科普：漫谈散步

导语：俗话说“管住嘴，迈开腿”，这里先暂且不提“管住嘴”，就“迈开腿”而言，散步是有益身心健康的运动，但以前为了生存奔波那就不是真正意义上的休闲散步，因为散步是特指身心愉悦的运动状态，真正意义的散步是18世纪80年代才首次提出。散步可以依照自己偏爱的风格选择，这里，介绍了两个文学大家通过散步不断激发文思泉涌的创作灵感，一个是狄更斯，一个是梭罗，一个习惯健步如飞，一个偏爱闲游慢逛，都能强身健脑，愉悦身心。所以，放下手机，关掉电视，到户外走走吧！但提醒大家，注意步行礼仪，毕竟户外就是公众场合，也同时考虑下周围的行人。

2024年5月22日于普洱金融超市

When Did We Start Walking for Leisure?

"Going for a walk" is a popular pastime among older and younger generations alike because of its well-known benefits for our physical and mental health.

“散步”是老一辈人和年轻一代人都喜欢的消遣方式，因为它对身心健康的益处众所周知。

But you may be surprised to hear that meandering through pretty streets or hiking along mountainous ridges have not always been considered leisure activities, according to Daniel Gale, a researcher of pedestrianism.

但是，根据步行主义研究者丹尼尔·盖尔的说法，当你听到以下这个说法时，可能会惊讶，即在漂亮的街道闲逛或沿着山脊徒步旅行并不总是被视为休闲活动。

He says that in Britain, walking for fun "wasn't really a thing" until the 1780s. Before that, it was just something people did out of necessity.

他说，在英国，直到 18 世纪 80 年代，以步行为乐才“真正开始”。在此之前，步行只是人们出于需要而做的事情。

But for Charles Dickens, the famous English 19th Century author, marching through London streets and tramping around the countryside was a big part of the creative process; a time to absorb what was going on around him. He walked at an impressive pace of four miles per hour, according to his biography by Peter Ackroyd.

但对于 19 世纪英国著名作家查尔斯·狄更斯来说，在伦敦街头漫步和在乡间跋涉是创作过程的重要组成部分，也是他了解吸收周围所发生的事情的时间。根据彼得·阿克罗伊德为他撰写的传记所说，他以每小时四英里的惊人速度行走。

But if speed-walking isn't your thing, perhaps you can take inspiration from another big-thinking wanderer.

不过，如果你不喜欢快步走，或许可以从另一位思想远大的漫游者身上获得灵感。

19th Century American writer Henry David Thoreau took a slower approach, preferring to saunter over hills and fields and meander through the woods. He said that he could not preserve his health and spirits, unless he spent four hours a day walking at least.

19 世纪美国作家亨利·戴维·梭罗采取了一种较慢的方式，他更喜欢在山丘和田野上漫步，在树林中闲逛。他说，除非每天至少花四个小时散步，否则他便无法保持健康和精力充沛。

This idea of taking a stroll to clear your head has survived through to the 21st Century, but has pedestrian etiquette remained the same? A 1780 article for the London Magazine advised pedestrians to avoid things such as loitering in conversation and obstructing people behind you with a "sauntering gait". Nowadays, we could probably add distracted phone-users to that list.

漫步散心的理念一直延续到了 21 世纪，但行人礼仪是否依然如故呢？1780 年，《伦敦杂志》的一篇文章建议行人避免闲逛交谈，免得妨碍后面的人。如今，我们或许可以把分心的手机用户也列入这个名单。

In this modern age, when many of us are tied to our desks and to our screens, the simple act of stepping out onto the city pavements, or getting lost in nature, may make all the difference to our wellbeing. Whether you see yourself more as a casual stroller or a purposeful strider, why not build a habit out of it?

在这个现代社会，我们中的许多人都被办公桌和屏幕束缚着，出门走在城市的人行道，或沉浸在大自然中，这些简单的举动可能会对我们的健康状况大有益处。无论你是把自己当作一个漫步者，还是一个有目的的步行者，为什么不把它当作一种习惯呢？