《英语流行话题阅读:语境识词3500》Unit66:孩子“无聊”背后的潜台词

　　Unit 66
Hidden Message behind a Child's Boredom¹
"Mommy, I'm bored." The child's complaint sounds innocent. The tone is demanding: "I need something to do." It's blaming: "You're not doing anything about it." And challenging, "Just try one of your useless suggestions."
What do you do with a ked dying of boredom? Before we can think about what to do, we need to look more closely at what children might actually mean when they say, "I'm bored."
They might be saying, "I haven't been getting enough sleep," in which case high stimulating² entertainment is not available. A more complex message behind boredom might be: "I now have time to dwell on anxieties or fears that are usually pushed aside by interesting activities."
It may be that children need time to hide themselves in nothingness in order to unlock their imaginations. We know that one way kids work out inner problems is through imaginative play. They actually re-create themselves through fantasy, make believe games or artistic³ expression. They can play out emotions that might be too overwhelming, e.g. by pretending to be their favorite superhero and fighting their worst fear. They develop resourcefulness by replaying difficult real life scenarios⁴ and developing solutions to problems. Or they might just play in a way that enables them to recognize and accept their feelings.
Engaging in imagination engages a part of the brain that may not be used in school. Research on brain activity shows that what we know as imagination is generated in the right side of the brain where "open-ended ideation" takes place. In contrast, the left side of the brain is though thought to be "linear and logical." Performance in school, for example, tends to require intensive left side activity. Thus, the right brain provides an escape from life in the "fast lane" left side, and a rest from the barrage⁵ of external stimuli⁶ children are constantly processing in their daily lives.
Imagination provides many possibilities for play, and some children just seem to be born blessed with good imaginations. However, "Use your imagination" is not a realistic requirement. How do we encourage and cultivate this way of being?

1 boredom   

n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊

参考例句：

• Unemployment can drive you mad with boredom.失业会让你无聊得发疯。
• A walkman can relieve the boredom of running.跑步时带着随身听就不那么乏味了。

2 stimulating   

adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的

参考例句：

• shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
• This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。

3 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

4 scenarios   

n.[意]情节；剧本；事态；脚本

参考例句：

• Further, graphite cores may be safer than non-graphite cores under some accident scenarios. 再者，根据一些事故解说，石墨堆芯可比非石墨堆芯更安全一些。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Again, scenarios should make it clear which modes are acceptable to users in various contexts. 同样，我们可以运用场景剧本来搞清楚在不同情境下哪些模式可被用户接受。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

5 barrage   

n.火力网，弹幕

参考例句：

• The attack jumped off under cover of a barrage.进攻在炮火的掩护下开始了。
• The fierce artillery barrage destroyed the most part of the city in a few minutes.猛烈的炮火几分钟内便毁灭了这座城市的大部分地区。

6 stimuli   

n.刺激（物）

参考例句：

• It is necessary to curtail or alter normally coexisting stimuli.必需消除或改变正常时并存的刺激。
• My sweat glands also respond to emotional stimuli.我的汗腺对情绪刺激也能产生反应。