Introduction

Being in the green open space can certainly help us relax and de-stress. So much so that the beneficial contact with the outdoors is inspiring a particular kind of therapy. Neil and Georgina discuss ecotherapy and teach you related vocabulary.

This week's question

How high is the world’s tallest tree thought to be? Is it...

a)?????65.8 metres

b)???115.8 metres

c)???185.8 metres

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Transcript

Note: This is not a word for word transcript??

Neil

Hello, this is 6 Minute English. I'm Neil.

Georgina

And I'm Georgina.

Neil

Georgina, what do you do to cheer yourself up?

Georgina

Having a walk usually helps – especially if it’s in the countryside.

Neil

Yes, being in all the green open space can certainly help us relax and de-stress – getting back to nature can be a?tonic?when you’re feeling down.?

Georgina

A?tonic?is something that makes you feel happier and healthier. I’ll drink to that!?

Neil

Me too. But connecting with the natural world is particularly beneficial to people with mental health issues such as clinical depression. And it’s something that’s being called ‘ecotherapy’. More on that in a moment but here’s a question for you to answer, Georgina.?

Georgina

OK, Neil. Fire away.?

Neil

Well, seeing or even hugging trees is a form of therapy, but how high is the world’s tallest tree thought to be? Is it...

a)?????65.8 metres,

b)???115.8 metres, or

c)???185.8 metres

Georgina, any ideas?

Georgina

Not a clue – but let’s go for the highest figure of 185.8 metres.

Neil

Are you sure? Well, we’ll have to wait until the end of the programme to find out. Now, the mental health charity, Mind, describes ecotherapy as a formal type of treatment which involves doing outdoor activities in nature. However, there’s not one simple definition, it just relates to doing activities outdoors.?

Georgina

Yes, it can involve doing many things, such as outdoor yoga or?horticulture?– another name for gardening. It doesn’t involve taking medication, but instead it just develops a person’s relationship with nature.?

Neil

It’s something Patricia Hasbach knows a lot about. She’s a clinical psychotherapist and told the BBC Radio programme Health Check how ecotherapy can help. Does she say it can help everyone??

Patricia Hasbach, clinical psychotherapistI often think about ecotherapy as another tool in the therapist's toolbox. It's not a?panacea. It's not going to erase somebody's pain or grief. But it is a powerful tool, you know. Traditionally therapy has stopped at the urban boundary.?

Neil

So it’s interesting that she describes ecotherapy as a tool – something that can be used to achieve something else. Here is can be used to help improve someone’s mental health.?

Georgina

Ah, but she says it’s not a?panacea?– so not something that will solve everything – it won’t erase or get rid of someone’s pain. But going beyond what she calls the ‘urban boundary’, and into the natural world, means there is another method for helping people.?

Neil

Now, as we’ve mentioned, ecotherapy can take on many forms – doing art in a forest or running on a beach are all?therapeutic. They're things that makes you feel better or healthier.?

Georgina

Well, I think that’s clear, but what is it about the outdoors that affects us?

Neil

A good question, Georgina. It seems from research that our busy brains are always on guard, but when we get into nature it gets a break, there’s not so much to be on the lookout for and we can relax.?

Georgina

Well, it does seem the negative symptoms of urban life can benefit from a dose of nature – a dose is an amount of something. Let’s get a good explanation from an expert. Environmental psychologist Birgitta Gatersleben also spoke to the BBC Health Check programme and gave two reasons – one of them, she explained, was something called ‘biophilia’.?

Birgitta Gatersleben, environmental psychologistBiophilia, very briefly, is really an innate positive response that people have with life and life-like features. The idea that nature reminds us of life, and if we (are) exposed to the natural elements then our sort of negative feelings get almost immediately replaced with positive emotions.?

Neil

Birgitta Gatersleben there explaining?biophilia?– which is a passion for or empathy with the natural world and living things.?

Georgina

She said biophilia is?innate, which means is a quality that you’re born with. So basically, most of us were born to connect with nature – nature reminds us of life and gives us good, positive emotions.?

Neil

Naturally. OK. Well, Georgina, maybe getting today’s quiz question right will give you positive emotions. Earlier I asked you how high the world’s tallest tree is thought to be. Is it...

a)?????65.8 metres,

b)???115.8 metres, or

c)???185.8 metres?

What did you say??

Georgina

I said c) 185.8 metres.?

Neil

Oh dear, I'm afraid that's far too high! The correct answer is 115.8 metres. Never mind. The tree, named Hyperion, is a type of redwood and was found in California in 2006.?

Georgina

Well, that’s still very tall, and would be great to see.?

Neil

Now we’ve just got time to recap some of the vocabulary we’ve discussed, starting with?tonic?which can be a fizzy drink you mix with an alcoholic drink, but in the context of therapy it can mean something that makes you feel happier and healthier.

Georgina

Horticulture?is the study or activity of growing garden plants – in other words, gardening.?

Neil

A?panacea?is something believed to solve everything.?

Georgina

If something is?therapeutic, it makes you feel better or healthier.?

Neil

We also discussed?biophilia, which is a passion for or empathy with the natural world and living things.

Georgina

And?innate?means a quality that you naturally have – you’re born with it.?

Neil

Well, as you know I have an innate quality for presenting this programme – but now it’s time to go. Please join us next time, and don’t forget to check us out on your favourite social media platform, on our app and of course the website bbclearningenglish.com. Goodbye.?

Georgina

Bye！

Vocabulary

tonic

something that makes you feel happier and healthier?

horticulture

the study or activity of growing garden plants?

panacea

something that is believed to solve everything?

therapeutic

makes you feel better or healthier?

biophilia

a passion for or empathy with the natural world and living things?

innate

a quality that you’re born with

雙語(yǔ)版Transcript

Hello, this is 6 Minute English. I'm Neil.

大家好，這里是六分鐘英語(yǔ)，我是尼爾。

And I'm Georgina.

我是喬治娜。

Georgina, what do you do to cheer yourself up?

喬治娜，你做什么讓自己振奮起來(lái)？

Having a walk usually helps – especially if it's in thecountryside.

散步通常有幫助——尤其是在鄉(xiāng)下散步。

Yes, being in all the green open space can certainly helpus relax and de-stress?– getting back to nature can be a tonic when you'refeeling down.

是的，置身于到處都是綠色的開(kāi)闊空間當(dāng)然能夠幫助我們放松和減壓——當(dāng)你情緒低落的時(shí)候，回歸自然是一劑補(bǔ)藥。

A tonic is something that makes you feel happier andhealthier. I'll drink to that!

補(bǔ)藥是能讓你感到更快樂(lè)、更健康的事物。同意！

Me too.

我也贊同。

But connecting with the natural world is particularlybeneficial to people with mental health issues such as clinical depression.

但是同自然世界建立聯(lián)系對(duì)那些有心理健康問(wèn)題的人尤其有益，比如臨床抑郁癥。

And it's something that's being called 'ecotherapy'.

而這就是所謂的"生態(tài)療法"。

More on that in a moment but here's a question for you toanswer, Georgina.

更多內(nèi)容就在稍后，但有一個(gè)問(wèn)題要你回答，喬治娜。

OK, Neil. Fire away.

好的，尼爾，放馬過(guò)來(lái)。

Well, seeing or even hugging trees is a form of therapy,but how high is the world's tallest tree thought to be?

好吧，看樹(shù)甚至抱樹(shù)都是一種治療方法，但是世界上最高的樹(shù)被認(rèn)為有多高呢？

Is it. . . a) 65.8 metres, b) 115.8 metres, or c) 185.8metres?

它是……a) 65。8米，b) 115。8米，還是c) 185。8米？

Georgina, any ideas?

喬治娜，有什么想法嗎？

Not a clue – but let's go for the highest figure of 185.8metres.

沒(méi)頭緒，我們選最高的那個(gè)數(shù)字——185。8米。

Are you sure?

你確定嗎？

Well, we'll have to wait until the end of the programmeto find out.

好吧，我們得等到節(jié)目最后才能揭曉。

Now, the mental health charity, Mind,?describesecotherapy as a formal type of treatment?which involves doing outdooractivities in nature.

現(xiàn)在，心理健康慈善機(jī)構(gòu)Mind，將生態(tài)療法形容為一種正式的治療方式，它包括在大自然中進(jìn)行戶外活動(dòng)。

However, there's not one simple definition, it justrelates to doing activities outdoors.

然而，它并沒(méi)有一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單的定義，它只是與戶外活動(dòng)有關(guān)。

Yes, it can involve doing many things,?such asoutdoor yoga or horticulture – another name for gardening.

是的，它可以涉及很多事情，比如戶外瑜伽或園藝——園藝的另一個(gè)名字。

It doesn't involve taking medication,?but instead itjust develops a person's relationship with nature.

它不涉及服藥，它只是建立人與自然的關(guān)系。

It's something Patricia Hasbach knows a lot about.

這是帕特里夏·哈斯巴赫非常了解的。

She's a clinical psychotherapist and told the BBC Radioprogramme Health Check how ecotherapy can help.

她是一名臨床心理治療師，她告訴BBC廣播Health Check節(jié)目，生態(tài)療法能夠有所幫助。

Does she say it can help everyone?

她說(shuō)它能幫助每個(gè)人嗎？

I often think about ecotherapy as another tool in thetherapist's toolbox.

我經(jīng)常認(rèn)為生態(tài)療法是治療師工具箱里的另一工具。

It's not a panacea.

它不是萬(wàn)能藥。

It's not going to erase somebody's pain or grief.

它不會(huì)消除某人的痛苦或悲傷。

But it is a powerful tool, you know.

但它是一個(gè)強(qiáng)大的工具，你知道的。

Traditionally therapy has stopped at the urban boundary.

傳統(tǒng)上，城市邊界已經(jīng)不存在治療。

So it's interesting that she describes ecotherapy as atool – something that can be used to achieve something else.

有趣的是，她形容生態(tài)療法是一種工具——可以用來(lái)實(shí)現(xiàn)其他的東西。

Here it can be used to help improve someone's mentalhealth.

在這里，它可以用來(lái)幫助改善一個(gè)人的心理健康。

Ah, but she says it's not a panacea – so not somethingthat will solve everything.

啊，但她說(shuō)這不是萬(wàn)能藥，所以并不是能解決一切的東西。

It won't erase or get rid of someone's pain.

它不會(huì)清除或消除某人的痛苦。

But going beyond what she calls the 'urban boundary', andinto the natural world, means there is another method for helping people.

但是，越過(guò)她所說(shuō)的"城市邊界"，進(jìn)入自然世界，意味著有另一種幫助人們的方法。

Now, as we've mentioned, ecotherapy can take on manyforms?– doing art in a forest or running on a beach are all therapeutic.

現(xiàn)在，正如我們所提到的，生態(tài)療法可以有多種形式——在森林里搞藝術(shù)或在沙灘上跑步都是有益于健康的。

They're things that makes you feel better or healthier.

它們是讓你感覺(jué)更好或更健康的東西。

Well, I think that's clear, but what is it about theoutdoors that affects us?

嗯，我想那很明顯，但是戶外活動(dòng)對(duì)我們有什么影響呢？

A good question, Georgina.

問(wèn)得好，喬治娜。

It seems from research that our busy brains are always onguard,?but when we get into nature it gets a break,?there's not somuch to be on the lookout for and we can relax.

從研究來(lái)看，似乎我們忙碌的大腦總是處于警戒狀態(tài)，但當(dāng)我們進(jìn)入大自然時(shí)，它會(huì)得到休息，那里沒(méi)有那么多東西讓我們提防，我們可以放松。

Well, it does seem the negative symptoms of urban lifecan benefit from a dose of nature – a dose is an amount of something.

嗯，似乎城市生活的負(fù)面癥狀確實(shí)可以受益于自然這一劑藥——一劑就是一些數(shù)量的某物。

Let's get a good explanation from an expert.

讓我們聽(tīng)聽(tīng)專家更好的解釋。

Environmental psychologist Birgitta Gatersleben alsospoke to the BBC Health Check programme and gave two reasons?– one ofthem, she explained, was something called 'biophilia'.

環(huán)境心理學(xué)家比吉塔·蓋特斯黎本也接受了BBC廣播Health Check節(jié)目的采訪，并給出了兩個(gè)原因——她解釋說(shuō)，其中一個(gè)原因是所謂的"熱愛(ài)自然的天性"。

Biophilia, very briefly, is really an innate positiveresponse that people have with life and life-like features.

簡(jiǎn)而言之，熱愛(ài)自然的天性是人們對(duì)生命和類生命特征的一種天生的積極反應(yīng)。

The idea that nature reminds us of life,?and if we(are) exposed to the natural elements,?then our sort of negative feelingsget almost immediately replaced with positive emotions.

大自然讓我們回想起生活，如果我們接觸自然元素，那么我們的消極情緒幾乎會(huì)馬上被積極情緒所取代。

Birgitta Gatersleben there explaining biophilia – whichis a passion for or empathy with the natural world and living things.

比吉塔·蓋特斯黎本在那里解釋了熱愛(ài)自然的天性——對(duì)自然世界和生物的熱愛(ài)或共情。

She said biophilia is innate, which means it's a qualitythat you're born with.

她說(shuō)熱愛(ài)自然的天性是天生的，那是說(shuō)它是一種與生俱來(lái)的品質(zhì)。

So basically, most of us were born to connect withnature?– nature reminds us of life and gives us good, positive emotions.

所以基本上，我們大多數(shù)人天生就與大自然有聯(lián)系——大自然讓我們回想起生活，給予我們美好、積極的情感。

Naturally. OK. Well, Georgina, maybe getting today's quizquestion right will give you positive emotions.

天生。好的。喬治娜，也許答對(duì)今天的問(wèn)題會(huì)給你帶來(lái)積極情緒。

Earlier I asked you how high the world's tallest tree isthought to be.

之前我問(wèn)你世界上最高的樹(shù)被認(rèn)為有多高。

Is it. . . a) 65.8 metres, b) 115.8 metres, or c) 185.8metres?

它是……a) 65。8米，b) 115。8米，還是c) 185。8米？

What did you say?

你說(shuō)是什么？

I said c) 185.8 metres.

我說(shuō)是c) 185。8米。

Oh dear, I'm afraid that's far too high!

哦，親愛(ài)的，恐怕那太高了！

The correct answer is 115.8 metres. Never mind.

正確答案是115。8米。別放心上。

The tree, named Hyperion, is a type of redwood and wasfound in California in 2006.

這棵叫做亥伯龍神的樹(shù)是一種紅杉，2006年在加州被發(fā)現(xiàn)。

Well, that's still very tall, and would be great to see.

好吧，還是挺高的，要是能看到就太好了。

Now we've just got time to recap some of the vocabularywe've discussed,?starting with tonic which can be a fizzy drink you mixwith an alcoholic drink,?but in the context of therapy it can meansomething that makes you feel happier and healthier.

現(xiàn)在我們的時(shí)間只夠復(fù)習(xí)我們討論過(guò)的一些詞匯，從補(bǔ)藥開(kāi)始，它可以是一種碳酸飲料，你可以把它和酒精飲料混合在一起，但在治療的語(yǔ)境中，它可以指讓你感覺(jué)更快樂(lè)、更健康的東西。

Horticulture is the study or activity of growing gardenplants – in other words, gardening.

園藝是種植園林植物的研究或活動(dòng)——也就是"gardening"。

A panacea is something believed to solve everything.

萬(wàn)能藥是認(rèn)為可以解決一切問(wèn)題的東西。

If something is therapeutic, it makes you feel better orhealthier.

如果某物是有益于健康的，它會(huì)讓你感覺(jué)更好或更健康。

We also discussed biophilia, which is a passion for orempathy with the natural world and living things.

我們還討論了"熱愛(ài)自然的天性?"，它是對(duì)自然世界和生物的一種熱愛(ài)或共情。

And innate means a quality that you naturally have –you're born with it.

"天生的"指的是你天生就有的一種品質(zhì)——你與生俱來(lái)的。

Well, as you know I have an innate quality for presentingthis programme – but now it's time to go.

嗯，正如你所知道的，我天生就有能力主持這個(gè)節(jié)目，但現(xiàn)在是時(shí)候結(jié)束本期節(jié)目了。

Please join us next time,?and don't forget to checkus out on your favourite social media platform, on our app,?and of coursethe website bbclearningenglish. com.

下次再加入我們啊，不要忘記在你最喜歡的社交媒體平臺(tái)和我們的應(yīng)用程序上查找我們的內(nèi)容，當(dāng)然還有網(wǎng)站bbclearningenglish。com。

Goodbye.

再見(jiàn)。

Bye!