書籍的力量

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

對于我們許多人而言，沒有什么比埋頭閱讀一本好書更好的了。

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.

無論是令人發指的犯罪故事還是某人傳奇一生的傳記，我們都可以通過閱讀一本書來放松自己，來擺脫日常生活中的紛紛擾擾。

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

也許這就是為什么一些書籍，已經作為了治療疾病的藥方。

It may seem obvious that reading is good for us.

開卷有益。

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

閱讀書籍具有良好的教育意義，而且也正如有人說過，閱讀還能“拓寬思維”。

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

一本不錯的小說就能讓我們沉醉其中，品味書中的喜怒哀樂，甚至我們能感同身受書中角色的悲傷和哭泣。

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.

幾年前，英國慈善閱讀機構就肯定和認可了書籍的作用，該機構出版了醫生可以向患者提供的書籍清單，以解決從抑郁癥、癡呆癥到慢性疼痛的話題。

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

它被稱為“書目療法”，并且取得了非常好的效果，以至于可能會被推廣到兒童教育方面。

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

著有《終身閱讀》一書的菲利普·戴維斯教授在利物浦大學研究文學與書籍的作用。

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.

他研究發現閱讀中的人們，自身會認為閱讀是一種具有藝術價值的行為，且效果明顯持久。

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."

他對BBC表示，通過閱讀而帶來愉悅時，“人們的左右半腦會更加協調的思考和工作，并且變得異常興奮，情緒會更加豐富 – 會感覺到大腦異常活躍、工作高效。”

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

當然，對于處在智能手機時代的我們來說，手機的吸引力遠比一本不錯的書要大的多。

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

但是放松的打開一本書，可能是幫助增進或維持我們的心理健康的簡單方式。

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.

閱讀書籍可以幫助你更好的設立目標，聚焦重點。同時閱讀也能讓你從別人的角度去看待令你焦慮許久的問題。

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.

當然，如果你還未養成長期深度的閱讀習慣，一開始可能不太清楚從哪個部分開始。加入Reading Agency圖書清單不夠吸引你，還可以閱讀書評，逛逛圖書館或書店，或者也詢問自己的朋友。

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

一旦開始適合適合你自己的書籍后，你肯定會欲罷不能的！

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

如果您仍然喜歡自己的高科技產品，不妨可以試試電子閱讀器。

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