn.ʃəl/ 1）表示“大的；可观的；价值巨大的；重大的”，英文解释为“large in size, value, or importance”举个🌰：The findings show a substantial difference between the opinions of men and women. 这些发现表明男性和女性之间存在着重大的意见分歧。

2）表示“基本上的；大体上的”，英文解释为“relating to the main or most important things being considered”举个🌰：The committee was in substantial agreement (= agreed about most of the things discussed). 委员会基本上达成了一致意见。

striking /ˈstraɪ.kɪŋ/ 1）表示“异乎寻常的，惊人的；引人注目的；显著的；不同寻常的”，英文解释为“Something that is striking is very noticeable or unusual.”举个🌰：The most striking feature of those statistics is the high proportion of suicides. 那些统计数据最显著的特征是高自杀率。

2）表示“俊秀的；妩媚动人的；很有魅力的”，英文解释为“Someone who is striking is very attractive, in a noticeable way.”举个🌰：She was a striking woman with long blonde hair. 她曾是一个留着金色长发的俊秀女子。

Scientists are still untangling how meal size and timing might affect health. But they do know one thing: It's probably best to avoid making dinner your largest meal, Dr. Garaulet said.

科学家们仍在研究饭量和进餐时间对健康的影响。但加劳莱特说，他们明确地知道一件事：最好不要把晚餐当成最丰盛的一餐。

untangle /ʌnˈtæŋ.ɡəl/ 1）表示“解开，松开（缠结的线绳、金属线等）”，英文解释为“to remove the knots from an untidy mass of string, wire, etc. and separate the different threads”

2）表示“整理，理清（复杂问题）”，英文解释为“to make a complicated subject or problem, or its different parts, clear and able to be understood”举个🌰：It took years to untangle the legal complexities of the case. 理清该案牵涉到的复杂法律问题花了很多年的时间。

Why Meal Size and Timing Matter 为什么餐量和进餐时间非常重要

For decades, nutrition researchers have focused on what — not when — people eat, so we don't have many large or long-term studies on the influence of meal timing on health, said Nour Makarem, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

哥伦比亚大学梅尔曼公共卫生学院的流行病学助理教授努尔·马卡雷姆说，几十年来，营养研究人员关注的是人们吃什么，而不是什么时候吃，因此，关于吃饭时间对健康影响的大型或长期研究并不多。

nutrition /njuːˈtrɪʃ.ən/ 表示“营养物质；营养，滋养；营养学”，英文解释为“the substances that you take into your body as food and the way that they influence your health”举个🌰：Good nutrition is essential if patients are to make a quick recovery. 病人如果要迅速康复，必须补足营养。

📍epidemiological /ˌepɪˌdiːmiəˈlɑːdʒɪkl/ 形容词，表示“流行病学的”，如：epidemiological research 流行病学研究。

📍epidemiology 名词，英文解释为“the scientific study of the spread and control of diseases”

But, she said, the studies that do exist show some consistent links. People who consume a greater percentage of calories in the evening tend to be at higher risk for obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and higher levels of inflammation.

但是，她说，现有研究显示了一些一致的联系。晚上摄入较多卡路里的人罹患肥胖症、2型糖尿病、高血压和炎症的风险更高。

calorie /ˈkæl.ər.i/ 表示“卡，卡路里（测量食物所含热量的单位）”，英文解释为“a unit of energy, often used as a measurement of the amount of energy that food provides”举个🌰：There are about 50 calories in an apple. 一个苹果大约含有50卡路里的热量。

obesity /oʊˈbiːsəti/ 表示“肥胖”，英文解释为“the fact of being extremely fat, in a way that is dangerous for health”

📍词根“obes-”来自拉丁语“obesus”，意味着“肥胖的”。近义词：overweight（超重），同根词：obese（肥胖的），常用短语：combat obesity（对抗肥胖症）

diabetes /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtɪs, -tiːz/ 表示“糖尿病”，英文解释为“a disease in which the body cannot control the level of sugar in the blood.”

inflammation /ˌɪn.fləˈmeɪ.ʃən/ 表示“炎（症）”，英文解释为“a red, painful, and often swollen area in or on a part of your body”举个🌰：Aspirin reduces pain and inflammation. 阿司匹林可缓解疼痛和炎症。

Your body's internal clock, which regulates how your cells function, may be at least partly to blame, said Frank A.J.L. Scheer, the director of the medical chronobiology program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

波士顿布莱根妇女医院医学时间生物学项目主任弗兰克·A·J·L·舍尔说，体内调节细胞功能的生物钟可能至少是部分原因。

表示“时间生物学”，英文解释为“the branch of biology concerned with the periodicity occurring in living organisms”

In the morning, he said, your body is primed to handle a big meal. It is ready to absorb nutrients and distribute them to your cells to fuel the day's activities. But gradually, as the day wears on, the organs that help you metabolize nutrients, like your liver and pancreas, start to respond more sluggishly.

他说，早晨，你的身体已经做好准备，可以大吃一顿。它已经准备好吸收营养，并将它们分配给体内细胞，为一天的活动提供能量。但是，渐渐地，随着时间流逝，肝脏和胰腺等帮助你代谢营养物质的器官反应开始变慢。

prime /praɪm/ 1）表示“首要的，主要的；基本的”，英文解释为“main or most important”举个🌰：This is a prime example of 1930s architecture. 这是20世纪30年代建筑风格的一个重要的范例。

2）表示“质量最好的，一流的”，英文解释为“of the best quality”举个🌰：The hotel is in a prime location in the city centre. 该旅馆位于市中心的黄金地段。

作动词，prime的意思是“刺激”或“激发”，即通过某种措施（如财政刺激）来推动经济增长。作为动词，prime通常指为某个过程或活动做准备。

prime /praɪm/ 表示“事先给（某人）提供情况，使有所准备”，英文解释为“to tell someone something that will prepare them for a particular situation”举个🌰：I'd been primed so I knew not to mention her son. 因为事先得到提醒，所以我知道不要提及她的儿子。

prime the pump表示“投资以振兴（新的或不景气的企业或行业）”，英文解释为“to encourage the growth of a new or weak business or industry by putting money into it”

nutrient /ˈnjuː.tri.ənt/ 表示“养分；营养物，滋养物”，英文解释为“any substance that plants or animals need in order to live and grow”举个🌰：It's good soil - full of nutrients. 这土壤肥沃——养分很足。

wear /weər/ on 表示“（时间）慢慢过去，沉闷地过去”，英文解释为“If a period of time wears on, it seems to pass very slowly.”举个🌰：She felt less confident about finishing the work as the week wore on. 随着这一周的时间慢慢过去，她更加觉得没有信心完成这项工作。

表示“（使）新陈代谢”，英文解释为“to use chemical processes in the body to turn food into energy, new growth, and waste products”举个🌰：Fat is metabolized by your body and cleared through the liver as a normal process. 在正常情况下，脂肪被人体代谢并通过肝脏清除。

pancreas /ˈpæŋ.kri.əs/ 表示“胰脏，胰腺”，英文解释为“an organ in the body that produces insulin (= a chemical substance that controls the amount of sugar in the blood) and substances that help to digest food so that it can be used by the body”

sluggishly /ˈslʌɡ.ɪʃ.li/ 表示“行动缓慢地；迟缓地”，英文解释为“in a sluggish way (= moving or operating more slowly than usual and with less energy)”举个🌰：The band played sluggishly and appeared bored. 乐队演奏得很慢，乐手显得很无聊的样子。

Researchers see these effects most clearly in blood sugar levels. If you consume two identical meals, one in the morning and one in the evening, your blood sugar spike will be larger and will stay elevated for longer after the evening meal, Dr. Scheer said.

研究人员在血糖水平方面看到了最明显的影响。舍尔说，如果在早上和晚上各吃一顿内容完全相同的饭，血糖峰值会更高，晚餐后血糖保持在高水平的时间会更长。

elevated /ˈel.ɪ.veɪ.tɪd/ 1）表示“提高的；升高的；抬高的”，英文解释为“raised”举个🌰：The doctor said I was to keep my leg elevated. 医生说我要保持腿部抬高。

2）表示“高出正常水平的；偏高的”，英文解释为“greater than is normal or reasonable”举个🌰：He has a slightly elevated idea of his own importance. 他自视过高。

And when your levels of melatonin — a hormone that signals it's time to sleep — rise an hour or two before bedtime, that suppresses insulin secretion from the pancreas, Dr. Garaulet said, making it harder for your body to regulate your blood sugar.

当体内的褪黑素——一种提示你该睡觉的激素——在睡前一两个小时升高，就会抑制胰腺的胰岛素分泌，加劳莱特说，这会令身体调节血糖变得更加困难。

melatonin /mel.əˈtəʊ.nɪn/ 表示“褪黑素，降黑素（体内的一种激素，能刺激肤色变化，与日常睡眠等生物节律有关）”，英文解释为“a hormone in the body that produces changes in skin colour and is involved in controlling biorhythms such as our sleep pattern”

hormone /ˈhɔːməʊn/ 表示“激素；荷尔蒙”，英文解释为“a chemical substance produced in the body or in a plant that encourages growth or influences how the cells and tissues function; an artificial substance that has similar effects”，如：growth hormones 生长激素。

suppress /səˈpres/ 表示“抑制，忍住，压抑；查禁”，英文解释为“to prevent something from being seen or expressed or from operating”举个🌰：She couldn't suppress her anger/annoyance/delight. 她无法抑制内心的愤怒/气恼/喜悦。

insulin /ˈɪnsjəlɪn/表示“胰岛素”，英文解释为“a chemical substance produced in the body that controls the amount of sugar in the blood (by influencing the rate at which it is removed); a similar artificial substance given to people whose bodies do not produce enough naturally”

表示“分泌；分泌液”，英文解释为“the process by which an animal or plant produces and releases a liquid, or the liquid produced”举个🌰：The excessive secretion of gastric juices in the gut causes ulcers. 胃中胃液分泌过多会导致胃溃疡。

If your blood sugar is frequently elevated from large evening meals, Dr. Garaulet said, your risk of developing high blood pressure, chronic inflammation, obesity and Type 2 diabetes may rise.

加劳莱特说，如果血糖经常因为晚上大量进食而升高，那么罹患高血压、慢性炎症、肥胖和2型糖尿病的风险可能会增加。

chronic /ˈkrɒnɪk/ 1）表示“（疾病）慢性的，长期的”，英文解释为“a chronic disease or illness is one that continues for a long time and cannot be cured”如：chronic arthritis表示“慢性关节炎”。

2）表示“（问题）长期的”，英文解释为“a chronic problem is one that continues for a long time and cannot easily be solved”举个🌰：There is a chronic shortage of teachers. 长期存在师资短缺的问题。

3）还有一种解释是用来形容人“积习难改”，如“长期酗酒/沉迷赌博等的人”我们就可以用chronic alcoholic/gambler表示。

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