與“海象”冰海共舞

寒冷的12月，很多人都應(yīng)該進入了“冬眠”或“半冬眠”狀態(tài)，足不出戶，舒舒服服地蜷縮在被窩里睡懶覺吧。但一些生活在北方的人偏要“唱反調(diào)”，在冰天雪地的戶外進行傳統(tǒng)的冬季運動——冬泳。這對長期生活在南方的Grace來說確實很不可思議。冬泳究竟有什么魅力，為什么能吸引這么多人參與呢？它對健康真的有那么多好處嗎？想知道答案，一起看看本文作者在俄羅斯的冬泳經(jīng)歷。

Welcome to Russia， where temperatures regularly plunge1 below freezing for four months of the year. To survive the cold here， most people bundle up2， but some just strip3 down. They call themselves “morzhi，” or walruses4， and their passion is swimming…in subzero temperatures. At least every week， and as often as every day， they plunge into the icy depths of frozen lakes and rivers. Morzhi claim that there are enormous5 health benefits to ice swimming. They say it improves circulation， helps with arthritis6 and rheumatism7 pains and rids the system of toxins8. They also claim it can cure the heaviest of hangovers9. For the most part， morzhi are very health-conscious10. Most don’t drink or smoke and in some cases even have rules that forbid people from drinking before dunking11.

“It gives you vital12 energy and strength，” a devotee called Sasha told me on a chilly morning on the Moscow River. She was wearing nothing but a wet swimsuit as we chatted， and I asked her whether she was cold. “I am warm， I am warm，” she insisted. I told Sasha that I was planning to try dipping my toe in to see what it was all about. “The first time is horrific， but then it’s normal，” she assured me.

With some fear， I had decided to find out for myself whether these morzhi are enlightened13 or crazy. I bought a short-sleeve wetsuit14， partially so as not to frighten people with the sight of my white flesh after a Moscow winter， and partially because I was concerned that my internal15 organs might shut down upon contact with the water. I had spent the week reading horror stories on the Internet about hypothermic16 shock， panic attacks and the sensation17 of not being able to breathe properly.

Watching the men and women， old and young， fat and thin， jog18 casually into the water and splash19 around happily， I suddenly felt rather foolish for my fears. It looked almost fun. I walked into the water and waded20 forward. At first it felt like little needles pricking21 my legs. Then， as the water got higher， I felt something like dizziness. I realized that I was making slightly strange whooping22 noises and that I was by now almost skipping23 through the water just to keep moving. By the time the water was just above my navel， I decided that I had experienced enough of the icy waters for my first experience， and I rapidly went back to the changing room.

As soon as I was out of the water and felt the wind whipping24 against my frozen and numb extremities25， a feeling of warmth and lucidity26 spread through my body and mind. I felt refreshed and invigorated27 in a way I am not sure I have ever felt before. I was ready to take the world head-on， I was ready to run a marathon， write a novel， climb a mountain. I had heard morzhi say that ice swimming is also a cure for depression28 and I can understand why. It is not easy to find another activity that gives you such a high.

If you are looking for a revitalizing29 experience with a distinctly Russian flavor， ice swimming is for you. I like to think that next year I might give it another go， and this time try to get in all the way， and possibly without the aid of a wetsuit. In the meantime， however， I think I’ll leave swimming in the ice to the ducks…and the morzhi.

歡迎來到俄羅斯！在這里，一年中有四個月的時間氣溫低于零度。為了抵御嚴寒，大多數(shù)人把自己一層層裹起來，然而有些人則反其道而行之，寬衣解帶。這些人自稱“morzhi”，即“海象”，他們最愛游泳……而且是在零度以下的冰水之中暢泳。他們至少每周，甚至每天都會潛入冰封的河流和湖泊深處。

據(jù)“海象”們稱，冬泳對健康大有裨益，比如冬泳能促進循環(huán)，緩解關(guān)節(jié)炎和風(fēng)濕帶來的疼痛，并有助身體系統(tǒng)排出毒素。他們還說冬泳能夠解除最嚴重的宿醉。大多數(shù)情況下，“海象”們都十分注重健康。大部分“海象”既不喝酒也不抽煙，有時還設(shè)立禁止在下水前喝酒的規(guī)定。

“它能為你帶來活力和力量，”在一個寒冷的早晨，一位名叫薩莎的冬泳愛好者在莫斯科河畔對我這樣說道。我們交談的時候，她身上只穿了一件濕泳衣，我問她冷不冷。“我很暖，很暖，”她堅持道。我告訴薩莎說我想伸個腳趾頭進水里，試試看是什么感覺?！暗谝淮问呛芸膳拢且院缶土?xí)慣了，”她向我擔(dān)保。

我戰(zhàn)戰(zhàn)兢兢地決定親身體驗一下，看看這些“海象”們到底是確實有見地，還是發(fā)瘋了。于是，我買了一件短袖濕式潛水服，一半是為了使人們不至于被我在莫斯科度過一冬之后的蒼白肌膚所嚇到，另一半則是因為擔(dān)心我的內(nèi)臟在接觸冰水時可能會停止運作。我還花了一個星期的時間在網(wǎng)上讀了不少可怕的故事，大多是關(guān)于體溫過低、突然產(chǎn)生的恐慌以及感覺無法正常呼吸等內(nèi)容。

看著男女老少、胖瘦各異的人們悠游慢步踱入冰水之中，快樂地擊水，我突然覺得自己的擔(dān)憂十分愚蠢。這看起來很好玩啊。于是我走入水中，涉水前進。起初的感覺就好像無數(shù)根小針扎著我的雙腿；后來，隨著水位越來越高，我開始感到頭暈?zāi)垦?。我意識到自己正在發(fā)出有點奇怪的喘息聲，而且?guī)缀跏窃谒锾斑M，僅僅是為了保持移動。當水淹到肚臍眼時，我認為對這種冰水的初次體驗已經(jīng)足夠了，于是迅速回到更衣室。

我剛離水，寒風(fēng)鞭打著我凍僵了的手腳，突然有一種溫暖、透徹的感覺在全身心散發(fā)開來。我感到一種似乎從未有過的清爽，精神為之一振。在那一刻，我可以昂首面對整個世界，可以跑完一次馬拉松，寫一部小說，或者登上一座山峰。我曾聽“海象”們說過冬泳可以治療抑郁癥，現(xiàn)在我終于明白個中緣由了。你很難找到另一種能給人帶來此等快感的活動。

如果你正在尋找一種帶有典型俄羅斯風(fēng)味的充電體驗，那么冬泳就是你的不二之選。我想明年可能會再體驗一次，那時就要把冬泳體驗進行到底，或許還不必依賴潛水服的幫助呢。不過，另一方面，現(xiàn)在我想還是把冬泳留給鴨子……還有“海象”們吧。

注釋

1.plunge v.投入，跳進

2.bundle up 把……捆綁，使穿暖和

3.strip v.剝，剝?nèi)?/p>

4.walrus n.海象

5.enormous n.巨大的，龐大的

6.arthritis n.關(guān)節(jié)炎

7.rheumatism n.風(fēng)濕炎

8.toxin n.毒素

9.hangover n.宿醉

10.conscious a.有意識的

11.dunk v.浸泡，下水

12.vital a.充滿活力的

13.enlightened a.有見識的

14.wetsuit n.潛水服

15.internal organs 內(nèi)臟

16.hypothermic a.體溫過低的

17.sensation n.感（知）覺

18.jog v.蹣跚行進

19.splash v.潑

20.wade v.趟水，涉水

21.prick v.刺，扎

22.whoop v.高聲呼叫，吶喊

23.skip v.跳，蹦

24.whip v.鞭打，抽打

25.extremity n.（復(fù)數(shù)形式）手足，四肢

26.lucidity n.神志清醒，清晰

27.invigorate v.使精力充沛，鼓舞

28.depression n.沮喪，消沉

29)revitalize v.使恢復(fù)元氣，使有新的活力