世界无聊日，你做了什么？

世界无聊日，即每年的7月5日。该节日并非由国际组织或权威机构设立，更多是网络文化的产物，是一项百度贴吧吧友自发的娱乐活动。通过征集广大吧友对于“你觉得最无聊的事”的观点，引起广大网友共鸣以及热烈的参与。

今天你练听力了吗？

🤔️小作业：

1. Which of the following best describes the author's attitude towards boredom?

A. Ambivalent but mostly skeptical

B. Concerned about its effects on mental health

C. Dismissive of its impact on productivity

D. Supportive of recognizing its hidden benefits

无注释原文：

How moments of boredom help us achieve more

From: BBC

“There is something more terrible than a hell of suffering,” the French novelist Victor Hugo wrote in his book Les Misérables in 1862. “A hell of boredom.”

It is an observation that apparently remains true even today. In our modern society, boredom is something to be escaped, whether it's with a quick game of Angry Birds or by scrolling through your social media feed.

It is perhaps not that surprising that we find boredom so uncomfortable. Just look at the importance society places on being busy. The wealthiest among us work longer hours  while being busy has become a status symbol and a mark of prestige.

Boredom and idleness, by contrast, are for the underachievers, the lazy, the loafers. It is something associated with mental dullness and lacking in aim or purpose. In a society where happiness and positivity are often linked to productivity, those who are bored must by extension be unhappy.

The psychoanalyst Martin Wangh described boredom as an “inhibition of fantasy” and a number of studies have indicated that those suffering from “boredom proneness” lack external stimuli and are easily frustrated in challenging situations.

But perhaps we have got boredom wrong. There is a growing body of research that suggests by not allowing ourselves to be bored once in a while, we may be missing out on something important.

Many of our best ideas come to us during idle moments, such as while commuting to work, or taking a shower or a long walk. In fact, we may be at our most creative when we are bored.

In a study at Pennsylvania State University, psychologists Karen Gasper and Brianna Middlewood found participants who were bored performed better in creativity tests than those who were relaxed or feeling elated. They asked volunteers to watch video clips to evoke certain feelings, before testing their ability to think up words. The researchers found that when asked to think of vehicles, most people say “car,” but if someone was bored, their minds might wander, even as far as to respond with “camel".

The most tedious parts of our jobs may be harbouring a potential for creativity that might surprise us.

The researchers say that being in a state of boredom encourages you to explore creative outlets because your brain is signalling that your current situation is lacking and you need to push forward. Letting your mind wander, especially with today's technological distractions, when there's always another email to read and feed to scroll through, is crucial for creativity and we can really only be in this state if our mind is idle.

So perhaps it is time to embrace boredom – and rather than dreading Victor Hugo's hell, remember it could be simply a lightbulb moment waiting to happen.

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为BBC官方译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

How moments of boredom help us achieve more

From: BBC

“There is something more terrible than a hell of suffering,” the French novelist Victor Hugo wrote in his book Les Misérables in 1862. “A hell of boredom.”

"比苦难的地狱更可怕的是无聊的地狱。"法国小说家维克多·雨果（Victor Hugo）在1862年出版的《悲惨世界》里写道。

It is an observation that apparently remains true even today. In our modern society, boredom is something to be escaped, whether it's with a quick game of Angry Birds or by scrolling through your social media feed.

直到今天，这仍是至理名言。在现代社会里，人们总是想方设法打发各种无聊时光，有的拿起手机玩一局《愤怒的小鸟》，有的时不时刷一下社交媒体。

observation /ˌɒb.zəˈveɪ.ʃən/ 1）表示“观察；;观测；监视”，英文解释为“the act of observing something or someone”如：close observation of nature/human nature/animal behaviour 对自然/人性／动物行为的认真观察。

2）熟词僻义，表示“（尤指据所见、所闻、所读而作的）评论，评述；言论”，英文解释为“a comment, especially based on sth you have seen, heard or read”举个🌰：He began by making a few general observations about the report. 开头他先对这个报告作了几点概括性的评论。

作名词，scroll /skrəʊl/ 表示“长卷纸，卷轴”，英文解释为“a long roll of paper or similar material with usually official writing on it”举个🌰：The ancient Egyptians stored information on scrolls. 古埃及人把信息记载在卷轴上。

作动词，表示“滚动；滚屏”，英文解释为“to move text or other information on a computer screen in order to see a different part of it”举个🌰：Scroll to the end of the document. 滚动至文件的最后。

🎬电影《兔子洞》（Rabbit Hole）中的台词提到：Scroll down with your finger. 用手指向下滑动。

feed作动词，表示“供给；供应；（尤指规律地或连续地）把…放进（机器或系统）”，英文解释为“to supply something to a person or thing, or put something into a machine or system, especially in a regular or continuous way”举个🌰：The vegetables are fed into the machine at this end. 蔬菜从这头放进机器里。

feed一词，作名词时，不知道你有没有听过“Feed流”或者“信息流”这样的说法，熟悉互联网行业的人可能会比较了解，指的就是持续向用户提供内容更新的信息流服务，比如朋友圈（Moments），微博，抖音的形式，你可以以时间线或者兴趣度一条一条地往下刷或者说阅读。可以看下Web feed或者News feed的英文解释：a data format used for providing users with frequently updated content.

📍《经济学人》（The Economist）一篇讲述战斗机AI飞行员的文章中提到：Ms Broadbent's team is also experimenting with novel ways to deliver information to a pilot, from a Twitter-like feed to an anthropomorphic avatar. 布罗德本特的团队也在测试用推特式消息流、拟人化形象等各种新鲜方式向飞行员发送信息。

It is perhaps not that surprising that we find boredom so uncomfortable. Just look at the importance society places on being busy. The wealthiest among us work longer hours  while being busy has become a status symbol and a mark of prestige.

无聊总是让人感到不安，这并不出人意料。只要看看整个社会对忙碌的重视程度就知道了。越是富有的人，工作时间往往越长，而忙碌也已经成为身份的象征和声望的标志。

prestige /prɛˈstiːʒ/ 1）作名词，表示“威信；声望；威望”，英文解释为“the respect and admiration that sb/sth has because of their social position, or what they have done”举个🌰：There is a lot of prestige attached to owning a car like this. 拥有这样一部汽车会显得很气派。

2）作形容词，表示“名贵的；贵重的；讲究派头的”，英文解释为“admired and respected because it looks important and expensive”如：a prestige car 豪华的汽车。

Boredom and idleness, by contrast, are for the underachievers, the lazy, the loafers. It is something associated with mental dullness and lacking in aim or purpose. In a society where happiness and positivity are often linked to productivity, those who are bored must by extension be unhappy.

与之形成对比的是，无聊和空虚属于一事无成的懒汉。提到无聊，人们往往会想到精神迟钝、胸无大志。当今社会，人们经常把幸福感和积极性与生产力联系起来，在这样的环境中，无聊的人似乎没有幸福可言。

idleness /ˈaɪ.dəl.nəs/ 表示“懒散；无所事事”，英文解释为“the state of not working or being used”举个🌰：They live in an enforced idleness. 他们整日无所事事。

underachiever /ˌʌn.də.rəˈtʃiː.vər/ 表示“工作上的后进者；学习落后的学生”，英文解释为“someone who is less successful than they should be at school or at work”

loafer /ˈləʊ.fər/ 表示“懒惰的人；不愿工作的人”，英文解释为“someone who avoids doing any work”如：an idle loafer 无所事事的懒虫。

The psychoanalyst Martin Wangh described boredom as an “inhibition of fantasy” and a number of studies have indicated that those suffering from “boredom proneness” lack external stimuli and are easily frustrated in challenging situations.

心理学家马汀·王（Martin Wangh）认为无聊会"抑制幻想"。还有很多研究表明，存在"无聊倾向"的人缺乏外部刺激，而且极易在富有挑战的环境中感到挫败。

psychoanalyst /ˌsaɪ.kəʊˈæn.əl.ɪst/ 表示“精神分析学家；精神分析师”，英文解释为“a person who examines or treats people using psychoanalysis (= a mental health treatment that works by trying to examine the unconscious mind)”举个🌰：He is a psychoanalyst practising in Toronto. 他是一名在多伦多执业的精神分析师。

inhibition /ˌɪn.hɪˈbɪʃ.ən/ 1）表示“抑制；约束”，英文解释为“the act of stopping or slowing down a process, or the fact of this happening”举个🌰：The therapy provides inhibition of inflammation. 这种治疗抑制了发炎。

2）表示“拘束；顾忌；拘谨”，英文解释为“a feeling of embarrassment or worry that prevents you from saying or doing what you want”举个🌰：After a couple of drinks he lost his inhibition and started talking and laughing loudly. 几杯酒下肚后，他肆无忌惮地大声说笑起来。

很有意思的一个词，单数 stimulus /ˈstɪmjʊləs/，复数 stimuli /ˈstɪm.jʊ.laɪ/，没错有s的是单数。表示“刺激（物），激励（物）；促进因素”，英文解释为“something that causes growth or activity; something that causes part of the body to react”

But perhaps we have got boredom wrong. There is a growing body of research that suggests by not allowing ourselves to be bored once in a while, we may be missing out on something important.

但我们可能误解了无聊。越来越多的研究显示，如果不让自己偶尔陷入无聊状态，或许会失去一些重要的东西。

Many of our best ideas come to us during idle moments, such as while commuting to work, or taking a shower or a long walk. In fact, we may be at our most creative when we are bored.

很多一流的创意都是在空虚的时候构思出来的，例如上下班的路上，洗澡的时候，或者长途行走的途中。事实上，无聊的时候或许正是我们最有创造力的时候。

commute /kəˈmjuːt/ 可以作名词，也可以作动词，表示“上下班往返；往返于工作地点与家之间；通勤”，英文解释为“a regular journey between work and home”举个🌰：It's at least an hour's commute to work. 上班路上至少要花1个小时。

In a study at Pennsylvania State University, psychologists Karen Gasper and Brianna Middlewood found participants who were bored performed better in creativity tests than those who were relaxed or feeling elated. They asked volunteers to watch video clips to evoke certain feelings, before testing their ability to think up words. The researchers found that when asked to think of vehicles, most people say “car,” but if someone was bored, their minds might wander, even as far as to respond with “camel".

在宾夕法尼亚州立大学的一项研究中，心理学家凯伦·贾斯珀（Karen Gasper）和布里安娜·米多伍德（Brianna Middlewood）发现，感到无聊的参与者在创造力测试中的表现，好于那些感觉身心放松或兴高采烈的人。他们首先让志愿者观看视频片段来调动特定感受，然后测试他们构思单词的能力。研究人员发现，在被要求思考跟交通工具有关的单词时，多数人都会想到"汽车"。但如果感到无聊，就可能思维涣散，甚至给出"骆驼"这样的答案。

elated /iˈleɪ.tɪd/ 表示“兴高采烈的；喜气洋洋的；欢欣鼓舞的”，英文解释为“extremely happy and excited, often because something has happened or been achieved”举个🌰：The prince was reported to be elated at/by the birth of his daughter. 据报道，王子喜得千金。

名词形式elation /iˈleɪ.ʃən/ 表示“兴高采烈；喜气洋洋；欢欣鼓舞”举个🌰：On social media platforms, users greeted the news with a mix of disbelief and elation. 在社交媒体平台上，用户们对该消息表达了难以置信和兴奋之情。

evoke /ɪˈvəʊk/ 表示“唤起（记忆）；引起（想法、情感、反应）”，英文解释为“To evoke a particular memory, idea, emotion, or response means to cause it to occur.”举个🌰：The music evoked memories of her youth. 这乐曲勾起了她对青年时代的回忆。

The most tedious parts of our jobs may be harbouring a potential for creativity that might surprise us.

我们工作中最乏味的部分或许隐藏着出人意料的创造力。

tedious /ˈtiː.di.əs/ 表示“单调乏味的，无趣的”，相当于“boring”如：a tedious job 单调乏味的工作。

英式 harbour /ˈhɑː.bər/ 美式 harbor，表示“心怀，怀有（想法或感情）”，英文解释为“to think about or feel something, usually over a long period”举个🌰：He's been harbouring a grudge against her ever since his promotion was refused. 自从升职要求被拒绝后，他就一直对她怀恨在心。

The researchers say that being in a state of boredom encourages you to explore creative outlets because your brain is signalling that your current situation is lacking and you need to push forward. Letting your mind wander, especially with today's technological distractions, when there's always another email to read and feed to scroll through, is crucial for creativity and we can really only be in this state if our mind is idle.

研究人员表示，处于无聊状态可以鼓励人们探索创造性的出路，因为你的大脑会发出信号，告诉你目前的状态有些懈怠，应该加把劲。当你总有看不完的邮件、刷不完的消息时，让思维随意漫步对于创造力至关重要，在各种科技产品不停分散我们精力的当下尤其如此。而且，只有在思维懈怠的时候，才能真正进入这种状态。

outlet /ˈaʊt.let/ 或者outlets一词经常出现，media outlet / news outlets 都可以表示媒体/新闻机构；outlet本身表示“商店，商行；销售公司；专卖店；直销店”，英文解释为“An outlet is a shop or organization which sells the goods made by a particular manufacturer or at a discount price, often direct from the manufacturer.”如：a fast-food outlet 快餐店，a retail outlet 零售店，举个🌰：At the factory outlet you'll find discounted items at up to 75% off regular prices. 在工厂的直销店里，你会找到比常规价低75%的打折商品。

📍而我们日常生活中常见的“奥特莱斯”商场就是outlets的音译，指的就是品牌直销购物中心。

此外，也可以指“（情绪或精力的）发泄方式，发泄途径，施展的机会”，英文解释为“a way in which emotion or energy can be expressed or made use of”举个🌰：Her work provided no outlet for her energies and talents. 她的工作没有给她提供发泄精力及施展才华的机会。

📍美式英语里还可以表示“电源插座（同 power point）”

表示“分心的事；分散注意力的东西”，英文解释为“something that prevents someone from giving their attention to something else”举个🌰：I can turn the television off if you find it a distraction. 如果你觉得电视让你思想无法集中，我可以关掉。

So perhaps it is time to embrace boredom – and rather than dreading Victor Hugo's hell, remember it could be simply a lightbulb moment waiting to happen.

所以，现在或许是拥抱无聊的时候了——不要害怕维克多·雨果所说的"地狱"。别忘了，这可能会为你带来期待已久的灵光乍现。

dread /dred/ 作动词，表示“对…感到恐惧；害怕；担心”，英文解释为“to feel extremely worried or frightened about something that is going to happen or that might happen”举个🌰：He's dreading the exam - he's sure he's going to fail. 他很担心考试——他觉得自己肯定过不了。

作名词，表示“恐惧，害怕；忧虑”，英文解释为“a strong feeling of fear or worry”举个🌰：The prospect of working full-time fills me with dread. 可能要全职工作，这让我很担忧。

light-bulb moment 表示“灵光一现”，英文解释为“a moment when you suddenly realize something or have a good idea”举个🌰：It was a light-bulb moment for me when I realized I could no longer go on without help. 在灵光一现中，我意识到没有帮助我不可能继续这样下去了。

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