资料：It'ssocommontohearpeoplesay，“I’mstressedout，”almostasabadgeofhonor，asifthisisasymptomonlyofourfast-pacedmodernlife.Butinherbook，“Exhaustion：AHistory，”AnnaKatharinaSchaffnerwritesthatthesyndromeofmentalexhaustionhasexistedalmostsincethebeginningofhumanhistory. Commentatorsclaim[ours]isthemostexhaustingperiodinhistory，thedemandsonourenergyreservesbeingunprecedented.Byimplication，theyrepresentthepastasalessenergy-drainingtimeinwhichpeoplelivedmuchlessstressfullivesinharmonywithnatureandtheseasons，“saysSchaffner，a.professorofcomparativeliteratureandmedicalhumanitiesattheUniversityofKentinEngland，inanemailinterview.Iaskedmyselfwhetherthatwasreallythecase，andstartedresearchingotherhistoricalperiodsinsearchofearlierdiscoursesonexhaustion.Tomysurprise，Ifoundthatoursisfarfrombeingtheonlyagetohaveperceiveditselfasthemostexhausted-thisisinfactaperceptionsharedbymanyhistoricalperiods，albeitindifferentwaysandfordifferentreasons.” Schaffnerfoundinformationaboutexhaustiongoingallthewybacktoantiquity.Thisisnotthesamethingasphysicalexhaustion—certainlymost，peopleinearliertimeshadlifephysicallyharder—butconcurrentlythroughouthistorywasthisideaofbeingmentallyexhausted，whatwemightcalltodaybeing“stressed”or“burnedout.” Inthepast，shesays，theconditionwentbymanynames：melancholia，depression，chronicfatiguesyndromeoracedia，“atheologicalversionofmelancholia，alsodescribedaswearinessoftheheart.”andpopularinMedievaltimes.Causesrangedfromphysicalailmentsandchemicalimbalancesinthebraintospiritualfailingsoreventhealignmentsoftheplanets，Oftentherewasadifferentexplanationforeachhistoricalperiod. “Inthelate19thcentury，forexample，.afasterpaceoflifeasaresultoftrains，steamboats，electricity，andtelegraphywasheldresponsibleforthesuddenexplosioninthenumberofcasesofwhatwasdiagnosedasneurasthenia-thisdiagnosisbeingstructuredaroundadeficiencyinnerveforce，andmanifestingitselfinweakness，lethargy.hopelessness，andvariousothersymptoms.”shesays. Othermentalailmentsthroughouttimewereattlbutedto“theavailabilityofexoticfoodandspicesinthe18thcenturytheeducationofwomeninthe19thcentury，.orthenewpsycho-socialpressuresofneo-liberalcapitalisminourowntime”sheadds Soifexhaustionhasbeenwithusforever，whatdoesthatmeanforwemoderns?“Anhistoricalperspectivecanhelptocounterthesensethatourwayoflifeismoredetrimentaltohumanwellbeingthanthoseinthepast，andtomakeusfeellessalone，”saysSchaffner.“Ofcourse，thishistoricalperspectivealsochallengestheideathatcurrentstatesofexhaustionareauniquebadgeofhonor.Thushistoricizingexhaustioncan，ontheonehand，reassureusand，ontheotherhand，challengethenarrativesonwhichwerelytogiveoursufferingaspecialvalue.” Whatdoestheunderlinedword“antiquity”refertoinPara.3?
A.The state of being very old or ancient B.The state ofbeing mentally exhausted. C.The state of complete physical exhaustion. D.The state of difficult life experience in earlier times正确答案A
