地道英語
Mental gymnastics 頭腦體操
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內(nèi)容簡介
當你在思考一個很難的問題時，可能要絞盡腦汁才能想出解決辦法，這就好比大腦在做 “gymnastics（體操）”。英語中有一個表達可以用來比喻這種 “冥思苦想，挖空心思” 的過程。聽節(jié)目，學習表達 “mental gymnastics” 的用法。
文字稿
（關于臺詞的備注: 請注意這不是廣播節(jié)目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能沒有體現(xiàn)錄制、編輯過程中對節(jié)目做出的改變。）
Jiaying
大家好，歡迎收聽 BBC英語教學的 “地道英語” 節(jié)目。I'm Jiaying.?
Beth
And I'm Beth. We're going to look at an expression that is all about doing hard work with your brain – 'mental gymnastics'.?
Jiaying
Mental gymnastics. 單詞 “gymnastics” 的意思是 “體操”，在體操中，需要展示身體的靈活性和力量。那什么是 “mental gymnastics（頭腦體操）” 呢？?
Beth
Well, it can be the effort we spend trying to work out something difficult. This weekend, I need to go to three different places, at more or less the same time, and I'm doing mental gymnastics to try to find a way I can do it.?
Jiaying
需要 “mental gymnastics” 解決的事情通常都比較有難度。Beth 這周末要在同一個時間段趕到三個不同的地方辦事，她要 “絞盡腦汁，冥思苦想” 才能安排好出行計劃，所以這個思考的過程就可以被稱為 “mental gymnastics”。?
Beth
Yes, because my brain has got to do a lot of hard work.?
Jiaying
那當我想要學一門語法規(guī)則很復雜的外語的時候，會不會需要進行 “mental gymnastics”？?
Beth
Yes, exactly! Let's hear some more examples.?
Examples
To get a good score in a maths exam, you need to be good at mental gymnastics!?
This plan is too complicated, and I'm too tired for the kind of mental gymnastics I'd need to work it out.
An orchestra conductor needs to be good at mental gymnastics to work out what each musician should be doing.
Jiaying
你正在收聽的是 BBC英語教學的 “地道英語” 節(jié)目。上面我們介紹了表達 “mental gymnastics” 的含義和用法，它表示 “絞盡腦汁、挖空心思的思考過程”。
Beth
There's actually another more negative way that we use it. When people try to justify saying something that they don't really believe, we can say that they are doing mental gymnastics.?
Jiaying
Right. 表達 “mental gymnastics” 還有一個帶貶義的用法。舉個例子，因為我自己很喜歡看手機，所以當我提醒孩子們別總是玩手機的時候，我就需要 “挖空心思” 來解釋自己的行為。It takes some serious mental gymnastics to justify why it's still OK for me to use my phone so much.?
Beth
Yes, it's hard work trying to come up with an excuse that you don't really believe!?
Jiaying
I think we need to stop here, and you should go and write the next episode – that's going to take some mental gymnastics, isn't it?
Beth
Well, luckily, I'm full of energy today, so mental gymnastics won't be a problem!?
Jiaying
OK, great! Bye.?
Beth
Bye!
