While an economic crisis results in untold misery for countries and their people, a new study of health in Cuba has suggested there could be a silver lining during lean times.
儘管經濟危機會給許多國家及其人民造成說不盡的苦難，但是古巴的一項新健康研究指出，經濟困難時期的黑暗也有一線光明。
Researchers appear to have implied that people can lose weight during a recession due to a reduction in eating and increasing physical activity.
研究人員似乎暗示說，由於攝入食物的減少和體力活動的增多，人們在經濟蕭條時期體重會下降。
Their dramatic findings, published online in the British Medical Journal, were based on a study in Cuba, where the population suffered food and fuel shortages following the economic crisis of the early 1990s triggered by the collapse of the Soviet Union.
此一發表在「英國醫學期刊」網站上引人注目的發現，是基於古巴的一項研究。1990年代初期蘇聯的解體，導致古巴陷入經濟危機，古巴民眾因此遭受食品和燃料的短缺。
This resulted in an average of 4 to 5kg being shed by the people and subsequent rapid declines in deaths from diabetes and coronary heart disease.
這導致古巴人的平均體重下降了4到5公斤，古巴死於糖尿病和冠狀動脈心臟病的人數隨後也迅速下降。
The scientists from the University of Alcala, in Madrid, also discovered that when Cubans put the weight back on, cases of diabetes surged again.
馬德里的阿爾卡拉大學科學家還發現，古巴人體重回升後，糖尿病的病例又再度飆升。
The researchers concluded that the Cuban crisis could have lessons Britain.
研究人員得出結論說，英國可以從古巴危機中吸取教訓。
They suggested that an average weight loss of just eleven pounds across the UK could cut deaths from heart disease by a third while the mortality rate of type 2 diabetes, the form of the condition related to obesity, could also be halved.
他們指出，英國人口平均體重只需減少11磅，死於心臟病的人數就能減少3分之1，與肥胖有關的第二型糖尿病造成的死亡率也可以減半。
新聞辭典
silver lining： 原本是指陽光在烏雲周圍形成的亮邊，所以又隱喻為艱難處境中的一線希望。例句：Every cloud has a silver lining. （天無絕人之路，黑暗中常有一線曙光。）
lean times：（經濟）困難時期。例句：This country has fallen on lean times.（這個國家處於不景氣時期。）
subsequent：形容詞，後來的。The problem will be discussed in subsequent chapters. （這個問題將在後面幾章討論。）
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