'Going for a walk' is a popular pastime among older and younger generations alike because of its well-known benefits for our physical and mental health. But you may be surprised to hear that meandering through pretty streets or hiking along mountainous ridges have not always been considered leisure activities, according to Daniel Gale, a researcher of pedestrianism. 

“散步”是老一辈和年轻一代都流行的消遣方式，因为它对我们的身心健康有众所周知的好处。 但步行行为研究员丹尼尔·盖尔 (Daniel Gale) 表示，你可能会惊讶地发现，蜿蜒穿过美丽的街道或沿着山脊徒步旅行并不总是被视为休闲活动。 

He says that in Britain, walking for fun "wasn't really a thing" until the 1780s. Before that, it was just something people did out of necessity, and some people associated it with criminal activity. But for Charles Dickens, the famous English 19th Century author, marching through London streets and tramping around the countryside was a big part of the creative process; a time to absorb what was going on around him. He walked at an impressive pace of four miles per hour, according to his biography by Peter Ackroyd. 

他说，在英国，直到 1780 年代，为了好玩而散步“才真正成为一件事”。 在此之前，这只是人们出于必要而做的事情，有些人将其与犯罪活动联系起来。 但对于英国 19 世纪著名作家查尔斯·狄更斯来说，在伦敦街头游行、在乡村漫步是创作过程的重要组成部分； 一个吸收周围发生的事情的时间。 根据彼得·阿克罗伊德（Peter Ackroyd）为他撰写的传记，他行走的速度令人印象深刻，为每小时四英里。 

But if speed-walking isn't your thing, perhaps you can take inspiration from another big-thinking wanderer. 19th Century American writer Henry David Thoreau took a slower approach, preferring to saunter over hills and fields and meander through the woods. He said that he could not preserve his health and spirits, unless he spent four hours a day walking at least. 

但如果你不喜欢快走，也许你可以从另一位有远见的流浪者那里获得灵感。 19世纪的美国作家亨利·大卫·梭罗采取了一种缓慢的方式，更喜欢漫步在山丘和田野上，蜿蜒穿过树林。 他说，除非每天至少步行四个小时，否则他无法保持健康和精神。 

This idea of taking a stroll to clear your head has survived through to the 21st Century, but has pedestrian etiquette remained the same? A 1780 article for the London Magazine advised pedestrians to avoid things such as loitering in conversation and obstructing people behind you with a "sauntering gait". Nowadays, we could probably add distracted phone-users to that list. 

散步来清醒头脑的想法一直延续到了 21 世纪，但行人礼仪还保持不变吗？ 1780 年《伦敦杂志》的一篇文章建议行人避免在谈话中闲逛以及以“漫步步态”妨碍身后的人等行为。 如今，我们或许可以将分心的电话用户添加到该列表中。 

In this modern age, when many of us are tied to our desks and to our screens, the simple act of stepping out onto the city pavements, or getting lost in nature, may make all the difference to our wellbeing. Whether you see yourself more as a casual stroller or a purposeful strider, why not build a habit out of it? 

在当今时代，当我们许多人都被办公桌和屏幕束缚时，走出城市人行道或迷失在大自然中的简单行为可能会对我们的健康产生重大影响。 无论你认为自己是一个休闲的散步者还是一个有目的的漫步者，为什么不养成一种习惯呢？ 

词汇表

go for a walk 散步
pastime 消遣，娱乐
meander 漫步，闲逛
hike 远足
leisure activity 休闲活动
pedestrianism 徒步主义
march 行走
tramp 长途行走
pace 步速
speed-walking 快速行走
wanderer 四处游走的人
saunter 漫步，闲逛
stroll 散步，溜达
pedestrian etiquette 行人礼仪
loiter 游荡，徘徊
gait 步态，步法
step out 走出去
pavement 人行道
stroller 散步的人
strider 阔步行走的人