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British boffin creates ultimate chill-out room 英科學家打造終極放鬆室

A picture obtained on Oct. 23, 2008 from the University of Hertfordshire press office shows the University of Hertfordshire’s Richard Wiseman using lighting to create what he claims to be the world’s most relaxing room. 赫福郡大學媒體室十月二十三日發佈的一張照片顯示，該校理查．韋斯曼教授利用燈光營造出他宣稱是世上最令人放鬆的房間。 照片：法新社 PHOTO: AFP

As the financial crisis kicks in and stress levels go through the roof, one British boffin claims to have invented the world’s most relaxing room.

Professor Richard Wiseman has examined 30 years’ worth of research to concoct what he believes is the most relaxing combination of colors, sounds and smells.

Once inside the room at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, north of London, people lie down on soft mats, bathed in green light, gazing at a screen of blurred blue light, as cloud-like smoke, the scent of lavender and soothing sounds of soprano and strings drift though the air.

Stressed-out bankers and worried workers have trooped into Wiseman’s ultimate chill-out zone to try it for themselves, and the scientist’s heart rate monitors show his mysterious mix is certainly having a calming effect.

“It’s been a lovely experience,” said health coach Mary Barton, 54, from nearby Welwyn Garden City.

“I feel ready to face the day much more calmly now. My heart rate went down from 84 to 68. The best thing was giving myself permission to stop. I forgot about the rest of my life.

“Because my mind is less full of stuff I’m probably more focused on what I’m going to do later,” she said.

Psychology expert Wiseman explained the science behind the sensory elements in his retreat.

“The green light reminds people of being outside in a very natural environment. The blue light turns people’s attention inwards and stops them worrying about daily anxieties.”

But it has not been a relaxing experience for everyone.

“Setting up the room has been enormously stressful,” Wiseman said, adding: “I thrive on stress, so it’s been very enjoyable.”

(AFP)

隨著金融危機的發生，人們的壓力指數也節節飆升。一位英國科學家聲稱發明了世上最能令人放鬆的房間。

理查．韋斯曼教授綜合三十年來的研究，調配出他認為最能讓人放鬆的色彩、聲音和氣味組合。

一進入赫福郡大學（位於倫敦北部的海特菲爾德）的這間房間內，人們就躺臥在軟墊上，沈浸在綠光之中，凝視著顯現朦朧藍光的螢幕，四周如雲般的輕煙繚繞，空氣中瀰漫著薰衣草的香味，耳邊傳來使人放鬆的女高音歌聲和弦樂聲。

一群神經緊繃的銀行家和憂心忡忡的雇員來到韋斯曼的「終極放鬆室」，親身體驗終極平靜。這位科學家的心跳監測儀也顯示，他的神秘減壓組合的確有讓人放鬆之效。

來自附近衛爾溫花園城的五十四歲健康教練瑪莉．巴頓說：「這是個很美妙的經驗。」

「我覺得現在的我可以更冷靜地面對一天的生活。我的心跳從每分鐘八十四下降到六十八下。最棒的一點就是讓我停下腳步，生活中的瑣事都被我拋到九霄雲外了。」

「因為心中的牽掛減少了，我或許可以更專心面對接下來要做的事情。」

心理學專家韋斯曼解釋了他這間減壓室感官元素背後的科學。

「綠光能讓人聯想自己身處在非常自然的戶外環境，藍光能讓人心無旁鶩，停止擔心日常瑣事。」

但這個房間並不是讓所有人都感到放鬆。

韋斯曼說：「打造這個房間讓我承受了極大的壓力，但我在壓力中獲得成長，所以我覺得非常開心。」

（法新社／翻譯：袁星塵）

TODAY’S WORDS 今日單字 1. stress n. 壓力 (ya1 li4) 例: Lisa takes medication to manage her stress levels. (麗莎服藥調控壓力。) 2. gaze v.i. 凝視 (ning2 shi4) 例: Jake gazed out of the window. (傑克凝視著窗外。) 3. mysterious adj. 神祕的 (shen2 mi4 de5) 例: Nobody could explain the mysterious noise. (沒人能解釋那個神祕的聲音從何而來。) 4. permission n. 允許(yun2 xu3) 例: You need permission from a supervisor if you want to leave early. (如果想早退，必須先徵詢主管的同意。)

READING COMPREHENSION閱讀測驗 1. Which of the following is NOT a feature of the room? a. Green light. b. Blue light. c. Red light. 2. What effect does the room have on a visitor’s heart rate? a. It goes up. b. It goes down. c. It stays the same. 3. What effect does the green light have? a. It reminds people of being outdoors. b. It turns people’s attention inwards. c. The article doesn’t say. 4. Did Professor Wiseman enjoy setting up the room? a. Yes, he did. b. No, he didn’t. c. The article doesn’t say.

SAY WHAT? 說說看 go through the roof 飆升 If something goes through the roof, it increases quickly and dramatically. For example: ”After the airline introduced the new booking system, complaints went through the roof,” or ”Temperatures have gone through the roof this summer, leading many people to wonder when the heat wave will end.” 如果某事「go through the roof」，就表示它急速且戲劇性地增加。 例如：「該航空公司推出新的訂位系統後，客訴案件暴增」，或是「今年夏天氣溫飆升，讓許多人都不禁納悶這波熱浪何時才會結束」。

OUT LOUD 對話練習 Josh: What’s up, Brendan? You’re looking pretty stressed out. Brendan: Well, ever since I started my new job as a teacher I’ve been under a lot of pressure. Josh: Oh. How come? Brendan: The kids are out of control and there’s lots of grading to do. Josh: Perhaps you need to take it easy a little bit. Brendan: You’re right. But until the next vacation I’ll be working my fingers to the bone. 賈許:怎麼啦，布蘭登？你看起來壓力很大。 布蘭登：唔，從開始當老師後我就一直壓力好大。 賈許:噢，為什麼？ 布蘭登：孩子們很難管教，而且有好多作業要批改。 賈許:也許你該放輕鬆一點。 布蘭登:你說得對，但直到下次放假前，我還是得辛辛苦苦地工作。 work your fingers to the bone　辛苦工作 If you are working your fingers to the bone, you are working very hard. For example: “Ursula works her fingers to the bone for nine hours a day at the car factory.” 若說你「work your fingers to the bone」，就表示你非常努力工作。例如：「烏舒拉在車廠拼命工作，一天要做九個小時」。

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