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Vocabulary: feeling pain 詞匯：有關疼痛的詞語
Perhaps because of traditional beliefs that men are tougher than women, it's common for British people these days to joke about men's weaknesses.
A man who complains he's ill with a cold might be told he just has 'man flu.' The implication is a woman keeps working when she has a cold, while a man exaggerates its effects, in order to get some sympathy and get out of doing any work.
According to the British saying, such a man is being 'a big girl's blouse,' a jokey way of saying he's not as manly and brave as he could be.
But now it seems maybe men aren't such big girl's blouses after all.
Researchers at Leeds Metropolitan University in England inflicted pain on 200 Libyan and British students, and studied how they responded. They found that although there was no difference in the unpleasantness of the pain, the men were much more stoical about it. They showed a higher pain threshold, and reported less pain afterwards.
The women showed more sensitivity. They tolerated less pain, and were happier to admit it hurt.
So why did the men put up with more pain than women? Gender stereotypes seem to be playing a part, with women expected to be sensitive and men feeling the pressure to show they're macho.
The research found that these gender differences were stronger in the Libyan students than the British ones. The Libyan men also had a higher pain threshold than British men. This suggests that cultural differences also play a part in how people cope with pain.
Research into pain is important, because it could help scientists develop better pain relief, and help people who live with chronic pain. Most pain killers are tested on men.
Quiz 測驗
According to the research, who was more stoical about pain, men or women?
In the experiment, who tolerated more pain, the British or Libyan men?
Libyan men.
According to the article, why don't men show that they're in pain?
Because they want to seem macho or manly.
Why is research into pain important?
It could help develop better pain relief and help people live with chronic pain.
True or false? Calling a man a 'big girl's blouse' means he's brave.
False. It means he's not being brave.
Glossary 词汇表 （点击单词收听发音）
traditional beliefs傳統觀念
tougher更強硬
implication暗示，含義
exaggerates its effects誇大它的影響
get some sympathy博取一些同情
get out of逃避，避免（事情）
manly男子氣概的
brave勇敢的
inflicted pain強加痛苦
stoical堅忍的
pain threshold（生理）痛閾
sensitivity敏感度
tolerated忍受
admit it hurt承認痛了
put up with忍受
gender stereotypes性別刻板印象、特徵
macho有男子氣慨的
cultural differences文化差異
cope with應對
pain relief緩解疼痛
chronic pain慢性疼痛
pain killers止痛藥