As awful as the corona virus pandemic has been, it's also highlighted the compassionate side of human nature - doctors and nurses helping the sick.

雖然冠狀病毒的大流行非常可怕，但也突顯了人性富有同情心的一面 -- 醫生和護士幫助染病者。

Yes, and people helping out elderly relatives and neighbours, raising money for charity or wearing a face mask to keep others safe.

是的，還有人在幫忙老年親屬和鄰居們，為慈善事業籌集資金或是戴口罩以確保其他人的安全。

But the pandemic has also highlighted a more worrying issue called 'compassion fatigue'.

但這一流行病還顯現了一個更令人擔憂的問題， 我們稱之為「同情疲勞」。

Have you heard of that, Sam?

你有聽過嗎，山姆？

Yes, I think compassion fatigue is a kind of emotional exhaustion which reduces your ability to empathize or feel compassion of others.

是的，我認為同情疲勞是一種情緒方面的疲憊，從而降低你同情或同理他人的能力。

Yes, exactly, Sam. Compassion fatigue has long been a problem for people working in medical professions and is the topic of this program.

是的，沒錯，山姆。同情疲勞對從事醫療工作的人來說是長久以來的一個問題，而也是我們節目今天要討論的主題。

We'll be hearing how the suffering and unhappiness we see on the TV news can increase feelings of helplessness.

我們將聽到那些我們在電視新聞中所看到的如何痛苦和不幸是如何增加人們的無助感。

But first, let me ask you my quiz question, Sam.

但首先，我要先來考考你，山姆。

Humanitarian workers see human suffering on a daily basis and can easy fall victim to compassion fatigue.

人道主義工作者每天都在看人們受苦，而且很容易產生同情疲勞。

Founded in 1971, Medecins Sans Frontieres is one of the biggest humanitarian organisations.

成立於1971年的Medecins Sans Frontieres是全球最大的人道救援組織之一。

But what does Medecins Sans Frontieres mean? Is it: a) Medicine to the frontline?, b) Doctors without borders?, or c) Medicine first?

但是，Medecins Sans Frontieres是什麼意思呢？ 是 a) 藥品到一線，b) 無國界醫生，還是 c) 藥品優先？

I remember newspapers calling it MSF and using its English name, which I think was, b) Doctors without borders.

我記得報紙用其英文名稱來稱呼MSF，因此我認為是b）無國界醫生。

OK, Sam, we ll find out the answer later on.

好的，山姆，我們等等再來揭曉答案。

Compassion fatigue centres on the idea that we can feel too much empathy and that feeling can lead to emotional burnout.

同情疲勞的核心概念是： 我們可以感產生太多同情心，而最終導致情緒倦怠。

According to psychologist, Margaret Heffernan, caring and fatigue are closely connected.

根據心理學家瑪格麗特・赫夫南的說法，照顧和疲勞是緊密相連的。

Caring for others means taking on someone's pain yourself and this can have unhealthy consequences for the carer.

照顧他人意味著你得承受別人的痛苦，而這可能對照顧者產生不健康的後果。

Well, here's Margaret Heffernan talking to BBC World Service's, The Documentary Podcast.

好，這裡是瑪格麗特・赫夫南在與英國廣播公司國際頻道的紀綠片播客的談話內容。

See if you can hear the effects of compassion fatigue she mentions:

看看你是否能聽到她提到的同情疲勞的影響。

As you find people spending more and more time online, reading more and more and more depressing news

當你發現人們花費越來越多上網時間，閱讀越來越多令人沮喪的消息，

and they become more and more numb they also become more and more addicted to it.

他們也變得越來越麻木，並且越發沉迷。

And this develops a kind of state of mind that is a kind of... it's a form of learned helplessness,

而這就形成了一種心態，是一種......它是一種習得性無助的一種形式。

because I'm consuming something that's upsetting me but I cannot do anything about it.

因為我在吸收讓我心煩意亂的情緒，但我無能為力。

Margaret Heffernan mentions that spending too much time reading depressing online news can leave us feeling numb -

瑪格麗特・赫夫南提到，花太多時間閱讀令人沮喪的新聞會讓我們感到麻木，

unable to feel any emotions or think clearly because we are so upset or afraid.

也就是因為我們是如此的不安或害怕而無法感覺到任何情緒或清楚地思考。

The news exposes us to human suffering around the world, which we feel powerless to help.

新聞揭露了世界各地人們的痛苦，而我們對此感到無能為力。

This can lead to something which in psychology is called learned helplessness -

這可能會導致在心理學上被稱為習得性無助的心理狀態 --

giving up trying to feel better because your previous attempts have not worked.

放棄試著讓自己好過一點，因為你先前的嘗試都沒有成功。

This is all incredibly depressing, Rob!

這一切都是令人難以置信地沮喪，羅伯！

It sounds like we have limited amounts of compassion.

這聽起來像是我們的同情心是有限的。

Well, there are more positive ways of looking at it, Sam.

嗯，還有更多積極看待問題的方式，山姆。

Here's an alternative view from Tom Rivett-Carnac, speaking with BBC World Service's, The Documentary Podcast.

這裡有湯姆·李維特-卡納克的另一種觀點，這是他與英國廣播公司國際頻道的紀綠片播客的談話內容。

I understand why you're saying that it s finite - but I also think compassion is a habit.

我理解你為什麼說它是有限的，但我也認為憐憫是一種習慣。

So dwelling with that, developing that habit -

更詳細地來說，培養這種習慣 --

yes, there are a lot of headwinds to that and the rapid acceleration of the news cycle, the focus on the next problem so quickly

是的，關於那方面有很多不利因素，而且再迅速加快的新聞週期中，對下一個問題的注意力

draws our attention away from developing those deeper habits as humanity that gives us that courage and that strength to make these big transformations.

很快地便會把我們從發展那些更深層次的習慣吸引走，而正是人性賦予了我們這些能造成重大轉變的勇氣和力量。

Like Margaret Heffernan, Tom Rivett-Carnac believes the news media is part of the problem.

像瑪格麗特・赫夫南一樣，湯姆·李維特-卡納克認為新聞媒體是問題的一部分。

Online newspapers and social media, speed up the news cycle - the reporting of a particular news story, from the first instance to the last.

線上報紙和社交媒體，加速了新聞週期 -- 對於某一新聞從最初到最終的報導。

As a result, we are constantly worrying about the next problem - and this can easily lead to emotional fatigue.

因此，我們總是再擔心下一個問題 -- 而這可以輕易地導致情緒倦怠。

Tom emphasizes compassion as a habit to be developed, instead of something finite - limited or having a fixed size.

湯姆強調說憐憫是一種可以被養成的習慣，而不是有限的東西 -- 它不是有限的，也沒有固定的大小。

But such compassionate habits can be difficult to cultivate because they face many headwinds -

但這種同情心的培養可能會很困難，因為它們面臨許多不利因素 --

forces blowing in the opposite direction which stop you moving forward.

反方向吹來的力量可以阻止你向前邁進。

Headwinds such as the rapid news cycle which distracts us from developing compassion and courage.

如快速的新聞週期等不吝因素會分散我們培養同情心和勇氣的注意力。

Maybe the answer is to help in whatever ways we can, without becoming hard-hearted - like the volunteers of MSF.

也許答案是我們可以像無國界醫生的志願者一樣，採取所有可行的方式來幫忙，並且不變得鐵石心腸。

Ah yes - your quiz question, Rob.

啊，對了 -- 你的測驗問題，羅伯。

You asked what the French name Medecins Sans Frontieres means in English.

你問法文 Medecins Sans Frontieres 的英文意思是什麼。

And I said, b) Doctors without borders.

而我的答案是b) 無國界醫生。

Which was the correct answer! Well done!

這是正確的答案！好極了！

Doctors Without Borders offer volunteer medical assistance in the world's worst conflict zones.

無國界醫生組織在世界各地最嚴重的衝突地區提供志願醫療協助 。

OK, Rob, let s recap the vocabulary, starting with compassion fatigue -

好了，羅伯，讓我們來回顧一下詞彙，從同情疲勞開始。

emotional exhaustion which reduces your feelings of compassion.

因為情緒倦怠而使你的同情心減少。

This can leave you numb - unable to feel any emotions because you are so shocked or scared.

這可能使你感到麻木-- 因為太震驚或害怕而感覺不到任何情緒。

Learned helplessness is a psychological term for when someone stops trying to feel better because their previous attempts failed.

習得性無助是一個心理學術語，當有人停止試著讓自己好過一點，因為他們先前的嘗試都失敗了。

Some people believe that compassion is finite - limited or having a fixed size.

有些人認為憐憫是限的 -- 有限的或有固定的大小。

And it can be disturbed by the news cycle - the round of media reports and reactions to a news story.

而且它可能會被新聞週期干擾 -- 這一輪的媒體報道和對一則新聞的反應。

Which can be a headwind or opposing force, which stops us caring for others.

這可能是負面因素或阻力，它阻止了我們關心他人。

And that's it for this edition of 6 Minute English.

以上是今天的 6分鐘英語。

Bye for now! -Bye.

再見！ -再見。