特别广播英语第 239 课：Can a Full Moon Really Affect Our Behavior?
月光光，心慌慌？-1

You have probably seen it in movies: When the moon is full, a man turns into a hairy, frightening creature and runs around the city, tearing people to pieces. 你可能曾在电影中看到：月圆时分，一个男人变成毛茸茸的骇人怪物在城市里四处横行，把人撕成碎片。

You may laugh at stories of wolf men, but have you ever wondered where the association of a full moon with crazy goings-on came from? 你也许对狼人的故事感到好笑，但你可曾好奇过满月与疯狂举动之间的联系从何而来？

Such notions have been around a lot longer than scary movies. 这种观念在恐怖电影出现之前便已流传许久。

The word lunacy, meaning "madness," is derived from Luna, the Latin name for the Roman goddess of the moon. “lunacy”这个表示“疯狂”的词源自“Luna ”一罗马神话中月光女神的拉丁名。

And, a hundred years ago in some European hospitals, fear of violence during full moons led doctors to chain up patients thought to be lunatics. 一百年前，欧洲的一些医院在月圆时因为担心会出现暴力行为， 而用链子绑住那些被认为是疯子的患者。

It is surprising how many people still believe that the moon can affect human behavior in unusual ways. 令人惊讶的是现在仍有很多人相信月亮会让人行为失常。

For example, many medical workers are convinced that the number of emergency cases increases during a full moon. 例如，许多医务工作者相信月圆时急诊病例会增多。

Considerable research has been conducted to establish a link between the cycle of the moon and the biological clocks of humans and other animals, with varying results. 很多研究工作已着手进行以建立月亮圆缺与人类和其它动物生物钟之间的联系，而且得到了各种不同的结果。