特别广播英语第 188 课：Let Your Mind Wander 让头脑畅想-1

Until recently daydreaming was generally considered either a waste of time or a symptom of neurotic tendencies, and habitual daydreaming was regarded as evidence of maladjustment or an escape from life's realities and responsibilities. 直到最近白日做梦通常被认为不中浪费时间就是要患精神病的征兆。习惯性白日做梦被看作精神失调的证据或是对现实生活和责任的逃避。

It was believed that habitual daydreaming would eventually distance people from society and reduce their effectiveness in coping with real problems. 人们相信，习惯性白日作梦被认为是代替生活现实的补偿品。

At its best, daydreaming was considered a compensatory substitute for the real things in life. As with anything carried to excess, daydreaming can be harmful. 任何事情做得过分都可能有害，白日做梦也是一样。

There are always those who would substitute fantasy lives for the rewards of real activity. 总有那么一些人，他们用想入非非的生活来代替实际活动得到的好处。

But such extremes are relatively race, and there is a growing body of evidence to support the fact that most people suffer from a lack of daydreaming rather than an excess of it. 但是这一类极端的情况极为罕见，愈来愈多的资料都能证明这样一种看法：大多数人的白日梦做得太少了，而不是太多了。

We are now beginning to learn how valuable it really is and that when individuals are completely prevented form daydreaming, their emotional balance can be disturbed. 现在我们才开始了解到它确实是那么有价值。当一个人被禁止做白日梦时，他们的感情平衡就可能被搅乱。

Not only are they less able to deal with the pressures of day-to-day existence, but also their self-control and self-direction become endangered. 不仅使他们更难以对付日常的生活压力，而且他们的自我控制和自我定向变得岌岌可危。

Recent research indicates that daydreaming is part of daily life and that a certain amount each day is essential for maintaining equilibrium. 最近的研究表明，白日做梦是日常生活的一部分，每天做一定数量的白日梦对保持平衡是必不可少的。

Daydreaming, science has discovered, is an effective relaxation technique. 科学已经发现白日梦是一种有效的消遣技巧。