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September is an exciting month in every college freshman’s life. For many, it’s the first time they leave home to live in a new environment. But after the hustle and bustle of the first few weeks, excitement gives way to a less enjoyable emotion — homesickness.
對所有大一新生來說，每年的九月都是激動人心的日子。許多人都是第一次走出家門，在一個(gè)新環(huán)境中生活。但在開學(xué)數(shù)周的喧囂過后，激動的心情慢慢地被一絲鄉(xiāng)愁所取代。
Homesickness manifests itself in many ways. You may miss mum’s cooking, your pets, or even your old bed. All this becomes a fond memory of the past. Homesickness can be a bitter feeling, especially when faced with the challenges of settling into an unfamiliar environment.
鄉(xiāng)愁的表現(xiàn)方式可謂多種多樣。你可能想念媽媽的廚藝、你的寵物、甚至是自己的舊床鋪。林林總總匯集成對過去時(shí)光的美好記憶。鄉(xiāng)愁是苦澀的，尤其當(dāng)你置身陌生環(huán)境中，面臨諸多挑戰(zhàn)時(shí)。
But remember, you’re not alone. According to a recent BBC article, 70 percent of British college students experience homesickness. In this increasingly globalized world in which people migrate to far away places for education, work or a relationship, homesickness is a feeling shared by many adults.
但記住，你并不孤單。英國廣播公司BBC近日報(bào)道稱，70%的英國大學(xué)生飽受思鄉(xiāng)之苦。在這個(gè)日益全球化的世界里，人們?yōu)榱藢W(xué)業(yè)、工作或感情而遠(yuǎn)走他鄉(xiāng)，許多成年人心中都彌漫著鄉(xiāng)愁。
Relocating to a new place is not an easy process, particularly if you don’t speak the local language or are not familiar with local customs.
易地而居并非易事，尤其當(dāng)你對當(dāng)?shù)卣Z言與風(fēng)俗一竅不通時(shí)。
Homesickness can have similar symptoms to depression, explains psychologist Caroline Schuster in an interview with the BBC. In extreme cases it can develop into a panic attack, she says, while it can also result in social withdrawal, sleep disruption, nightmares, and concentration problems.
心理學(xué)家卡洛琳•舒斯特在接受BBC采訪時(shí)解釋道，鄉(xiāng)愁與抑郁癥狀相似。她表示，鄉(xiāng)愁嚴(yán)重時(shí)可發(fā)展成恐慌癥，同時(shí)也會導(dǎo)致逃避社交、睡眠障礙、噩夢連連以及注意力無法集中等問題。
The most famous adult to have suffered from homesickness is probably Odysseus, the hero of Homer’s epic poem, who spent 10 years on a journey trying to get home. It was the memories of his family that helped him get through those difficult times.
飽受思鄉(xiāng)之苦的、最為著名的人物要數(shù)荷馬史詩《奧德賽》中的英雄人物——奧德修斯，他歷時(shí)十年才與家人團(tuán)聚。正是憑借與家人有關(guān)的記憶，他才得以度過重重難關(guān)。
But the term homesickness, or nostalgia, wasn’t invented until the 17th century. It was considered a disorder by a Swiss physician, who attributed soldiers’ mental and physical discomfort to their longing to return home, “nostos” in Greek, and the accompanying pain, “algos”.
然而，鄉(xiāng)愁一詞（英文homesickness，又被稱為“nostalgia”）直到17世紀(jì)才得以面世。一名瑞士醫(yī)生視其為一種疾病，認(rèn)為士兵們的身心不適源于他們的思鄉(xiāng)之情。Nostalgia一詞來自希臘語詞，nostos（返鄉(xiāng)）以及 algos（思鄉(xiāng)之痛）。
Back then, people saw homesickness as a dangerous and even fatal disease, says Susan Matt, author of Homesickness: An American History. Gradually, it came to be considered childish and immature, she says, ill-fitting to a culture of capitalism and imperialism that required people to travel and explore.
《鄉(xiāng)愁：一種美國歷史》一書的作者蘇珊•馬特表示，那時(shí)人們將鄉(xiāng)愁視為一種危險(xiǎn)、甚至致命的疾病。她說，后來，鄉(xiāng)愁被認(rèn)為是幼稚、不成熟的表現(xiàn)，是人們不適應(yīng)資本主義與帝國主義文化的表現(xiàn)。而這種癥狀需要他們在旅途中不斷摸索克服。
Studies in recent years, however, have shown that nostalgia may have some benefits to our mental health.
而近年來的一些研究結(jié)果顯示，鄉(xiāng)愁可能對我們的心理健康大有裨益。
After a decade of surveys and research, Constantine Sedikides, a US social psychologist, found thatnostalgia is what makes us human.
經(jīng)過近十載的調(diào)查研究，美國社會心理學(xué)家康斯坦丁•塞迪基德斯發(fā)現(xiàn)，鄉(xiāng)愁是人性的一部分。
In an interview with The New York Times, Sedikides explains that nostalgia can counteract loneliness, boredom and anxiety. It makes people more generous toward strangers and more tolerant of outsiders. Couples feel closer and happier when they share nostalgic memories.
在接受《紐約時(shí)報(bào)》采訪時(shí)，塞迪基德斯解釋道，鄉(xiāng)愁能夠抵消孤獨(dú)、厭煩以及焦慮。這使得人們在面對陌生人時(shí)更加慷慨，對外人更加寬容。分享過往的時(shí)光使得情侶間更加親近和快樂。
Sedikides admits that nostalgia has its painful side, but the net effect is to make life seem more meaningful. When people speak wistfully of the past, they typically become more optimistic and inspired about the future. The trick is not to become obsessive about the past, but always to live life forward.
塞迪基德斯承認(rèn)鄉(xiāng)愁固然有痛苦的一面，但它可以有效地讓生命更有意義。懷舊時(shí)，人們通常會變得更加樂觀、對未來充滿希望。而訣竅在于，不過過分迷戀過去，生活要一直向前看。
