【TED精读2】什么是抑郁症？它和简单的情绪低落完全不同！

leading cause 

• • main cause; root cause 主要原因; 根本原因

【例】Lack of physical exercise is the leading cause of obesity in young students.缺乏体育锻炼是青少年学生肥胖的主要原因。

【例】Globally, cancer is the second leading cause of death. 从全球来看，癌症是人类的第二大死因。

disability n.

• • an illness, injury, or condition that makes it difficult for someone to do some things that other people do, and that is usually permanent or lasts for a long time. 残疾

【例】a physical/learning disability身体/学习障碍

【例】She is deaf, but refuses to let her disability prevent her from doing what she wants to do. 她是聋子，但拒绝让自己的残疾妨碍她做自己想做的事。

struggle with

• • to use a lot of effort to defeat someone, prevent something, or achieve something. 与…斗争

【例】For years she struggled with/against the establishment to get her theories accepted. 多年来，她一直在与当权派斗争以使自己的理论被接受。

【例】Sometimes, Chinese people struggle with the test as well. 有时候，中国人自己也考不好。

say

• • express a supposition. 表达一种假设

【例】Let us say that he did not tell the truth. 让我们假设他没有说实话

【例】Let's say you had a lot of money--what would you do? 假设你有很多钱—你会怎么做？

depressed adj.

• • unhappy and without hope. 沮丧的

【例】He seemed a bit depressed about his work situation. 他似乎对自己的工作状况有点沮丧

【例】She became deeply depressed when her husband died. 丈夫去世后，她变得非常沮丧。

down adj.

• • unhappy; unable to feel excited or energetic about anything. 沮丧的；低落的

【例】She's been really down since her husband left. 自从她丈夫离开后，她真的很沮丧。

【例】I've been (feeling) a little bit down this week. 这周我有点情绪低落。

bring on

• • to cause something to happen, esp. something bad 引起

【例】Reading in a dim light may bring on a headache. 在光线暗的情况下看书会引起头痛。

【例】Disappointment with the collapse of his plan and perhaps also his weakness brought on his severe hunger made it impossible for him to move. 对他的计划失败的失望，也许还有他极度饥饿带来的虚弱，使他无法行动。

 

trigger n.

1. a part of a gun that causes the gun to fire when pressed. 扳机

【例】It's not clear who actually pulled the trigger. 目前尚不清楚到底是谁扣动了扳机。

2. an event or situation, etc. that causes something to start. 引发

【例】There are fears that the incident may be a trigger for more violence in the capital. 有人担心，这起事件可能会引发首都发生更多暴力事件。

pops up

• • to appear or happen, especially suddenly or unexpectedly 突然出现; 冷不防冒出

【例】You solved one problem and another would immediately pop up. 你解决完一个问题，另一个问题又会马上冒出来。

【例】Pop up a window to ask for permission each time. 弹出一个窗口每次询问许可。

out of the blue idiom

• • If something happens out of the blue, it is completely unexpected. 突然; 出乎意料地

【例】One day, out of the blue, she announced that she was leaving. 有一天，她突然宣布要离开。

【例】One of them wrote to us out of the blue several years later. 数年后他们中的一人突然给我们写了一封信。

circumstance n.

• • A circumstance is the condition in which something happens. 条件; 环境; 状况

【例】Under no circumstances should you approach the man. 在任何情况下你都不应该接近那个男人。

【例】She died in suspicious circumstances. 她死得蹊跷。

disorder n.

• • an illness of the mind or body. 疾病

【例】a blood disorder血液病

【例】The family have a history of mental disorder. 这家人有精神障碍病史。

go away

• • to disappear. 消失

【例】Make no mistake, this is one crisis that won't just go away. 要知道，这是一场不会自行消失的危机。

【例】She was on antibiotics for an eye infection that wouldn't go away 由于眼睛感染一直不见好，她在服用抗生素。

linger v.

• • to take a long time to leave or disappear. 继续存留

【例】It is a dreary little town where few would choose to linger. 这是个沉闷的小镇，没几个人会愿意在此流连。

【例】The smell from the fire still lingered days later. 几天后，火的气味仍然挥之不去。

consecutive adj.

• • If things are consecutive, they happen one after the other with no break. 连续不断的

【例】There are five consecutive snowstorms on five consecutive days. 连续五天有五场连续的暴风雪。

【例】Unemployment has risen again for the third consecutive month. 失业率连续第三个月再次上升。

interfere with sth

• • to prevent something from working effectively or from developing successfully. 妨碍; 干扰

【例】Even a low level of noise interferes with my concentration. 即使是低水平的噪音也会干扰我的注意力。

symptoms n.

• • any feeling of illness or physical or mental change that is caused by a particular disease. 症状

【例】He's complaining of all the usual flu symptoms - a high temperature, headache, and so on. 他抱怨所有常见的流感症状——高温、头痛等等。

appetite n.

• • the feeling that you want to eat food. 食欲; 胃口

【例】I haven't got much of an appetite (= I am not hungry). 我没有太多食欲

【例】The children all have healthy/good appetites (= they eat a lot). 孩子们的食欲都很好

worthless adj.

1. having no value in money. 无价值的,不值钱的

【例】The company's shares are now virtually worthless. 该公司的股票现在几乎毫无价值。

2. unimportant or useless 一无是处的；不中用的

【例】She was criticized so much by her employers that she began to feel worthless. 她受到雇主的批评太多，以至于她开始觉得自己毫无价值。

excessively adv.

• • in a way that is too much. 过度地; 过分地

【例】She was polite but not excessively so. 她彬彬有礼，但并不过分。

【例】I don't drink excessively. 我不酗酒。

restlessness n.

• • the quality of being unwilling or unable to stay still or to be quiet and calm, because you are worried or bored. 烦躁不安; 辗转不安

【例】The signs of restlessness among young Chinese make for a less predictable political future. 中国年轻人群体的不安分迹象，使中国未来政治走向更加难以预测。

【例】He was seized with a restlessness he could not account for. 他突然感到一阵莫明其妙的不安情绪。

slowness n.

• • an inability to understand or notice things quickly. 迟缓; 迟钝

【例】Forrest was a little slow, however his slowness could easily be classified as naiveness. 福雷斯特有点迟钝，但他的迟钝很容易被归类为天真。

【例】Slowness causes trouble. 迂缓误事。

recurrent adj.

• • happening again many times. 反复出现的

【例】The 'what ifs' of history is a recurrent theme in her writing. 历史的“假设”是她写作中反复出现的主题。

【例】A dentist may decide to extract the tooth to prevent recurrent trouble 牙医可能会决定拔掉那颗牙，以免反复发作。

qualify v.

• • reach a standard. 具有资格; 达标

【例】Derrick won his tennis match and qualified for the semifinals. 德里克赢得了网球比赛，晋级半决赛。

【例】New businesses may qualify for tax remission. 新的企业可以有资格享受税收减免。

diagnosis n.

• • a judgment about what a particular illness or problem is, made after examining it. 诊断

【例】The doctor has made an initial diagnosis. 医生已作出初步诊断。

【例】Diagnosis of the disease is difficult in the early stages. 这种疾病的早期诊断很困难。

manifestation n.

• • appearance. 表现

【例】Unlike acid rain or deforestation, global warming has no visible manifestation. 与酸雨或森林砍伐不同，全球变暖没有明显的表现。

【例】Different animals in the colony had different manifestations of the disease. 在这一群体里，这种疾病在不同的动物身上有着不同的表现。

naked adj. 

1. not covered by clothes 裸体的

【例】a naked man一个裸体男子

【例】naked bodies裸露的身体

2. Something that is naked does not have its usual covering 裸露的

【例】naked eye肉眼，裸眼

【例】a naked hillside (= one without trees or plants) 裸露的山坡

be associated with something

• • If problems or dangers are associated with a particular thing or action, they are caused by it. 如果问题或危险与特定的事情或行动有关，那么它们就是由它引起的。

【例】在本文里：depression is associated with a few things…指抑郁症由以下几点因素引起。

【例】The cancer risks associated with smoking have been well documented. 与吸烟相关的癌症风险已被充分记录。

abnormal adj.

• • different from what is usual or average, especially in a way that is bad. 异常的

【例】abnormal behaviour/weather/conditions异常行为/天气/条件

【例】Tests revealed some abnormal skin cells. 测试发现了一些异常的皮肤细胞。

transmission n.

• • the act of sending or giving something 传播

【例】You can stop the transmission of some diseases by washing your hands often. 你可以通过经常洗手来阻止某些疾病的传播。

depletion n.

• • the act of decreasing something markedly 损耗; （资源）耗减

【例】Essential fatty acid depletion in children with inflammatory bowel disease炎症性肠病儿童缺乏必需脂肪酸

【例】The project addresses the depletion of land and energy resources. 该项目涉及到土地和能源资源的枯竭。

blunt v/adj. 

1. v. to make something less sharp or less strong. 使减弱; 使降低效应; 使(尖端、刃)变钝

【例】My recent bad experience has blunted my enthusiasm for travel. 我最近的糟糕经历削弱了我对旅行的热情。

2. adj. not sharp and therefore not able to write, cut, etc. well. 钝的; 不锋利的

【例】a blunt pencil/ knife 一只钝铅笔/一把钝刀

3. adj. saying what you think without trying to be polite or considering other people's feelings. 嘴直的; 直言的

【例】I'll be blunt - that last piece of work you did was terrible. 坦率地说，你做的最后一件事太糟糕了。

circadian rhythms n.

• • a daily cycle of activity observed in many living organisms. 生理节奏; 生物周期;

【例】Regular mealtimes, not just regular sleep times, help regulate our circadian rhythms. 不仅是有规律的睡眠时间，有规律的饮食时间也对调节我们的生理节奏有帮助。

hormone n.

• • any of various chemicals made by living cells that influence the development, growth, sex, etc. of an animal and are carried around the body in the blood. 激素,荷尔蒙

【例】male and female hormones 雄性和雌性激素

【例】growth hormones 生长激素

abnormality n.

• • something abnormal, usually in the body. 异常

【例】genetic/congenital abnormalities遗传性/先天性异常

【例】The X-rays showed some slight abnormality. X光片显示出一些轻微的异常。

deregulation n.

• • Deregulation is the removal, or cancellation, of certain rules or directives. (The prefix "de-" here means "remove.") 放松管制;解除管制

【例】Since deregulation, banks are permitted to set their own interest rates.管制撤销之后，银行可以自行设定利率。

picture n.

• • a description that gives you an idea in your mind of what sth is like. 描绘；描述

【例】After watching the news, I had a clearer picture of what was happening. 看完新闻后，我对正在发生的事情有了更清晰的了解。

【例】The police are trying to build up a picture of what happened. 警方正试图掌握事情发生的经过。

have to do with something idiom

• • to be about something. 与…有关

【例】My question has to do with last week’s assignment. 我的问题与上周的作业有关。

【例】Excuse me, but I want to know what all this has to do with us. 抱歉，我想知道所有这些和我们有什么关系。

interaction n. 

• • a situation where two or more people or things communicate with each other or react to each another. 相互作用

【常用搭配1】interaction between sb/sth and sb/sth 

【例】There's not enough interaction between the management and the workers. 管理层和工人之间没有足够的互动。

【常用搭配2】interaction of sth and sth 

【例】A great advertising campaign comes from the successful interaction of strategic planning and creative skills. 一个伟大的广告活动来自于战略规划和创意技能的成功互动。

【常用搭配3】interaction with sb 

【例】We select employees who will be good at face-to-face interaction with customers. 我们会挑选善于与客户面对面交流的员工。

【常用搭配4】interaction among sth 

【例】The engineering conference encourages interactions among experts in different fields. 工程会议鼓励不同领域的专家进行互动。

show up

1. to appear or be seen. (使)显现

【例】The virus does not show up in blood tests. 这种病毒在血液测试中没有表现出来。

2. to arrive for a gathering or event 参加聚会

【例】He showed up late for the meeting. 他参加会议迟到了。

intangible adj./n.

1. adj. influencing you but not able to be seen or physically felt. 无形的

【例】There is the intangible benefit of playing a home game before a friendly crowd. 在友好的观众面前进行主场比赛有一种无形的好处。

【例】She has that intangible quality which you might call charisma. 她有一种无形的特质，你可以称之为魅力。

2. n. something that exists but that cannot be touched, exactly described, or given an exact value. 无形的东西

【例】Common sense and creativity are some of the intangibles we're looking for in an employee. 常识和创造力是我们在员工身上寻找的一些无形的东西。

【例】His ability to inspire and lead players is an intangible that is difficult to quantify. 他激励和领导球员的能力是无形的，很难量化。

It takes sb some time to do sth

• • = sb spend some time in doing sth 做某事花费某人多少时间

【例】It took me half an hour to do the work. = I spent half an hour in doing the work. 我花了半个小时做这项工作。

effective adj.

• • (used about a treatment or drug) working well when used by people in general, as opposed to only under carefully controlled scientific testing conditions. （用于治疗或药物）一般人使用时效果良好，而不是仅在精心控制的科学测试条件下使用。

【例】Aspirin is a simple but highly effective treatment. 阿司匹林药片治疗方法简便，效果却非常显著。

【例】It's an extremely effective cure for a headache. 这是治疗头痛非常有效的方法。

treatment n.

1.the use of drugs, exercises, etc. to cure a person of an illness or injury. 疗法;诊治

【例】free dental treatment 免费牙科治疗

【例】This disease doesn't generally respond to treatment. 这种疾病通常对治疗没有反应。

2. the way you deal with or behave toward someone or something. 对待; 待遇

【例】He accused the governor of giving rich people special treatment. 他指责州长给予富人特殊待遇

【例】We were given the full VIP treatment. 我们得到了全面的贵宾待遇。

therapy n.

1. treatment to help a person get better from the effects of a disease or injury. 治疗;疗法

【例】Have you had any therapy for your depression? 你对抑郁症做过治疗吗？

2. = psychotherapy 心理治疗

【例】a therapy group 心理治疗小组

【例】She's in therapy. 她在接受心理治疗。

complement v.

• • to make something else seem better or more attractive when combining with it. 补充;补足

【例】Strawberries and cream complement each other perfectly. 草莓和奶油相得益彰。

【例】The music complements her voice perfectly. 音乐与她的声音相得益彰。

boost v.

• • to increase or improve something. 促进; 使增长; 提高; 帮助; 激励

【例】The company is looking for ways to boost sales in Asia, its biggest market. 该公司正在寻找提高其最大市场亚洲销售额的方法。

【例】I tried to boost his morale by praising his cooking. 我试图通过赞扬他的烹饪来鼓舞他的士气。

promising adj.

• • showing signs of future success or achievement. 有希望的; 有前途的

【例】She is a highly promising young musician. 她是一位非常有前途的年轻音乐家。

【例】The weather doesn't look very promising.天气看起来不会太好。

investigate v.

• • to examine a crime, problem, statement, etc. carefully, especially to discover the truth. 侦查(某事); 调查(某人); 研究

【例】The FBI has been called in to investigate. 联邦调查局奉命进行调查。

【例】Scientists are investigating the effects of diet on fighting cancer. 科学家正在研究饮食的抗癌作用。

seek out

• • to look for someone or something, especially for a long time until you find him, her, or it. 寻找到; 找出

【例】While he was at the library, Steve decided to seek out some information on the history of the area. 在图书馆时，史蒂夫决定寻找一些有关该地区历史的信息。

【例】Now is the time for local companies to seek out business opportunities in Europe. 对于当地公司来说，现在是时候去欧洲寻求商机了。

offer to help

• • 主动提供帮助

【例】Their offer to help was at bottom self-centred. 他们提出要帮忙，这其实还是他们为自己考虑。

【例】I think you might at least offer to help? 我认为你至少可以主动帮忙吧？

insurmountable adj.

• • (especially of a problem or a difficulty) so great that it cannot be dealt with successfully无法克服的

【例】insurmountable difficulties无法克服的困难

【例】This small country is faced with an insurmountable debt. 这个小国面临着无法克服的债务。

ashamed adj.

• • feeling guilty or embarrassed about something you have done or about a quality in your character. 惭愧的;羞愧的

【例】You've got nothing to be ashamed of. 你没有什么好羞愧的。

【例】He was ashamed to admit to his mistake. 他不好意思承认自己的错误。

trait n.

• • a particular characteristic that can produce a particular type of behavior. 特征, 特点

【例】His sense of humour is one of his better traits. 他的幽默感是他更好的特点之一。

【例】Arrogance is a very unattractive personality/character trait. 傲慢是一种非常没有吸引力的性格特征。

get over

• • to get better after an illness, or feel better after something or someone has made you unhappy. 克服; 从…恢复过来

【例】She was only just getting over the flu when she got a stomach bug. 她刚从流感中恢复过来，就得了胃病。

【例】It took him years to get over the shock of his wife dying. 他花了好几年时间才从妻子去世的震惊中恢复过来。

temporary adj. 

• • not lasting or needed for very long. 暂时的

【例】The ceasefire will only provide a temporary solution to the crisis. 停火只能为危机提供暂时的解决方案。

【例】temporary staff临时工作人员

erode v.

1. to slowly reduce or destroy something侵蚀;削弱

【常见搭配】erode value/profits/margins侵蚀价值/利润/利润

【例】Sudden movements in exchange and interest rates can erode profit margins. 汇率和利率的突然波动可能会侵蚀利润率。

【常见搭配】erode confidence/support削弱信心/支持

【例】The retail industry is struggling with eroding consumer confidence and a weakening sales trend. 零售业正在与消费者信心的下降和销售趋势的减弱作斗争。

2. to gradually destroy the surface of sth through the action of wind, rain, etc.; to be gradually destroyed in this way 被风、雨等侵蚀

【例】The cliff face has been steadily eroded by the sea.峭壁表面逐渐被海水侵蚀。

stigma n.

• • a strong feeling of disapproval that most people in a society have about something, especially when this is unfair. 耻辱; 污名

【例】There is no longer any stigma to being divorced. 离婚不再是耻辱。

【例】Being an unmarried mother no longer carries the social stigma that it used to. 作为一个未婚母亲，不再像过去那样带有社会污名。