在线英语听力室

SSS 2008-12-24

时间：2010-05-15 08:01:55

搜索关注在线英语听力室公众号：tingroom，领取免费英语资料大礼包。

（单词翻译）

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber. This will just take a minute.

In America there’s a feeling of Christmas. But that’s not the only winter holiday going on. Jews are lighting1 Hanukkah candles, Muslims recently feasted on Eid al-Adha, and pagans celebrated2 the solstice. So it’s a good time for researchers to consider spirituality—from a scientific point of view.

One experience central to major religions around the world is that of transcendence, the idea of almost losing a sense of self to the feeling that there’s something bigger out there. Now scientists at the University of Missouri say they’ve located that experience in our brains. All the people studied, from Buddhist3 monks4 in meditation5 to Francescan nuns6 in prayer, experience this transcendence. And they all have decreased activity in the right parietal lobe7 of the brain. That area has to do with senses such as orienting yourself in the space around you. The study was published in Zygon: Journal of Religion & Science.

Interestingly, people with injuries to the right parietal lobe report increased levels of spiritual experiences. The researchers are quick to say that this connection doesn’t minimize the role of religion, and that religious or spiritual experiences might decrease activity in that region and thus increase that special feeling of transcendence. Just in time for the holidays.

Thanks for the minute for Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber.

 


分享到：


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 lighting CpszPL     
n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光
参考例句：
  • The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
  • The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。
2 celebrated iwLzpz     
adj.有名的，声誉卓著的
参考例句：
  • He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
  • The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。
3 Buddhist USLy6     
adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒
参考例句：
  • The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
  • In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。
4 monks 218362e2c5f963a82756748713baf661     
n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
  • He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 meditation yjXyr     
n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录
参考例句：
  • This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
  • I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。
6 nuns ce03d5da0bb9bc79f7cd2b229ef14d4a     
n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Ah Q had always had the greatest contempt for such people as little nuns. 小尼姑之流是阿Q本来视如草芥的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Nuns are under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 修女须立誓保持清贫、贞洁、顺从。 来自辞典例句
7 lobe r8azn     
n.耳垂，（肺，肝等的）叶
参考例句：
  • Tiny electrical sensors are placed on your scalp and on each ear lobe.小电器传感器放置在您的头皮和对每个耳垂。
  • The frontal lobe of the brain is responsible for controlling movement.大脑前叶的功能是控制行动。

本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交，仅供参考，部分栏目没有内容，如果您有更合适的内容，欢迎 点击提交 分享给大家。