Back in the 1970s, when I was in Japan picking up stories for documentaries, I came across a crazy motivational strategy for stressed-out businessmen. They were taken into the mountains where they stripped off to nothing but a loincloth.

早在20世纪70年代，当我还在日本为纪录片搜集故事的时候，我就为压力大的商人们想到了一个疯狂的激励策略。把他们带到山上，除了缠腰布外，他们一无所有。

They then sat, for as long as they could bear it, at the bottom of a waterfall under a rushing torrent¹ of icy water cascading² on their head. It was terrifying but they all did it. The minimum time was about two minutes (I'd have caved in after 20 seconds) but some stoics³ sat there for up to six or seven minutes.

之后，他们在瀑布下方坐着，任由瀑布冰水急速的从头顶落下，他们可以尽情的坐着，直至无法忍受。这很可怕，但他们都做到了。有人最短呆了2分钟（要是我的话，20秒就受不了了），但有些禁欲主义者却能呆至6至7分钟。

The theory was that a dose of suffering releases tension, stress and depression. Doing it with colleagues is claimed to be team-building. I recalled those courageous⁴ Tokyo workers when I read about the movers and shakers in Silicon⁵ Valley espousing⁶ a daily dose of suffering to make them strong enough to face crises at work.

理论是：遭遇痛苦会释放压力、紧张和抑郁。据称和同事一起能增加团队建设。当我读到硅谷的大佬和成功人士会每日冲凉使自己足够强大以应对工作危机时，我还记得那些勇气可嘉的东京员工

For cyber geeks, acute physical discomfort⁷ is their equivalent of the Japanese water torture I'd witnessed years before. Apparently⁸ it can train your brain to be more resilient. The idea that self-imposed periods of daily misery⁹ - like freezing cold showers, extreme diets and punishing exercise regimes - will steel you for challenges of a hectic¹⁰ work life isn't whimsy¹¹.

对于网络爱好者而言，急性身体不适相当于多年前我见过的日本水酷刑。显然，它可以训练大脑使其更有韧性。自我强加每日痛苦阶段这一想法并非奇思妙想--比如冲冷水澡、极端饮食和惩罚锻炼体制--会帮助你应对繁忙的工作和生活挑战。

The idea that stress could be useful was first mooted¹² in 1974 by pioneering stress researcher, Hans Selye. He discovered some forms of stress can actually be healthy and drive you on.

1974年，压力研究者Hans Selye开创性的首次提出压力可能有用的观点。他发现有些形式的压力实际上可能是健康的、会推动你不断发展。

"It all depends on how you take it," he later wrote. "The stress of failure, humiliation¹³ or infection is detrimental¹⁴. But that of exhilarating, creative, stressful work is beneficial. The stress reaction, like energy consumption, may have good or bad effects."

"这得取决于你如何对待压力，"他后来写道。"失败、羞辱或感染的压力是有害的。但令人振奋的、有创意的压力却是有益的。压力反应，如能源消耗，可能既有好的也有坏的影响。"

Fans of "positive stress" go to extreme lengths to accustom¹⁵ ?themselves to stress and spend up to 18 hours a day at it. They rise early, go for a run, scamper¹⁶ through emails while slurping¹⁷ coffee, then a cold shower. Ice baths, hot yoga, fasting and diets can be added while excluding foods like grains, pulses, dairy, sugar and alcohol.

"积极压力"的爱好者为了适应压力不遗余力，每天在这一方面花费18小时。他们起的早，跑个步、看看邮件，喝喝咖啡，然后洗个冷水澡。除了不吃谷物、豆类、奶制品、糖和酒精之外，冷水浴、热瑜伽、禁食和节食都是可行的方法。