第2140期:How does heartbreak affect us?

Heartbreak has inspired thousands of songs, books and films, and, however much we try to avoid it, is something we are all likely to experience at some point in our lives. But what exactly is heartbreak, and how does it affect us? 

心碎激发了数以千计的歌曲、书籍和电影的灵感，无论我们如何努力避免它，我们都可能在生命中的某个时刻经历过。 但心碎到底是什么？它对我们有何影响？ 

Heartbreak often occurs after a breakup, bereavement or the loss of a family member or friend. When this happens, we experience grief, which heartbreak is a form of. And it doesn't just have emotional effects – it affects us physically too. The word 'heartbreak' comes from the physical response to loss, described on BBC's The Why Factor as feeling like someone is 'physically squeezing the heart', though our hearts don't experience any real damage. Psychologist Guy Winch told the BBC that, although we tend to feel pain viscerally, the pain of heartbreak actually comes from the brain, and is a by-product of love. 

心碎通常发生在分手、丧亲或失去家人或朋友之后。 当这种情况发生时，我们会感到悲伤，而心碎就是其中的一种形式。 它不仅会影响情绪，还会影响我们的身体。 “心碎”这个词来自于对失去亲人的身体反应，BBC 的《为什么因素》将其描述为感觉有人在“身体上挤压心脏”，尽管我们的心脏并没有受到任何真正的伤害。 心理学家盖伊·温奇（Guy Winch）告诉BBC，虽然我们往往会感受到内心的痛苦，但心碎的痛苦实际上来自大脑，是爱情的副产品。 

The emotional pain may be understandable, but why do we experience such physical pain? According to Florence Williams, author of Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey, when you connect with someone on an intimate level, your bodies can actually sync up. Cortisol levels and respiration rates can align, and heartbeats might regulate during sleep. When that partner is no longer there, our body reacts negatively to this change, causing us pain. The reason for this is evolutionary, Williams says. The nervous system acts as though it is under threat because, as social animals, we feel far more comfortable and safe with others than when alone. Therefore, the symptoms of heartbreak are a perfectly natural response, however hard they may be to cope with. 

情感上的痛苦也许可以理解，但为什么我们会经历这样的身体上的痛苦呢？ 根据《心碎：个人和科学之旅》一书的作者弗洛伦斯·威廉姆斯的说法，当你与某人建立亲密的联系时，你们的身体实际上可以同步。 皮质醇水平和呼吸频率可以保持一致，并且心跳可以在睡眠期间调节。 当那个伴侣不再存在时，我们的身体会对这种变化做出负面反应，导致我们疼痛。 威廉姆斯说，这是进化的原因。 神经系统表现得好像受到了威胁，因为作为社会性动物，我们与他人在一起比独处时感觉更舒适和安全。 因此，心碎的症状是一种完全自然的反应，无论它们可能很难应对。 

So, if you have a broken heart, what can you do? Healthline suggests you should take time to grieve, reconnect with yourself, and surround yourself with supportive friends. 

那么，如果你的心受伤了，你能做什么呢？ Healthline 建议您花些时间悲伤，与自己重新建立联系，并与支持自己的朋友在一起。

词汇表

heartbreak 心碎，过度伤心
breakup （一段关系的）破裂
bereavement 亲友丧亡
loss 丧失，失去
grief （尤指因某人去世引起的）悲伤，悲痛
emotional 情绪上的，情感上的
physical response 身体反应
damage 损伤，损害
viscerally 发自内心地
by-product 附带产生的后果
intimate 亲近的，亲密的
sync up 同步
cortisol level 皮质醇水平，氢化可的松水平
respiration rate 呼吸速率
heartbeat 心跳
nervous system 神经系统
under threat 受到威胁
grieve （尤指因某人去世而）悲伤，伤心
reconnect 重新建立良好的联系，重新了解
supportive 给予帮助的，给予支持的