《中英對照讀新聞》Virtual gym helps weight loss 虛擬健身房幫你甩肉

《中英對照讀新聞》Virtual gym helps weight loss 虛擬健身房幫你甩肉◎國際新聞中心
Regular visits to a health club in the online virtual world Second Life appear to help shed the pounds in real life, say exercise scientists. Participants in two 12-week weight loss programmes - one real, and one online - lost similar amounts of weight.
運動科學家說，固定造訪線上虛擬世界「第二人生」的健身俱樂部，似乎能幫你在真實生活中減肥。病患在為期12週的兩種減重計畫中—一個是真實的，一個是線上的—甩掉差不多的體重。
Indiana University researchers told a conference that confidence and motivation built in the virtual gym continued in normal life. A UK psychologist said mixing online and real world support might work best.
印地安納大學研究人員在記者會上說，在虛擬健身房建立的信心與動力，會延續到正常生活中。英國一名心理學家表示，混合線上與真實社會的支援，或許成效最佳。
Second Life, launched in 2003, allows individuals to create online personae and explore an online world, interacting with others. Dr Jeanne Johnston, who led the study which was presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Conference in Denver, worked in partnership with a Second Life interactive weight loss community called Club One Island to devise a weight loss programme.
2003年上線的第二人生，讓人創造線上角色，探索線上世界、與他人互動。領導這份研究的強森博士，在丹佛舉行的美國運動醫學學院研討會上發表研究結果，他與第二人生的互動減重社群「Club One Island」合作，設計減重計畫。
Overweight and obese people were recruited to take part in either this programme, or a similar programme delivered more conventionally in a face-to-face setting. Both courses involved four hours a week at meetings either in Second Life or the real world. Over the 12-week period, both groups achieved similar weight loss - losing 10 pounds on average.
過重與過胖者被招募來參加這項計畫，或是比較傳統、面對面形式傳授的減重計畫，兩項療程不管是在第二人生還是在真實世界，都是每星期4小時，經過12週，兩個組別減去的體重差不多，平均都減了10磅。
新聞辭典
virtual：形容詞，虛擬的。這個詞原本當「幾乎，差不多」使用，不過在電腦時代，更常見的解釋是網路上的「虛擬」世界。例句：Ten years of incompetent government had brought about the virtual collapse of the country’s economy.（無能的政府執政10年，導致國家經濟幾近崩裂。）
conventional：形容詞，傳統的、（貶意）平凡的。例句：I find his art rather dull and conventional.（我覺得他的藝術非常乏味又老派。）
recruit：動詞，招募。例句：Charities such as Oxfam are always trying to recruit volunteers to help in their work.（樂施會等慈善團體總是試著招募志願者幫他們工作。）

http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2011/new/jun/9/today-int7.htm