2020-07-27 Is crying good for us 哭对我们有好处吗？

哭泣真的能让我们的心情变好吗？女性比男性哭的次数更多吗？如今，在公共场所哭泣是否已被人们接受？本文讨论眼泪的力量和哭泣的好处。

词汇：emotions 情感

What makes you cry? Being moved by a soppy or sad movie, waving a loved one off, or getting emotional after splitting up with your partner can all cause tears to roll down our faces.  We all have the power to cry, but is that a good thing?

When you think about it, shedding tears from your eyes is an odd thing to do. But it seems to be an automatic reaction when we get sad, upset or even when we’re very happy. What triggers this reaction differs from person to person. However, the feeling is the same – your cheeks puff up, your eyes tighten and before you know it, tears are streaming down your face. Some of us may sniffle a little while others might cry like a baby – and some people suggest that it’s women who cry more than men.

A study in the UK in 2017 found that women admitted that they cry 72 times a year. This was, on average, more than men. Writing for the BBC, Adam Rutherford says “according to pretty much every study done, women do cry more than men, and this result has been consistent since we’ve been looking.” But does this mean men don’t get as upset or emotional as women, or are they just more embarrassed about showing their true feelings? The debate continues.

One place where we experience emotional and tearful outbursts is in the workplace. This can be somewhere where emotions run high – someone might be stressed, their workload might be too much, and, as therapist, Joanna Cross told the BBC, “crying is often a build-up of frustration and undealt-with situations and it’s a bit of a final straw moment.” She describes how someone might start weeping when they’re just asked to make a cup of tea because, “actually that’s often a backlog of situations.”

But crying in the office or elsewhere can be cathartic: it can actually make you feel better.  Maybe it dissolves or clears the negative or sad feelings you’ve had. Bawling your eyes out shows others how you feel, so perhaps it’s a crying shame that more of us, particularly men, don’t cry more often.

词汇表

moved 被感动的
soppy 伤感的
emotional 情绪激动的
shed tears 流泪
upset 沮丧的，难过的
trigger 引起（坏事）
stream 涌出
cry like a baby 像婴儿一样哭泣，哭泣
embarrassed 害羞的
true feelings 真情实感
tearful 含泪的，流泪的
outburst （情感）爆发
emotions run high 情绪波动大，情绪高涨
frustration 挫折，沮丧
(the) final straw 最后一根稻草，使人最终崩溃的一击
weep 哭泣，流泪
cathartic 情感宣泄的
bawl your eyes out 痛哭流涕
It’s a crying shame 不像话，不应该

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What type of film might cause you to cry?

2. According to research, who cries the most, men or women?

3. According to the article, what might cause you to start crying at work?

4. What might be the positive effects of crying?

5. True or false? Being very happy can cause you to cry.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1.I found the speech my father made at my wedding very _______.

moved                             move                               movable                    moving

2. I find eating nuts _______ an allergic reaction, so I avoid eating any food that contains them.

upsets                             triggers                           outbursts                   cathartic

3. The coronavirus outbreak was the _______ for my brother’s coffee shop business. He ran out of money and had to close.

crying shame                  final straw                       shedding                   true feelings

4.  That new rom-com was funny and sad, and I was _______ by the end of it.

crying like a baby           cry like a baby                 cried like a baby        crying like baby

5. My girlfriend thinks I’m _______ when I cry seeing dolphins in the sea, but I think I just appreciate the beauty of nature!

embarrassed                  upset                               weeping                     soppy

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。 

1. What type of film might cause you to cry?
A sad or soppy movie can ‘move us’ – or make us cry.

2. According to research, who cries the most, men or women?
According to research, women cry more than men.

3. According to the article, what might cause you to start crying at work?
Stress, frustration, too much work or a backlog of situations, might cause you to start crying at work.

4. What might be the positive effects of crying?
Crying can be cathartic; it can actually make you feel better.

5. True or false? Being very happy can cause you to cry.
True. We can cry when we get sad, upset or even when we’re very happy.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. I found the speech my father made at my wedding very moving.

2. I find eating nuts triggers an allergic reaction, so I avoid eating any food that contains them.

3. The coronavirus outbreak was the final straw for my brother’s coffee shop business. He ran out of money and had to close.

4. That new rom-com was funny and sad, and I was crying like a baby by the end of it.

5. My girlfriend thinks I’m soppy when I cry seeing dolphins in the sea, but I think I just appreciate the beauty of nature!