第1646期:What’s the best way to read a book?

Do you like to bury your head in a good book? Getting absorbed in a good story is a great way to relax. It improves your literacy, and, according to some experts, it’s good for your health as well. Studies show that it can increase our emotional intelligence as we understand a range of perspectives and motivations. But despite these benefits, does the way we consume a story make any difference?

你喜欢埋头读一本好书吗？沉浸在一个好故事中是放松的好方法。它可以提高你的识字能力，而且据一些专家称，它对你的健康也有好处。研究表明，当我们了解一系列观点和动机时，它可以提高我们的情商。但是尽管有这些好处，我们消费故事的方式有什么不同吗？

For the purist, the only way to digest a good story is with a paperback or hardback book. Being in print, it’s possible to feel and even smell the book. And of course it’s very portable. But the traditional book has had a rival in recent years from e-books, which are read on e-readers or tablets. An ‘electronic’ book enables you to store hundreds of virtual books in one place and allows you to download books directly.

对于纯粹主义者来说，消化好故事的唯一方法是阅读平装书或精装书。由于是印刷品，因此可以感觉到甚至闻到这本书。当然，它非常便携。但近年来，传统书籍有了来自电子书的竞争对手，电子书可以在电子阅读器或平板电脑上阅读。一本“电子”书使您可以在一个地方存储数百本虚拟书籍，并允许您直接下载书籍。

The e-book has become popular in schools, too, and according to one school in London, it’s encouraged more children to read. 11-year-old Summit told the BBC: “If you really want a book, you can just get it online. It’s so easy, and it’s made me read more. I probably read every day now.” For adults, e-books are certainly a lightweight way of accessing our favourite literature on the move.

电子书在学校也很流行，据伦敦的一所学校称，它鼓励更多的孩子阅读。 11 岁的 Summit 告诉 BBC：“如果你真的想要一本书，你可以在网上买到。这很容易，它让我阅读更多。我现在可能每天都在读书。”对于成年人来说，电子书无疑是一种在移动中访问我们喜爱的文学作品的轻量级方式。

The recent lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic have certainly given us all time to read more, and in the UK at least, sales of physical books have risen strongly. Last year, some 202 million paperbacks and hardbacks were sold, and the publishing industry hopes this trend will continue now that people have got into the habit of reading more.

最近由于冠状病毒大流行而导致的封锁无疑让我们有时间阅读更多内容，至少在英国，实体书的销量强劲增长。去年，大约售出了 2.02 亿本平装本和精装本，出版业希望这种趋势能够持续下去，因为人们已经养成了更多阅读的习惯。

But for those who can’t or don’t want to look at the text in a book, there are audiobooks to listen to. According to Clare Thorpe, writing for the BBC Culture website: “There are hugely ambitious productions using ensemble casts, specially created soundscapes and technological advances… some authors are even skipping print and writing exclusive audio content.” No matter what your reading preference, there’s no doubt we are spoilt for choice in how we access a good story.

但对于那些不能或不想看书的人来说，可以听有声读物。根据克莱尔·索普 (Clare Thorpe) 为 BBC 文化网站撰稿的说法：“有雄心勃勃的作品使用合奏演员、特别创作的音景和技术进步……一些作者甚至跳过印刷品并编写独家音频内容。”无论您的阅读偏好如何，毫无疑问，我们在阅读好故事方面的选择太多了。

词汇表

bury one's head in 埋头于
literacy 读写能力
emotional intelligence 情商
motivation 动机
purist 讲究规范的人，主张正统的人
digest 吸收，理解
paperback 平装书
hardback 精装书
in print 印刷的
e-book 电子书
e-reader 电子书阅读器
literature 文学作品
publishing 出版
text 文字
audiobook 有声书
soundscape 声景
spoilt for choice 因选择太多而无从下手