男孩身体意象指南

来源：高中英语教学交流网
发布时间：2015-05-06 13:41:00
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内容提要：不只女孩会对自己的外表感到不满，男孩也承受着同样的压力。学习爱护自己，欣赏自己，对于男孩同等重要。

Al's friend Rachel invited him to go to the lake for the day with her family. Rachel thought Al was fun to be around — plus he was cute. Rachel really hoped he'd say yes.

艾尔的朋友瑞秋邀请他跟她全家一起去湖边玩一天。瑞秋觉得艾尔人很好玩，长得也很秀气，她很希望艾尔会接受她的邀请。

Al turned Rachel down. He liked Rachel, too, but was self-conscious about taking off his T-shirt. He worried that her family and others at the lake would see what he saw when he looked in the mirror — a scrawny excuse for a man. Al hadn't gone to the pool in more than a year because he was so self-conscious about his appearance.

艾尔拒绝了瑞秋。其实他也挺喜欢瑞秋，但是一想到要脱掉T恤就让他打心里面紧张。艾尔很怕瑞秋的家人以及其他湖边的游人看到他自己在镜子里看到的形象——一个骨瘦如柴的身体。因为对自己的外表过于敏感，艾尔已经一年多没去游泳池了。

The Truth About Guys 关于男孩的事实

Many people think of guys as being carefree when it comes to their appearance. But the reality is that a lot of guys spend plenty of time in front of the mirror. It's a fact — some guys care just as much as girls do about their appearance.

很多人以为，男孩对于外表都是大大咧咧的。事实是，很多男孩都会花很多时间照镜子。这是真的——有些男孩跟女孩一样在意他们的外表。

You may hear a lot about being a tough guy, but how often do you hear that being a guy is tough? Guys might think that they shouldn't worry about how they look, but body image can be a real problem for them. Unlike girls, guys are less likely to talk to friends and relatives about their bodies and how they're developing. Without support from friends and family, they may develop a negative self-image. The good news is that self-image and body image can be changed.

你可能经常听说男孩如何如何厉害，不过你有没有听说过，做个男孩其实很难？男孩也许会以为，他们不该为自己的外表操心，可是身体意象对男孩来说也会成为问题。跟女孩不同的是，男孩不大会跟亲朋好友谈论他们的外表以及身体发育情况。没有亲朋好友的支持，他们可能会对自己的形象产生负面的看法。好消息是，自我形象和身体意象都是可以改变的。

Why Is Body Image Important?身体意象为什么重要？

Body image is a person's opinions, thoughts, and feelings about his or her own body and physical appearance. Having a positive body image means feeling pretty satisfied with the way you look, appreciating your body for its capabilities and accepting its imperfections.

身体意象是一个人对自己的身体及外表的看法、想法和感觉。正面的身体意象意味着你对自己的外表感到满意，欣赏自己身体的能力，也接受它的不完美之处。

Body image is part of someone's total self-image. So how a guy feels about his body can affect how he feels about himself. If he gets too focused on not liking the way he looks, a guy's self-esteem can take a hit and his confidence can slide. (The same thing can happen to girls, too.)

身体意象是一个人全部自我形象的一部分，一个男孩对自己外表的感觉会影响他对自己整个人的看法。如果他总是不喜欢自己的外表，他的自尊心可能会受到打击，他的信心也会滑坡。（女孩也一样。）

How Puberty Affects Body Image 发育期对身体意象的影响

Although body image is just one part of our self-image, during the teen years, and especially during puberty, it can be easy for a guy's whole self-image to be based on how his body looks. That's because our bodies are changing so much during this time that they can become the main focus of our attention.

虽然身体意象只是自我形象的一部分，但是对于一个十几岁的男孩来说，特别是在发育期间，他的外表很容易成为他全部自我形象的中心。这是因为在这段时间里，我们的身体会出现如此巨大的变化，以至于成为我们所有关注的焦点。

A change in your body can be tough to deal with emotionally — mainly because, well, your body is yours and you have become used to it.

当你的身体发生变化时，有时在情感上会让你难以接受——这主要是因为，这是你的身体，你已经习惯于它先前的模样。

Some guys don't feel comfortable in their changing bodies and can feel as if they don't know who they are anymore. Being the only guy whose voice is changing or who's growing body hair (or the only guy who isn't) can also make some guys feel self-conscious for a while.

有些男孩对于自己身体的变化感到很不安，甚至会觉得连自己都不知道自己是谁了。对有些男孩来说，如果只有他在变声或者体毛在增加（或者只有他没有变声或者体毛没增加），他会着实不自在一阵子的。Some guys go into puberty not feeling too satisfied with their body or appearance to begin with. They may have wrestled with body image even before puberty started (for example, battles with weight or dissatisfaction with height). For them, puberty may add to their insecurities.

有些男孩还没进入发育期时，就已经对自己的身体或外表感到不满了。他们甚至在发育期还没开始之前，就已经在跟自己的身体意象较劲了（比如跟体重作战或者对身高不满）。对他们来说，发育期可能会进一步加剧他们的不安全感。

It Could Be in Your Genes 也许是你的基因造成的

It can be tough to balance what you expect to happen to your body with what actually does happen. Lots of guys can have high expectations for puberty, thinking they'll develop quickly or in a certain way.

你可能会希望自己的身体如何如何，但实际发生的情况又是另一回事，要在这两者之间取得平衡可不容易。很多男孩对发育期充满期待，以为他们会很快地成熟或者会长成某种模样。

The best way to approach your own growth and development is to not assume you'll be a certain way. Look at everyone in your family — uncles, grandfathers, and even female relatives — to get an idea of the kinds of options your genes may have in store for you.

对于自己的成长和发育，最好不要预先假设成某种样子。看看你的家里人——叔叔舅舅、爷爷姥爷、甚至女性亲属——你的家族基因库里都为你准备了哪些可能，你心里就大约有数了。

When Everyone Else Seems Bigger 如果别人看上去都在长高长大

Not everyone's body changes at the same time or even at the same pace. It can be tough if all of your friends have already matured physically and are taller and more muscular. Most guys eventually catch up in terms of growth, although some will always be taller or more muscular than others — it's in their genes.

每个人的身体会在不同的时间发育，出现变化的速度也是因人而异。如果所有你的朋友身体都已成熟，都比你高比你壮，你自然会有些紧张。多数男孩最终会追上这成长的脚步，不过其中一些人注定会比别人高比别人壮——那是他们的基因造成的。

It's natural to observe friends and classmates and notice the different ways they're growing and developing. Guys often compare themselves with other guys in certain settings, and one of the most common is the locker room. Whether at a local gym or getting ready for a game at school, time in the locker room can be daunting for any guy.

观察朋友和同学，注意到他们成长发育的不同，这再正常不过。在某些环境里，男孩经常会把自己跟别人比较，其中最普遍的就是在更衣室了。不论是在本地的健身房，还是在学校换衣服准备参加比赛，更衣室能让任何男孩都感到胆怯。

Try to keep in mind in these situations that you aren't alone if you feel you don't "measure up." Many guys feel exactly the same way about their own bodies — even those whose physiques you envy. Just knowing that almost everyone else will go through the same thing can make all the difference.

在这种情况下你要记住，你不是唯一一个觉得自己“个头太小”的。很多男孩都是这么觉得的，甚至那些体格让你羡慕的也是如此。如果你知道，几乎所有人都有同样的感觉，你就会轻松许多。

You could try talking to a trusted male adult — maybe a coach, a doctor, a teacher, or your dad. Chances are they went through similar experiences and had some of the same feelings and apprehensions when their bodies were changing.

你可以试试找一位你依赖的成年男子谈谈，比如教练、医生、老师或你父亲。他们在身体发育期间，很可能经历过跟你一样的感受和焦虑。

Picture Perfect?

完美形象？

Guys put enough pressure on themselves, but what about the pressure society puts on them to be perfect?

男孩自己给自己的压力已经够多了，可是那些要求他们完美的社会压力又如何呢？

It used to be that only girls felt the pressure of picture-perfect images, but these days the media emphasis on men's looks creates a sense of pressure for guys, too. And sometimes (actually, many times) that "as-advertised" body is just not attainable. The men you see in those pictures may not even be real. Magazines and ad agencies often alter photographs of models, either by airbrushing the facial and muscular features, or by putting a good-looking face on someone else's buff body.

在过去，只有女孩会受到图片里那些完美形象带来的压力，可如今，媒体对于男子外表的强调也为男孩带来了压力。不过有时候（更准确地说是很多时候），要练成象广告上那样的身材是不可能的。你在那些图片上看到的男子可能都不是真的。杂志和广告社经常会修正模特的照片，要么涂抹他们的面部和肌肉特征，要么把一张好看的脸孔嫁接到另一个人健美的身体上。

Building a Better Body Image

培养更好的身体意象

So in the face of all the pressure society places on guys — and guys place on themselves — what can you do to fuel a positive body image? Here are some ideas:

面对这么多社会加诸于男孩的压力，还有男孩自己给自己的压力，你要如何树立正面的身体意象呢？下面有几条建议：

•Recognize your strengths. Different physical attributes and body types are good for different things — and sometimes the things you did well as a kid can change during puberty. What does your body do well? Maybe your speed, flexibility, strength, or coordination leads you to excel at a certain sport. Or perhaps you have non-sports skills, like drawing, painting, singing, playing a musical instrument, writing, or acting. Just exploring talents that you feel good about can help your self-esteem and how you think of yourself.

• 认识自己的长处。不同的身体特点和体型有不同的用处，有些你幼年时做得很好的事情在发育期间会发生变化。你的身体擅长什么？也许你的速度、灵活性、力量或协调性使得你在某种体育运动中能够脱颖而出。又或者你在体育以外的领域有专长，比如制图、绘画、唱歌、演奏乐器、写作或表演。开拓你感兴趣的潜能会有助于提升你的自尊心，改变你对自己的看法。

•A good body doesn't always translate into athletic success. Too often, the way guys see their body image is closely associated with their performance on a sports field or in the gym. The upside to this is that if you're good at a team sport, you might have a pretty good view of your body. But what if you don't like team sports or you got cut from a team you really wanted to make? In these cases, it helps to look at individual accomplishments.

• 身体好并不一定就能成为成功的运动员。男孩经常把身体意象跟体育场上或健身房里的表现联系在一起。这样做的好处是，如果你擅长某种集体竞赛项目，你对自己身体的看法可能很不错。但是如果你不喜欢集体竞赛项目或者没有入选你很想参加的一支参赛队怎么办？这时，最好多看看个人成就。

If you don't like team sports, that's OK. Find another form of physical activity that gets you going. Depending on your interests and where you live, that may be mountain biking, rock climbing, yoga, dancing, or jogging. This will help you stay in shape and help you to appreciate skills you may not have realized you had in a team environment.

如果你不喜欢集体竞赛项目，没关系，另外找一个你感兴趣的体育活动。根据你的兴趣和住的位置，你也许会喜欢山地自行车、攀岩、瑜珈、跳舞或慢跑。这些都能帮助你保持健康，还能让你发掘在集体竞赛项目中所没能发现的特长。

If you like team sports but didn't make a particular team, don't let it get you down. Use this as an opportunity to discover what you're good at, not to lament what you aren't best at. Maybe try out for another team — so soccer wasn't for you, but maybe cross-country running will be. Or, continue to practice the sport you were cut from and try again next year. The people around you probably won't remember that you didn't make the team — not being picked is a much bigger deal to you than it was to them.

如果你喜欢集体竞赛项目但是没能入选一支参赛队，不要因此而灰心。把这当作是一个发现自己所长的机会，而不要为了自己所不擅长的哭泣。你可以试试另一支运动队——如果足球不适合你，也许越野赛跑对你更合适。你也可以继续训练你所落选的项目，争取来年入选。你周围的人多半不会记得你曾经落选——这件事只有你在乎，别人才无所谓呢。

•Look into starting a strength training program. Exercise can help you look good and feel good about yourself. Good physiques don't just happen — they take hard work, regular workouts, and a healthy diet. There's no need to work out obsessively. A healthy routine can be as simple as exercising 20 minutes to 1 hour three days a week. Another benefit to working out properly is that it can boost your mood — lifting weights can lift your spirits.

• 考虑开始体能训练计划。锻炼会让你看上去很棒，自我感觉也会更好。强壮的体格不是天生的，需要刻苦锻炼、坚持不懈，再加上健康的饮食。锻炼也不要过度，一份健康的训练计划可以很简单，比如一周锻炼三次，每次锻炼20分钟到1个小时。适当的锻炼还有一个好处，就是可以让你情绪很好——举重的同时，你也举起了自己的精神。

•Don't trash your body, respect it! To help improve your view of your body, take care of it. Smoking and other things you know to be harmful will take a toll after a while. Treating yourself well over time results in a healthier, stronger body — and that contributes to a better body image. Practicing good grooming habits — regular showering; taking care of your teeth, hair, and skin; wearing clean clothes, etc. — also can help you build a positive body image.

• 不要糟蹋你的身体，要尊重它！爱护你的身体也有助于改变你对它的看法。吸烟以及其它对身体有害的做法过一段时间就会对身体造成伤害。如果你善待自己的身体，你就会越来越健康，越来越强壮，这反过来又会提升你的身体意象。养成良好的生活习惯——经常洗澡，爱护你的牙齿、头发和皮肤，衣着整洁等等——这些也能帮助你树立正面的身体意象。

•Be yourself. Your body is just one part of who you are — along with your talent for comedy, a quick wit, or all the other things that make you unique. Your talents, skills, and beliefs are just as much a part of you as the casing they come in. So try not to let minor imperfections take over.

• 做你自己。你的身体只是你整个人的一部分，你还拥有诙谐幽默、机智以及其它让你与众不同的品质。你的才智、技能和信仰跟你的身体一样，都是你的一部分。所以不要让微不足道的不完美占据你所有的视线。

While it's important to have a positive body image, getting too focused on body image and appearance can cause a guy to overlook the other positive parts of himself. If you're like most guys who take care of their bodies and wear clothes that look good, you probably look great to others. You just might not be aware of that if you're too busy being self-critical.

虽然拥有正面的身体意象很重要，但是对身体和外表的过度关注也会让一个男孩忽略自己的其它优点。如果你跟多数男孩一样爱护自己的身体，穿着得体的衣服，别人对你的看法多半是满不错的。如果你没注意到这一点，那大概是因为你尽忙着挑剔自己了。
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