第1508期:Flying and emotion

I’ll let you into a secret. There’s a place that gets me every time: whenever I’m there, I can’t help but well up. Where is this tear-inducing location? It’s thousands of metres high in the sky, in the cabin of an aeroplane. Especially when there’s a trashy romantic comedy on. 

我会让你进入一个秘密。每次都有一个地方让我感动：每当我在那里时，我都会情不自禁地振作起来。这个催泪的地方在哪里？它在数千米高的天空中，在飞机的机舱内。尤其是当有一部垃圾浪漫喜剧上演的时候。

Why am I admitting this now? Because apparently, I’m not alone. English crooner Ed Sheeran confesses to getting all emotional when flying too. And get this: a survey carried out by Gatwick Airport in London found that 15% of men confess they’re more likely to cry during films in planes than watching at home. And 41% of men owned up to burying themselves in the blankets to hide their tears in a separate survey by Virgin Atlantic. In all, 55% of air travellers in the Virgin study claimed they experience heightened emotions when flying. 

为什么我现在承认？因为显然，我并不孤单。英国歌手埃德希兰承认在飞行时也会情绪激动。明白这一点：伦敦盖特威克机场进行的一项调查发现，15% 的男性承认他们在飞机上看电影时比在家看电影时更容易哭泣。在维珍航空的另一项调查中，41% 的男性承认自己埋在毯子里隐藏眼泪。总体而言，维珍航空研究中 55% 的航空旅客声称他们在飞行时会情绪高涨。

So, what’s going on? How does air travel tap into our hidden emotions? A study from the Netherlands has shown adults cry due to feelings of separation, loneliness or powerlessness. All of these are easily experienced when flying: you’re far from family, often alone, and have no control over the aircraft’s flight. 

发生什么了？航空旅行如何挖掘我们隐藏的情绪？荷兰的一项研究表明，成年人因分离、孤独或无力感而哭泣。所有这些在飞行时都很容易体验：您远离家人，经常独自一人，并且无法控制飞机的飞行。

Another theory relates to the lack of distraction. When you’re strapped into your seat in a sealed cabin in the sky, there’s not a lot you can do. So we are able to invest ourselves more fully into the movies we watch. 

另一种理论与缺乏分心有关。当你被绑在空中密封舱的座位上时，你无能为力。因此，我们能够更充分地投入到我们观看的电影中。

Then there’s the physical space. Air pressure and oxygen levels are lower, and this can affect our mental state. Conditions in an aeroplane resemble those at an altitude of 2,400m. The reduced oxygen at this height can affect the brain. According to a study by the US Institute of Medicine: “the initial mood experienced at altitude is euphoria, followed by depression.” 

然后是物理空间。气压和氧气水平较低，这会影响我们的精神状态。飞机上的情况类似于海拔 2,400 米的情况。在这个高度减少的氧气会影响大脑。根据美国医学研究所的一项研究：“在高海拔地区经历的最初情绪是欣快感，然后是抑郁症。”

And what about the movies themselves? Virgin say top culprits include tearjerkers such as Billy Elliot, Eat Pray Love and, at number one position, Toy Story 3. Their emotional firepower even caused the aeroplane to slap tongue-in-cheek “emotional health warnings” on select movies back in 2011. 

那么电影本身呢？维珍表示，罪魁祸首包括催人泪下的人，例如比利·埃利奥特（Billy Elliot）、《吃祈祷的爱》（Eat Pray Love）和排名第一的《玩具总动员》（Toy Story 3）。他们的情感火力甚至导致飞机在 2011 年在精选电影中开玩笑地发出“情感健康警告” .

Virgin Atlantic film critic Jason Solomons said at the time, "On a flight, we're isolated, leaving loved ones or aching to be reunited with them. We're nervous, we're tired, we might have had a drink at a time we usually wouldn't, and if we see an image, a scene that reflects our emotional state, frankly we're suckers. Flying and films is a heady cocktail.

维珍航空影评人杰森·所罗门斯（Jason Solomons）当时说：“在飞机上，我们被孤立，离开亲人或渴望与他们团聚。我们很紧张，我们很累，我们可能会在某个有时我们通常不会，如果我们看到一个图像，一个反映我们情绪状态的场景，坦率地说，我们是傻瓜。飞行和电影是一种令人陶醉的鸡尾酒。

词汇表

I can’t help but 我情不自禁地，我忍不住
well up （眼泪）涌出
cabin 客舱
trashy 质量低劣的
crooner 情歌歌手（通常指男歌手）
get this （固定搭配）听听这个
bury 埋藏
heightened emotions 高亢的情绪
tap into 进入，深入了解
invest 投入
altitude 海拔高度
euphoria 亢奋，异常兴奋
culprit 罪魁祸首
tearjerker 催人泪下的电影（书、戏剧等）
firepower 火力
tongue-in-cheek 开玩笑地
isolated 隔离的，孤独的
emotional state 情绪状态
sucker 容易上当受骗的人
cocktail 混合物，鸡尾酒