每日英語 #136: Bearing Children

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Bearing Children

The verb “to bear” has several meanings. We may say, “Please bear with me,” which means please be patient with me. “To bear” can also refer to “childbearing,” which is the process of giving birth to a baby, so you’ll often hear people talk about women bearing children.

「bear」這個動詞有多種意思。我們可能會說，「請忍耐一下」，這意味著請對我有耐心。「bear」還可以指「生育」，也就是生孩子的過程，因此你常會聽到有人提到女性「生育孩子」。

A 2012 story in the Wall Street Journal reported something “surprising” (unexpected) about “expectant” (pregnant; with a baby in one’s body) mothers. The story reported that mothers may have some small control over when they will “deliver” (have; give birth to) their babies.

2012年，《華爾街日報》報導了一件關於「懷孕的」（懷有身孕的）母親的「驚人」（出乎意料的）消息。報導指出，母親可能在某種程度上對於自己「分娩」（生產；生孩子）的時間有一些小小的控制力。

Researchers examined births in the United States from 1996 to 2006 during the two weeks around Halloween (October 31st) and St. Valentine’s Day (February 14th). You would expect that the number of spontaneous or natural births to be “about” (approximately) the same each day. They “excluded” (didn’t include) “caesarians” (where the doctors surgically remove the baby from the woman) and “induced births” (where drugs are given to cause the woman to give birth).

研究人員檢視了1996年至2006年之間，在美國萬聖節（10月31日）和情人節（2月14日）前後兩週內的出生情況。你會預期自然分娩的數量每天應該「大致」（大約）相同。他們「排除了」（不包括）「剖腹產」（醫生通過手術取出嬰兒）和「誘導分娩」（使用藥物引起女性分娩的方式）。

They found that the number of births on St. Valentine’s Day “rose” (increased) 3.6% “over” (compared to) the surrounding days, and “fell” (decreased) 5.3% on Halloween. The researchers concluded that, within a limited “time frame” (a limited amount of time), women can “expedite or delay” (speed up or slow down) “childbirth” (giving birth to a baby).

他們發現情人節當天的出生人數「上升」（增加）了3.6％，而萬聖節當天的出生人數「下降」（減少）了5.3％。研究人員得出結論，在有限的「時間範圍」內，女性可以「加速或延遲」（加快或減慢）「分娩」（生孩子）的時間。

重要單字

• 1. Bear - 生育 / [ber]
• 2. Childbearing - 生育 / [ˈtʃaɪldˌbɛərɪŋ]
• 3. Expectant - 懷孕的 / [ɪkˈspɛktənt]
• 4. Deliver - 分娩 / [dɪˈlɪvər]
• 5. Caesarian - 剖腹產 / [sɪˈzɛəriən]
• 6. Induced - 誘導的 / [ɪnˈdjuːst]
• 7. Time frame - 時間範圍 / [taɪm freɪm]