the show that brings you an interesting topic,

我們將為你帶來有趣的主題

authentic listening practice and vocabulary

道地的聽力練習和單字

to help you improve your language skills.

來幫助你增進你的語言技巧

I'm Rob…

我是羅伯

Catherine: And I'm Catherine. In this programme we'll

凱瑟琳：我是凱瑟琳。在這個節目中我們會

be discussing quitting drinking and staying dry.

討論戒酒及滴酒不沾

Rob: Right, so when you say 'quitting',

羅伯：沒錯，當你說「quitting」

you mean 'giving up'

你的意思是「放棄」

– and when you say 'drinking',

而當你說「drinking」

you're particularly referring

你特別指的是

to 'the activity of drinking alcohol'.

「飲用酒精性飲料這件事」

Catherine: Exactly Rob.

凱瑟琳：沒錯，羅伯

Rob: But, what about staying dry?

羅伯：但是，「staying dry」又是什麼呢？

It's nothing to do with the weather?

跟天氣無關嗎？

Catherine: No that's true. The adjective 'dry' here

凱瑟琳：對，沒錯。形容詞「dry」在這裡

means 'no alcohol'.

表示「滴酒不沾」

And I, Rob, am currently having a dry January.

羅伯，我最近剛好有個滴酒不沾的一月

Rob: Ah yes, your New Year's resolution is

羅伯：喔對呀，你的新年新希望是

to give up alcohol for one month. Any reason?

一個月不要碰酒。有什麼原因嗎？

Catherine: Yes.

凱瑟琳：有的

I'm doing it in order to improve my health

我這麼做是為了要改善我的健康

and save some money.

還有省點錢

And a resolution, by the way,

對了，說到「resolution」

is a promise to yourself to do something

指的是你對自己的承諾，承諾要去做某些事情

or not to do something.

或是不做某些事情

Rob: Well they seem like good reasons.

羅伯：聽起來都是不錯的理由

And for now, we must keep up our resolution

而現在，我們必須堅持我們的決心

to always start the programme with a question,

每次節目開場都要問一個問題的決心

so are you ready for it, Catherine?

所以，凱瑟琳，你準備好了嗎？

Catherine: I am, crack on, Rob!

凱瑟琳：好了，羅伯，繼續吧！

Rob: OK, According to data from the World Health Organisation in 2015,

羅伯：好，根據世界衛生組織在 2015 年的資料

which country consumed the most alcohol per person?

在哪一個國家裡每人飲用最多的酒精飲料？

Was it…a) Australia b) Finland, or

是 a) 澳洲 b) 芬蘭 還是

c) The Czech Republic

c) 捷克共和國

Catherine: Well they all sound quite likely,

凱瑟琳：他們聽起來都很有可能

but I did visit Prague once and I had a lovely time,

不過我曾經去過一次布拉格，我玩得很開心

so I'm going to say c) the Czech Republic.

所以我要選 c) 捷克共和國

Rob: OK, well as always, we'll find out the answer later on.

羅伯：好，一如往常，我們晚一點才會公布答案

But let's continue our discussion about drinking

不過讓我們繼續我們關於「喝酒」的討論

or informally known as boozing

或是一般所說的豪飲

– and trying to give it up.

還有試著戒掉它

We all know that too much drinking can be bad for us

我們都知道酒喝太多對我們不好

and that's why you Catherine,

這也是凱瑟琳妳

have decided to quit – but only for a month.

決定要戒掉的原因──但只有一個月

Catherine: Yes just a month but it's a start and I might continue into February.

凱瑟琳：對，只有一個月，但這是一個開始，我也可能繼續到二月

But I'm seeing the benefits already.

但我已經看到益處了

I've managed to shed some weight

我開始設法減一點體重

– most of which I actually put on over Christmas!

那大部分都是在聖誕假期增加的

Rob: I can see. So to shed here simply means 'lose'.

羅伯：我明白了。所以，「to shed」指的是「失去」

And I bet your sobriety is helping you sleep better.

我打賭妳戒酒清醒的話會讓妳睡得更好

Sobriety, by the way, means 'the state of not being drunk'

sobriety，順帶一提，表示「沒有喝醉的狀態」

Catherine: It is actually. And I'm not alone

凱瑟琳：真的，那我並不孤單

A study of 857 British adults

一個針對 857 名英國成人的研究

by Dr Richard de Visser from the University of Sussex

由薩塞克斯大學 Richard de Visser 博士執行

found that after going for a month without alcohol,

發現一個月沒碰酒精之後

62% of the people in the study

研究中百分之 62 的人

said they had better sleep.

說他們睡得比較好

So Rob, does that tempt you to become teetotal and stop drinking?

所以，羅伯，這樣有沒有吸引你開始戒酒變得滴酒不沾

Rob: Not me Catherine. I need a drink to help me

羅伯：我不要，凱瑟琳。我需要喝一杯來幫助我

relax and be more sociable – you know how shy I am!

放鬆，還有變得善於交際一點──你知道我有多害羞

Catherine: Yes of course Rob! Well, maybe you should

凱瑟琳：對，當然，羅伯！也許你應該

listen to Catherine Gray.

聽聽凱瑟琳‧格雷怎麼說

She's the author of a book called

她寫了一本書叫做

The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober,

《清醒的意外喜悅》

which she wrote after she discovered

這本書寫在她發現

the negative effects of going to too many work-related party

參加太多工作相關的聚會帶來的不良影響之後

where she was just drinking too much.

她每次都會喝太多

Here she is speaking on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour programme…

這裡有她在 BBC 第四頻道《女性時間》的談話

Catherine Gray: I had a lot of social anxiety

凱瑟琳‧格雷：我之前有嚴重的社交焦慮

and when I quit I had to deal with that.

當我戒酒時，我必須開始處理它

I think I used drinking as a crutch, a confidence crutch

我覺得之前喝酒是一種支柱，一種信心的支柱

- it eased the way to go to big glittering parties and

它讓去參加光鮮亮麗的宴會變得容易

stuff like that and

或是其他類似的場合也一樣

when I quit I had to learn real confidence in a way.

當我戒酒後我必須學會真正自信的方式

Catherine: So Catherine worked in the magazine

凱瑟琳：所以凱瑟琳在雜誌相關領域工作

business which involved going to lots of boozy parties.

那通常都包含要去很多五光十色的派對

Drinking, she says, helped her deal with a

她說，喝酒幫助她處理了

nervous and worried feeling that she had when she met new people

每一次見到生面孔時緊張跟擔憂的情緒

-she called it social anxiety.

她稱之為社交焦慮

Rob: Yes, and she used drinking as a crutch.

羅伯：沒錯，她將喝酒視為一種支柱

A crutch here is something you depend on for support

「A crutch」這裡是指某些你可以依靠、支持

– and sometimes you rely on it too much.

而有時候你會太過依賴的事物

Catherine: Yes and eventually she decided to abstain from drinking

凱瑟琳：是的，最終她決定要放棄喝酒

– in other words stop doing something that is enjoyable

換句話說，停止做某一些會讓你很開心

but bad for you

但對你不好的事

– and she feels much better for it.

而這麼做之後她感覺好多了

So Rob, come on, haven't you got the willpower to just

所以，羅伯，來試試吧，你難道沒有意志力

quit drinking for just 30 days?

來戒酒 30 天就好嗎？

Rob: Well according to Catherine Gray, that wouldn't

羅伯：這個嘛，根據凱瑟琳‧格雷

be long enough…

那還不夠久

Catherine Gray: Experts say that it takes 66 days for a

凱瑟琳‧格雷：專家說要花 66 天

new habit to bed in, so I would always recommend trying

來養成一個新習慣，所以我通常會建議試試

it for 90 days. 30 days is the hard bit before you get to the rewards.

拉長到 90 天，當你得到酬償前，30 天是最難捱的

Because after 66 days it starts getting a lot easier

因為一旦過了 66 天，一切就會變得容易多

and you start feeling better in yourself.

而且你會開始覺得自己更好

Catherine: Right, so it takes 66 days for doing a regular activity

凱瑟琳：是的，所以需要花 66 天規律地從事一項活動

a habit - to bed in.

或培養一個興趣

And 'bed in' means to

而「bed in」的意思是

'become normal and start working properly'.

「變得正常而且開始適切地運作」

Rob: Now, earlier I asked you, according to

羅伯：好，先前我問你，根據

data from the World Health Organisation in 2015,

世界衛生組織在 2015 年的資料

which country consumed the most alcohol per person?

在哪一個國家裡每人飲用最多的酒精飲料？

Was it…

是

a) Australia

a) 澳洲

b) Finland, or

b) 芬蘭，或是

c) The Czech Republic

c) 捷克共和國

Catherine: And I said the Czech Republic. Was I right?

凱瑟琳：我那時候回答捷克共和國，我對了嗎？

Rob: You were Catherine. Spot on, well done. Apparently,

羅伯：凱瑟琳妳對了，完全正確，做得好

14.1 litres of pure alcohol is consumed per person each year.

顯然每年每人喝了 14.1 公升的酒精飲料

Catherine: Well like I said, they do make good beer in

凱瑟琳：就像我說的，在捷克共和國，他們釀得一手好酒

the Czech Republic – but people, be careful,

但是大家，要小心

only drink it in moderation. Now Rob,

飲酒要適度，那麼現在，羅伯

shall we take a look at the vocabulary we've mentioned today?

我們來看看今天提過的單字？

Rob: Indeed. The first word we had was resolution

羅伯：當然，第一個字是「resolution (決心)」

– that's a promise to yourself to do or not do something.

你跟自己說好要去做或是不去做某件事的承諾

'Catherine's New Year's

「凱瑟琳的新年

resolution was to give up drinking alcohol

新希望是戒掉酒精

for a whole month.'

一整個月」

Catherine: Yes, and I'm still doing it Rob – the plan

凱瑟琳：對，我還在繼續努力，羅伯

is to shed a few kilos and get fit.

這個計畫是要減掉幾公斤，變得健康

So for example, 'Rob shed lots of weight

舉個例子，「羅伯用不吃蛋糕的飲食方式

when he went on a cake-free diet!'

甩掉了幾公斤。」

Rob: Really? I'd never give up cake Catherine,

羅伯：真的嗎？我從來沒有放棄蛋糕，凱瑟琳

but I could be tempted to give up booze

但我有可能受到吸引放棄酒精飲料

as I know sobriety is good for my health – that's

因為我知道清醒對我的健康是好的

the noun word to mean

這是一個名詞，指的是

'the state of not being drunk'.

「沒有喝醉的狀態」

Catherine: Now our next word was abstain. That means

凱瑟琳：我們下一個字是「abstain」意思就是

'not do something that is enjoyable but bad for you'.

「不再做一些令你開心但是對你有害的事」

'Rob needs to abstain from

「羅伯需要戒掉蛋糕，

eating cakes if he wants to wear his skinny jeans.'

如果他想要穿他的緊身牛仔褲。」

Rob: Are you dropping a hint there, Catherine?

羅伯：你在暗示什麼嗎，凱瑟琳？

Now, our final word is actually two words

現在，我們的最後一個字其實是兩個字組成

– bed in. It means 'to become normal and start working properly'.

「bed in」意思是「變得正常而且開始適切地運作」

'It took a while for the new computer system to bed in

「讓這個新電腦系統正常運作花了一點時間

but now it's working perfectly.'

但它運轉地十分完美。」

Catherine: That's brilliant because now we can go online

凱瑟琳：好極了，因為現在我們可以上網

and find more BBC Learning English programmes

找更多 BBC 學英文節目

at bbclearningenglish.com.

在 bbclearningenglish.com

That's all for today's 6 Minute English. We hope you

這就是今天的《六分鐘英語》

enjoyed it. Bye for now.

希望你們喜歡，再見啦！

Rob: Bye.

羅伯：掰掰