What's Wrong with Them?

Lesson 13

                                   What's Wrong with Them?
                                         
                                             Text A

    I'm forty and married with two children. My trouble is that I haven't got enough to do. The kids are at school all day and the house is empty. So I eat chocolates, mostly. I've put on a lot of weight , but I can't give them up. I try as hard as I can but I just can't stop eating.

    Doctor Bruce writes : I think Mrs Allen would be happier if she found a job, or if she got out of the house more and made some interesting friends. If she did that, I think the weight problem would be solved.
    I'm sixteen. My trouble is my spotty skin. I've used all the creams on the market, but none of them do any good. And now I've met a marvellous girl. But I'm afraid to ask her to go out with me.

    Doctor Bruce writes: Most teenagers suffer from this, of course, at some time or other. And it makes them very shy and self-conscious. 'What will other people think of me, if they see me like this?' they wonder. And it's a pity, because if they didn't worry so much, the skin trouble would soon disappear. Tom should learn a relaxation¹ technique, yoga for example. Then I think he'd solve the problem very quickly.

    My problem is time. I haven't enough of it. I sleep badly, and I wake up tired. I get indigestion every day and now I'm beginning to get bad headaches and pains in my chest. And don't tell me to take a holiday, doctor. I haven't got time.

    Doctor Bruce writes ; If Mr Tyler had more common sense ,he'd find the time to have a holiday, or change his job. If he thought for a minute, he'd see that he can't go on like this. He should rest more. Then he'd work better. But that's the silly thing about men like him. They only believe they're ill when they're almost dead.

                                
                                             Text B

Dear Doctor :
    I am forty-seven years old, male, and of average height and weight. My health generally seems quite good except for one problem. I wake up every morning feeling tired-so tired that I can hardly get out of bed.

    All day at work I fight this tired feeling, just dragging myself around. When I get home from work around 5. 30, I have a good dinner with my family and then sit dow n to read the newspaper. But before I have finished reading the front page, I fall asleep in my chair and often sleep until 8. 30 or 9. 00 p.m.
    When I wake up from this nap, I feel wonderful. I'm full of energy and ready to do a day's work. But at that hour there is nothing to do but watch television, which I do until after midnight.

    Even at midnight I still do not feel sleepy, but I know I ought to get a good night's rest, so I take a sleeping pill and go to bed. It's often two o'clock in the morning before the pill puts me to sleep. Just a few hours after that I have to drag myself out of bed again to go to work. All day I feel too tired to work. I just drag myself around until it's time to go home.
Do you think there might be something wrong with my blood?
                                                                           J. T. L.
When this letter appeared in the DEAR DOCTOR column of a newspaper, the doctor's reply zeras printed belozo it. Here is mhat the doctor answered :
Dear Mr L. :

    I don't think there is anything wrong with your blood. The key to your problem is that long nap after dinner.
    If you didn't sleep for hours during the early part of the evening, you would be more ready to sleep at bedtime. If you didn't nap after dinner, you would not want to stay up so late, and you would not feel the need to take a sleeping pill. The pill is still working in your system when you get up in the morning. This helps account for the fact that you feel tired all day.

    You should get out of the habit of sleeping during the evening. Right after your evening meal, engage in some sort of physical activity-a sport such as bowling², perhaps. Or get. together with friends for an evening of cards and conversation. Then go to bed at `your usual time or a little earlier, and you should be able to get a good night's rest without taking a pill.

    If you can get into the habit of spending your evenings this way, I am sure you will feel less tired during the day. At first it may be hard for you to go to sleep without taking a pill. If so,get up and watch television or do some jobs around your house until you feel sleepy. If you fall asleep and then wake up a few hours later, get up but do not take a leeping pill.

 Read a while or listen to the radio, and make yourself a warm drink. Eat a sandwich or a cookie. Then go back to bed. Even if you get only a few hour's sleep that night, you will feel better, in the morning than you usually feel after taking a pill. The next night you will be ready to sleep at an earlier hour.
    The most important thing is to avoid taking that nap right after dinner and to avoid taking pills.

　

                                 Additional Information

    Yesterday's drizzle³ did not dampen Beijingers' enthusiasm in events marking the first national dental care day.
    People of all ages crowded around medical experts who answered questions about dental care, and about toothbrushes and toothpaste.

    A girl in her 20's approached the consulting desk set by the Oral Medical College of the Beijing University of Medical Sciences at the Xidan crossroad. She wanted to know if there was anything wrong with her teeth.
    The girl dreamed about losing all her teeth , and , worse yet , her teeth ached when she awoke every morning.

    After examining her mouth, a consultant⁴ said her teeth looked all right. Sometimes,however, tension makes peoples' teeth ache. Relax, she was told. And if that does not help, get a thorough⁵ dental examination.
    Young parents wanted to know how to keep their children's teeth healthy.
    One by one , the doctors answered their questions and outlined the best solutions for them.

    More than 500 medical specialists from 18 districts and suburban⁶ counties across the municipality as well as over 200 teachers and students from the Oral Medical College of the beijing University of Medical Sciences took part in the sidewalk consultations⁷.

    And about 47 consulting stations were set up in major streets and the four big department stores at downtown Xidan, Wangfujing, Dongsi and the Dong'an Market.
    In addition to offering suggestions, the medical workers also brought with them some simple medical equipment for fast dental checks and toothpaste and toothbrushes for sale.
    Posters and propaganda⁸ blackboards were also set up in most primary and middle schools in beijing.

    "I never thought there would be so much scientific knowledge on tooth brushing," said a middle-aged⁹ man. "National Dental Care day has taught me how important it is to take care of my teeth and how to do it," he said. According to information from the National Dental Diseases Prevention Group , similar activities were conducted yesterday in most of the country's provinces, autonomous¹⁰ regions and municipalities.

    "A massive¹¹ campaign to teach people how to care for their own teeth is the best way for China to deal with dental diseases in the face of a shortage¹² of dental medical workers," Chen Minzhang, Minister of Public Health said on Tuesday at a symposium¹³ on dental care in beijing Stomatological Hospital.

    At present, almost half of the population is suffering from dental caries (cavities).
    While the figure is even higher among children, 80 per cent of urban children have dental caries and 60 per cent are so afflicted¹⁴ in rural areas.
    In some cities, the rate with children may reach as high as more than 90 per cent.
    The minister also pointed¹⁵ out that dental care should be taught in primary and middle schools and the vast rural areas in order to raise the whole nation's dental care standards.

 

1 relaxation   

n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐

参考例句：

• The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law.部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。
• She listens to classical music for relaxation.她听古典音乐放松。

2 bowling   

n.保龄球运动

参考例句：

• Bowling is a popular sport with young and old.保龄球是老少都爱的运动。
• Which sport do you 1ike most,golf or bowling?你最喜欢什么运动，高尔夫还是保龄球？

3 drizzle   

v.下毛毛雨；n.毛毛雨，蒙蒙细雨

参考例句：

• The shower tailed off into a drizzle.阵雨越来越小，最后变成了毛毛雨。
• Yesterday the radio forecast drizzle,and today it is indeed raining.昨天预报有小雨，今天果然下起来了。

4 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

5 thorough   

adj. 彻底的，完全的，精心的

参考例句：

• He made a very thorough analysis on the situation.他对形势的分析很透彻。
• The committee reported its findings after a thorough investigation.委员会在彻底调查以后报告了调查结果。

6 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

7 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 propaganda   

n.宣传，宣传机构

参考例句：

• A lot of propaganda has painted him as bad.大量宣传把他说得很坏。
• Art may be used as a vehicle for propaganda.艺术可以用作为宣传的媒介。

9 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

10 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

11 massive   

adj.巨大的，大规模的，大量的，大范围的

参考例句：

• A massive sea search has failed to find any survivors.经过大规模的海上搜救仍未找到幸存者。
• He drank a massive amount of alcohol.他喝了大量的烈酒。

12 shortage   

n.缺少，缺乏，不足

参考例句：

• The city is suffering a desperate shortage of water.这个城市严重缺水。
• The heart of the problem is a shortage of funds.问题的关键是缺乏经费。

13 symposium   

n.讨论会，专题报告会；专题论文集

参考例句：

• What have you learned from the symposium?你参加了这次科学讨论会有什么体会？
• The specialists and scholars present at the symposium come from all corners of the country.出席研讨会的专家学者们来自全国各地。

14 afflicted   

使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• About 40% of the country's population is afflicted with the disease. 全国40%左右的人口患有这种疾病。
• A terrible restlessness that was like to hunger afflicted Martin Eden. 一阵可怕的、跟饥饿差不多的不安情绪折磨着马丁·伊登。

15 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。