I'm Sam.

我是 Sam。

And I'm Neil.

我是 Neil。

Have you heard the expression doomscrolling, Neil?

Neil，你有聽過「末日刷新」嗎？

It's when people spend a lot of time reading or scrolling a mobile phone or computer screen

指的是人們花大量時間滑手機、看電腦，

in order to read negative news stories – stories full of doom.

為了看負面新聞，充滿厄運的故事。

I hate to admit it, but I do sometimes doomscroll.

很不想承認，但我偶爾也會「末日刷新」。

Well, don't feel too bad, Neil, because you're not alone.

別難過，Neil，你不是唯一這麼做的人。

Research from the University of California found that people all over the world doomscroll, regardless of culture.

加州大學研究發現，世界各地的人，無論其文化如何，都在「末日刷新」。

What's more, there may even be evolutionary reasons why we're attracted to bad news.

更重要的是，我們受壞消息吸引的原因甚至可能與進化有關。

In this programme, we'll be investigating why we feel compelled to look at, and even seek out, bad news.

本集節目將探討為什麼人們覺得有必要去關注壞消息，甚至特別找來看。

And, as usual, we'll be learning some new vocabulary, as well.

一如往常，我們也會學些新詞彙。

But before that I have a question for you, Neil.

但在此之前，Neil，我有個問題問你。

Doomscrolling is a very modern idea which is only possible with the 24/7, non-stop cycle of news reporting.

「末日刷新」是個非常現代的概念，要有全日不間斷的新聞報導才可能達成。

So, according to international news agency, Reuters,

據國際新聞社路透社報導，

what has been the top global news story of 2023 so far?

到目前為止，2023 年全球頭條新聞是什麼？

Is it:

是：

a) The war in Ukraine?

A. 烏俄戰爭

b) Increasing prices and inflation?

B. 物價上漲和通貨膨脹

or c) Prince Harry's autobiography?

還是 C. 哈利王子的自傳

I think the answer is an issue that's affecting everyone – inflation.

我覺得是會影響所有人的問題，通貨膨脹。

OK, Neil. I'll reveal the answer at the end of the programme.

好的，Neil，我會在節目最後揭曉答案。

Now, it might be true that the non-stop news cycle makes doomscrolling possible,

現代不間斷的新聞報導可能確實滿足了「末日刷新」的條件，

but that doesn't explain why we do it.

但這並沒有解釋我們為何這麼做。

Anthropologist Ella al-Shamahi thinks the answer may lie in human evolution.

人類學家 Ella al-Shamahi 認為答案可能與人類進化有關。

Here she outlines the problem for BBC Radio 4 programme,

她在 BBC 廣播第四頻道簡要解釋了這個問題，

Why Do We Do That?

我們為何這麼做？

We go searching out for bad news, looking for things that will make us feel ick inside.

我們四處尋找壞消息，尋找會讓我們打從心底感到噁心的事。

And so many of us do it.

很多人都是如此。

Is it a result of 24/7 doom on tap on our phones?

這是我們全年無休滑手機的結果嗎？

Or, is it some kind of compulsion that comes from somewhere way, way back?

還是，這是某種遠古以來的強制性反應？

Reading bad news stories makes us feel ick –

閱讀壞消息讓我們作嘔，

an informal American phrase which means feel sick,

這是美式非正式用法，是感到噁心的意思。

often because of something disgusting or disturbing.

往往是由一些令人厭惡、不安的事所引起。

It's a feeling caused by the fact that, thanks to the internet, now we have the news on tap–

有這種感覺是因為現在有了網路，手指一點就可以獲取新聞。

easily available so that you can have as much of it as you want, whenever you want.

獲取便利，你可以隨時看，想看多少都可以。

But Ella thinks that's not the whole story.

但 Ella 認為這不是事情的全貌。

There's another theory:

還有另一個理論：

way back in human history, when we lived in caves, it seemed everything could kill us,

回溯人類歷史，我們住在洞穴裡時，似乎所有東西都可能害我們送命，

from wild animals to eating the wrong mushroom.

從野生動物到吃錯蘑菇都有可能。

Knowing what the dangers were, and how to avoid them, was vital to our survival,

知道危險為何、如何避免對生存至關重要。

and from an evolutionary perspective, survival is everything.

而從進化角度來看，生存就是一切。

As a result, we humans naturally pay attention to the negative stuff, something Ella calls "negativity bias."

因此，人類自然而然會關注負面的事物，Ella 稱之為「負面偏誤」。

But while cavemen only knew what was happening in their local area,

但穴居人只會知道當地附近發生的事，

nowadays we know the bad news from all over the world.

而在現代，我們能獲取全球悲報。

Here's Ella again, discussing this with her friend, TV presenter, Clara Amfo, for BBC Radio 4 programme,

再一次，Ella 與她的朋友，電視節目主持人 Clara Amfo 在 BBC 廣播第四頻道節目中討論了這個問題，

Why Do We Do That?

我們為何如此？

Before it would be like,

在過去，

I don't know, I'm assuming you'd go to the neighbour's cave

我假設人們會去鄰近的洞穴，

and they'd only know the bad news from that particular mountain.

他們只會得到所在那座山上的壞消息。

Whereas now, it's like,

相反的，當代情況就像，

"Let me tell you about the really bad information and situation that's going on in some island somewhere."

「我來告訴你在某個島上發生的非常糟的消息和情況。」

It's just the good news doesn't make up for it.

就算看好消息也沒辦法彌補。

It really doesn't, and I think trauma's romanticised, really.

真的不行，而且我認為悲劇被理想化了。

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

「殺不死你的，都能使你更加強大。」

"This is a test."

「這是生命的考驗。」

I think we're conditioned to believe that negative experiences shape us more than joyous ones.

我們受制約的相信，比起快樂的經歷，不好的經歷更能塑造我們。

Reading bad news from around the world can depress us,

一直看世界各地的壞消息可能會讓我們感到沮喪，

and Ella thinks that the little good news we do hear doesn't make up for the depressing news.

Ella 認為，小小的好消息並不能彌補令人沮喪的消息帶來的影響。

To make up for something means to compensate for something bad with something good.

To make up for something 是彌補的意思。

Good news is hard to find.

好消息不好找。

In fact, Clara thinks society has romanticised bad, traumatic news.

事實上，Clara 認為社會已理想化悲報和創傷性新聞了。

If you romanticise something, you talk about it in a way that makes it sound better than it really is.

將某事理想化，就是用聽起來比實際情況好的方式談論其。

Connected to this is the saying, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger,"

相關的說法有：「殺不死你的，都能使你更加強大。」

meaning that by going through difficult experiences in life, people build up strength and resilience for the future.

意味著人們通過經歷生活中的苦難，積累未來的力量和韌性。

Maybe it's best to stop doomscrolling altogether,

也許大家都該停止「末日刷新」

but with so much bad news pouring into our mobile phones every day, it's not easy.

但每天都有那麼多壞消息湧入我們的手機，要做到不容易。

OK, it's time to reveal the answer to my question, Neil.

好的，Neil，是時候揭曉我問題的答案了。

I asked you what news agency, Reuters, considers the top news story of 2023 so far.

我剛剛問你，據路透社報導，到目前為止，2023 年全球頭條新聞是什麼？

And I guessed it was b) inflation.

我猜是 B. 通貨膨脹。

Which was... the correct answer,

答案正確。

although there's still plenty of time for 2023 to bring us more doom,

雖然 2023 年還有很多時間，還會有很多負面消息，

hopefully along with a little positivity too.

希望也能有點帶來希望的新聞。

OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned from this programme about doomscrolling–

好，讓我們回顧一下本集節目中關於末日刷新的詞彙。

spending lots of time reading bad news stories on your phone.

「末日刷新」意思是花很多時間滑手機，看負面新聞跟悲劇故事。

Feeling ick is American slang for feeling sick,

作嘔是表達噁心的美式用法，

often because of something disgusting or disturbing.

通常被用在令人不適、不安的情況。

When something is on tap, it's easily available so that you can have of much of it as you want.

「動動手指」說的是某事物隨手可得，可以隨心所欲獲取。

The phrasal verb to make up for something means to compensate for something bad with something good.

動詞片語「to make up for something」是彌補的意思。

When we romanticise something, we make it sound better than it is.

而當我們「理想化」某事，我們讓事情聽起來比實際上好。

And finally, the saying, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger"

最後，「殺不死你的，使你更加強大。」

means that by going through difficult life experiences, people build up strength for the future.

意指人們通過經歷苦難，為未來積累力量。

Once again, our six minutes are up,

再一次的，6 分鐘要到了

but if doomscrolling's not for you, remember you can find lots of positive news stories to build your vocabulary here at 6 Minute English.

但如果你不喜歡末日刷新，你可以在 6 分鍾英語中找到許多正面新聞故事來增加詞彙量。

Don’t forget that there is more to BBC Learning English than 6 Minute English.

也別忘了跟著 BBC 學英文，不僅限於 6 分鐘學英語。

Why not try to improve your vocabulary through the language in news headlines.

也試試透過新聞標題來提高詞彙量吧。

Try the News Review video on our website or download the podcast.

快去看看我們網站上的新聞影片或下載播客。

But that's bye for now!

現在，得說再見了！

Bye!

掰掰！