织毛衣、画画、做木工……亲手制作工艺品很有满足感。不少人都以做手工为业余爱好，一方面可以锻炼动手能力、激发创造力并增添生活乐趣，另一方面也可以改善心理健康。本期节目探讨做手工有哪些好处。

词汇：craft 手工

Are you good with your hands? Many of us like to make things which we can use or give as gifts. Crafting is certainly a hobby that’s seen a resurgence, and those who pursue it claim getting creative improves their mood.

你的手好吗?我们中的许多人喜欢制作我们可以使用或作为礼物赠送的东西。手工制作当然是一个复兴的爱好，那些追求它的人声称变得有创造力可以改善他们的情绪。

The recent lockdowns caused by the Covid pandemic gave people time at home to try out new activities, which they’ve continued to enjoy. Many turned to hobbies such as craft making as a way to soothe their work-from-home burnout. Knitting, crocheting, pottery and painting are all crafts that have seen a revival, and many of them are being done by younger people.

最近因新冠肺炎疫情导致的*锁封**让人们有时间在家里尝试新的活动，他们一直很喜欢这些活动。许多人转而从事手工制作等业余爱好，以此来缓解在家工作带来的倦怠。针织、钩编、陶器和绘画都是复兴的工艺品，其中许多是由年轻人做的。

But even before the pandemic, people were turning to arts and crafts as an interesting pastime and even a way to make a bit of pocket money. Numerous websites, such as Etsy and Folksy, allowed people to sell their handmade goods. Richard Sennett, author of the Craftsman, told the BBC that: “A lot of people are finding their day jobs pretty empty, whereas learning a craft provides a real satisfaction. It’s a skill – things like carpentry and weaving are mentally and physically stimulating, and people get inherent pleasure out of that kind of work”.

但即使在大流行之前，人们就把艺术和手工艺作为一种有趣的消遣，甚至是一种赚点零花钱的方式。Etsy和Folksy等众多网站允许人们出售自己的手工制品。《工匠》一书的作者理查德·森尼特告诉BBC:“很多人发现他们的日常工作相当空虚，而学习一门手艺能带来真正的满足。”这是一种技能——像木工和编织这样的工作对精神和身体都是一种刺激，人们从这种工作中获得内在的乐趣。”

The internet has also been the place to turn to to buy craft kits which help you get started with your craft-making projects, such as candle making or macrame. But many people are enjoying designing and making things from scratch and are doing it just for pleasure or to occupy their minds – and there’s evidence that it’s good for us as well. According to research commissioned by BBC Arts, even the briefest time spent on a creative pastime such as painting, pottery or playing the piano, has an impact on our wellbeing and emotions. The survey of around 50,000 people found being creative can help avoid stress, free up mind space and improve self-development, which helps build self-esteem.

互联网也是一个可以购买手工套件的地方，可以帮助你开始你的手工制作项目，如制作蜡烛或编结。但许多人喜欢从头开始设计和制作东西，只是为了乐趣或占据他们的大脑——有证据表明，这对我们也有好处。根据BBC艺术频道委托进行的一项研究，即使是在绘画、陶艺或弹钢琴等极短的创造性消遣上花的时间，也会对我们的健康和情绪产生影响。这项对约5万人进行的调查发现，富有创造力可以帮助避免压力，释放思维空间，提高自我发展，这有助于建立自尊。

So, if you’re looking for the perfect tonic for your stressed-out life, maybe now’s the time to get creative.

所以，如果你正在为你不堪重负的生活寻找完美的补药，也许现在是时候发挥创意了。

词汇表

good with your hands 手巧crafting 手工制作hobby 兴趣爱好creative 创造性的，创意的craft making 做手工knitting 针织crocheting 钩织pottery 陶艺painting 绘画revival 再度流行arts and crafts 美术与工艺pastime 消遣活动handmade 手工制作的satisfaction 满足感carpentry 木匠活，木工weaving 编织craft kit 工艺套装

candle making 制作蜡烛macrame 编绳，编结from scratch 从零开始

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Name a craft that has seen a revival.

2. Which two activities, according to Richard Sennett, are mentally and physically stimulating?

3. According to a BBC survey, what is doing craft good for?

4. Why have people recently had more time to pursue craft activities?

5. What might you make if you sell your homemade products on a website?

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. I find photography a very _______ pastime.

crafting revival creative satisfaction

2. I’m _______ a jumper for my mum – I hope she likes it!

painting pottery weaving knitting

3. My home-made sculpture was awful, so I’m going to make it again _______.

from scratched from scratch from scratching from scratches

4. I’m studying _______ at an evening class because I want to make a wooden chair for our kitchen.

weaving carpentry pottery crocheting

5. My grandad was so _______, he could make almost anything in his workshop.

good with his hands good of his hands

good with hand good hands

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Name a craft that has seen a revival. Knitting, crocheting, pottery and painting are all crafts that have seen a revival.

2. Which two activities, according to Richard Sennett, are mentally and physically stimulating? Things like carpentry and weaving are mentally and physically stimulating.

3. According to a BBC survey, what is doing craft good for? The BBC Arts survey found that even the briefest time spent on a creative pastime such as painting, pottery or playing the piano, has an impact on our wellbeing and emotions.

4. Why have people recently had more time to pursue craft activities? The recent lockdowns caused by the Covid pandemic gave people time at home to try out new activities.

5. What might you make if you sell your homemade products on a website? Selling your crafts on a website might make you a bit of pocket money.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. I find photography a very creative pastime.

2. I’m knitting a jumper for my mum – I hope she likes it!

3. My home-made sculpture was awful, so I’m going to make it again from scratch.

4. I’m studying carpentry at an evening class because I want to make a wooden chair for our kitchen.

5. My grandad was so good with his hands; he could make almost anything in his workshop.