[长难句突破]

Studies of both animals and humans have shown that sex hormones somehow affects the stress response, causing females under stress to produce more of the trigger chemicals than do males under the same conditions.

主体句式：Studies have shown that...

结构分析：这个句子的重点在于说明研究的成果，即主句中that引导的定语从句的内容。从句中causing引导的部分用来说明前文的结果，句子中"do males under the same conditions"的do 起到了省略的作用，do即"produce more of the trigger chemicals"的意思。

[全文译文]

While still catching-up to men in some spheres of modern life, women appear to be way ahead in at least one undesirable category. "Women are particularly susceptible to developing depression and anxiety disorders in response to stress compared to men," according to Dr. Yehuda, chief psychiatrist at New York's Veteran's Administration Hospital.

Studies of both animals and humans have shown that sex hormones somehow affects the stress response, causing females under stress to produce more of the trigger chemicals than do males under the same conditions. In several of the studies, when stressed-out female rats had their ovaries (the female reproductive organs) removed, their chemical responses became equal to those of the males.

Adding to a woman's increased dose of stress chemicals, are her increased "opportunities" for stress. "It's not necessarily that women don't cope as well. It's just that they have so much more to cope with," says Dr. Yehuda. "Their capacity for tolerating stress may even be greater than men's," she observes, "It's just that they're dealing with so many more things that they become worn out from it more visibly and sooner."

Dr. Yehuda notes another difference between the sexes. "I think that the kinds of things that women are exposed to tend to be in more of a chronic or repeated nature. Men go to war and are exposed to combat stress. Men are exposed to more acts of random physical violence. The kinds of interpersonal violence that women are exposed to tend to be in domestic situations, by, unfortunately, parents or other family numbers, and they tend not to be one-shot deals. The wear-and-tear that comes from these longer relationships can be quite devastating."

Adeline Alvarez married at 18 and gave birth to a son, but wad determined to finish college. "I struggled a lot to get the college degree. I was living in so much frustration that that was my escape, to go to school, and get ahead and do better." Later her marriage ended and she became a single mother. "It's the hardest thing to take care of a teenager, have a job, pay the rent, pay the car payment, and pay the debt. I lived from paycheck to paycheck."

Not everyone experiences the kinds of severe chronic stresses Alvarez describes. But most women today are coping with a lot of obligations, with few breaks, and feeling the strain. Alvarez's experience demonstrates the importance of finding ways to diffuse stress before it threatens your health and your ability to function.

现代生活中，女性在很多领域仍然在追赶男性，但是在有一个方面她们却远远超过了男性，尽管这并不是她们所乐意看到的。"比起男人，妇女在压力下更加容易受到由于抑郁和焦虑而引起的精神紊乱。"纽约老兵管理医院的精神科主治医师Yehuda博士说道。

有关人类和动物的研究都表明性激素在某种程度上会影响对于压力的反应，导致承受压力的雌性动物和女性人类相比雄性动物和男性人类而言，在同等条件下更加容易产生引发以上病症的化学物质。在一些研究中，当受到压力的雌鼠被切除卵巢（女性生殖器官）后，其化学反应与雄鼠几乎是等同的。

妇女除了能够不断产生更多的化学物质外，她们受到压力的"机会"也更多。"并不是女性要应付的事情不够多，而是她们要应付的事情太多了。"Yehuda博士指出。"她们承受压力的能力也许比男人还要大，"她观察到，"她们要应付如此之多的事情，以至于我们更容易看到她们会更快地精疲力竭。"

Yehuda博士还注意到了另一个男女之间的不同点。"我认为妇女平时要做的事情都是那些惯常的、重复的琐事。男人则去打仗，他们面临的是格斗的压力。因而男人更多的是面对那种随机性的身体接触上的暴力行为。妇女们面对则是那种人际间暴力，一般都发生在家庭环境中，由于她们不幸与父母或者其他家人争吵所致，这些都不是那种打一枪就能解决问题的事情。家庭关系中的长期拉锯战是一种更大的折磨。"

Adeline Alvarez1在8岁的时候就结婚生子，但她决意要读完大学。"为了得到大学学位我付出了很大的努力，因为我的生活中有着太多的不如意，而上大学是我的逃避方式，这样我才可以继续向前走并做得更好。"后来，她离了婚，成为了一个单身母亲。"最困难的事情就是我要同时带一个十几岁的孩子、工作、付房租、付养车的开销、还要还债。我的生活就是付掉一张账单再付下一张。"

并不是每一个人都会经历 Alvarez描述的那种日复一日的压力。可是现在大多数妇女都承担了太多的义务、但却很少得到休息，因而感觉到了压力。Alvarez的经历说明了，最重要的是在压力开始威胁你的健康和正常运行的功能之前找到解压的方法。