聽「悲歌」可解憂 How listening to ’sad songs’ heals the blues

A new international study has found listening to sad music was the best way to recover from a relationship break-up as it had the same soothing effect as a sympathetic friend. 一項新的國際研究發現，聽悲傷的音樂是從失戀中恢復的最好方式，因為它就像一名富有同情心的朋友，能發揮撫慰的作用。 Researchers concluded that when consumers experienced serious emotional distress they turned to a surrogate to replace a lost personal bond and lift their mood. 研究人員結論指出，當消費者經歷了嚴重情緒困擾時，他們會尋找替代品來代替所失去的個人聯繫並提升自己的心情。 Their findings appear to contradict popular opinion that upbeat music or humorous movies were a better way to beat distress. 流行的觀點認為，歡樂的音樂和幽默的電影更能夠解憂，他們的發現似乎與此觀點相悖。 In the study, consumers were presented with various frustrating situations and asked to rate angry music, compared to joyful or relaxing music. Other volunteers were separately asked to recall experiences involving loss. 在研究中，消費者體驗到各種令人沮喪的情況，並把憤怒的音樂與歡樂或輕鬆的音樂進行比較，給憤怒的音樂評分。其他志願者則個別地被要求回想涉及損失的經歷。 The authors found people experiencing relationship problems were more likely to prefer “sad music” or “tear-jerking dramas” that reflected their negative mood. 作者們發現，經歷情感問題的人們更可能喜歡「悲傷的音樂」或「催淚的戲劇」，這些反映了他們的負面情緒。 Preference for sad music was significantly higher when they had experienced the break-up of a personal relationship, compared to an impersonal loss such as losing a competition. 與客觀的損失如在競爭中失利相比，當人們經歷分手這樣的問題時，會更偏愛憂傷的音樂。 新聞辭典 soothing：形容詞，撫慰的，舒緩的。例句：To experience rosemary’s soothing powers, mix a few drops of oil of rosemary with virgin olive oil.（想體驗迷迭香的舒緩功效，可將幾滴迷迭香精油與初榨橄欖油混合。） surrogate：名詞，替代、代理（人），用法如the surrogate of the President（總統代理人） 。 impersonal ：形容詞，非個人的；不帶個人色彩的；客觀的。例句：He made an impersonal comment on the incident. （他對那一事件做了客觀的評論。）