原文译文
Movie Date Night Can Double as Therapy看一场爱情电影胜过接受心理辅导
1. One of the great divides in male-female relationships is the “chick flick” — movies like “Terms of Endearment” and “The Notebook” that often leave women in tears and men bored. But now, a fascinating new study shows that sappy relationship movies made in Hollywood can actually help strengthen relationships in the real world.
男女关系中一道泾渭分明的界限是所谓“女性电影”——比方说《母女情深》（Terms of Endearment）和《恋恋笔记本》（The Notebook）这样的电影往往会让女人热泪盈眶，让男人百无聊赖。不过现在，一个极为有趣的新研究表明，好莱坞制作的多愁善感的情感片，事实上真的可以在现实生活中帮助增进恋人间的关系。
2. A University of Rochester study found that couples who watched and talked about issues raised in movies like “Steel Magnolias” and “Love Story” were less likely to divorce or separate than couples in a control group. Surprisingly, the “Love Story” intervention was as effective at keeping couples together as two intensive therapist-led methods.
罗切斯特大学（University of Rochester）的一项研究发现，伴侣们观看像《钢木兰花》（Steel Magnolias）或《爱情故事》（Love Story）这类电影，并讨论电影中提出的种种话题，相比对照组的伴侣，较少出现离婚或分居。尤其让人惊讶的是，看《爱情故事》对情感进行干预，与两次由治疗师主导的强化婚姻辅导同样有效。
3. The findings, while preliminary, have important implications for marriage counseling efforts. The movie intervention could become a self-help option for couples who are reluctant to join formal therapy sessions or could be used by couples who live in areas with less access to therapists. “A movie is a nonthreatening way to get the conversation started,” said Ronald D. Rogge, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Rochester and the lead author of the study. “It’s really exciting because it makes it so much easier to reach out to couples and help them strengthen their relationships on a wide scale.”
这虽然是一项初期研究，但对于婚内咨询有着重要的意义。对于那些不愿参加正式治疗，或者所在地区没有多少婚姻治疗师的夫妇来说，电影干预法可以作为一种自助手段。“看电影可以在不那么骇人的情况下，让大家展开对话，”罗切斯特大学心理学副教授、本研究的第一作者罗纳德·罗格（Ronald D. Rogge）说，“在电影的帮助下，夫妻双方可以十分轻松地敞开心扉，巩固关系，这个发现真是让人十分振奋。”
4. The initial goal of the study was to evaluate two types of therapist-led interventions called CARE and PREP. The CARE method focuses on acceptance and empathy in couples counseling, while PREP is centered on a specific communication style that couples use to resolve issues. The researchers wanted a third option that allowed couples to interact but did not involve intensive counseling.
这项研究的最初目的是评估两种由治疗师主导的干预方式，分别为CARE和PREP。CARE把重点放在夫妻咨询的接受度和共情心上面，而PREP则集中于夫妻用来解决问题的特定沟通技巧。研究人员想要找到第三种选项，能在不接受强化辅导的情况下让夫妻间互动。
5. They came up with the movie intervention, assigning couples to watch five movies and to take part in guided discussions afterward. A fourth group of couples received no counseling or self-help assignments and served as a control group. Going into the study, the researchers expected that the CARE and PREP methods would have a pronounced effect on relationships and that the movie intervention might result in some mild improvements to relationship quality. To their surprise, the movie intervention worked just as well as both of the established therapy methods in reducing divorce and separation.
他们因此想出了这种电影干预法，前三组夫妻或观看五部电影，或参加由他人引导的讨论。第四组则是对照组，既没有接受辅导，也没有得到自助任务。在研究开始前，研究人员本以为CARE和PREP干预法可以在夫妻关系中起到显著效果，而电影干预法可能会对夫妻关系的质量产生微弱的改善。令他们惊讶的是，电影干预法在减少离婚和分居方面，跟前两种已经为人们所认可的治疗方法同样有效。
6. Among 174 couples studied, those who received marriage counseling or took part in the movie intervention were half as likely to divorce or separate after three years compared with couples in the control group who received no intervention. The divorce or separation rate was 11 percent in the intervention groups, compared with 24 percent in the control group.
三年后，在参加研究的174对夫妻中，接受婚姻咨询或电影干预的夫妻离婚或分居的可能性，是未接受任何干预的对照组夫妻的一半。在干预组中离婚或分居率为11%，而对照组为24%。 7. Dr. Rogge and senior author Thomas N. Bradbury, a director of the Relationship Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, published the findings in the December issue of The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. In determining the list of relationship movies that might be useful to couples, the researchers eliminated popular romantic comedies or “falling in love” movies like “Sleepless in Seattle” or “When Harry Met Sally.” Instead, they put together a list of movies that show couples at various highs and lows in their relationships. “Hollywood can place very unrealistic expectations on romantic relationships,” Dr. Rogge said. “The idea that you are supposed to fall in love instantly and effortlessly is not reality and not relevant to most couples who are two, three or four years into a relationship.” Some of the movies on the list, like “Couples Retreat,” are funny and not necessarily realistic. “But they are enough to get a dialogue going,” Dr. Rogge said.
这篇研究发表在去年12月的《咨询与临床心理学学刊》（The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psycology）上，作者是罗格和加州大学洛杉矶分校的伴侣关系研究所主任托马斯·布拉德布里（Thomas N. Bradbury）。在确定有可能对夫妻有益的情感片目录时，研究人员排除了一些流行的浪漫喜剧片或“初坠爱河”电影，比如《西雅图不眠夜》（Sleepless in Seattle）或《当哈利遇到莎莉》（When Harry Met Sally）。他们选择的是一些反映情侣关系出现各种高峰和低谷的电影。罗格介绍说：“好莱坞会对恋情设下十分不切实际的预期，那种你肯定能一见钟情、从此爱得不能自拔的想法，完全不合乎事实，也不适用于那些步入感情生活已有两三年或四年的大部分情侣。” 清单上的一些电影，比如《伴侣度假村》（Couples Retreat）很搞笑，但并不那么贴近现实。“可是，它们能让夫妻间展开讨论，”罗格说。 8. Since completing the initial study, Dr. Rogge and his colleagues have been recruiting couples from around the country to study the effect of the movie intervention on different relationships, including long-married and same-sex couples. Megan Clifton, a 27-year-old student in Knoxville, Tenn., has lived with her boyfriend for nearly two years. Although she says the two have “great communication,” she opted to try the movie intervention.
在完成了初期研究后，罗格博士和他的同事们从美国各地征集伴侣，当中包括了结婚多年的夫妻和同性伴侣，想要研究电影干预法对不同的感情关系的作用。其中一个被访对象是家住田纳西州诺克斯维尔市的梅根·克里夫顿（Megan Clifton），这位27岁的学生跟男友已经同居了将近两年。尽管她说两人间“沟通十分畅通”，但她仍然选择尝试电影干预法。 9. While watching the movie “Date Night” with Tina Fey and Steve Carell, the couple laughed at a scene in which the husband fails to close drawers and cabinet doors. “He leaves cabinet doors open all the time, and I become the nagging girlfriend and he shuts down a little,” Ms. Clifton said. “When we were watching the movie, I said ‘That’s you!,’ and it was humorous. We ended up laughing about it, and it has helped us look at our relationship and our problems in a humorous way.”
情侣俩一起看由蒂娜·菲（Tina Fey）和史蒂夫·卡瑞尔（Steve Carell）主演的《约会之夜》（Date Night），看到有一幕，丈夫总是记不得合上抽屉和衣柜门时，俩人大笑起来。“他老是把衣柜门敞着，我成了唠叨的女朋友，他这才稍稍改进了些，”克里夫顿说，“我们一起看电影时，我说，‘这不就是你嘛！’，这一幕真是很搞笑。我们为此笑了好久，它帮助我们以一种幽默的方式来看待彼此间的关系和问题。”
10. Matt and Kellie Butler of Ashtabula, Ohio, have been married for 16 years and also feel the movie intervention has helped their relationship. So far they have watched “Love and Other Drugs” and “She’s Having a Baby.” “It’s kind of powerful,” Mr. Butler said. “It’s like watching a role play in a group-therapy session, but it’s a movie so it’s less threatening and more entertaining.” Mr. Butler said that even though he and his wife have a strong bond, long-married couples sometimes forget to talk about their relationship. “We’ve been married 16 years, but it’s not something you sit down and have a conversation about,” he said. “When you watch the movie, it focuses your conversation on your relationship.”
马特·巴特勒（Matt Butler）和妻子凯莉（Kellie）住在俄亥俄州阿什塔比拉市，两人已经结婚16年，他们同样觉得电影干预法对感情有帮助。俩人一起观看了《爱情与灵药》（Love and Other Drugs）和《天下父母心》（She's Having a Baby）。 “效果真是挺强大的，”巴特勒先生说：“它有点像是在群体治疗环节中观看角色扮演，不过看的是电影，所以不会那么吓人，而且更具娱乐性。” 巴特勒说，他和太太之间感情笃深，不过结婚多年后，夫妻间有时会忘记谈及彼此的感情。“我们结婚已经16年，但我们不会坐下来好好交流一下婚姻的感受，”他说：“而当你们一起看电影时，可以将谈话的重点放在双方的关系上。” 11. Couples interested in the method can find more information at www.couples-research.com. Dr. Rogge noted that more research is needed to determine the effect on a variety of couples. One flaw of the study is that the control group was not truly randomized. While the couples in the control group seemed similar to other couples in the study in terms of demographics and relationship quality, further research is needed to validate the movie method. “I believe it’s the depth of the discussions that follow each movie and how much effort and time and introspection couples put into those discussions that will predict how well they do going forward,” said Dr. Rogge.
对这种方法感兴趣的情侣，可以在www.couples-research.com上查找更多信息。罗格博士指出，尚需要进行更多研究以确定电影对不同的伴侣产生的作用。这项研究的一个缺陷在于对照组并非真正随机抽样。尽管对照组的伴侣跟研究中的其他伴侣在人口统计学和感情质量上貌似相仿，但还需要进一步进行研究，这样方能确认电影干预法的有效性。“我相信，观看每部电影后进行的对话深度，以及伴侣们在这些对话中付出的努力、时间与反思，能够预示他们的感情路是否可以一帆风顺，”罗格说。
精读解析
篇章结构
P1：研究表明，好莱坞爱情片对增进恋人关系有帮助。P2—P3：罗切斯特大学的研究表明，爱情电影对情感进行干预，和治疗师有同样的效果，这项研究对婚内咨询很有意义。P4—P5：研究的最初目的是评估两种由治疗师主导的干预方式，分别为CARE和PREP并找出第三种有效方式—电影疗法。P6—P10：研究表明，电影疗法确实是有所帮助的。P11：研究的不足之处：对照组并非真正的随机抽样，需要进一步研究，但是电影疗法确实是一个有益启示。
重点单词
strengthen /'stre?θ(?)n/ vt. & vi. 加强, 巩固【例句】We have to strengthen our management policy.我们必须强化我们的经营方针。
chick flick 小妞电影，一种以年轻女性为主角的电影类型
【例句】The female characters in a chick flick are usually strong women who overcome adversity to reach their goals.   在小妞影片中的角色往往是那些战胜逆境达到她们目标的坚强女性。
sappy /'s?p?/ adj. 精力充沛的；树液多的；愚笨的【例句】Oddball religions. Sappy boring music. Pathetic attempts to convince oneself of the superiority of anything connected with Indians. Non-Western medicine. 古怪的宗教信仰。慌张无聊的音乐。可悲的企图说服自己优势与印第安人有些许的联系。 preliminary /pr?'l?m?n(?)r?/ adj. 初步的, 预备的, 开端的n. 准备工作, 初步行动【例句】Her preliminary results suggest that they do.她初步的研究结果显示，这些材料的确证明了这一点。
have implication for 对……来说是有意义的；对…有影响【例句】The scientists say that this ability is unique to these dung beetles and they believe it could have implications for the designer of robots or rather autonomous vehicles.科学家称，这种能力是蜣螂独有的，而且认为它能给机器人或更确切地说无人驾驶汽车的设计人员以启示。
therapy /'θer?p?/ n. 治疗，疗法【例句】Many therapists have had clients who, confessedly or otherwise, have fallen in love with them.许多治疗师都曾有过自称或据称爱上他们的病人。
therapist /'θer?p?st/ n. 治疗专家;特定疗法技师【例句】Heat therapy becomes a new kind of knubbly therapy measure.肿瘤热疗已成为一种新的治疗肿瘤的方法。
nonthreatening 没有威胁性的【例句】You get anxious when you think of certain people or get stressed at the thought of running into someone in an otherwise completely nonthreatening situation.  当你想到特定的人会感到焦虑，或是会平白无故地担心自己会撞到谁。 evaluate /?'v?lj?e?t/ vt. 评价, 估计, 估价【例句】Don't evaluate a person on the basis of appearance.不要以相貌取人。
empathy /'emp?θ?/ n. <心>移情作用;同感;共鸣【例句】We also build empathy for the robots themselves.我们也会建立 对机器人本身的同理心。
interact /?nt?r'?kt/ vi. 相互作用[影响], 互相配合【例句】Children learn by interacting with each other.孩子们在交互影响中学习。
intensive /?n'tens?v/ adj. 加强的, 集中的, 密集的【例句】Intensive care is given to the seriously ill.危重病人得到加强护理。 pronounced /pr?'na?nst/ adj. 明显的;显著的【例句】He had a pronounced squint.他明显是个斜眼。
intervention /?nt?'ven?(?)n/ n. 介入, 干涉, 干预【例句】The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。 humorous /'hju?m(?)r?s/ adj. 富幽默感的,滑稽的,诙谐的,想入非非的,异想天开的【例句】He is brave, clever and humorous.他勇敢、聪明、幽默。 introspection /?ntr?(?)'spek?(?)n/ n. 反省,内省【例句】I bare my soul not for forgiveness nor introspection.我向你说出这些不是为了祈求宽恕或者自省。
randomize /'r?nd?ma?z/ v. 使随机化,完全打乱,(使)作任意排列【例句】And Burke says that actually does seem to help, based on randomized studies— the researcher's gold standard.并且伯克认为根据随机研究——研究者的黄金标准，这看起来确实是有帮助的。
validate /'v?l?de?t/ vt. 确认；使生效；证实，验证【例句】Time validated our suspicion.时间证实了我们的怀疑。
demographic /?dem??gr?f?k/ adj. 人口统计学的【例句】The demographic trend is towards an older population.人口结构的变化呈现老龄化趋势。
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