TED演讲:什么会导致口臭(1)

 　　There is a curse that has plagued humanity since ancient times. 从古代起就有一种“诅咒”一直让人类饱受折磨。

　　The Greeks fought it by chewing aromatic¹ resins², while the Chinese resorted to egg shells. 古希腊人通过咀嚼芳香树脂来对抗它，而古代的中国人使用的则是鸡蛋壳。

　　In the ancient Jewish Talmud, it's even considered legal grounds for divorce. 在古犹太法典中，它甚至成为了合法的离婚理由。

　　This horrible scourge³ is halitosis, otherwise known as bad breath. 这种可怕的折磨就是口气异常，也被称为口臭。

　　But what causes it, and why is it so universally terrifying? 但是它是如何产生的呢？为什么它如此普遍地令人生畏？

　　Well, think of some of the worst odors you can imagine, like garbage, feces or rotting meat. 想一想你能想象到的一些最难闻的气味，比如垃圾、排泄物或者腐坏的肉。

　　All of these smells come from the activity of microorganisms, particularly bacteria, 所有这些味道都来自微生物，特别是细菌的活动，

　　and, as disgusting as it may sound, similar bacteria live in the moisture-rich environment of your mouth. 尽管听起来很恶心，但是相似的细菌就生活在你的嘴里这个湿润的环境中。

　　Don't panic. The presence of bacteria in your body is not only normal, 别慌。细菌存在于你的身体中不仅再正常不过了，

　　it's actually vital for all sorts of things, like digestion⁴ and disease prevention. 而且事实上，它对很多事情都是至关重要的，比如消化和疾病预防。

　　But like all living things, bacteria need to eat. 但是和所有活着的事物一样，细菌需要进食。

　　The bacteria in your mouth feed off of mucus, food remnants, and dead tissue cells. 你嘴里的细菌以粘液、食物残渣和死亡的组织细胞为食。

　　In order to absorb nutrients⁵ through their cell membranes,  为了通过它们的细胞膜吸收养分，

　　they must break down the organic matter into much smaller molecules⁶. 这些细菌必须把有机质分解成更小的分子。

1 aromatic   

adj.芳香的，有香味的

参考例句：

• It has an agreeable aromatic smell.它有一种好闻的香味。
• It is light,fruity aromatic and a perfect choice for ending a meal.它是口感轻淡，圆润，芳香的，用于结束一顿饭完美的选择。

2 resins   

n.树脂，松香( resin的名词复数 )；合成树脂v.树脂，松香( resin的第三人称单数 )；合成树脂

参考例句：

• The resins were used to turn out millions of helmet liners. 用这类树脂生产了成百万只钢盔内衬。 来自辞典例句
• Cheapness is one of the main attractions of polyester resins. 廉价是聚酯树脂受到欢迎的主要原因之一。 来自辞典例句

3 scourge   

n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏

参考例句：

• Smallpox was once the scourge of the world.天花曾是世界的大患。
• The new boss was the scourge of the inefficient.新老板来了以后，不称职的人就遭殃了。

4 digestion   

n.消化，吸收

参考例句：

• This kind of tea acts as an aid to digestion.这种茶可助消化。
• This food is easy of digestion.这食物容易消化。

5 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。