英语高级视听说下原文.docx

英语高级视听说下原文.docx

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英语高级视听说下原文

UNIT3APILLTOFORGET

（CBS）Ifthereweresomethingyoucouldtakeafterexperiencingapainfulortraumaticeventthatwouldpermanentlyweakenyourmemoryofwhathadjusthappened,wouldyoutakeit?

AscorrespondentLesleyStahlreports,it’sanideathatmaynotbesofaroff,andthathassomecriticsalarmed,andsometraumavictimsfilledwithhope.

"Icouldn'tgetmybodytostopshaking.Iwastrembling,constantlytrembling.Memoriesofitwouldjustcomeback,reoccurringoverandoverandover,"subwayconductorBeatrizArguedasrecalls.

LastSept.30,BeatrizwasdrivinghernormalrouteontheRedLineinBostonwhenoneofherworstfearscametopass:

"Uponenteringoneofthebusieststations,amanjumpedinfrontofmytrain,tocommitsuicide,"sheexplains.

Beatrizsawthemanjump."WesortofmadeeyecontactandthenIfeltthethudfromhimhittingthetrainandthenthecracklingsoundunderneaththetrainand,then,ofcourse,myheartstartsthumping,"sherecalls.

"Shecameintoouremergencyroomafterwards,veryupset.Nophysicalinjury.Entirelyapsychologicaltrauma,"saysDr.RogerPitman,apsychiatristatHarvardMedicalSchoolwhohasstudiedandtreatedpatientswithpost-traumaticstressdisorder,orPTSD,for25years.

"They'recaughtupsomuchwiththispasteventthatit'sconstantlyintheirmind,"Pitmanexplains."They'relivingitoverandoverandoverasifit'shappeningagain.Andtheyjustcan'tgetinvolvedinreallife."

WhenBeatrizarrivedintheemergencyroom,Pitmanenrolledherinanexperimentalstudyofadrugcalledpropranolol,amedicationcommonlyusedforhighbloodpressure...andunofficiallyforstagefright.Pitmanthoughtitmightdosomethingalmostmagical–trickBeatriz’sbrainintomakingaweakermemoryoftheeventshehadjustexperienced.

Inthestudy,whichisstillunderway,halfthesubjectsgetpropranolol;halfgetaplacebo.

AskedwhetherheknowsifBeatrizgotthedrugortheplacebo,Dr.Pitmansayshehasnoideaandneitherdoesshe,andthattheresearchteamwon'tknowforanothertwoyears.

IfPitmanisright,theresultscouldfundamentallychangethewayaccidentvictims,rapevictims,evensoldiersaretreatedaftertheyexperiencetrauma.

Thestorybeginswithsomesurprisingdiscoveriesaboutmemory.ItturnsoutourmemoriesaresortoflikeJello–theytaketimetosolidifyinourbrains.Andwhilethey'resetting,it'spossibletomakethemstrongerorweaker.Italldependsonthestresshormoneadrenaline.

ThemanwhodiscoveredthisisJamesMcGaugh,aprofessorofneurobiologyattheUniversityofCalifornia,Irvine.

McGaughstudiesmemoryinrats,andheinvitedStahltowatchthemakingofaratmemory–inthiscasehowaratwho'sneverbeeninthistankofwaterbeforelearnshowtofindaclearplasticplatformjustbelowthesurface.

"He’llswimaroundrandomly,"McGaughexplains.Theratcannotseetheplatform,sincehiseyesareonthetopofhishead.

Theratwillswimaroundtheedgeforalongtime,untileventuallyheventuresoutandbychancebumpsintotheplatform.Thenextday,he'llfindtheplatformalittlebitfaster.

Butanotherrat,whohadlearnedwheretheplatformwasthedayprior,andthenreceivedashotofadrenalineimmediatelyafterwards,todayswaminstantlytotheplatform.

Adrenalineactuallymadethisrat'sbrainrememberbetter,andMcGaughbelievesthesamethinghappensinpeople."SupposeIsaidtoyou,'Youknow,I'vewatchedyourprogramsalotovertheyears,andalthoughitpainsmetohavetotellyouthis,Ithinkyou'reoneofworstpeopleI'veeverseenon…nowdon'ttakeit,don'ttakeitpersonally,'"McGaughsays.

"So,mystresssystemwouldgointooverdrive,noquestion,"Stahlsays.

"Evenwithmytellingyouthatit'snottrue,there'snothingtokeepyoufromblushing,fromfeelingwarmallover,"McGaughpointsout."That'stheadrenaline.AndIdaresaythatyou'regonnaremembermyhavingsaidthatlongafteryou'veforgottentheotherdetailsofourdiscussionhere.Iguaranteeit."

McGaughsaysthat’swhywerememberimportantandemotionaleventsinourlivesmorethanregularday-to-dayexperiences.Thenextstepinhisresearchwastoseewhatwouldhappenwhenadrenalinewasblocked;hestartedexperimentingwithpropranolol.

"Propranololsitsonthatnervecellandblocksit,sothat,thinkofthisasbeingakey,andthisisalock,theholeinthelockisblockedbecauseofpropranololsittingthere.Soadrenalinecanbepresent,butitcan'tdoitsjob,"McGaughexplains.

McGaughshowedStahlathirdratthathadlearnedwheretheplatformwasonthepreviousdayandthenreceivedaninjectionofpropranolol.Thenextday,theratswamaroundtheedge,asifhehadforgottenthereeverwasaplatformoutthere.

AcrossthecountryatHarvard,RogerPitmanreadMcGaugh'sstudiesandalightbulbwenton."WhenIreadaboutthis,Isaid,'Thishasgottobehowpost-traumaticstressdisorderworks.'Becausethinkaboutwhathappenstoaperson.Firstofall,theyhaveahorriblytraumaticevent,andtheyhaveintensefearandhelplessness.Sothatintensefearandhelplessnessisgonnastimulateadrenaline,"Pitmansays."Andthenwhatdowefindthreemonthsorsixmonthsor20yearslater?

Excessivelystrongmemories."

Pitmanfiguredhecouldblockthatcyclebygivingtraumavictimspropranololrightaway...beforeadrenalinecouldmakethememoriestoostrong.Hestartedrecruitingpatientsforasmallpilotstudy.OneofthefirstwasKathleenLogue,aparalegalwhohadbeenknockeddowninthemiddleofabusyBostonstreetbyabicyclist.

"Hejusthitthewholeleftsideofmybody.AnditseemedlikeforeverthatIwaslayinginthemiddleofStateStreet,downtownBoston,"Logueremembers.

Shesaysshewasterrifiedthatshewasjustgoingtogetrunover.

Aspartofthestudy,Loguetookpropranololfourtimesadayfor10days.Liketheotherswhogotthedrug,threemonthslatersheshowednophysiologicalsignsofPTSD,whileseveralsubjectswhogotaplacebodid.ThoseresultsgotPitmanfundingforalargerstudybytheNationalInstitutesofHealth.

ButthenthePresident’sCouncilonBioethicscondemnedthestudyinareportthatsaidourmemoriesmakeuswhoweareandthat"re-writing"memoriespharmacologically…risks"underminingourtrueidentity."

"Thisisaquote.'Itrisksmakingshamefulactsseemlessshamefulorterribleactslessterriblethantheyreallyare,'"StahlreadstoLogue.

"Aterribleact,"shereplies."Whyshouldyouhavetolivewithiteverydayofyourlife?

Itdoesn'terasethefactthatithappened.Itdoesn'teraseyourmemoryofit.Itmakesiteasiertorememberandfunction."

DavidMagnus,directorofStanfordUniversity’sCenterforBiomedicalEthics,saysheworriesthatitwon'tbejusttraumavictimstryingtodullpainfulmemories.

"Fromthepointofviewofapharmaceuticalindustry,they'regoingtohaveeveryinterestinhavingasmanypeopleaspossiblediagnosedwiththisconditionandhaveitusedasbroadlyaspossible.That'stherealityofhowdrugsgetintroducedandutilized,"Magnusargues.

He’sconcerneditwillbeusedfortrivialreasons."IfIembarrassmyselfatapartyFridaynightandinsteadoffeelingbadaboutitIcouldtakeapillthenI'mgoingtoavoid–nothavetoavoidmakingafoolofmyselfatparties,"Magnussays.

"Soyouthinkthatthatembarrassmentandallofthatisteachingus?

"Stahlasks.

"Absolutely,"Magnussays."Ourbreakups,ourrelationships,aspainfulastheyare,welearnfromsomeofthosepainfulexperiences.Theymakeusbetterpeople."

Butwhiletheethicistsdebatetheissue,thescienceismovingforward.Researchershaveshowninratstudiesthatpropranololcanalsobluntoldmemories.

Pitmanwondered:

Coulditworkinhumans?

HeteamedupwithCanadiancolleagueAlainBrunet,whosearchedforpeoplewithlong-standingPTSD,likeRitaMagil.Shehadsufferedforthreeyearsfromnightmaresafteralife-threateningcaraccident.

AnotherstudysubjectisLouiseO'Donnell-Jasmin,whowasrapedbyadoctorattheageof12."Herapedmeonhisdesk,onachair,andonthefloor.It,forme,itwaslikeIwasdyinginside,"sheremembers."Theworldhadended."

O'Donnell-Jasminwashauntedbytherapeformorethan30years.Sheneverfeltcomfortableundressinginfrontofherhusbandandsufferedfromrecurrentflashbacksandnightmares.

Thestudywassimple:

Subjectscameinandwereaskedtothinkaboutandwritedowneverydetailtheycouldrememberabouttheirtrauma;inMagil'scase,hercaraccident,reactivatingthememoryinherbrain.Shewasthengivenpropranolol.

Ritasaysshesufferednosideeffects.

Aweeklater,electrodesmeasuredherbody’sstressresponseasshelistenedtoaretellingofhertrauma.Askedwhathappened,Magilsays,"Noreaction."

Andshesaysshehadnomorenightmares.

ThepatientwhomadethemostdramaticrecoveryturnedouttobeO'Donnell-Jasmin,butthere'sacatch,becauseshewasinacontrolgroupandthereforewasn’tsupposedtoimproveatall.

O'Donnell-Jasminwasgivenpropranolol,butunlikeMagil,shetookthedrugwhilewatchingapleasantmovie,notaftertellingeverydetailaboutherrape.Andyet,aweeklater,shenoticedachange."Iwakeup.AndIfindmyselfundressing.Andmyhusbandisthere.AndIrealizeI'mundressing,andI'mnotfeelingasthoughIneedtohideunderthebedanymore,"sheexplains.

Askedifitisgone,O'Donnell-Jasminsays,"Yes.Thelink,whatheldtheemotionstothememories,it'sliketheumbilicalcordhasbeencut.AndthereisnowayIcanaccesstheemotionsanymore.Andfurthermore,everydayitgetsbetter."

"Louisegot