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TAKING THE PLUNGE
冒险挑战冰泳
People are swimming in frigid water for fun—and for health
为了娱乐和健康，人们在寒冷刺骨的水中游泳
Forget dipping your toe in the deep end.
忘记你的脚已经伸到了深水区。
In countries around the world, intrepid swimmers of all ages plunge into ice-cold waters for a thrill that can feel as sharp as daggers—and bragging rights that last all winter.
世界各国各个年龄段都有勇气过人的游泳者跳入冰冷的水中，感受被匕首刺中般的刺激，同时获取能够持续整个冬天的吹牛权。
Welcome to the fun and frigid world of cold-water swimming.
欢迎来到欢乐而严寒的冰水游泳世界。
The hobby is nothing new.
这个爱好并不新鲜。
It’s been around for centuries in chilly climes such as Russia and Finland,
这种爱好在俄罗斯和芬兰等寒冷地带已经有几百年的历史了，
and people have been crossing the notoriously frosty, 21-mile-long English Channel without wet suits since at least the 1800s.
至少从19世纪开始，就已经有人能不弄湿衣服就游过无比寒冷，且长达34公里的英吉利海峡了。
The Coney Island Polar Bear Club hosted its first U.S. ocean dip in 1903.
1903年，康尼岛北极熊俱乐部举办了第一届美国海泳比赛。
And while polar plunges have become relatively common, some of these swims are not for the faint of heart.
虽然极地冰泳已经很常见了，但有时候并不适合胆小的人。
Only 11 people in recorded history, for example, have completed the so-called Ice Zero:
举个例子，有史以来只有11人完成了所谓的零度冰挑战：
a mile-long swim in freezing water, held in places such as Antarctica, Russia and Northern Europe.
就是在南极洲，俄罗斯和北欧等地举行的长达1.6公里的冰泳比赛。
Communal cold-water plunges are a great way to build camaraderie—and chase better health.
集体挑战冰泳不仅非常有利于促进友谊，对促进身体健康也很有效。
Jitka Tauferova, 76, belongs to a swimming club in the Czech Republic.
76岁的Jitka Tauferova是捷克共和国某游泳俱乐部的会员。
She says she has not gotten sick since she began cold-water swimming.
她说，自从开始冰泳以来，她就再没有感冒过。
“The last time I had flu was 25 years ago,” she says.
“我上次感冒已经是25年前的事了，”她说。
“My back pain disappeared.
“我的背也不痛了。
Better blood circulation improves healing broken bones, and my heart is like a hammer.
血液循环得到了改善，之前受伤的骨头愈合得也更好了，而且，我的心脏现在跟锤子一样结实。
I feel great.”
我感觉好极了。”
She and like-minded swimmers may be onto something.
或许，她和其他志同道合的游泳爱好者大有作为。
Research has shown that swimming—the kind done in normal-temperature water, at least—is one of the best full-body workouts.
研究表明，游泳 - 即便是常温的水——是进行全身训练最好的办法之一。
It’s also ideal for older people and those with pain;
游泳也十分适合老年人，以及某天某处有疼痛的人;
swimming is not a weight-bearing activity, but it still delivers all the benefits of traditional aerobics, from strengthening the heart to brightening mood.
游泳不是负重锻炼，但它仍然能够产生传统健美操的所有好处，从强化心脏到调动情绪一个不落。
Scant research has explored the practice of swimming in cold water,
目前，很少有人研究冰泳这种做法，
but there is some evidence that it invigorates the body in unique ways.
但有证据表明，冰泳能够以独特的方式让身体活跃起来。
In a February case report published in the BMJ,
《英国医学期刊》2月份发表的病例报告显示，
a young man desperate for relief from chronic nerve pain went for a minute-long swim in chilly 51°Fwater.
一名极度渴望缓解慢性神经疼痛的年轻患者在寒冷的51°F水中长时间游泳之后，
His pain immediately vanished—and didn’t return.
疼痛立刻消失了 - 而且没有复发。
“When I came out of the water, I realized the neuropathic pain had gone away,”
“从水中出来的时候，我发现我的神经性疼痛消失了，”
he told researchers, who believe the shock of cold water could have somehow disrupted pain patterns in his body.
他对研究人员如是说，而研究人员认为，冷水冲击可能会以某种方式扰乱他体内的疼痛模式。
“I couldn’t believe it.”
“简直是难以置信。”
Another study, in 2008, suggested that taking cold showers could ease depression symptoms and pain,
2008年的另一项研究也表明，冷水淋浴也能缓解抑郁症状和疼痛，
possibly by raising levels of mood-regulating and painkilling chemicals in the blood and brain.
可能是因为提高了血液和大脑中调节情绪和止痛的化学物质的水平。
