為什麼有些人更容易受到蚊子的青睞？

正文翻譯

原創翻譯：龍騰網 翻譯：二白白 轉載請註明出處

論壇地址：http://www.ltaaa.com/bbs/thread-448274-1-1.html

Why are some people more susceptible to mosquito bites?

為什麼有些人更容易受到蚊子的青睞？

Mosquitos are one of the worst things about summer, with the ability to turn an idyllic evening in the great outdoors into a borderline unbearable scratching frenzy. But why is it that some people seem to suffer more at the hands of these blood-sucking insects than others?

蚊子可以說是夏天最令人不爽的事情之一了，它們能把原本人們在室外愜意度過的舒爽傍晚變成瘙癢難忍之夜。不過，似乎有些人更容易受到蚊子的青睞，這是為什麼呢？

Researchers in the UK are in the process of determining the extent to which genetics affect how attractive we are towards the bugs using nothing less than 200 sets of smelly already-worn socks. We certainly don"t envy them!

來自英國的學者們正在通過200雙早已磨破的氣味難聞的襪子，對基因到底多大程度上決定了更易受蚊子叮咬這一問題進行研究。

The study

The socks were taken from pairs of identical and non-identical twins, with the hope of establishing which odours produced attractive (and, conversely, repellent) chemicals. Lead researcher James Logan told Scientific American:

研究內容如下

調查研究的領導人詹姆斯·羅根(James Logan)在採訪中告訴《科學美國人》雜誌，這些成對的襪子來源於同卵雙胞胎和非同卵雙胞胎們，學者們希望通過研究襪子來確定到底什麼樣的氣味含有能夠吸引（或者令蚊子反感）蚊子的化學成分。

"We know very little about the genetics of what makes us attractive to mosquitoes. We hope this study will give us more insights into the mechanisms that help change our body odors to make us more or less attractive to mosquitoes."

「對於為什麼有些人更吸引蚊子的遺傳學解釋，我們目前還知之甚少。我們希望該項研究能夠更好地幫助我們理解該機制，使得我們得以改變我們身體的氣味來防止蚊子叮咬。」

The team chose to use twins for their work after prior research on a smaller sample showed mosquitoes to be seemingly more attracted to identical twins compared to non-identical twins. Logan added:

該研究團隊這次使用了雙胞胎來進行研究，不過在此之前的對較小樣本的研究已經表明，相比非同卵雙胞胎，阿蚊似乎更喜歡叮咬同卵雙胞胎。

羅根補充道：

"If we can identify important genes, perhaps we could develop a pill or medication that would allow the body to produce natural repellents to keep mosquitoes away."

「如果我們能夠確定某些關鍵基因，那麼也許我們就能夠發明一種藥片或其他藥物，使得人們的身體能夠產出天然驅蟲劑來防止蚊子叮咬。」

In the next stage of the research, the team plan to place the smelly socks in a wind tunnel along with mosquitoes.

研究的下一階段，研究團隊打算將散發氣味的襪子和蚊子一起放進風洞中來研究。

Previous research

This is not the first time that the science behind mosquito bites has been examined. It is known that genetics accounts for a whopping 85% of humans" susceptibility to the insect bites, with certain elements – such as high concentrations of steroids or cholesterol, when found in excess on the skin"s surface – making them swarm closer.

之前的研究：

這可不是科學家對蚊子叮咬問題的首次研究。據稱，基因佔到了蚊子叮咬因素的85%，其中某些成分，比如當皮膚表面聚積有過量的高濃度激素或膽固醇的時候，更容易招惹蚊子。

It"s also been suggested that mosquitoes target people who produce excess amounts of certain acids, like uric acid – which trigger the insects" sense of smell – while pregnant women are also more likely to be bitten. However, it seems that the process of attraction begins a long time before the bite – with the pesky bugs able to smell their dinner from up to 50 metres away.

科學家還認為，身體會產生過量的某種酸性物質的人，比如尿酸，更容易成為蚊子的目標，這也是為什麼孕婦經常被蚊子叮咬的原因。然而研究表明，似乎吸引蚊子的過程在被叮咬之前很早就開始了，因為這種惱人的小蟲子似乎能夠在最遠50米開外就聞到「食物」的味道。

Despite all the research, scientists still reckon it"s going to be a long time before we figure out a way to prevent insect bites. Until then, the NHS recommends taking the following steps:

儘管對於該問題已經有了各種各樣的研究，但科學家們還是承認，在如何防止被蚊蟲叮咬的問題上，還有很長的路要走。目前，NHS（英國國家醫療服務體系）建議採取以下幾種方法來防止蚊蟲叮咬：

Wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers / skirts.

穿長袖長褲或長裙。

Keep cool.

保持身體涼爽。

Use insect repellent.

使用驅蟲劑。

The current study is being conducted in affiliation with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

目前該研究正在由「倫敦衛生與熱帶醫學院」進行。

喜歡這篇文章嗎？立刻分享出去讓更多人知道吧！