背景
月球是地球唯一的天然卫星。月有阴晴圆缺，不论我们肉眼是否看得见，月亮每晚都在天空升起。月亮能控制地球上的潮汐，但它也能影响生活在地球上的人类吗？
正文
It’s more than 384,000 km from Earth. We can see it most nights. ***nd it’s not made of cheese! I am, of course, talking about the Moon. ***stronauts have taken giant steps to explore this natural satellite floating in space, but despite it being out of reach for most of us, it still moves us in mysterious ways.
The Moon, obviously, provides moonlight. *** full moon, seen roughly once a month, can light up our way on an otherwise dark night. But while this lunar light can be impressive to look at, it can affect our sleeping patterns. One study showed that during or around the full moon, those studied spent less time in deep sleep, slept for less time and reported having poorer sleep, despite sleeping in a dark room not exposed to moonlight.
There are many theories about how the Moon can affect other things too. One study suggested animals are more likely to bite us during a full moon. ***nd many moons ago, it was thought the Moon induced lunacy – the word derives from the Latin word ‘lunaticus’, meaning ‘moonstruck’, and evolved from the idea that celestial changes could cause periods of insanity. Even winemakers look to the Moon when planting and pruning grapevines. They will avoid a full moon at all costs because, although the added moisture in the soil at this time may give a fuller and juicier grape, the additional water is thought to dilute the taste of the fruit, which results in a less successful vintage.
The Moon might affect our behavior too. Writing about this for BBC Future, Claudia Hammond explains one interesting theory. Just as the Moon’s gravitational pull affects the tides, it exerts its influence on the water in our bodies. But she points out “the Moon is smaller than the Earth, so its gravitational pull is correspondingly less powerful. What’s more, it exerts the same force on us regardless of whether it’s new or full.” Research into ancient myths about the effects of the lunar cycle on us is ongoing. So, like the Moon being made of cheese, we must be careful what we believe!
词汇表
- satellite 卫星
- out of reach 遥不可及的
- mysterious 难以理解的，神秘的
- moonlight 月光
- full moon 满月
- lunar 月亮的，月球的
- sleeping patterns 睡眠模式
- deep sleep 深度睡眠
- many moons ago 很久以前
- lunacy 愚蠢的行为
- moonstruck 疯狂的
- celestial 天外的，天空的
- insanity 失去理智，精神错乱
- behavior 行为，举止
- gravitational pull 引力
- exert influence 施加影响
- force 影响
- ancient myths 古代神话
- lunar cycle 月亮周期
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