你在怕什么？细数18种奇怪的恐惧症（双语）

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            Phobias are strange things, turning seemingly innocuous objects and situations into catalysts of fear. The following 19 phobias include some that are common knowledge, whereas others are a little more… unorthodox. Can you get through the list unfazed, or is there something in there that gives you the chills? 恐惧症很奇怪，平白无故的事物或情景都可能引发恐惧。下面19种恐惧症，有些很常见，而有些则比较特例。赶快看看你是能淡定地看完这个恐惧症清单，还是有啥是会让你不寒而栗的？
　　1. Acrophobia – fear of heights恐高症——害怕高处
　　Probably the most ‘normal’ of all phobias. How high you have to go to start feeling it differs from person to person, but many will have at one time or another experienced a flipping stomach and spinning head when looking over the edge of a steep precipice. It’s completely natural to feel a fear response when in a situation that’s obviously dangerous, and some experts have even suggested that it’s those who don’t feel the fear of heights that have the problem。恐高症可能是所有恐惧症种最常见的一种。每个人的恐惧高度不尽相同，但站在陡峭的悬崖边缘时，我相信大多数人都会有恶心、晕眩的经历。其实在危险环境中，人很容易感到害怕。甚至有专家认为，不恐高的人才有问题。
　　However, some sufferers can’t escape the fear of falling even when the high place is completely safe, like being in the enclosed room at the top of Tokyo Tower, while others find themselves dizzy at a height of only a couple of meters。但有些人，哪怕站在像东京塔这样的密封安全环境中，也还会觉得快要掉下去了；甚至有些人，仅仅几米的高度都会感到晕眩。
　　2. Trypophobia – fear of objects with small holes close together密集物体恐惧症——害怕有密集小孔的物体
　　The name for this phobia was only coined in 2005, but there are a surprisingly huge number of people who suffer from this strange fear. It’s hard to give a specific definition of the trigger, but the basic idea is a revulsion and fear of things with clusters of small holes – think beehives, ant holes, and in particular lotus seed heads. Unfortunately for sufferers of this phobia, the Internet has found much joy in photoshopping lotus-pod designs onto various body parts. Google if you dare。这种恐惧症在2005年才作为一个新名词诞生，但患症人群却数量庞大。很难具体定义这种恐惧症的诱因，但笼统来说，就是指对有密集小孔的物体感到恶心和恐惧，类似物体有蜂窝、蚁窝，尤其是莲蓬。但对患症人群而言不幸的是，网络上到处都是“蜂窝化”的人体影像处理。不信可以谷歌一下。
　　3. Megalophobia – fear of large things恐巨症——害怕庞大物体
　　This vague terms covers all ‘huge objects’. These are often objects such giant statues or works of art which are much bigger than the real thing they are mimicking. In the presence of such objects, people become overwhelmed and unable to move。这个模棱两可的定义涵盖所有“庞大的物体”，例如巨型雕像，或比现实物体大得多的临摹艺术品。面对类似物体时，有人会变得四肢僵硬、喘不过气来。
　　4. Coulrophobia – fear of clowns小丑恐惧症——害怕小丑
　　We all known clowns are meant to make us laugh, but for some unfortunate folks the sight of a guy in pajamas with big colored buttons and a painted face sends them running. Perhaps it’s Stephen King’s It we have to thank for a generation of kids who have now grown up to be clown-phobic adults. A particular focus of fear is poor misunderstood Ronald McDonald. I know it’s hard to imagine people being frightened of him, I mean just look how completely normal, sane and non-homicidal that face is!众所周知小丑是用来逗乐的。但在有些人眼里，身穿大纽扣睡衣的花脸小丑很可怕。有些人害怕小丑，也可能是因为一直受斯蒂芬-金小说的影响。最典型的就是对麦当劳叔叔的恐惧。很难相信有人害怕麦当劳叔叔，是不是？麦当劳叔叔看上去完全正常没有半点恶意嘛！
            
            

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        　　5. Aichmophobia – fear of sharp objects恐尖症——害怕尖锐的物体
　　Scissors, needles, pencils, knives, you name it – if it’s sharp, they’re scared of it. Sufferers enter a state of extreme psychological agitation when around objects with sharp, pointy ends. Of course anyone would be scared of a crazed person wielding a butcher knife at you, but a characteristic of this phobia is that the sufferer is scared of the object even when they know there is no danger of their being cut or injured. Some peoples’ fear is based around the irrational and disturbing worry that they might end up using a nearby pointed end to stab someone else。剪刀、针、铅笔、小刀……反正，只要是尖锐的东西，患症者就会害怕。要是周围有尖尖的锐利的东西，他们心理上会感到极度焦躁不安。当然，正常人遇到疯子手持利器对着自己也会害怕，而这种恐惧症的区别就是，当事人即便知道自己不会被戳伤划伤，也还会心生恐惧。相反，还有些人是莫名其妙害怕自己一不小心拿利器伤害别人。
　　6. Dysmorphophobia – fear of ugliness丑形恐惧症——害怕丑陋
　　Specifically, fear of one’s own ugliness. This is characterized by an extreme obsession with one’s appearance, and an unhealthily low opinion of one’s own looks. It’s often classified as a form of hypochondria and obsessive compulsive disorder, and can even develop into schizophrenia in the worst cases. Many sufferers get plastic surgery, but as this is a psychological condition, sufferers are unlikely to ever be satisfied with the results. Paradoxically, many people end up actually mutilating their own face or body。具体来说，是害怕自己的丑陋。这种人通常对自己的外貌相当自恋，但同时又极端不自信。一般这类似于疑病症和强迫症，严重的话还会引发精神分裂症。大部分患症者都整过容，但因为症结在于心病，当事人对整容结果不会满意。而且荒唐的是，多数患症者最后真的毁掉了自己的容貌或身体。
　　7. Triskaidekaphobia – fear of the number数字13恐惧症——害怕数字13
　　The number 13 has a long history of unluckiness in the Western world, leading some people to fear that seemingly innocuous pairing of a one and a three. And if the 13th of the month falls on a Friday, then it’s a double whammy. In Japan, Korea, and China, replace 13 with the number 4, which has all kinds of nasty connotations with death.13在西方被视为不吉利可谓由来已久，以致有些人看到13就没来由地害怕。而且，如果一个月的13号恰好是星期五的话，晦气更是严重。在日本、韩国和中国，数字4则被视为不吉利，绕来绕去总好像跟死亡有关。
　　8. Fear of sink holes害怕排水洞
　　No name for this rather specific phobia. Sufferers experience fear and unease upon seeing a sinkhole, particularly the glory holes used to drain water from dams. People describe the fear of being unable to see the bottom or of being sucked in. Some even describe the feeling that the sinkhole could be connected to some other terrible dimension, and the sense of an otherwordly force pulling them in。这种恐惧症目前还没有名称。患症者看到排水洞会感到害怕不自在，尤其是那种脏兮兮的大坝排水口；他们觉得那就像是能把人吸进去的无底洞。有些人还联想到更可怕的方面，好像是地狱口要把人拉进去一样。
            
            

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        　　9. Socmephobia – fear of social media社交媒体恐惧症——害怕社交媒体
　　Not sure this is a genuine name, but I’m sure it’ll be popping up in medical journals in the next few years. Ever felt like it’s impossible to break away from the constant demands and conversations on social media such as facebook, twitter, or mixi, yet feel depressed after checking them, and not want to go back? Feelings of jealousy and failure after seeing your friends’ latest status update about their awesome job, or browsing through their pics from a fabulous fancy night out can lead to social isolation and inferiority complexes, triggering this phobia。名称是否正确还有待商定，但可以肯定的是，不出几年医学杂志上就会有相关报道。是否觉得难以戒掉facebook、twitter或mixi之类的社交媒体，但上瘾之后又觉得很抑郁、难以自拔？每次看完朋友更新的好工作碎碎念、浏览他们美图美照后，都会觉得羡慕和失落？那么这有可能造成与社会脱节、引发自卑情结，最后患上恐惧症。
　　10. Scopophobia – fear of being stared at被盯恐惧症——害怕被人盯着看
　　The idea of being in the middle of a crowd of people all staring at you would be enough to rattle anyone (excluding reality TV stars). Sufferers of scopophobia often irrationally fear that everyone around is staring at them, paralysing them with fear and making their movements clumsy and awkward, drawing even more (perceived) stares. Consequently they dislike crowded places, and even rear-view mirrors. People with social anxiety also often fear being stared at。除了电视明星，估计正常人都不喜欢被一大群人围观盯着看。患有这种恐惧症的人总感觉周围的人在盯着自己看，因此显得很惶恐无措，结果弄巧成拙引来更多目光。久而久之，他们便不喜欢公共场合，甚至连后视镜都害怕。有社交焦虑症的人也害怕被人盯着看。
　　11. Claustrophobia – fear of enclosed spaces幽闭恐惧症——害怕封闭空间
　　Here’s one everyone’s heard of. The fear of being in an enclosed space and unable to escape is probably most often exemplified in the being-buried-alive movie scenario. I’m pretty sure that this kind of situation would rattle even the bravest soul, but for some people the scope is widened to elevators, trains, and even just rooms where the door is closed。相信很多人都听说过这种恐惧症。困在封闭空间无法逃离的感觉，就像在电影里被活埋了一样。我相信，哪怕是非常无畏的人，遇到这种情况也会六神无主。能引起害怕的空间有电梯、火车，甚至是关着门的房间。
　　12. Ectophobia – fear of vomit呕吐恐惧症——害怕呕吐
　　Vomit. No ones likes to do it, no one likes to see it. But it’s a fact of life that sometimes just can’t be avoided, whether you’re struck down with norovirus, or waking up with a pounding hangover and a stomach full of dubious late-night kebab. Someone looking a bit green is likely to send the sufferer of this phobia into a panic, and they’ll generally avoid anywhere that they or other people may throw up, such as rollercoasters and boats. Some experts suggest that painful childhood experiences of vomiting, or the trauma of having been vomited on by someone else can be at the root of this phobia。没人喜欢呕吐，更没人愿意看到别人呕吐吧。但呕吐是谁也无法避免的事——有时是因为感染了病毒，有时是宿醉醒来满腹胃酸。患症者看到快要呕吐的人会感到慌乱无措，并尽可能避开呕吐易发点，比如过山车和轮船。有专家表示，儿时痛苦的呕吐经历或被他人呕吐物溅到过的经历都可能造成这种恐惧症。
　　13. Spectrophobia – fear of mirrors镜子恐惧症——害怕镜子
　　A spooky silhouette glimpsed out of the corner of your eye as you’re checking your hair will give anyone the creeps, but imagine being scared of even your own reflection. The world is surprisingly full of mirrors, from department store fitting rooms, tiny drug store mirrors to check your makeup, and of course the mirrors on every car. Beauty and hair salons are of course the worst culprit, and this phobia can seriously interfere with a person’s daily life。如果在镜子面前梳头时突然瞥见阴森幽灵一闪而过，那你肯定会吓破胆儿。但有人却怕在镜子里看到自己。可惜，这世上镜子无处不在：百货商店试衣镜、小药店补妆镜，车上、美容美发店里又都有镜子……因此，患上镜子恐惧症的人可真是苦不堪言了。
            
            

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　　14. Pediophobia – fear of dolls玩偶恐惧症——害怕玩偶
　　For some it’s just the frozen faces of porcelain dolls; for others it’s ones that talk or move. Some people’s fear centres around a specific type of doll, while others fear all kinds and will go out of their way not to encounter any. The reason for the fearful reaction is probably something to do with dolls’ resemblance to living human beings, leading the brain to become confused over whether this still, inanimate object is alive or not. And to be honest, who hasn’t at one point in their childhood woken up in the night and mistaken a discarded doll or teddy for a malicious intruder? What do you mean, it’s just me?对一般人来说，那不过是呆板的陶瓷娃娃罢了，但在有些人眼里，这些玩偶却能讲话甚至走动。有些人只害怕某种特定玩偶，而有些人却害怕各式各样的玩偶，且避之唯恐不及。之所以害怕玩偶，可能是因为玩偶跟人很像，患症者搞不懂到底是静止不动的物体还是活生生的东西。而且说实话，大概很多人小时候半夜醒来会认为那个废弃的玩偶或泰迪熊是邪恶的入侵者吧？我敢打赌这么想的不止我一个！
　　15 Arachnophobia – fear of spiders (Anyone remember that movie?)蜘蛛恐惧症——害怕蜘蛛(是不是想起了某部电影？)
　　This is one of the most common phobias, with women being the most likely to be affected. Some experts suggest that it may be an amplified form of a response that helped humans survive in the past, while others believe it’s a cultural phenomenon as it seems to be most prevalent in Western countries. The response is usually irrational, especially in places like the UK where spiders are not only non-venomous, but also unlikely to grow larger than your little fingernail. If you’re in Australia, however, you might be considered a little more rational。这个恐惧症也很常见，其中患者女性居多。有专家认为，这可能跟人类远古时期的生活习性有关；也有人觉得这只是一种文化现象(西方尤甚)。人们对蜘蛛的反应通常不是很理性，尤其是在英国：那里的蜘蛛既没毒又不可能大过指甲。但是，如果你是在澳大利亚，遇到蜘蛛还真得理性一点。
　　16. Odontophobia – fear of dentists牙医恐惧症——害怕牙医
　　A trip to the dentist probably isn’t going to make most people’s ‘top 10 things I love to do’ list, but most of us can put up with it with just a mild feeling of unease. Some people, however, have such a strong reaction that they are unable to attend the dentist even when in dire need. If you’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of a painful cavity you can get an idea of just how intense this fear can be when a person would rather live with that pain then take a trip to the dentist’s chair。相信很多人都不是很喜欢看牙医，但即便不舒服，大部分人也还能忍受。但有些人却非常抗拒，宁死也不愿去看牙医。如果你曾经历拔牙的切肤之痛，或许就能理解这种恐惧到底有多深：害怕看牙医的人宁愿一辈子忍受牙痛折磨也不愿送上门去。
　　17. Telephonophobia – fear of telephones电话恐惧症——害怕电话
　　The fear of using the telephone can develop to the point where the sufferer panics even when hearing the sound of a ringtone. This fear of receiving a call can lead to an oversensitivity to noises and auditory hallucinations. And it’s not just the sound – setting the phone to vibrate doesn’t help, and the sufferer will instead imagine their pocket is vibrating even when it’s completely still. This is known as phantom vibration syndrome. It must be very difficult to live with this in an age of mobile phones, where calls can follow you wherever you go。患有电话恐惧症的人有时候哪怕只是听到电话铃响都会惊慌失措。害怕接电话会引发对声音的过度敏感和幻听。而且问题不在于铃声——就算把手机调成振动，结果也一样无济于事，患症者反而会幻想兜里的手机在振动。这叫做幻想振动综合症。生活在这样一个手机时代，电话随时会在身边响起，有这种恐惧症的人还真不容易。
　　18. Mysophobia – fear of dirt污迹恐惧症——害怕污迹
　　This involves a fear of being contaminated by bacteria and germs which, being invisible to the naked eye, can be felt by the phobic person to be crawling everywhere even in the cleanest-looking environment. Sufferers of this phobia often display the stereotypical OCD behavior of washing their hands over and over, as they never feel like they’re completely clean. This complusive act just serves to make the sufferer more aware of their state of (un)cleanliness, and thus reinforcing the cycle。患有污迹恐惧症的人害怕细菌或病菌感染，哪怕是看上去很干净的环境，他们都觉得到处都有肉眼看不到的细菌。这类人最典型的特点就是强迫似的反复洗手，总觉得自己怎么也不干净。而这种强迫行为更加剧他们的洁癖意识，然后恶性循环下去。