grunt [grʌnt] 

v.咕哝；发出哼哼声

图片来源：视觉中国

You never think it's going to happen to you. 
你从未想到这种事情会发生在你身上。

Then suddenly you're middle-aged and you find yourself grunting when you pick up something from the floor or groaning when you get out of the chair.
然后你突然步入中年，发现自己在从地板上捡起东西时发出嘟哝声，或者从椅子里起来时发出哼哼声。

Why do we do this? Is it a sign that we're ageing fast? Or is it just one of those things that come with the middle years, like reading glasses, greying hair and "dad jokes"?
我们为什么会这样做？这是我们快速衰老的标志吗？或者这只是伴随中年而来的众多事情中的一件，就像老花镜、变灰的头发和“爸爸的笑话”？

As far as I could find, there have been no specific studies to explain why otherwise healthy older people grunt or groan with the physical effort of everyday activities.
据我所知，没有特别的研究能够解释为什么除此之外健康的年纪大的人在进行日常活动时，发出嘟哝声或者哼哼声。

But noises relating to physical exertion are common in a range of ages and activities, as anyone who has watched cricket, boxing or in particular, tennis, will know. Think Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal.
但是与身体努力有关的噪音在一系列年龄和活动中都很常见，任何看过板球、拳击或者特别是网球的人都知道。想想塞丽娜·威廉姆斯和拉裴尔·纳达尔吧。

What does this mean for everyday activities?
这对于日常活动来说意味着什么？

What all this means for grunting during everyday activities is unclear. Clearly, athletes' grunts during fast, ballistic movements are different to the noises we make when exercising in a gym or when we get up from a chair.
日常活动时发出嘟哝声意味着什么尚不明确。很清楚地是，运动员在进行快速、发射的运动时发出的嘟哝声与我们在健身房锻炼或者从椅子上起来时发出的声音不同。

Perhaps we are more likely to make such noises if we are tired or fatigued. And if someone thinks a task is going to be hard, they might be more likely to grunt or vocalise. 
也许我们疲倦时更可能发出这样的声音。如果有人认为某项任务会很困难，他们也更可能嘟哝或者哼哼。

So that's when they're most likely holding their breath, to try to provide momentum and stability for the task ahead, then releasing it.
所以那时候他们最容易屏住呼吸，努力为前方的任务提供动能和稳定性，然后释放。

While there has been no research on this phenomenon, as far as I can tell, grunting with physical exertion does seem to be habitual. 
虽然没有针对这种现象的研究，但据我所知，在身体努力时嘟哝确实是习惯性的。

These noises are most likely learned behaviours that we copy from friends and relatives and start doing without realising it. So, you can choose not to groan the next time you get off the couch.
这些声音最有可能是习得行为，是我们从亲戚朋友那儿学来的，不自觉地就开始这么做了。因此，你下次从沙发上起来的时候，可以选择不嘟哝。

 

今日词汇

grunt [grʌnt] 

v.咕哝；发出哼哼声

The driver grunted, convinced that his wife was crazy.
司机低声咕哝着，认为他老婆疯了。

 

作为名词时：

 

Every now and then, Henry would give a nod or a grunt.
  
亨利不时点点头或者发出咕哝声。