英语听力文摘 English Digest 435、你怕了吗？（在线收听）

The Anatomy of Fear

One nice day you’re walking along a wooded path. You come around a corner and there, coiled in the path, is a huge rattlesnake, its rattles abuzz. You are deathly afraid of snakes.

Various parts of the brain signal the nervous systems and organs to prepare to take action. The pupils of the eyes dilate, the thyroid gland raises the resting metabolic rate. The bronchioles in the lungs dilate to admit more oxygen, hairs stand on end. Heart rate and blood pressure rise to supply the body and brain with fuel.

The liver begins to break down sugars for quick energy, blood vessels in the skin contract causing chills and sweating. The spleen pumps out white blood cells in case there is an injury. Stomach and intestine enzyme secretion and muscle activity needed for digestion stop, and blood vessels in the stomach and intestines contract to divert blood to the muscles.

The bladder and colon prepare to empty, the central portion of the adrenal medulla floods the bloodstream with adrenaline and noradrenaline, constricting the blood vessels, breathing quickens. The entire body is in a state of high alert, ready to stay and fight or say “Feet don’t fail me now.”

Did you follow all that? Of course not, but all that, and more, happens in your body within seconds of your sensing a threat.

It makes us tired just to think about it!

天气不错的一天，你漫步在林荫小道。走到小道拐角一处，你突然发现一条巨大的响尾蛇就蜷缩在那！它还嘶嘶地吐着蛇信。你可是怕蛇怕得要死。

多个大脑部位传送出采取措施的信号给神经系统和各个器官：瞳孔放大，甲状腺加快新陈代谢，肺部的支气管扩张吸进更多氧气，毛骨悚然，心率加快，血压上升以便供给身体和大脑能量。

肝脏加速分解糖分供能。皮下血管收缩，身体发冷出汗。脾脏产生更多白细胞抵抗受伤。肠胃酶的分泌及肌肉活动引起食欲不振。肠胃的血管收缩，血液传输到肌肉组织。

大小便可能失禁哦。血液随肾上腺素和去甲肾上腺素汇聚到肾上腺髓质的中部，血管收缩，呼吸加快。整个人都处于高度戒备，要么呆在那不动，或者人蛇大战，再或者告诉自己“我一点都不怕”。

受到惊吓，身体会做出上述所有反应吗？当然不是所有咯！但是，当你遭遇惊吓，身体会在仅仅几秒内产生更多反应。
光是想想就怪累人的!