In the late 17th century, a medical student named Johannes Hofer noticed a strange illness affecting Swiss mercenaries serving abroad. Its symptoms, including fatigue, insomnia, irregular heartbeat, indigestion, and fever were so strong, the soldiers often had to be discharged. As Hofer discovered, the cause was not some physical disturbance, but an intense yearning for their mountain homeland.
在17世紀末，一個叫做約翰內斯·霍弗的醫科學生注意到了一種奇怪的疾病，它侵襲著在國外工作的瑞士僱傭兵，這種病的發病症狀，包括疲勞、失眠、不規律的心臟跳動、消化不良、以及發高燒，這些士兵通常不得不退伍。霍弗發現，他們的病因並非軀體障礙，而是一種對他們故土的強烈思慕之情。
He dubbed the condition nostalgia, from the Greek "nostos" for homecoming and "algos" for pain or longing. At first, nostalgia was considered a particularly Swiss affliction. Some doctors proposed that the constant sound of cowbells in the Alps caused trauma to the ear drums and brain.
他把這種病情稱為思鄉病，（這個詞）的回家之意取自希臘語「nostos」，痛苦和渴望之意取自詞語「algos」。起初，思鄉病被認作是一種只發生在瑞士的疾病，一些醫生提出是阿爾卑斯山中連續不斷的牛鈴聲導致了鼓膜和腦部的創傷。
Commanders even forbade their soldiers from singing traditional Swiss songs for fear that they'd lead to desertion or suicide. But as migration increased worldwide, nostalgia was observed in various groups. It turned out that anyone separated from their native place for a long time was vulnerable to nostalgia.
司令們甚至禁止他們的士兵唱傳統瑞士歌曲，以防他們指引士兵擅離軍隊或者自殺。但是隨著移民的全球化人們注意到思鄉病出現在許多群體中。原來，任何離開故土很久的人都容易患上思鄉病。
And by the early 20th century, professionals no longer viewed it as a neurological disease, but as a mental condition similar to depression. Psychologists of the time speculated that it represented difficulties letting go of childhood, or even a longing to return to one's fetal state. But over the next few decades, the understanding of nostalgia changed in two important ways.
可是到了20世紀前期，專家們已不再將它看作一種神經疾病了，而看作是一種類似於抑鬱症的心理疾病。當時的心理學家推測它反映了忘掉兒童時代有多困難，或說甚至是一種對回到某人嬰兒時期的渴望。但是在接下來的幾十年中，對思鄉病的認知在兩個重要的方面發生了變化。
Its meaning expanded from indicating homesickness to a general longing for the past. And rather than an awful disease, it began to be seen as a poignant and pleasant experience. Perhaps the most famous example of this was captured by French author Marcel Proust. He described how tasting a madeleine cake he had not eaten since childhood triggered a cascade of warm and powerful sensory associations.
它的含義從表明思鄉之情擴展為一種對過去的普遍嚮往。而且並非一種令人厭惡的疾病，它開始被看作是一次心酸而又愉快的體驗。或許與此有關的出名的實例要數法國作家馬塞爾·普魯斯特為最了。他描述了品嘗一塊兒自小時候起再沒吃過的瑪德琳蛋糕是怎樣觸發了他溫暖而強烈的感官聯想。
So what caused such a major reversal in our view of nostalgia? Part of it has to do with science. Psychology shifted away from pure theory and towards more careful and systematic empirical observation. So professionals realized that many of the negative symptoms may have been simply correlated with nostalgia rather than caused by it.
因此，造成我們對懷舊情結的看法改變如此之大的原因是什麼？科技肯定與此有關。心理學由純理論轉變為更謹慎系統的觀察實踐。因此專家們發現很多負面症狀可能僅僅是與思鄉病有關，可能僅僅是與懷舊情結有關，而非由它引起。
And, in fact, despite being a complex emotional state that can include feelings of loss and sadness, nostalgia doesn't generally put people in a negative mood. Instead, by allowing individuals to remember personally meaningful and rewarding experiences they shared with others, nostalgia can boost psychological well-being.
實際上，除了在處於複雜的情感狀態時一個包含著失落與傷心的狀態，懷舊情結並不總是使人沉浸在消極情緒中。恰恰相反，若是允許個體記下，就他們個人而言那些與他人一起的意義非凡而又有益的經歷，那麼懷舊情結有利於心理健康。
Studies have shown that inducing nostalgia in people can help increase their feelings of self-esteem and social belonging, encourage psychological growth, and even make them act more charitably. So rather than being a cause of mental distress, nostalgia can be a restorative way of coping with it. For instance, when people experience negative emotional states, they tend to naturally use nostalgia to reduce distress and restore well-being.
研究發現引起人們的懷舊情結有助於提高他們的自尊心和社會歸屬感，激勵心理成長，甚至使他們變得更加仁愛。因此，並非一個心理痛苦的誘因，懷舊情結可以是一個幫助恢復的應對辦法。例如，當人們陷於消極的情緒狀態時，他們傾向於自然而然地回想過去，藉此減輕痛苦並恢復健康。
Today, it seems that nostalgia is everywhere, partially because advertisers have discovered how powerful it is as a marketing technique. It's tempting to think of this as a sign of us being stuck in the past, but that's not really how nostalgia works. Instead, nostalgia helps us remember that our lives can have meaning and value, helping us find the confidence and motivation to face the challenges of the future.
如今，懷舊情結似乎隨處可見，部分原因是廣告商發現了它的影響力之大，當它作為一個市場營銷手段時。人們很容易將懷舊情結看作一個昭示著我們沉湎過去的信號，但那並不真的是它的用途。取而代之的是，懷舊情結幫助我們牢記我們的生命可以是有意義與價值的，幫助我們找到信心、尋得動力來面對未來的挑戰。