The Secret to Self-Control.IN 1971, as the Vietnam War was heading into its sixteenth year, congressmen Robert Steele from Connecticut and Morgan Murphy from Illinois made a discovery that stunned the American public.While visiting the troops, they had learned that over 15 percent of U.S. soldiers stationed there were heroin addicts.Follow-up research revealed that 35 percent of service members in Vietnam had tried heroin and as many as 20 percent were addicted—the problem was even worse than they had initially thought.The discovery led to a flurry of activity in Washington, including the creation of the Special Action Office of Drug Abuse Prevention under President Nixon to promote prevention and rehabilitation and to track addicted service members when they returned home.Lee Robins was one of the researchers in charge.In a finding that completely upended the accepted beliefs about addiction, Robins found that when soldiers who had been heroin users returned home, only 5 percent of them became re-addicted within a year, and just 12 percent relapsed within three years.In other words, approximately nine out of ten soldiers who used heroin in Vietnam eliminated their addiction nearly overnight.This finding contradicted the prevailing view at the time, which considered heroin addiction to be a permanent and irreversible condition.Instead, Robins revealed that addictions could spontaneously dissolve if there was a radical change in the environment.In Vietnam, soldiers spent all day surrounded by cues triggering heroin use: it was easy to access, they were engulfed by the constant stress of war, they built friendships with fellow soldiers who were also heroin users, and they were thousands of miles from home.Once a soldier returned to the United States, though, he found himself in an environment devoid of those triggers.When the context changed, so did the habit.
IN 1971, as the Vietnam War was heading into its sixteenth year, congressmen Robert Steele from Connecticut and Morgan Murphy from Illinois made a discovery that stunned the American public.
While visiting the troops, they had learned that over 15 percent of U.S. soldiers stationed there were heroin addicts.
在视察部队时,他们了解到驻扎在那里的超过15%的美国士兵是海洛因成瘾者。
troops/truːps/
n. 部队,军队
Ex: The president visited the troops.
例句翻译:总统视察了部队。 分析:名词复数,指士兵或武装力量。
stationed/ˈsteɪʃnd/
v. 驻扎(过去分词作定语)
Ex: Soldiers stationed abroad.
例句翻译:驻扎在国外的士兵。 分析:动词,指派(军队或人员)到某个地方工作。
addict/ˈædɪkt/
n. 成瘾者
Ex: A drug addict.
例句翻译:吸毒成瘾者。 分析:名词,对某种有害事物(如毒品)上瘾的人。
Follow-up research revealed that 35 percent of service members in Vietnam had tried heroin and as many as 20 percent were addicted—the problem was even worse than they had initially thought.
The discovery led to a flurry of activity in Washington, including the creation of the Special Action Office of Drug Abuse Prevention under President Nixon to promote prevention and rehabilitation and to track addicted service members when they returned home.
In a finding that completely upended the accepted beliefs about addiction, Robins found that when soldiers who had been heroin users returned home, only 5 percent of them became re-addicted within a year, and just 12 percent relapsed within three years.
In other words, approximately nine out of ten soldiers who used heroin in Vietnam eliminated their addiction nearly overnight.
换句话说,在越南吸食海洛因的士兵中,大约有十分之九的人几乎在一夜之间就戒掉了毒瘾。
approximately/əˈprɑːksɪmətli/
adv. 大约,近乎
Ex: Approximately 100 people attended.
例句翻译:大约有100人参加。 分析:副词,用来表示数字或数量不完全准确但很接近。
eliminate/ɪˈlɪmɪneɪt/
v. 消除,根除
Ex: Eliminate the problem.
例句翻译:消除问题。 分析:动词,完全移除或摆脱某事物。
overnight/ˌoʊvərˈnaɪt/
adv. 一夜之间,突然
Ex: He became famous overnight.
例句翻译:他一夜成名。 分析:副词,在夜间发生,也常比喻非常快地发生。
This finding contradicted the prevailing view at the time, which considered heroin addiction to be a permanent and irreversible condition.
这一发现与当时的主流观点相矛盾,当时的主流观点认为海洛因成瘾是一种永久且不可逆转的状态。
contradict/ˌkɑːntrəˈdɪkt/
v. 与...相矛盾,反驳
Ex: His actions contradict his words.
例句翻译:他的言行不一。 分析:动词,表示相反的情况或说法。
prevailing/prɪˈveɪlɪŋ/
adj. 盛行的,主流的
Ex: The prevailing opinion.
例句翻译:主流观点。 分析:形容词,在特定时间或地点最普遍的。
permanent/ˈpɜːrmənənt/
adj. 永久的,长期的
Ex: A permanent job.
例句翻译:一份长期的工作。 分析:形容词,持续很长时间或永远存在的。
irreversible/ˌɪrɪˈvɜːrsəbl/
adj. 不可逆转的
Ex: Irreversible damage.
例句翻译:不可逆转的损害。 分析:形容词,不能改变或恢复原状的。
Instead, Robins revealed that addictions could spontaneously dissolve if there was a radical change in the environment.
相反,罗宾斯揭示了如果环境发生根本性的改变,成瘾可能会自发地消失。
spontaneously/spɑːnˈteɪniəsli/
adv. 自发地,自然地
Ex: The crowd applauded spontaneously.
例句翻译:人群自发地鼓起掌来。 分析:副词,没有外部提示或计划地发生。
dissolve/dɪˈzɑːlv/
v. 消失,溶解
Ex: The tension began to dissolve.
例句翻译:紧张气氛开始消失。 分析:动词,这里指逐渐消失或结束。
radical/ˈrædɪkl/
adj. 根本的,彻底的
Ex: A radical change.
例句翻译:根本性的改变。 分析:形容词,指对基本原则或基础产生影响的重大改变。
In Vietnam, soldiers spent all day surrounded by cues triggering heroin use: it was easy to access, they were engulfed by the constant stress of war, they built friendships with fellow soldiers who were also heroin users, and they were thousands of miles from home.