团体健身课是最好的交友地点

当我之前每周去教室内自行车时，这份工作的一个意想不到的好处是有免费冰淇淋。

双语精读

When I was teaching indoor cycling every week, an unexpected benefit of the gig was free ice cream. One of the class regulars had an ice-cream machine at home and sometimes brought samples for me to try, in flavors such as pumpkin and pistachio.

当我之前每周去教室内自行车时，这份工作的一个意想不到的好处是有免费冰淇淋。常来班里的一个学员家里有冰淇淋机，他有时会带一些冰淇淋样品来给我品尝，比如南瓜味和开心果味。

I noticed this friendliness in others too. Two people who met in my class started dating. Strangers who became friends there went out for post-workout coffees. These experiences have convinced me that group fitness classes are the best place to make friends as an adult.

我还注意到其他人也有这种友好互动。在我班上认识的两个人开始约会了。陌生人成为了朋友，而且会在锻炼后一起去喝咖啡。这些经历让我相信，团体健身课是成年人交朋友的最佳场所。

Once, countless friendships were born in what the sociologist Ray Oldenburg called "third places": physical spaces that aren't a home or a workplace, don't charge (much) for entry, and exist in large part to foster conversation.

曾经无数的友谊诞生于社会学家雷·奥尔登伯格所说的“第三空间”：既不是家也不是工作场所、不收取（很多）入场费、主要是为了促进对话而存在的物理空间。

Group fitness classes don't exactly fit the definition of a third place. But they fulfill many conditions that social-psychology research has repeatedly shown to help forge meaningful connections between strangers: proximity (being in the same place), ritual (at the same time, over and over), accumulation (for many hours), and shared experiences or interests (because you do and like the same things).

团体健身课程并不完全符合第三空间的定义，但是它满足社会心理学研究一再证明有助于在陌生人之间建立有意义联系的许多条件：近距离（在同一个地方），仪式（在同一时间，重复出现），积累（许多个小时），共同的经历或兴趣（因为你们做而且喜欢同样的事情）。

Sussing out shared interests can be horribly awkward when you meet someone new at work or even at a party. Group fitness classes make it a little easier, Stephanie Roth Goldberg, an athlete psychotherapist in New York, told me.

在工作或派对上遇到新朋友时，找出共同的兴趣爱好可能会非常尴尬。纽约的运动员心理治疗师斯蒂芬妮·罗斯·戈德堡告诉我，团体健身课会让这件事变得容易一些。

"Automatically, when you walk into a fitness class, you likely are sharing the idea that 'We like to exercise,' or 'We like to do this particular kind of exercise,'" she said.

“自然而然地，当你走进健身课时，你可能就在分享‘我们喜欢锻炼’或‘我们喜欢这种特定的锻炼’的想法。”她说。

Proximity, ritual, and accumulation all require a certain amount of time, which can be hard to come by in a country that requires and rewards long hours at work. But you're already making time for exercise class, and it provides those conditions; benefitting from them mostly requires acknowledging that you've already set yourself up for friendship.

近距离、仪式和积累都需要一定的时间，这在一个要求和奖励长时间工作的国家可能是很难做到的。但你已经抽出时间去上健身课了，而且健身课提供了这些条件，那么要从中受益，主要需要承认你已经准备好去建立友谊了。

Danielle Friedman, a journalist and the author of Let's Get Physical, told me that breaking through what she calls the "social code of anonymity" is key to making friends. "If you've been going to the same class for a while and start seeing the same people, don't pretend like you've never interacted before," she said.

丹妮尔·弗里德曼是一名记者，也是《来健身吧》的作者，她告诉我，打破她所称的“匿名社会准则”是交朋友的关键。“如果你去同一门课上了一段时间，开始看到同样的人，那就不要假装你们从来没有互动过。”她说。

That kind of friendliness requires adopting the clichéd feel-goodery inherent in many group fitness classes.

这种友好需要采用许多团体健身课中固有的那种老套的、营造积极气氛的做法。

In my spin classes, I'd cringe whenever I caught myself doling out motivational platitudes-mostly "We're all in this together!" because I needed the reminder too, as I tried to talk and spin at the same time.

在我的室内自行车课上，每当我发现自己在喊一些励志的老套口号时，我就会感到尴尬，这种口号主要是“我们一起加油！”，因为我要一边说话一边蹬车，所以我也需要提醒自己加油。

Inevitably, though, someone would "Woo!" in response and reenergize the whole room.

但是不可避免地，有人会“噢！”地一声回应我，然后让整个房间重新充满活力。

In a world that prizes ironic detachment, embracing such earnest silliness can feel deeply uncomfortable. But-and you might as well get used to hearing this kind of phrase now, if you're going to start attending classes-you just have to push through.

在一个推崇讽刺和疏离的世界里，拥抱这种真诚的傻气会让人感到非常不自在。但是——如果你要开始上健身课的话，你最好现在就习惯这句话——你就是得坚持下去。

词汇预习

response [高考]
美[rɪˈspɑːns] | 英[rɪˈspɒns]
n. 反应；回答；响应；答复
code [高考]
美[koʊd] | 英[kəʊd]
n. 密码；法规；准则
v. 制成法典；把 ... 编码
countless [高考]
美[ˈkaʊntləs] | 英[ˈkaʊntləs]
adj. 无数的；多的数不清的
definition [高考]
美[ˌdefɪˈnɪʃn] | 英[ˌdefɪˈnɪʃn]
n. 定义；阐释；清晰度
repeatedly [高考]
美[rɪˈpiːtɪdli] | 英[rɪˈpiːtɪdli]
adv. 重复地；再三地
pumpkin [高考]
美[ˈpʌmpkɪn] | 英[ˈpʌmpkɪn]
n. 南瓜
sociologist [高考]
美[ ˌsoʊsiˈɑːlədʒɪst] | 英[ ˌsəʊsiˈɒlədʒɪst]
n. 社会学家
reminder [高考]
美[rɪˈmaɪndər] | 英[rɪˈmaɪndə(r)]
n. 提醒物；提示；催单
friendliness [高考]
美[ ˈfrɛndlɪnɪs] | 英['frendlɪnəs]
n. 友好；亲切
charge [高考]
美[tʃɑːrdʒ] | 英[tʃɑːdʒ]
n. 责任；电荷；指控；费用；照顾；主管
vi. 要价；充电；向前冲，冲锋；记在账上
vt. 控诉；赊账；给…充电；委以重任；归罪于；装填（炸药等）
【名】（Charge）（英）查奇
psychology [高考]
美[saɪˈkɑːlədʒi] | 英[saɪˈkɒlədʒi]
n. 心理；心理学
journalist [高考]
美[ˈdʒɜːrnəlɪst] | 英[ˈdʒɜːnəlɪst]
n. 记者；新闻工作者
entry [高考]
美[ˈentri] | 英[ˈentri]
n. 进入；进入权；入口；条目
foster [高考]
美[ˈfɑːstər] | 英[ˈfɒstə(r)]
vt. 领养；培养；促进；鼓励；抱有（希望等）
adj. 收养的
awkward [高考]
美[ˈɔːkwərd] | 英[ˈɔːkwəd]
adj. 尴尬的；笨拙的；（设计）别扭的
spin [高考]
美[spɪn] | 英[spɪn]
v. (使)旋转；疾驰；纺织；结网；眩晕
n. 纺织；旋转；眩晕；疾驰
get used to [高考]
美[ɡet juːzd tu] | 英[ɡet juːzd tu]
习惯于
in response [高考]
美[ɪn rɪˈspɑns] | 英[in riˈspɔns]
作为回答
earnest [高考]
美[ˈɜːrnɪst] | 英[ˈɜːnɪst]
adj. 认真的；真诚的
n. 定金；预示；保证
n. 认真；诚挚
workplace [高考]
美[ˈwɜːrkpleɪs] | 英[ˈwɜːkpleɪs]
n. 工作场所
hearing [高考]
美[ˈhɪrɪŋ] | 英[ˈhɪərɪŋ]
n. 听力；听觉；说话或申辩的机会；审讯；听证会
would [高考]
美[wʊd , wəd] | 英[wʊd , wəd]
aux. 将；可能；大概；总会；愿意；will的过去式
fulfill [四级]
美[fʊl'fɪl] | 英[fʊl'fɪl]
vt. 完成；履行；执行；满足
inherent [四级]
美[ɪnˈhɪərənt] | 英[ɪnˈhɪərənt]
adj. 固有的；内在的
accumulation [四级]
美[əˌkjumjəˈleʃən] | 英[əˌkju:mjə'leɪʃn]
n. 积聚；累积；积聚物
make it [四级]
美[mek ɪt] | 英[meik it]
成功达到预定目标,性交易,幸存
come by [四级]
美[kʌm baɪ] | 英[kʌm baɪ]
从旁边走过；得到；获得；经过，过来
might as well [四级]
美[maɪt æz wel] | 英[maɪt æz wel]
还是 ... 的好；最好；倒不如
forge [四级]
美[fɔːrdʒ] | 英[fɔːdʒ]
vt. 锻造；伪造；建立
vi. 伪造；做铁匠
n. 锻炉；铁匠铺；锻造车间
ritual [六级]
美[ˈrɪtʃuəl] | 英[ˈrɪtʃuəl]
n. 仪式；典礼；宗教仪式；固定程序
adj. 仪式的；老规矩的；惯常的
kind of [六级]
美[kaɪnd ʌv] | 英[kaind ɔv]
adv. 有点儿
walk into [六级]
美[wɔk ˈɪntu] | 英[wɔ:k ˈɪntuː]
v. 出乎意料地陷入(某境地)；猛烈打击；轻易获得（工作）；撞上
detachment [专八]
美[dɪ'tætʃmənt] | 英[dɪˈtætʃmənt]
n. 冷漠；公正；分遣队；脱离
cringe [专八]
美[krɪndʒ] | 英[krɪndʒ]
vi. 畏缩；觉得尴尬不安或难为情；阿谀，奉承
n. 畏缩；阿谀，奉承
workout [考研]
美[ˈwɜːrkaʊt] | 英[ˈwɜːkaʊt]
n. 健身；练习；考验
ironic [考研]
美[aɪˈrɑnɪk] | 英[aɪˈrɒnɪk]
adj. 说反话的；讽刺的
pistachio [托福]
美[pɪˈstæʃioʊ] | 英[pɪˈstæʃiəʊ]
n. 开心果；阿月浑子果实；阿月浑子树；淡草绿色
don [托福]
美[dɑn] | 英[dɒn]
n. 先生（西班牙用语）；(牛津、剑桥大学的)指导教师
v. 穿上
motivational [雅思]
美[ˌmoʊtəˈveɪʃənəl] | 英[ˌməʊtɪˈveɪʃən(ə)l]
adj. 激发性的；动机的

重点讲解

When I was teaching indoor cycling every week, an unexpected benefit of the gig was free ice cream. One of the class regulars had an ice-cream machine at home and sometimes brought samples for me to try, in flavors such as pumpkin and pistachio.

当我之前每周去教室内自行车时，这份工作的一个意想不到的好处是有免费冰淇淋。常来班里的一个学员家里有冰淇淋机，他有时会带一些冰淇淋样品来给我品尝，比如南瓜味和开心果味。

regular n. 常客；经常参加活动的人

【例】The regulars would come and chat with the waiters.

常客们来了后会和服务员聊几句。

【近义词】fixture n. 固定成员；总是在某地的人

【例】He is a fixture in the library.

他总是在图书馆里。

我还注意到其他人也有这种友好互动。在我班上认识的两个人开始约会了。陌生人成为了朋友，而且会在锻炼后一起去喝咖啡。这些经历让我相信，团体健身课是成年人交朋友的最佳场所。

foster v. 助长；促进；培养

【例】to foster a spirit of cooperation

培养合作精神

to foster an interest in music

培养对音乐的兴趣

【近义词】promote/encourage v. 促进；鼓励

Once, countless friendships were born in what the sociologist Ray Oldenburg called “third places”: physical spaces that aren’t a home or a workplace, don’t charge (much) for entry, and exist in large part to foster conversation.

曾经无数的友谊诞生于社会学家雷·奥尔登伯格所说的“第三空间”：既不是家也不是工作场所、不收取（很多）入场费、主要是为了促进对话而存在的物理空间。

foster v. 助长；促进；培养

【例】to foster a spirit of cooperation

培养合作精神

to foster an interest in music

培养对音乐的兴趣

【近义词】promote/encourage v. 促进；鼓励

Group fitness classes don’t exactly fit the definition of a third place. But they fulfill many conditions that social-psychology research has repeatedly shown to help forge meaningful connections between strangers: proximity (being in the same place), ritual (at the same time, over and over), accumulation (for many hours), and shared experiences or interests (because you do and like the same things).

团体健身课程并不完全符合第三空间的定义，但是它满足社会心理学研究一再证明有助于在陌生人之间建立有意义联系的许多条件：近距离（在同一个地方），仪式（在同一时间，重复出现），积累（许多个小时），共同的经历或兴趣（因为你们做而且喜欢同样的事情）。

fit v. 符合；与……一致

【例】The facts certainly fit your theory.

事实与你的理论一致。

to fit your needs

符合你的需求

【近义词】meet v. 符合；达到

forge v. 铸造；使形成

【例】to forge an enduring peace

缔造持久的和平

to forge an alliance

结成同盟
【近义词】form v. 使形成

Sussing out shared interests can be horribly awkward when you meet someone new at work or even at a party. Group fitness classes make it a little easier, Stephanie Roth Goldberg, an athlete psychotherapist in New York, told me.

在工作或派对上遇到新朋友时，找出共同的兴趣爱好可能会非常尴尬。纽约的运动员心理治疗师斯蒂芬妮·罗斯·戈德堡告诉我，团体健身课会让这件事变得容易一些。

suss out 弄明白；理解

【例】They had to suss out whether he was telling the truth.

他们必须弄清楚他说的是不是真话。

【近义词】figure out 弄明白

“Automatically, when you walk into a fitness class, you likely are sharing the idea that ‘We like to exercise,’ or ‘We like to do this particular kind of exercise,’” she said.

“自然而然地，当你走进健身课时，你可能就在分享‘我们喜欢锻炼’或‘我们喜欢这种特定的锻炼’的想法。”她说。

suss out 弄明白；理解

【例】They had to suss out whether he was telling the truth.

他们必须弄清楚他说的是不是真话。

【近义词】figure out 弄明白

Proximity, ritual, and accumulation all require a certain amount of time, which can be hard to come by in a country that requires and rewards long hours at work. But you’re already making time for exercise class, and it provides those conditions; benefitting from them mostly requires acknowledging that you’ve already set yourself up for friendship.

近距离、仪式和积累都需要一定的时间，这在一个要求和奖励长时间工作的国家可能是很难做到的。但你已经抽出时间去上健身课了，而且健身课提供了这些条件，那么要从中受益，主要需要承认你已经准备好去建立友谊了。

come by 得到；获得

【例】Jobs are hard to come by these days.

如今找工作很难。

【近义词】obtain v. 得到

make time for 为……抽出时间

【例】No matter how busy you are, you have to make time for your hobbies.

无论你有多忙，都得为自己的爱好挤出时间。

【近义词】set aside/spare time for 为……留出时间

set sb up for sth 让某人准备好做某事

【例】A good breakfast really sets you up for the day.

一顿营养的早餐能让你为新的一天做好准备。

【拓展】set up 设置；设定

Danielle Friedman, a journalist and the author of Let’s Get Physical, told me that breaking through what she calls the “social code of anonymity” is key to making friends. “If you’ve been going to the same class for a while and start seeing the same people, don’t pretend like you’ve never interacted before,” she said.

丹妮尔·弗里德曼是一名记者，也是《来健身吧》的作者，她告诉我，打破她所称的“匿名社会准则”是交朋友的关键。“如果你去同一门课上了一段时间，开始看到同样的人，那就不要假装你们从来没有互动过。”她说。

code n. 准则；规范

【例】dress code 着装要求

code of conduct 行为准则

feel-goodery n. 让人感觉良好的事物

【例】The movie was full of feel-goodery, with its predictable plot and happy endings for all the characters.

电影充满了那种温馨桥段，情节老套，所有人物都有美满结局。

That kind of friendliness requires adopting the clichéd feel-goodery inherent in many group fitness classes.

这种友好需要采用许多团体健身课中固有的那种老套的、营造积极气氛的做法。

code n. 准则；规范

【例】dress code 着装要求

code of conduct 行为准则

feel-goodery n. 让人感觉良好的事物

【例】The movie was full of feel-goodery, with its predictable plot and happy endings for all the characters.

电影充满了那种温馨桥段，情节老套，所有人物都有美满结局。

In my spin classes, I’d cringe whenever I caught myself doling out motivational platitudes—mostly “We’re all in this together!” because I needed the reminder too, as I tried to talk and spin at the same time.

在我的室内自行车课上，每当我发现自己在喊一些励志的老套口号时，我就会感到尴尬，这种口号主要是“我们一起加油！”，因为我要一边说话一边蹬车，所以我也需要提醒自己加油。

cringe v. 蜷缩；感到难为情

【例】I cringed at the sight of my dad dancing.

看到我爸跳舞，我尴尬得脚趾抠地。

dole out 分发

【例】to dole out food to the homeless

给流浪汉送食物

to dole out some advice

给出一些建议

【近义词】dish out 分发

Inevitably, though, someone would “Woo!” in response and reenergize the whole room.

但是不可避免地，有人会“噢！”地一声回应我，然后让整个房间重新充满活力。

cringe v. 蜷缩；感到难为情

【例】I cringed at the sight of my dad dancing.

看到我爸跳舞，我尴尬得脚趾抠地。

dole out 分发

【例】to dole out food to the homeless

给流浪汉送食物

to dole out some advice

给出一些建议

【近义词】dish out 分发

In a world that prizes ironic detachment, embracing such earnest silliness can feel deeply uncomfortable. But—and you might as well get used to hearing this kind of phrase now, if you’re going to start attending classes—you just have to push through.

在一个推崇讽刺和疏离的世界里，拥抱这种真诚的傻气会让人感到非常不自在。但是——如果你要开始上健身课的话，你最好现在就习惯这句话——你就是得坚持下去。

prize v. 推崇；珍视

【例】He prizes freedom more than life.

他把自由看得比生命更宝贵。

【近义词】value v. 看重；珍视

detachment n. 疏离；超然；冷漠

【例】He answered with an air of detachment.

他回答时带着冷漠的神态。

【反义词】attachment n. 连接；依恋

课后练习

Why are group fitness classes the best place to make friends?
A. Because they are free of charge and everyone can easily join in.
B. Because they fulfill many conditions that foster friendship.
C. Because they always attract friendly and generous people.
D. Because they fit into the category of a "third place".
Finding shared interests in a fitness class is ____.
A. awkward as you are not familiar with other people
B. more difficult than making friends at work or at a party
C. effortless as everyone here are interested in some type of exercise
D. tricky as people have diverse interests and come from different backgrounds
According to Danielle Friedman, what is the requirement for making friends in a fitness class?
A. Making time for the class and attending regularly.
B. Preparing to make contact with people proactively.
C. Maintaining a friendly appearance to your classmates.
D. Creating a new identity and talking to people anonymously.
What kind of attitude does the author advocate in a fitness class?
A. Focusing on the exercise and trying not to be silly.
B. Adopting a detached style and avoiding feel-good clichés.
C. Keeping up with the exercise even if you feel exhausted.
D. Overcoming the awkwardness and trying to be earnest.