Ten Great Myths of Physical Fitness

保持身体健康的十大误区

早晨是锻炼的最佳时间段?
运动量越强，消耗热量就越快?
想快些减肥，慢跑时就应多穿一套运动衣（这样就能多出汗）？
坚持练举重，就会有健美运动员那样的身材和肌肉？

[1]One of the most striking 『显著的；突出的』characteristics 『特征，特点』of the fitness boom『热潮』is how little many people seem to know about the subject. Predictably『可预见地』, beginners are the worst culprits『犯错误者』, but sometimes even those who've been exercising for years have erroneous『错误的；不正确的』ideas about how exercise and their bodies work. Here are some of the most common misconceptions『误解，错误的观念』:

[1]健身热潮的显著特征之一是很多人对于健身这项运动认识太少。不难想象，新参加健身的人是常犯错误的，但有时即使是健身多年的人对于运动和身体机能仍有误解，以下就是一些最常见的错误观点。

【额外成就感】
That is a striking commercial success.
（在商业上那是惊人的成功。）
The girl is striking in face and figure.
（姑娘的容貌和身材都十分出众。）

Myth 1: I've been doing 100 sit-ups『仰卧起坐』and side bends a day for weeks. Why can't I get rid of my spare tire『多余的脂肪』?
误区一：我连续几星期坚持每天做一百个仰卧起坐和侧弯腰，为什么还是不能除去多余的脂肪呢？

[2]Because spot『部位』reduction is virtually『事实上；实际上』impossible. "When you utilize『利用』fat it comes from a pool of lipids 『脂类』-fatty substances-throughout the body, not from one specific location," says physiologist『生理学家』Robert M. Otto, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Adelphi University in Garden City, N. Y. Sit-ups, he points out, are fine for toning『使沉重，结实』the abdominal¹『腹部的』muscles, but they won't melt fat away『消散；消失』."

[2]原因是，要想在某一部位减肥事实上是不可能的。罗伯特·奥托，生理学家，来自纽约州达登市阿德非大学人类行为学实验室主任，指出?quot;要消耗的脂肪是来自整个身体里的很多脂肪类物质，犹如潭中取水，不是来自某一特定的部位。仰卧起坐可以增强腹部肌肉，但对于减少脂肪却无能为力。"#p#

[3] So how do you lose fat? It seems relatively² simple: just burn off『烧掉；消耗掉』more calories『卡路里，热量单位』through exercise than you take in through food. Even then, explains Dr.Jack³ Harvey, a physician for the U.S. wrestling『摔跤』team, problem weight may be the last to go: "there's a genetic『基因的』predisposition『倾向』to lay down 『放下』fat in certain areas. We lose weight last from the place we put it on first." For most men, that will be in the abdominal or side areas, and for most women, the upper thighs⁴, buttocks『臀部』and arms.

[3]那么如何减肥呢？似乎很简单，只要通过锻炼，燃烧掉比从食物中摄入的热量多就行了。美国摔跤队医生杰克·哈维解释说，即使这样，"问题"部位的重量可能是最后才能除去的，他说："除去某些部位的脂肪具有一种遗传倾向性，先增加的脂肪要到最后才能除去。"对于大多数男性来说，这样的部位在腹部和体侧，而对于女性来说是大腿上侧，臀部和胳膊。

Myth 2: If I keep lifting weights 『举重』, I'm going to end up looking like one of those heavily muscled body builders.
误区二：如果坚持练举重，到头来我会有重量级健美运动员那样的身材和肌肉。

[4]Don't worry, you won't-not unless you're the one in a million with the genes⁵ 『基因』of an Arnold Schwarzenegger. Even then, you'd have to endure『忍耐；忍受』the same kind of grueling 『筋疲力尽』，high-intensity⁶『高强度』workouts that most body builders do. "The average person who works out three times a week for a half-hour will never get this look," notes Dr. Robert J. Murphy, head team physician and clinical associate professor of medicine at Ohio State University.

[4] 大可放心，你不会成功的。除非你有阿诺德·施瓦辛格的基因，但其可能性微乎其微，只有百万分之一。即使那样，你还必须象大多数健美运动员那样进行高强度的锻炼，这种锻炼常常是使人筋疲力尽的。俄亥俄州立大学医务主任临床医学副教授罗伯特·J·墨菲医生提出："一般人每星期锻炼三次，每次半小时，根本不会变成健美运动员那样?quot;

Myth 3: I don't really need to lose weight. I just want to firm up『稳固；牢固』and redistribute『重新分配』what I've got.
误区三：我并不为减肥，只是想使肌肉结实，重新分配身体的重量。

[5]"You can't redistribute weight," says Otto flatly『断然地』. "We're talking about two different elements-fat, and lean 『瘦的，非脂肪的』body mass, which includes muscle, bone and internal『体内的；内部的』organs." If you want to maintain your same basic weight, it's a two-part process: you need to lose fat while gaining lean body tissue『组织』. There's simply no way fat can be "firmed up" into muscle.

[5]奥托断然说到："你不可能重新分配身体的重量，我们谈论的是两种不同的成份-脂肪和非脂肪物质。非脂肪物质包括：肌肉，骨胳和内脏器官。"假如你要保持同样的体重，这一过程需要两个步骤：增加非脂肪组织，同时除去脂肪。然而，脂肪转化成结实的肌肉却是绝对不可能的。#p#

[6]This misconception is the basis for another related and frequently 『经常地』repeated myth:

[6]基于这一错误观念，另一相关的经常出现的误区是：

Myth 4: I don't want to start building muscle, because if I stop working out my muscle will turn to fat.
误区四：我不想进行健美得便原因是因为：一旦停止锻炼，肌肉就会又变成脂肪。

[7] To repeat: muscle can't turn into fat. Fat can't turn into muscle. "The reason many retired⁷ 『退休的』athletes often appear overweight is simple," says Joshua Simon, assistant professor of applied⁸ physiology『应用生理学』and education at Teachers College, Columbia University. "They don't use their muscles as much as they did in competitive『竞争的；竞争性的』days. Thus their muscles get smaller. But they're still eating about the amount they used to, so they gain fat."

[7]再重复一遍：肌肉不能转换成脂肪，脂肪也不能转换成肌肉。哥伦比亚大学教师学院应用生理学和教育部副教授约叔亚·西蒙说："很多退役的专业运动员常会超重的原因很简单，他们没有象在运动生涯中那样频繁地使用肌肉，于是肌肉萎缩下来。但他们吃的却还和过去一样，身体发福自然就在所难免了?quot;

Myth 5: The harder I work, the faster I'll burn off calories.
误区五：运动量越强，消耗热量就越快。

[8]Eager to get in『到达』shape, the novice『新手；初学者』hops『跳过；跃过』on a stationary『固定的；』bike, cranks up『开动，加快』 the tension and pedals『骑自行车』away. A few minutes later, he is forced to stop, gasping⁹ 『喘气，透不过气』for breath, but proud because he gave his heart a real workout and burned off plenty of calories. Or did he?

[8]新参加健身的人急于恢复体形，就在固定健身车上拼命连续地蹬着。几分钟后，累得气喘如牛被迫停下来，自觉得意洋洋，给了自己的心脏一次真正的锻炼，消耗掉很多热量。真是这样吗？

[9]"In terms of caloric expenditures¹⁰『支出；消费』, time is more important than intensity『强烈；极度』," says Otto. And the average person cannot sprint¹¹ 『疾跑』or pedal at a high intensity for very long.

[9]"就热量消耗而言，时间比强度更重要，"奥托这样说。并且一般人不能做到长时间高强度地快跑或蹬车。

[10]"When it comes to conditioning『训练』your heart and burning calories," adds Simon, "a slower, steady pace is going to burn off more calories in the long run than are short bursts『爆发』of exhaustive『竭力的』 exercise." Stick with activities such as light jogging or walking, which are "aerobic『增氧的；需氧的』," meaning literally¹² "active in the presence of oxygen," as opposed to spurts『爆发』of high-intensity exercise, like a 100-yard dash.

[10]西蒙补充道："与那种爆发性的令人精疲力竭的锻炼相比，长时间有节奏地慢跑消耗的热量更多。""有氧性健身"的字面意思是"在有氧状态下主动的锻炼"，坚持慢跑或散步这样的运动，正是有别于百米冲刺之类的高强度爆发性运动的。

Myth 6: No pain, no gain.
误区六：一分痛苦，一分收获

[11] This may be true if you're training for the Olympic team. But for the average person, pain is a warning, not a threshold『门槛』that needs to be crossed to make progress. "Everyone should pay attention to what his body tells him, " says Murphy. "If it hurts, back off『止住；延缓』."

[11]如果是对于参加奥林匹克运动会的队员来说，这可能是对的，但对于平常人来说，疼痛是一种警告，而不是为取得进步需要跨跃的门槛。墨菲说"每个人都应该注意身体做出的警示。如果有了疼痛感，应该退下来。"

[12]That doesn't mean exercise should involve『需要；意味着』no strain 『竭力，超过极限』or stress. But, as Harvey points out, "There's a difference between pain and discomfort¹³. True pain indicates『指示；指出』an injury『伤害；损害』. The treatment for injury is rest, not more pain."

（12）但这并不是说运动就不用竭尽全力，不应有强度和压力。哈维指出?quot;疼痛和不适是有区别的。疼痛表明受到了伤害。治愈疼痛需要的是休息，而不是更大的疼痛。"

Myth 7: I want to lose weight fast, so I'll wear an extra sweat suit while I jog.
误区七：我想快些减肥，所以慢跑时多穿一套运动衣（这样就能多出汗）。

[13]"Increased sweating merely dehydrates 『脱水』you more quickly," says Otto. "When you weigh yourself, that will appear as weight loss. But within twenty-four to thirty-six hours your body will return to normal hydration『水合作用』. It's simply a temporary water-weight loss that you're seeing. And, under some conditions, that loss could be dangerous."

[13]奥托说："多流汗只会使你的身体加快脱水，称重量时看起来体重减轻了，但在24小时至36小时之内，你身体内部水合物会恢复到正常水平，你先前所看到的只是水的重量的减轻。在有些情况下，这可能会是非常危险的。#p#

[14]The principal way the body has to dissipate 『散发』heat is through the skin, Murphy explains. In a doubled or rubber sweat suit, the body is unable to evaporate 『蒸发』sweat, and therefore retains heat. Dehydration¹⁴ and heat stroke are sometimes encountered『遇到』by football players, who usually were helmets『头盔；帽盔』, pads and jerseys¹⁵ (运动) , while runners and marathoners『跑马拉松的人』, who typically run in shorts and mesh¹⁶ tank tops『网状背心或短袖汗衫』, dissipate『驱散；消散』heat more easily. So dress in lightweight, loose-fitting clothes for workouts.

[14]墨菲解释说，身体散发热量的主要途径是通过皮肤完成，穿着两层衣服或橡胶运动衣的身体无法把产生的汗液蒸发掉，同时，也无法把热量散发掉。常戴头盔穿护膝护肘和运动衫的橄榄球运动员脱水中暑的情况时有发生；而对于穿短裤，网状背心或短袖衫的长跑运动员及马拉松赛手来说，散热就容易多了。所以运动时应穿轻便宽松的衣服。

Myth 8: If some exercise is good, more must be better.
误区八：运动越多越好。

[15]Too much of a good thing can have negative『反面的，消极的』consequences『后果，影响』. Overtraining, notes Simon, is a problem, especially for beginners. The body needs time to rest and recover. In fact, it's during those periods of rest that the positive『积极的；建设性的』adaptations『调整，适应』we seek from training (increased muscle mass, improved cardiovascular『心血管』conditioning) actually take place.

[15]好的事情不一定有好的结果。西蒙指出，超强度运动,尤其对初练者而言，就是一个这样的问题。身体需要一段时间的休息和恢复。事实上，就是在这段休息时间里，我们希望通过运动获得的积极的适应性调节（增加肌肉块，改善心血管功能）才能得以进行。

[16]Furthermore, exercise reaches a point of diminishing『减少的』returns. "If you exercise three times a week," Simon says, "you're making gains. But if you exercise six times a week, your gains will not be twice as great; they'll be only slightly higher. You also increase the risk of injuries due to overtraining."

[16]此外，运动会达到一个回落点。西蒙说："如果你每星期锻炼三次，会有一定收获。但是如果一星期锻炼六次，那么收获并不是两倍于前者的，只稍高一点，而且超强度运动给你造成伤害的危险也会增加。"

[17] What's the answer? "Moderation『适度』," declares Murphy. "It's the answer to everything, in eating, in drinking, in exercise."

[17]那么结论是什么呢？墨菲说："适度"。它适用于一切事物，如饮食，运动。

Myth 9: Don't eat before working out.
误区九：运动前不进食。#p#

[18]"World records have been set by athletes who ate hamburgers and brownies 『巧克力小方饼』moments before their event," says Otto. "But, some people can't eat for hours before exercise without feeling sick. It's really an individual preference."

[18]奥托说："赛前吃汉堡包和巧克力方饼的运动员曾创下过世界纪录，但有些人运动前几小时都不能吃东西，否则就会恶心的，其实这只是个人喜好问题。"

[19] In fact, it might be advisable to exercise after eating. Simon notes that mild exercise shortly after a meal can burn up more calories than exercise done later on. So the custom of an after-dinner stroll 『散步』 may have medical validity 『确证』.

[19]实际上，我们提倡饭后运动。西蒙指出，饭后立即做些轻微运动比饭后一段时间再运动会消耗掉更多的卡路里。这样看来，晚饭后的散步习惯确实是有医学根据的。

Myth 10: It's better to work out in the morning.
误区十：最好在早晨锻炼

[20]Only if you're in the Marines『海军陆战队』and you're ordered to. "Exercise whenever it's most convenient for you," advises Otto. The sole『唯一的』exception is during hot weather when, Murphy notes, you should exercise in early morning or late evening to avoid the hottest, most humid『潮湿的』hours.

[20]除非你是在海军陆战队服役并有人命令你，才有必要这样做。奥托建议说："在你最方便的任何时候锻炼都可以。"墨菲指出，唯一例外是夏季应在清早或晚上锻炼，以避开太热或太潮的时候。

【额外成就感】
She has the sole responsibility for bringing up the child.
（她是唯一有责任抚养孩子的人。）
Phil is the sole heir to all that property.
（菲尔是所有财产的唯一继承人。）
【疯狂翻译练习】
1. This may be true if you're training for the Olympic team. But for the average person, pain is a warning, not a threshold that needs to be crossed to make progress.（11）
2. There's a difference between pain and discomfort. True pain indicates an injury. The treatment for injury is rest, not more pain."(12)
3. 健身热潮的显著特征之一是很多人对于健身这项运动认识太少。（1）
4. 一般人每星期锻炼三次，每次半小时，根本不会变成健美运动员那样。（4）
5. 就热量消耗而言，时间比强度更重要。（9）
6. 好的事情不一定有好的结果。(15)
7. 唯一例外是夏季应在清早或晚上锻炼，以避开太热或太潮的时候。(20)