第1675期:How the Moon affects us

It’s more than 384,000km from Earth. We can see it most nights. And it’s not made of cheese! I am, of course, talking about the Moon. Astronauts have taken giant steps to explore this natural satellite floating in space, but despite it being out of reach for most of us, it still moves us in mysterious ways.↳

它距离地球超过 384,000 公里。大多数夜晚我们都能看到它。而且它不是用奶酪做的！当然，我说的是月球。宇航员已经迈出了巨大的步伐来探索这颗漂浮在太空中的天然卫星，但尽管它对我们大多数人来说遥不可及，但它仍然以神秘的方式推动着我们。

The Moon, obviously, provides moonlight. A full moon, seen roughly once a month, can light up our way on an otherwise dark night. But while this lunar light can be impressive to look at, it can affect our sleeping patterns. One study showed that during or around the full moon, those studied spent less time in deep sleep, slept for less time and reported having poorer sleep, despite sleeping in a dark room not exposed to moonlight.

显然，月亮提供月光。大约每月一次的满月可以在原本漆黑的夜晚照亮我们的道路。但是，虽然这种月光看起来令人印象深刻，但它会影响我们的睡眠方式。一项研究表明，在满月期间或前后，尽管睡在没有暴露在月光下的黑暗房间里，但研究对象的深度睡眠时间更少，睡眠时间更短并且睡眠质量更差。

There are many theories about how the Moon can affect other things too. One study suggested animals are more likely to bite us during a full moon. And many moons ago, it was thought the Moon induced lunacy – the word derives from the Latin word ‘lunaticus’, meaning ‘moonstruck’, and evolved from the idea that celestial changes could cause periods of insanity. Even winemakers look to the Moon when planting and pruning grapevines. They will avoid a full moon at all costs because, although the added moisture in the soil at this time may give a fuller and juicier grape, the additional water is thought to dilute the taste of the fruit, which results in a less successful vintage.

关于月球如何影响其他事物也有很多理论。一项研究表明，动物更有可能在满月期间咬我们。许多个月前，人们认为月亮会导致精神错乱——这个词源自拉丁语“lunaticus”，意思是“月光下”，是从天体变化可能导致精神错乱的想法演变而来的。甚至酿酒师在种植和修剪葡萄藤时也会仰望月球。他们会不惜一切代价避免满月，因为虽然此时土壤中增加的水分可能会使葡萄更饱满、多汁，但人们认为额外的水分会稀释水果的味道，从而导致收成不太成功。

The Moon might affect our behaviour too. Writing about this for BBC Future, Claudia Hammond explains one interesting theory. Just as the Moon’s gravitational pull affects the tides, it exerts its influence on the water in our bodies. But she points out “the Moon is smaller than the Earth, so its gravitational pull is correspondingly less powerful. What’s more, it exerts the same force on us regardless of whether it’s new or full.” Research into ancient myths about the effects of the lunar cycle on us is ongoing. So, like the Moon being made of cheese, we must be careful what we believe!

月亮也可能影响我们的行为。克劳迪娅·哈蒙德 (Claudia Hammond) 为 BBC Future 撰文介绍了一个有趣的理论。就像月球的引力影响潮汐一样，它也会对我们体内的水分产生影响。但她指出，“月球比地球小，因此它的引力相应地更小。更重要的是，无论是新的还是完整的，它对我们施加的力量都是一样的。”关于月球周期对我们影响的古代神话的研究正在进行中。所以，就像月亮是奶酪做的一样，我们必须小心我们所相信的！

词汇表

satellite 卫星
out of reach 遥不可及的
mysterious 难以理解的，神秘的
moonlight 月光
full moon 满月
lunar 月亮的，月球的
sleeping patterns 睡眠模式
deep sleep 深度睡眠
many moons ago 很久以前
lunacy 愚蠢的行为
moonstruck 疯狂的
celestial 天外的，天空的
insanity 失去理智，精神错乱
behaviour 行为，举止
gravitational pull 引力
exert influence 施加影响
force 影响
ancient myths 古代神话
lunar cycle 月亮周期