This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

這裡是來自 BBC Learning English 的 6 分鐘英語。

I'm Georgie.

我叫喬治

And I'm Neil.

我是尼爾

In this programme we're talking about the immune system, which is the body's natural defence against getting ill.

在本節目中，我們將討論免疫系統，它是人體抵禦疾病的天然屏障。

Now Georgie, is there anything you do to boost your immune system?

喬吉，你有沒有做什麼事情來增強你的免疫系統？

Yes, I try to eat lots of oranges which apparently have lots of vitamin C.

是的，我儘量多吃橘子，因為橘子顯然含有大量維生素 C。

And there are lots of things people do to try to improve their immune system and stay healthier, like eating certain foods, taking vitamins or even activities like swimming in cold water.

為了提高免疫力和保持健康，人們做了很多事情，比如吃某些食物、服用維生素，甚至進行冷水游泳等活動。

We'll find out how useful some of these techniques are in today's programme.

我們將在今天的節目中瞭解其中一些技術的實用性。

But first Georgie, a question.

但首先，喬吉，我有個問題。

We all know the common cold.

我們都知道普通感冒。

Now that's the illness that makes you cough and sneeze, have a sore throat and headache.

這種病會讓你咳嗽、打噴嚏、喉嚨痛、頭痛。

But how many colds does the average adult get in the UK each year?

但是，英國成年人平均每年會得多少次感冒呢？

Is it… a, 2-3, b, 4-5 or c, 7-8?

是......a、2-3、b、4-5 還是 c、7-8？

8 would be a lot.

8 個就很多了。

I'm going to go with a, 2-3 colds a year.

我打算一年感冒 2-3 次。

Well, we'll find out at the end of the programme if you're right.

你說得對不對，節目結束時就知道了。

Now many people can become ill over the winter with diseases like colds, flu and Covid-19.

現在，很多人都可能在冬季患上感冒、流感和 Covid-19 等疾病。

Host of BBC Radio 4 programme Inside Health, James Gallagher, gathered some experts to talk about immune systems and he started off by asking whether they'd had more illnesses than usual this winter.

BBC 廣播 4 臺節目《健康內幕》的主持人詹姆斯-加拉格爾（James Gallagher）召集了一些專家來討論免疫系統，他首先問專家們今年冬天的疾病是否比往年多。

Hello.

你好

Hi.

你好。

Right, how has everyone been this winter?

對了，今年冬天大家都過得怎麼樣？

Because I've had a rotten one and I have felt constantly ill since about November.

因為我的病已經很嚴重了，大概從 11 月份開始，我就一直感覺不舒服。

John?

約翰？

I have not had anything yet to touch with.

我還沒有接觸過任何東西。

OK, let's see what I can infect you with by the end of the show.

好吧，讓我們看看節目結束時我能用什麼感染你們。

Margaret?

瑪格麗特？

I was pretty unwell in September.

九月份我身體很不舒服。

I had what I presume to be Covid, but I've been alright since, my old snuffles aside.

我得了一種我認為是 Covid 的病，但後來就好了，除了以前的鼻炎。

Eleanor, I really need someone to back me up.

埃莉諾，我真的需要有人支持我。

No, sorry, I've been absolutely 100% tickety-boo.

不，對不起，我絕對是百分之百的嘀嗒嘀嗒。

Unlike James, Professor John Tregoning hasn't been ill.

與詹姆斯不同，約翰-特里戈寧教授沒有生病。

John uses the expression touch wood, which is an informal phrase said in order to avoid bad luck.

約翰用了 "碰木頭 "這個詞，這是一個非正式的短語，用來避免厄運。

Dr Margaret McCartney was unwell in September but has only had a few snuffles since.

瑪格麗特-麥卡特尼博士在九月份時身體不適，但之後只得過幾次鼻炎。

Snuffles is an informal word used to describe minor illnesses that affect your nose.

鼻炎是一個非正式的詞，用來形容影響鼻子的小病。

We can also say sniffles.

我們也可以說是流鼻涕。

Host James is surprised that nobody has been ill and says to Professor Eleanor Riley, back me up.

主持人詹姆斯對沒有人生病感到驚訝，他對埃莉諾-萊利教授說，請支持我。

If you ask someone to back you up, you're asking for them to say something which supports your opinion.

如果你要求別人支持你，你就是在要求他們說一些支持你觀點的話。

But Eleanor has had a healthy winter too.

不過，埃莉諾也度過了一個健康的冬天。

She's been tickety-boo, which is an informal phrase meaning everything's fine or in good order.

她一直都很好，這是一個非正式的短語，意思是一切都很好或秩序井然。

Throughout the winter, many people try different techniques, like taking supplements or eating certain foods to boost their immune system, to improve their body's natural defences against disease.

在整個冬季，許多人都會嘗試不同的方法，比如服用保健品或食用某些食物來增強免疫系統，以提高身體對疾病的自然防禦能力。

Host of BBC Radio 4's Inside Health, James Gallagher, asks Dr Margaret McCartney whether some of these products are successful.

英國廣播公司第四臺《Inside Health》節目主持人詹姆斯-加拉格爾（James Gallagher）向瑪格麗特-麥卡特尼博士提問，其中一些產品是否成功。

OK, quick fire round, Margaret.

好了，快速射擊，瑪格麗特。

Echinacea?

紫錐花？

No.

不

Turmeric?

薑黃？

No.

不

Ginger shots?

拍薑片？

No.

不

This is a very, very good quiz!

這是一個非常非常好的測驗！

What about the stuff you squirt up your nose when you're at the beginning of an infection?

在感染初期往鼻子裡噴的東西又是什麼？

Interesting, but not any better than normal saline spray, just salt water.

很有趣，但並不比普通的鹽水噴霧好多少，只是鹽水而已。

In fact, according to Margaret, there isn't enough evidence that many popular health products can actually change the way your immune system works.

事實上，瑪格麗特認為，並沒有足夠的證據表明許多流行的保健產品能夠真正改變免疫系統的工作方式。

Another popular health trend in the UK is cold water swimming.

在英國，另一種流行的健康趨勢是冷水游泳。

People who swim in cold water say it's good for their mental health and they also believe it makes them less likely to get ill during the winter months.

在冷水中游泳的人說，這對他們的心理健康有好處，而且他們還認為，這使他們在冬季更不容易生病。

But scientists aren't sure about the benefits of cold water swimming for the immune system yet, as Professor John Tregoning explains to BBC Radio 4's Inside Health.

但科學家們還不能確定冷水游泳對免疫系統的益處，約翰-特雷戈寧教授在英國廣播公司第四臺的 "Inside Health "節目中解釋道。

The social element actually is really important.

實際上，社交元素非常重要。

It probably is beneficial to do.

這樣做也許是有益的。

You reduce stress and cortisol dampens the immune system.

你會減輕壓力，而皮質醇會抑制免疫系統。

So actually, if you're stressed, then maybe you are more prone to infection and that may be why that benefit of being with people, nice people that you like in nice places, is helping.

是以，實際上，如果你壓力過大，那麼也許你更容易受到感染，這也許就是為什麼在好的地方和你喜歡的人在一起的好處。

But I don't think it's unique to cold water swimming.

但我不認為這是冷水游泳獨有的現象。

I think you could probably get it from dancing or singing or going for a run.

我想，跳舞、唱歌或跑步都能讓你獲得這種感覺。

John says that cortisol, a chemical associated with stress, dampens the immune system.

約翰說，與壓力有關的化學物質皮質醇會抑制免疫系統。

Here, dampens means makes weaker.

這裡，"減弱 "的意思是減弱。

We also have a common expression, dampen someone's spirits, which means to make them less enthusiastic about something.

我們還有一個常用的說法，"打消某人的興致"，意思是讓他們對某事不再那麼熱衷。

John says that there is evidence that people who are stressed are more prone to infection.

約翰說，有證據表明，壓力大的人更容易受到感染。

If you're more prone to something, it's more likely to happen to you.

如果你更容易患上某種疾病，它就更有可能發生在你身上。

It could be that cold water swimming reduces stress and so it helps people's immune systems work well.

這可能是因為冷水游泳能減輕壓力，是以有助於人們的免疫系統良好工作。

But there are lots of other activities that could have the same effect and help people have fewer colds over winter.

不過，還有很多其他活動可以產生同樣的效果，幫助人們在冬季減少感冒。

Which reminds me of my question, Georgie.

這讓我想起了我的問題，喬吉。

I asked how many colds the average UK adult has a year.

我問英國成年人一年平均感冒多少次。

And I said two to three.

我說兩到三個。

And that is the correct answer, so well done.

這就是正確答案，幹得好。

Thank you.

謝謝。

OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned, starting with touch wood, which is an expression used, often in speech, to avoid bad luck.

好了，讓我們來回顧一下我們學過的詞彙，首先是 "觸木"（touch wood）。"觸木 "是一種表達方式，通常在語言中用來避免厄運。

Snuffles, or sniffles, are minor illnesses that affect your nose.

鼻炎或流鼻涕是影響鼻子的小病。

If you ask someone to back you up, you want them to say something to support your opinion.

如果你要求別人支持你，你就希望他說點什麼來支持你的觀點。

The expression tickety-boo means fine and in good order.

tickety-boo 一詞的意思是好的，秩序井然。

If you dampen something, you make it weaker.

如果你減弱了什麼，你就會讓它變得更弱。

And the expression dampen someone's spirits means you make them less enthusiastic about something.

而 "打消某人的興致 "的意思是，你讓他們對某件事失去了熱情。

And if you're more prone to something, it's more likely to happen to you.

如果你更容易患上某種疾病，它就更有可能發生在你身上。

Once again, our six minutes are up, but you can test what you've learned with the free interactive quiz on our website.

我們的六分鐘時間又到了，但您可以通過我們網站上的免費互動測驗來檢驗自己的學習成果。

Bye for now.

再見。

Goodbye.

再見

Thanks for listening to this podcast from BBC Learning English.

感謝您收聽 BBC Learning English 的播客。

Continue your learning on our website with courses, quizzes and programmes to improve your English.

繼續在我們的網站上學習課程、測驗和計劃，以提高您的英語水平。

Visit bbclearningenglish.com

訪問 bbclearningenglish.com