书籍的力量

For many of us, there's nothing better than burying our head in a good book.

对于我们许多人而言，没有什么比埋头阅读一本好书更好的了。

Whether it's a gripping crime story or a biography of someone's amazing life, it's good to read a book to switch off from the distractions of everyday life and help us relax.

无论是令人发指的犯罪故事还是某人传奇一生的传记，我们都可以通过阅读一本书来放松自己，来摆脱日常生活中的纷纷扰扰。

Maybe that's why some of them are actually being prescribed as a remedy to sickness.

也许这就是为什么一些书籍，已经作为了治疗疾病的药方。

It may seem obvious that reading is good for us.

开卷有益。

It can be educational, and as some say, it can ‘broaden the mind'.

阅读书籍具有良好的教育意义，而且也正如有人说过，阅读还能“拓宽思维”。

A good novel can make us happy or sad, or make us cry as we empathise with characters.

一本不错的小说就能让我们沉醉其中，品味书中的喜怒哀乐，甚至我们能感同身受书中角色的悲伤和哭泣。

The power of books was recognised a few years ago by the British charity Reading Agency, who published a list of books that doctors could offer to patients, tackling topics from depression to dementia to chronic pain.

几年前，英国慈善阅读机构就肯定和认可了书籍的作用，该机构出版了医生可以向患者提供的书籍清单，以解决从抑郁症、痴呆症到慢性疼痛的话题。

It called this 'bibliotherapy' and it's become so successful that it's about to be extended to children as well.

它被称为“书目疗法”，并且取得了非常好的效果，以至于可能会被推广到儿童教育方面。

Professor Philip Davis studies the effects of literature at Liverpool University and is author of a book called Reading for Life.

著有《终身阅读》一书的菲利普·戴维斯教授在利物浦大学研究文学与书籍的作用。

He studies people in reading groups and found that it's reading literature–written work thought to have artistic merit, that has the best effect.

他研究发现阅读中的人们，自身会认为阅读是一种具有艺术价值的行为，且效果明显持久。

He told the BBC that when reading something for pleasure, "…the brain begins to work from different parts, from a different hemisphere and it gets excited, it gets pre-emotional and you can see the brain coming to life."

他对BBC表示，通过阅读而带来愉悦时，“人们的左右半脑会更加协调的思考和工作，并且变得异常兴奋，情绪会更加丰富 – 会感觉到大脑异常活跃、工作高效。”

Of course, it's easy in our smartphone generation to ditch a good book and fiddle with our phones instead.

当然，对于处在智能手机时代的我们来说，手机的吸引力远比一本不错的书要大的多。

But opening up a paperback could be a simple way to help boost or maintain our mental health.

但是放松的打开一本书，可能是帮助增进或维持我们的心理健康的简单方式。

It's thought they can help you set targets and find focus. And they may allow you to see that awkward situation you've been anxious about for weeks from someone else's perspective.

阅读书籍可以帮助你更好的设立目标，聚焦重点。同时阅读也能让你从别人的角度去看待令你焦虑许久的问题。

If you're not an avid reader it can be hard to know where to begin. If the Reading Agency book list doesn't appeal, you could to read book reviews, visit a library or bookshop or ask a friend.

当然，如果你还未养成长期深度的阅读习惯，一开始可能不太清楚从哪个部分开始。加入Reading Agency图书清单不够吸引你，还可以阅读书评，逛逛图书馆或书店，或者也询问自己的朋友。

Once you've found the right text, you'll be hooked!

一旦开始适合适合你自己的书籍后，你肯定会欲罢不能的！

And if you still love your technology, you could always use an e-reader.

如果您仍然喜欢自己的高科技产品，不妨可以试试电子阅读器。

微信公众号：英语美文朗读 孟叔的微博：孟飞Phoenix 孟叔的抖音：184302945