Being in the midst of a pandemic lockdown can make people feel worried. But nothing has exemplified this panicky behavior more than hoarding, specifically toilet paper.
疫情封城期間會讓人們感到焦慮。而囤積物資，尤其是衛(wèi)生紙，則是這種恐慌行為的最典型的例子。

Seemingly transcending borders and cultures, people from all over the world, including the US, UK and Japan, have been clearing supermarket shelves primarily for this necessity. But what’s the reason for this sudden toilet paper fixation? You can understand panic buying food, but do we really need this much toilet paper?
包括美國、英國、日本在內(nèi)的世界各地的人們都在超市搶購這種生活必需品，這種現(xiàn)象似乎跨越了國界與文化。但為何人們突然之間會對衛(wèi)生紙如此狂熱呢？搶購食物還能讓人理解，但我們真的需要這么多衛(wèi)生紙嗎？

Steven Taylor, author of the book The Psychology of Pandemics, told the Independent that our toilet paper hoarding is a product of our disgust. During a pandemic, people’s sensitivity to disgust increases, like when you flinch if someone nearby sneezes.
《流行病心理學(xué)》一書的作者史蒂文·泰勒在接受《獨立報》采訪時表示，衛(wèi)生紙的囤積行為是人們反感情緒的產(chǎn)物。疫情期間，人們變得更加敏感，比如你會避開旁邊打噴嚏的人。

“Disgust is like an alarm mechanism … and what better tool for eliminating disgusting material than toilet paper. I think this is how it became a conditioned symbol of safety,” he said.
“這種反感就像是一種警報機(jī)制……而衛(wèi)生紙則是消除這種反感情緒的最佳工具。我認(rèn)為這便是衛(wèi)生紙成為當(dāng)下一種安全象征的原因，”他說道。

Writing for The Conversation, Niki Edwards of The Queensland University of Technology said, “When people hear about the novel coronavirus, they are afraid of losing control. And toilet paper feels like a way to maintain control over hygiene and cleanliness.”
來自昆士蘭科技大學(xué)的妮基·愛德華茲在為“對話”網(wǎng)站供稿時表示，“人們在聽說了新冠病毒的消息后，害怕一切會失控。而（用）衛(wèi)生紙或許是一種能夠掌控清潔衛(wèi)生的方式。

Another one of the most prominent reasons behind this toilet paper trend, according to the BBC, is the snowball effect. Due to its prominent coverage, both in the news and social media, people naturally ask, “Will there be enough toilet paper for my family and me?” This invariably leads to more people following the crowd and buying toilet paper because of their fear of missing out.
英國廣播公司認(rèn)為，這股“衛(wèi)生紙潮”背后的另一大原因是滾雪球效應(yīng)。由于新聞以及社交媒體對衛(wèi)生紙搶購現(xiàn)象的大肆報道，人們自然而然會問：“我和我的家人還能買到衛(wèi)生紙嗎？”這會令更多人隨大流購買衛(wèi)生紙，因為他們害怕會買不到了。

“Fear is very contagious. So when those sorts of things go viral, when you see people around you buying things in a panicky way, it’s going to make you feel more anxious,” wrote American psychologist Baruch Fischhoff for CNBC.
“恐懼是會傳染的。因此，當(dāng)這類事情引發(fā)關(guān)注，當(dāng)你看到周圍的人都在恐慌搶購時，你會覺得愈發(fā)焦慮，”美國心理學(xué)家巴魯克·費斯科霍夫在為美國全國廣播公司財經(jīng)頻道的供稿中如此寫道。

While there are, of course, selfish people who stockpile just because they can, it’s worth keeping things in perspective. Remember, just as countries are cooperating to find a vaccine, we must cooperate to ensure that everyone has their share of necessities.
盡管總有些自私的人有能力囤積物資，但我們應(yīng)當(dāng)正確地看待事物。要記住，各國都在積極合作研發(fā)疫苗，而我們也應(yīng)攜手確保人人都能獲得生活必需品。

以上文章內(nèi)容選自《21世紀(jì)學(xué)生英文報高中版》，詳情請見《21世紀(jì)學(xué)生英文報高中版》高二787期