VOA慢速英语：如果感到悲伤，就去抱抱树

To stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic, we have had to sacrifice many things we enjoy, including physical contact with others.Gone are handshakes, kisses and hugs.

在疫情期间为保持安全，我们不得不牺牲很多喜欢的东西，包括和别人的肢体接触。我们不能握手、亲吻和拥抱。

Research has shown that humans need physical touch to stay mentally and physically healthy.Without it, many become lonely, sad and even sick.

研究表明人类需要肢体接触来保持精神和身体健康。没有肢体接触，很多人会变得孤单、难过甚至会生病。

So, if you feel you need a hug, we know something you can safely put your arms around and hold close: A tree!

所以，如果你觉得自己需要一个拥抱，我们知道你可以安全地把手伸出去紧紧抱住的东西：一棵树!

Tree hugging may sound a little strange.But humans have practiced forms of nature therapy for years.

抱树听起来可能有点怪异。但是多年来人类已经练习过许多种自然疗法。

The Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku is an example.Shinrin means forest in Japanese, and yoku is the Japanese word for bath.But no soap or water is needed for shinrin-yoku.All that nature bathing requires is spending time in nature: listening to its sounds, breathing in its scent, connecting to its life force.

日本的森林浴就是一个例子。Shinrin在日语里是森林的意思，yoku是沐浴的意思。但是森林浴不需要肥皂和水。这个自然沐浴的要求是花费时间在大自然里：倾听它的声音，呼吸它的气味和连接它的生命力。

Recently, Israel has been promoting tree hugging on social media.The countrys nature and parks agency is behind the public health campaign.Orit Steinfeld is marketing director for Israels Apollonia National Park.

近日，以色列在社交媒体上宣传拥抱一棵树。该国的自然和公园管理局支持这项公共卫生运动。奥里特·斯坦菲尔德是阿波罗尼亚国家公园的市场营销主管。

"In this unpleasant corona period," she said, "we recommend to people around the world to go out to nature, take a deep breath, hug a tree, express your love and get love."

“在这个不愉快的冠状病毒时期，” 她说，“我们建议世界上的人们走到大自然里，深呼吸，拥抱一棵树，表达你的爱，然后你就会得到爱。”

The park is about 15 kilometers north of Tel Aviv.Inside the park, some visitors observed the officials advice and hugged trees.

这家公园在特拉维夫向北15公里的地方。公园里，一些游客看到了工作人员的建议，然后拥抱了大树。

Barbara Grant was one of them.

芭芭拉·格兰特是其中之一。

"The most basic human need," she said, "is for connection, for touching, for hugging."

“人类最基本的需求，” 她说道，“就是连接、接触和拥抱。”

Visitor Moshe Hazan told Reuters he came to the park to hug a tree.

游客摩舍·哈桑告诉路透社说他返回公园来是为了拥抱一棵树。

"We are not hugging too many people these days.Hugging a tree is quite a nice thing to do."

“如今我们拥抱的人并不多。拥抱一棵树真的是一件很美好的事情。”

In May the coronavirus spread slowed in Israel.However, case numbers increased there in recent weeks.In response, the country renewed many COVID-19 restrictions.

五月份以色列新冠肺炎传播减慢。然而，病例数量近几周却增长了。作为响应，以色列更新了许多新冠肺炎限制要求。

Israels tree-hugging campaign is not the first of the pandemic.Icelands Forest Service launched a similar effort in April.They advised everyone in the country to hug a tree for at least five minutes every day.

以色列的抱树活动并不是疫情期间首例。冰岛林业局四月份发起了一项类似的活动。他们建议国内每人每天至少抱树五分钟。

The Reuters news agency shared a short video showing people in Iceland hugging trees in the forest.Park officials also cleared paths in the woods so that visitors could socially distance while they searched for that special tree.

路透社分享了一支冰岛人在森林中抱树的短视频。公园的工作人员还清理了森林中的道路，这样游客在寻找他们想抱的那颗特殊的树时可以保持社交距离。

"There are plenty of trees," said a forest worker in the video, "no need for everyone to hug the same tree."

“森林中树很多，” 视频中森林工作人员说，“大家没必要去抱同一棵树。”

The story on Icelands tree-hugging campaign was also reported on Treehugger.com. naturally.

Treehugger.com.网站当然也报道了冰岛人抱树的活动。

Im Anna Matteo.

安娜·马特奥报道。